update on 10mg

[Andrew03]

well as some of you know, im down on 10mg.. and have been for about a month now. I have my good days and my bad.. and for a kid who is nearly 21 it definetely should not be this way.. but whatcha gonna do.

Anyway, I have all the symptoms but am trying to trek through life anyway. What really has started to get to me is the headaches, the nausea, and the insomnia. I am also worrying a lot more now, and stressing out about school and work. I have also found myself getting a lot more angry for no reason.. Maybe its just because im frustrated with everything going on and factoring in withdrawal doesnt help.

The Depersonalization has kind subsided from my last drop when I went to 12.5 mg and I am able to be more social (or as social as I can possibly be) but i tend to avoid going out with friends because i just dont have the motivation.

Im still off the caffeine and Im drinking water, but not as much - which helps .. because If I dont, I seriously find myself being absolutely debilitated and feel worse. I did meet with the doctor a few weeks back who told me If I just want to get through wd fast I should just do it fast, and not drag it out. But im afraid it will be worse If i do that.
I want to be off it but There are days where I wish I couild just get back to 20mg and learn to live with it.. even if I have to be on it the rest of my life..
I mean I can control anxiety and depression even with a tolerance level but we'll see how things go in the next few weeks to finish off school

[JessG]

Originally Posted by Andrew03

I did meet with the doctor a few weeks back who told me If I just want to get through wd fast I should just do it fast, and not drag it out. But im afraid it will be worse If i do that.

It sucks but most doctors have no idea what they're talking about when it comes to getting off SSRI's. You're right to be afraid that it will be worse if you follow his advice, because most likely it will be. Congrats on getting down to 10mg Your drops have been somewhat big which are probably the reason for the symptoms you're now experiencing. It's important that you try to make your future tapers no more than 10% at a time. This is especially true when tapering below 10mg. This way any symptoms you experience will be manageable and won't last as long. Your body and mind will thank you.

[carolyn]

+1 on Jess's comments. Definitely slow down a bit from 10mg and your symptoms should lessen.

[Songbird]

You doctor is an idiot! Anyway, you already tried the super-fast way and it didn't work. You're doing great so far. I agree with the others, make smaller drops when going under 10mg and allow the time to stabilise.

[AussieGirl]

Hi Make it slow and steady from here on in and you WILL get there.

[PatriceKM]

I agree with everyone else that you should slow your taper down.
I can relate to not having the motivation to hang out with friends. Part of the problem is the severe exhaustion that is cause by Paxil.
Best of luck and keep us posted.

[tezwacker]

Oooh. Dr.'s make me so angry! It took me a year and two months of tapering, and am very happy that I did it this way. I was very impatient at first, but the time actually went by fast. Don't put yourself through hell by going too fast; it's just not worth it.

[Meri_Ashke]

I can definitely relate, Andrew03! My doctor told me the same thing (don't drag it out, stop taking the paxil since you already feel crappy, etc), but luckily I asked about it on this board and with everyone's advice, decided to not follow what the doctor said and continue the slow decrease down. And oh boy, do I understand the thoughts of "if only I could go back up, even if I have to stay on it forever". It's only that I know how horrible the Paxil is and that it'll likely harm me more in the long run, that I'm sticking to getting off it no matter what.

And definitely definitely stay off the caffeine. I've found that it makes withdrawal even worse- I can't even drink my favorite teas anymore.