people who have successfully stopped taking Paxil

Joelle · 07-25-2002, 04:03 PM

I would be interested in hearing about anyone who was on Paxil for a few years but stopped taking it and are now doing well...

how long did it take for your withdrawl symptoms to go away- for good?

do you take any herbal suppliments? special diet?

any special hints or words of encouragement regarding Paxil withdrawl?

Thank you & God bless!
-Joelle

*edited for spelling

07-29-2002, 06:52 PM

Hi Joelle - I've been checking this site out alot today & find myself relating to your experiences alot! I've only been off paxil for about 6 weeks & was on it for 1 year. I also cut out Paxil abruptly, rather tapering. Like you, I'm preferring the natural route now... & giving it a go! In another posting, you mentioned 5-HTP. Could u tell me a bit about your experience w/that?

My migranes are gone. I have some minor headaches still at times of humidity & stress (never really had headaches before going off Paxil). I find the area above my top right eye extremely sensitive during the headaches (I find myself rubbing it during a headache onset). I also had the neck ache/stiffness during my migranes. It seemed as if when I massaged that area, my headache pain lessend a bit.

I continue to drink ALOT of water. I take a daily vitamin supplement & try to eat regularly (It seems as if I get dizzy easily if I don't eat regularly). I still crave food high in protein & I try to eat more leafy green veges. I read somewhere that bananas (is it the potassium? I forget, sorry.) could help w/migranes. I took B-6 vitamins when I felt my worst. I try to get some walking in every day now (which I didn't do so much before) - for at least some exercise & sunlight. Oh yes, & for migranes & dizziness, I grated ginger into a tea-ball & seeped it in hot water to drink. That seemed to help, too.

For me, I really feel that therapy has also helped me deal with at least SOME of the life issues that I think led me into my clinically diagnosed "depression." People take Paxil for different reasons & I realize that there's the big debate over whether depression is completely chemical or not... the nature vs. nuture thing. I still haven't made a general conclusion about that. I'm just hoping that with nuture, I'll be able to handle better the situations that led me to sadness, anger, & anxiety. Now I'm hoping my neurons will travel different paths than they did before! So far, so good. Thank you for the postings you've made. I'm learning alot & I do feel less alone with my distaste/annoyance for Paxil & during my journey through this new path I'm trying out! Best wishes to you!

07-30-2002, 06:53 AM

I was on for 3.5 years and will be off one year Aug 23. It took over 7 months for me feel somewhat "normal" again and my family went to hell and back with me through it all. I quit apologising to them long ago because it wasn't really my fault.Now we can sit and laugh about alot of it,although it was ---at the time-----the worst time of my life. I still have no short-term memory,and my temper is very short---not explosive anymore because it scared me so much that i HAD to learn how to choose my fights carefully.I still have bad dreams most nites,but not the awfull "nite-terrors" of before,and since i get on here as soon as i get up in the morning, i always get a mild to moderate anxiety attack and scarf up .05 xanax.Have wondered if its brought on by flickering adds etc., but it doesn't matter---its here and i'll take care of it. Lost 30 lbs. during w/d's and still have no apetite,although i,m trying to gain it back. I didn't know anything about w/d's getting off this insidious drug until well into hell, and then i found this board.It was the "back in da dey" board---and i laughrd and cried and for some reason after a post from Lilly got this image of her and her husband going for a day trip in their convertable----i wanted that so i didn't give up. It isn't easy----probably the hardest thing i've ever done-but i learned alot about myself and how to deal better with issues. I was put on basically for sleep-deprivation by a PAC and haven't had a decent nites sleep since,lol. It sucks to get off, but it is possable. Effects and their duration vary with each individual's system,possably because each life is unique,never ordinary. Hang in there and you will find it DOES get better---it IS possable. It just takes alot of time and alot of work.
ali

JulieG · 07-30-2002, 08:46 AM

Peaceseeker:

I suffer horribly from migraines, and even though this isn't really the forum for it I wanted to tell you about my migraines. I had to keep a food diary to find out which foods triggered migraines for me. It takes more than one trigger for a migraine to start, one of mine is food, the other could be stripes on wallpaper, police/ambulance lights, etc. The main food ones were of course: hotdogs, oranges, beans, chocolate, any foods that have sodium nitrate in them. Bananas are a migraine trigger for me. I know they help some people but for me they are a nightmare. One thing that helps when I have migraines, since I can't take any of the new drugs like Imitrex or Maxalt (I have had seizure-ish problems) is the smell of green apple. My doctor suggested this to me and I really doubted that it would work, but since I was willing to try ANYTHING for relief, I tried it.

07-30-2002, 01:14 PM

Thanks JulieG! I felt sooo bad those first 1 1/2 weeks after "saying no to Paxil," I kept a food diary, too once I was past feeling so nauseous & could eat. Good advice of avoiding more processed foods that contain nitrates. I think they give me slight headaches (which I did not feel before I went on & off Paxil). I don't drink as much caffeine either (but still a coke here & there). I was given a "IC Butalbital Compound" (that's on the bottle) for my migranes. Once I realized it contained a barbiturate, I didn't take it any longer (didn't want to get hooked on something else). I think that Exedrin Migraine (over-the-counter) helped ease my tension pain, too besides ALOT of water. Best wishes!

JulieG · 07-30-2002, 01:32 PM

I love Excedrin Migraine and Advil Migraine. (I'm torn between the two.) I also have this oatmeal pack that I stick in the microwave for a minute or so and put it over my eyes. It makes my headaches worse if I put it on my forehead but if I put it on my eyes (and it isn't so hot that they start to boil) it makes me relax. I heard someplace that laying back and saying, "Ok, I have a migraine, but I will get thru it, and not panicking because of it, just kind of "accepting" the time of getting thru it somehow" helped and I tried it - it actually worked. The person who was talking about it (it was a news show I think) said that now she appreciates the time she has her migraines because she gets to be alone and laying down (lying down? I never get that straight...). I don't think I'll ever get to the APPRECIATION of having one, but I don't quite panic either now. It is bad because I almost always throw up when I get migraines and sometimes when I am nauseated it throws me in to a little seizure thingy. And you're right about the caffeine thing. But gosh, I've got to have my diet code red mountain dew in the morning.

Joelle · 08-13-2002, 11:50 AM

Hi peaceseeker, sorry it's taken me so long to come back around to this thread, guess I never thought there would be positive responses, lol. Re: 5-HTP, I began taking 50mgs daily 1 week after stopping the Paxil, and this week I began taking 100mgs. I've been taking it daily for a month now. It's been great for me in so many ways. It has helped balance my brain out... I think I will always need some kind of external "seretonin assistance" and this has helped level out my moods, the same positive way Paxil did but without leaving me feeling "numb". It has also helps me eat better, I don't crave carbs or sweets as i did before, and believe me I was a BIG carb/sweets junkie. I also eat less. Additionally it's helped with my headaches- used to get migraines fairly regularly and I haven't had one since I began taking the 5-HTP (still get those dreaded sinus headaches but i think they're allergy/weather related) The 5-HTP is also used in treating insomnia but I never had that problem... also it is supposed to help with PMS and I can personally attest to that

One interesting thing I've noticed- I take the 5-HTP at bedtime and I notice my morning urine is BRIGHT yellow, like the color of Mountian Dew! Quite a thing to wake up to, it's like peeing liquid sunshine, heheh. I have not experienced any unplesant side-effects unless you want to count day-glo yellow urine in the morning

08-24-2002, 06:14 PM

I was on paxil for 2 years. Fortunately for me, I had a very positive experience with it. And, I came out so gradually, over 4 months, that I didn't have any side effects or withdrawal. It took a lot of patience and I got very skillful at cutting my pills everyday. I just wanted you to know that it is possible to come off of the pill without any real problems. But, after a month or two of being off the pill, my anxiety issues were all back just like before....I guess I must really have an imbalance. It's a year later and I'm still the same. I may go back on....

Paxil Junkie · 08-24-2002, 06:42 PM

pill only helps tempararily, thats why the problems always come back, and they will come back no matter what...much like painkillers make the pain go away while your on it and then they just come right back, which is why they should call these pills emotion killers, lowers fear anxiety depression happiness excitability ect, but once u stop they just come right back.

07-25-2002, 04:03 PM	#1
Joelle Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: central Ohio Posts: 219	people who have successfully stopped taking Paxil I would be interested in hearing about anyone who was on Paxil for a few years but stopped taking it and are now doing well... how long did it take for your withdrawl symptoms to go away- for good? do you take any herbal suppliments? special diet? any special hints or words of encouragement regarding Paxil withdrawl? Thank you & God bless! -Joelle *edited for spelling

07-30-2002, 06:53 AM	#3
Anonymous Posts: n/a	re; I was on for 3.5 years and will be off one year Aug 23. It took over 7 months for me feel somewhat "normal" again and my family went to hell and back with me through it all. I quit apologising to them long ago because it wasn't really my fault.Now we can sit and laugh about alot of it,although it was ---at the time-----the worst time of my life. I still have no short-term memory,and my temper is very short---not explosive anymore because it scared me so much that i HAD to learn how to choose my fights carefully.I still have bad dreams most nites,but not the awfull "nite-terrors" of before,and since i get on here as soon as i get up in the morning, i always get a mild to moderate anxiety attack and scarf up .05 xanax.Have wondered if its brought on by flickering adds etc., but it doesn't matter---its here and i'll take care of it. Lost 30 lbs. during w/d's and still have no apetite,although i,m trying to gain it back. I didn't know anything about w/d's getting off this insidious drug until well into hell, and then i found this board.It was the "back in da dey" board---and i laughrd and cried and for some reason after a post from Lilly got this image of her and her husband going for a day trip in their convertable----i wanted that so i didn't give up. It isn't easy----probably the hardest thing i've ever done-but i learned alot about myself and how to deal better with issues. I was put on basically for sleep-deprivation by a PAC and haven't had a decent nites sleep since,lol. It sucks to get off, but it is possable. Effects and their duration vary with each individual's system,possably because each life is unique,never ordinary. Hang in there and you will find it DOES get better---it IS possable. It just takes alot of time and alot of work. ali

08-13-2002, 11:50 AM	#7
Joelle Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: central Ohio Posts: 219	Hi peaceseeker, sorry it's taken me so long to come back around to this thread, guess I never thought there would be positive responses, lol. Re: 5-HTP, I began taking 50mgs daily 1 week after stopping the Paxil, and this week I began taking 100mgs. I've been taking it daily for a month now. It's been great for me in so many ways. It has helped balance my brain out... I think I will always need some kind of external "seretonin assistance" and this has helped level out my moods, the same positive way Paxil did but without leaving me feeling "numb". It has also helps me eat better, I don't crave carbs or sweets as i did before, and believe me I was a BIG carb/sweets junkie. I also eat less. Additionally it's helped with my headaches- used to get migraines fairly regularly and I haven't had one since I began taking the 5-HTP (still get those dreaded sinus headaches but i think they're allergy/weather related) The 5-HTP is also used in treating insomnia but I never had that problem... also it is supposed to help with PMS and I can personally attest to that One interesting thing I've noticed- I take the 5-HTP at bedtime and I notice my morning urine is BRIGHT yellow, like the color of Mountian Dew! Quite a thing to wake up to, it's like peeing liquid sunshine, heheh. I have not experienced any unplesant side-effects unless you want to count day-glo yellow urine in the morning __________________ When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. - Franklin D. Roosevelt Don't compromise yourself, you are all you've got. -Janis Joplin

08-24-2002, 06:42 PM	#9
Paxil Junkie Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: New York Posts: 315	pill only helps tempararily, thats why the problems always come back, and they will come back no matter what...much like painkillers make the pain go away while your on it and then they just come right back, which is why they should call these pills emotion killers, lowers fear anxiety depression happiness excitability ect, but once u stop they just come right back. __________________ Some of my favorite quotes "April 20th, National Save the Trees day." "Its 4:19...got a minute?" "Life sucks then you die, so spend your time getting high." "Time is never wasted when your wasted all the time."

07-29-2002, 06:52 PM	#2
peaceseeker Posts: n/a	Hi Joelle - I've been checking this site out alot today & find myself relating to your experiences alot! I've only been off paxil for about 6 weeks & was on it for 1 year. I also cut out Paxil abruptly, rather tapering. Like you, I'm preferring the natural route now... & giving it a go! In another posting, you mentioned 5-HTP. Could u tell me a bit about your experience w/that? My migranes are gone. I have some minor headaches still at times of humidity & stress (never really had headaches before going off Paxil). I find the area above my top right eye extremely sensitive during the headaches (I find myself rubbing it during a headache onset). I also had the neck ache/stiffness during my migranes. It seemed as if when I massaged that area, my headache pain lessend a bit. I continue to drink ALOT of water. I take a daily vitamin supplement & try to eat regularly (It seems as if I get dizzy easily if I don't eat regularly). I still crave food high in protein & I try to eat more leafy green veges. I read somewhere that bananas (is it the potassium? I forget, sorry.) could help w/migranes. I took B-6 vitamins when I felt my worst. I try to get some walking in every day now (which I didn't do so much before) - for at least some exercise & sunlight. Oh yes, & for migranes & dizziness, I grated ginger into a tea-ball & seeped it in hot water to drink. That seemed to help, too. For me, I really feel that therapy has also helped me deal with at least SOME of the life issues that I think led me into my clinically diagnosed "depression." People take Paxil for different reasons & I realize that there's the big debate over whether depression is completely chemical or not... the nature vs. nuture thing. I still haven't made a general conclusion about that. I'm just hoping that with nuture, I'll be able to handle better the situations that led me to sadness, anger, & anxiety. Now I'm hoping my neurons will travel different paths than they did before! So far, so good. Thank you for the postings you've made. I'm learning alot & I do feel less alone with my distaste/annoyance for Paxil & during my journey through this new path I'm trying out! Best wishes to you!

07-30-2002, 08:46 AM	#4
JulieG Join Date: May 2002 Location: Ohio, USA Posts: 589	Peaceseeker: I suffer horribly from migraines, and even though this isn't really the forum for it I wanted to tell you about my migraines. I had to keep a food diary to find out which foods triggered migraines for me. It takes more than one trigger for a migraine to start, one of mine is food, the other could be stripes on wallpaper, police/ambulance lights, etc. The main food ones were of course: hotdogs, oranges, beans, chocolate, any foods that have sodium nitrate in them. Bananas are a migraine trigger for me. I know they help some people but for me they are a nightmare. One thing that helps when I have migraines, since I can't take any of the new drugs like Imitrex or Maxalt (I have had seizure-ish problems) is the smell of green apple. My doctor suggested this to me and I really doubted that it would work, but since I was willing to try ANYTHING for relief, I tried it.

07-30-2002, 01:14 PM	#5
peaceseeker Posts: n/a	Thanks JulieG! I felt sooo bad those first 1 1/2 weeks after "saying no to Paxil," I kept a food diary, too once I was past feeling so nauseous & could eat. Good advice of avoiding more processed foods that contain nitrates. I think they give me slight headaches (which I did not feel before I went on & off Paxil). I don't drink as much caffeine either (but still a coke here & there). I was given a "IC Butalbital Compound" (that's on the bottle) for my migranes. Once I realized it contained a barbiturate, I didn't take it any longer (didn't want to get hooked on something else). I think that Exedrin Migraine (over-the-counter) helped ease my tension pain, too besides ALOT of water. Best wishes!

07-30-2002, 01:32 PM	#6
JulieG Join Date: May 2002 Location: Ohio, USA Posts: 589	I love Excedrin Migraine and Advil Migraine. (I'm torn between the two.) I also have this oatmeal pack that I stick in the microwave for a minute or so and put it over my eyes. It makes my headaches worse if I put it on my forehead but if I put it on my eyes (and it isn't so hot that they start to boil) it makes me relax. I heard someplace that laying back and saying, "Ok, I have a migraine, but I will get thru it, and not panicking because of it, just kind of "accepting" the time of getting thru it somehow" helped and I tried it - it actually worked. The person who was talking about it (it was a news show I think) said that now she appreciates the time she has her migraines because she gets to be alone and laying down (lying down? I never get that straight...). I don't think I'll ever get to the APPRECIATION of having one, but I don't quite panic either now. It is bad because I almost always throw up when I get migraines and sometimes when I am nauseated it throws me in to a little seizure thingy. And you're right about the caffeine thing. But gosh, I've got to have my diet code red mountain dew in the morning.

08-24-2002, 06:14 PM	#8
Anonymous Posts: n/a	I was on paxil for 2 years. Fortunately for me, I had a very positive experience with it. And, I came out so gradually, over 4 months, that I didn't have any side effects or withdrawal. It took a lot of patience and I got very skillful at cutting my pills everyday. I just wanted you to know that it is possible to come off of the pill without any real problems. But, after a month or two of being off the pill, my anxiety issues were all back just like before....I guess I must really have an imbalance. It's a year later and I'm still the same. I may go back on....

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