paxil withdrawls

amg726 · 11-09-2009, 07:23 AM

So I am very new to this site but am hoping it will help me! I have been on paxil for six months or so 20mg and my doctor told me to quit taking and start taking 20mg of Prozac cause the paxil wasn't working out for me. Its been 6 days with no paxil and now on prozac but I am having some major withdrawl. I feel sick literly, a nervous wreck to even leave the house. I am experiencing severe night sweats blurred vision,feet tingling, DEPRESSION, I have cried for two days straight just cause of worrying and panic attacks don't know if this will ever end..Anyone having any of this problems? Or can relate?

texgirl · 11-09-2009, 07:36 AM

You're in cold-turkey Paxil withdrawal and probably also experiencing start-up effects from the Prozac. Contrary to what most doctors think, these drugs are not interchangeable, and Prozac will not cover up Paxil withdrawal.

Six months is long enough for Paxil to have altered your brain chemistry. After 6 days, I would quit the Prozac and go back on 20mg of Paxil, then wean slowly off that.

Welcome to PaxilProgress!

amg726 · 11-09-2009, 07:39 AM

Thank you so much for your feedback I totally feel like I am going insane...UGHHHH do you know how long it will last by any chance

Lucy · 11-09-2009, 08:00 AM

It takes a while for prozac to clear your body, so be careful about adding paxil or any other drug. I don't know how long you should wait, maybe someone else will address that issue, or you should ask your doctor.

rain · 11-09-2009, 10:36 AM

I think you should go back on the Paxil and stop the Prozac. You can't just stop taking Paxil. I did the same thing and felt exactly like you are feeling now.. awful! After you stabilize on the Paxil (took me about a week to start feeling better), start a very slow wean like they suggest here... 10% of your current dose every 3-6 weeks...

"I" weaned down to about 5mg Paxil (stopped it) and then started taking 20mg of Prozac. Worked well for me.

rob.pow · 11-09-2009, 05:57 PM

I've been cross tapered a couple of times (once to prozac and once to effexor) and it never worked... same as where you are now...(.essentially cold turkey...) held on for two weeks of escalating hell ,then had to reinstate pax. and was feeling better (but totally thrashed by the experience) within a couple of hours.. i would can the prozac, get back on 20mg pax.... get stable and feeling better and work out/prepare for a slow taper like what most people here are doing/have done... ASKING your doctor IMO is pointless and they will probably land you back in w/d hell and on other meds rebounding mess etc. Start TELLING your doctor what you want to do and how your going to do it! All the 'real' info and support is right here. Hope you feel beter soon.

amg726 · 11-09-2009, 06:12 PM

Thanks soooo much you guys for all yout post it really means a lot ! I ended up calling the doctor today cause of all these side effects I'm having and he told me to stop taking the prozac and go back to the paxil until I go see him Thursday. So hopefully I can get on something that woill help me out. Today also has just been pretty rough as I am not much of a crier that seems to be all I wanna do.I get really upset because I hate all these medicine trials I just want to feel normal again with NO anxiety. When will this anxiety go away there has to be some med that will work. Its great to be able to share with people who are going through the same things its hard for those who don't have these problems to understand what it is we are going though

rob.pow · 11-09-2009, 06:38 PM

Did you ever try CBT with a psychologist before to help with anxiety? It is very effective for alot of people. Just be careful about crossing over to other meds!! The paxil to prozac crossover is SUPPOSED to be an easy and doc/professional recommended technique... if you struggled with this then i don't think any other crosstaper will be different.... the reality is you might have to come off paxil quite slowly, and anxiety will be a common feature of this w/d so feeling normal might take sometime.

Songbird · 11-09-2009, 06:44 PM

When you say "the paxil wasn't working out for me" what exactly was the problem with it?

amg726 · 11-09-2009, 06:51 PM

The paxil wasn't working because my anxiety was still at a very high level it worked for a while. *ROB* what's CBT mean? I have always just went to my family doctor

Songbird · 11-09-2009, 06:56 PM

For anxiety, look for books and recordings by Dr. Claire Weekes, such as 'Hope and Help For Your Nerves'. Also, relaxation exercises can be very helpful. For example, gentle yoga, progressive muscle relaxation, meditation and guided visualisations. CBT is cognitive behavioural therapy. You can do this with a therapist, there are also good self-help books.

amg726 · 11-09-2009, 07:04 PM

Thnks so much I have never had CBT and do those books really work? Do you have anxiety?

Songbird · 11-09-2009, 07:16 PM

They do work, but you have to practice the exercises, it takes more effort than popping a pill, but is well worth it.

rob.pow · 11-10-2009, 02:21 AM

Hey... like Songbird says it does take time and practice with cbt but it becomes second nature after a while and dealing with anxiety and depression can become quite manageable. Just seeing the family doctor and taking pills is not a long term solution and you could end up in a worse situation with big crazy med stories like most of us here. Has your doctor offered you any alternatives like therapy (psychologist), relaxation techiques, nutriton/lifestyle changes etc.? or did they just put you on paxil...?

11-09-2009, 07:23 AM	#1
amg726 Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 18	paxil withdrawls So I am very new to this site but am hoping it will help me! I have been on paxil for six months or so 20mg and my doctor told me to quit taking and start taking 20mg of Prozac cause the paxil wasn't working out for me. Its been 6 days with no paxil and now on prozac but I am having some major withdrawl. I feel sick literly, a nervous wreck to even leave the house. I am experiencing severe night sweats blurred vision,feet tingling, DEPRESSION, I have cried for two days straight just cause of worrying and panic attacks don't know if this will ever end..Anyone having any of this problems? Or can relate?

11-09-2009, 07:36 AM	#2
texgirl Purveyor of the Pimp 'n Perv Pipeline Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 3,474	Re: paxil withdrawls You're in cold-turkey Paxil withdrawal and probably also experiencing start-up effects from the Prozac. Contrary to what most doctors think, these drugs are not interchangeable, and Prozac will not cover up Paxil withdrawal. Six months is long enough for Paxil to have altered your brain chemistry. After 6 days, I would quit the Prozac and go back on 20mg of Paxil, then wean slowly off that. Welcome to PaxilProgress! __________________ Completely free from psychiatry since 8/5/07 If we are fools enough to remain at the mercy of the people who want to sell us happiness, it will be impossible for us to ever be content with anything. How would they profit if we became content? (Thomas Merton)

11-09-2009, 07:39 AM	#3
amg726 Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 18	Re: paxil withdrawls Thank you so much for your feedback I totally feel like I am going insane...UGHHHH do you know how long it will last by any chance

11-09-2009, 08:00 AM	#4
Lucy Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 871	Re: paxil withdrawls It takes a while for prozac to clear your body, so be careful about adding paxil or any other drug. I don't know how long you should wait, maybe someone else will address that issue, or you should ask your doctor.

11-09-2009, 10:36 AM	#5
rain Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Bay Area, California Posts: 5,018	Re: paxil withdrawls I think you should go back on the Paxil and stop the Prozac. You can't just stop taking Paxil. I did the same thing and felt exactly like you are feeling now.. awful! After you stabilize on the Paxil (took me about a week to start feeling better), start a very slow wean like they suggest here... 10% of your current dose every 3-6 weeks... "I" weaned down to about 5mg Paxil (stopped it) and then started taking 20mg of Prozac. Worked well for me. __________________ 7/10/10 - Celexa 20mg ...and then the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. Anais Nin

11-09-2009, 05:57 PM	#6
rob.pow Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Sydney Posts: 94	Re: paxil withdrawls I've been cross tapered a couple of times (once to prozac and once to effexor) and it never worked... same as where you are now...(.essentially cold turkey...) held on for two weeks of escalating hell ,then had to reinstate pax. and was feeling better (but totally thrashed by the experience) within a couple of hours.. i would can the prozac, get back on 20mg pax.... get stable and feeling better and work out/prepare for a slow taper like what most people here are doing/have done... ASKING your doctor IMO is pointless and they will probably land you back in w/d hell and on other meds rebounding mess etc. Start TELLING your doctor what you want to do and how your going to do it! All the 'real' info and support is right here. Hope you feel beter soon. __________________ 1994 Prozac 20mg 1999 C/T Prozac - hospital. 2000 Effexor - bad side effects. 2000 - 2009 Aropax 20mg - 60 mg Feb 09 @ 40mg Mar 09 @ 38mg Apr 09 @ 36mg Apr 09 @ 34mg Apr 09 @ 32mg May 09 @ 30mg May 09 @ 27mg May 09 @ 23mg Jun 09 @ 20mg Jun 09 @ 17mg Jun 09 @ 15mg Jun 09 @ 13.3mg Jul 09 @ 11.6mg Jul 09 @ 10mg Jul 09 @ 8.6mg Jul 09 @ 7.7mg Aug 09 @ 6.6mg Aug 09 @ 5.5mg Sep 09 @ 4.4mg Sep 09 @ 3.3mg Oct 09 @ 2.2mg Oct 09 @ 1.6mg Nov 09 @ 1.1mg

11-09-2009, 06:12 PM	#7
amg726 Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 18	Re: paxil withdrawls Thanks soooo much you guys for all yout post it really means a lot ! I ended up calling the doctor today cause of all these side effects I'm having and he told me to stop taking the prozac and go back to the paxil until I go see him Thursday. So hopefully I can get on something that woill help me out. Today also has just been pretty rough as I am not much of a crier that seems to be all I wanna do.I get really upset because I hate all these medicine trials I just want to feel normal again with NO anxiety. When will this anxiety go away there has to be some med that will work. Its great to be able to share with people who are going through the same things its hard for those who don't have these problems to understand what it is we are going though

11-09-2009, 06:38 PM	#8
rob.pow Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Sydney Posts: 94	Re: paxil withdrawls Did you ever try CBT with a psychologist before to help with anxiety? It is very effective for alot of people. Just be careful about crossing over to other meds!! The paxil to prozac crossover is SUPPOSED to be an easy and doc/professional recommended technique... if you struggled with this then i don't think any other crosstaper will be different.... the reality is you might have to come off paxil quite slowly, and anxiety will be a common feature of this w/d so feeling normal might take sometime. __________________ 1994 Prozac 20mg 1999 C/T Prozac - hospital. 2000 Effexor - bad side effects. 2000 - 2009 Aropax 20mg - 60 mg Feb 09 @ 40mg Mar 09 @ 38mg Apr 09 @ 36mg Apr 09 @ 34mg Apr 09 @ 32mg May 09 @ 30mg May 09 @ 27mg May 09 @ 23mg Jun 09 @ 20mg Jun 09 @ 17mg Jun 09 @ 15mg Jun 09 @ 13.3mg Jul 09 @ 11.6mg Jul 09 @ 10mg Jul 09 @ 8.6mg Jul 09 @ 7.7mg Aug 09 @ 6.6mg Aug 09 @ 5.5mg Sep 09 @ 4.4mg Sep 09 @ 3.3mg Oct 09 @ 2.2mg Oct 09 @ 1.6mg Nov 09 @ 1.1mg

11-09-2009, 06:44 PM	#9
Songbird Queen of the appendage vocabulary Join Date: May 2007 Location: New Zealand Posts: 9,170	Re: paxil withdrawls When you say "the paxil wasn't working out for me" what exactly was the problem with it? __________________ Jul 01-Feb 02 Aropax Feb - Dec 03 Citalopram Jul 04 Aropax Jan 07 - Feb 08 20mg - 5mg Apr 4.5mg 5mg Jun 10mg zopiclone > seroquel Jul 20mg Aug + methionine Oct aropax > loxamine Dec off seroquel 7 Dec 17.5mg 30 Dec 15mg 24 Jan 12.5mg 16 Feb 10mg 10 May 9mg 30 May 8mg 5 July 7.5mg 2 Aug 7.25mg 1 Sep 7mg 9 Oct 6.75mg 8 Nov 6.5mg 18 Dec 6.3mg Appreciation is the antidote to stress - Trust is the antidote to fear

11-09-2009, 06:51 PM	#10
amg726 Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 18	Re: paxil withdrawls The paxil wasn't working because my anxiety was still at a very high level it worked for a while. ROB what's CBT mean? I have always just went to my family doctor

11-09-2009, 06:56 PM	#11
Songbird Queen of the appendage vocabulary Join Date: May 2007 Location: New Zealand Posts: 9,170	Re: paxil withdrawls For anxiety, look for books and recordings by Dr. Claire Weekes, such as 'Hope and Help For Your Nerves'. Also, relaxation exercises can be very helpful. For example, gentle yoga, progressive muscle relaxation, meditation and guided visualisations. CBT is cognitive behavioural therapy. You can do this with a therapist, there are also good self-help books. __________________ Jul 01-Feb 02 Aropax Feb - Dec 03 Citalopram Jul 04 Aropax Jan 07 - Feb 08 20mg - 5mg Apr 4.5mg 5mg Jun 10mg zopiclone > seroquel Jul 20mg Aug + methionine Oct aropax > loxamine Dec off seroquel 7 Dec 17.5mg 30 Dec 15mg 24 Jan 12.5mg 16 Feb 10mg 10 May 9mg 30 May 8mg 5 July 7.5mg 2 Aug 7.25mg 1 Sep 7mg 9 Oct 6.75mg 8 Nov 6.5mg 18 Dec 6.3mg Appreciation is the antidote to stress - Trust is the antidote to fear

11-09-2009, 07:04 PM	#12
amg726 Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 18	Re: paxil withdrawls Thnks so much I have never had CBT and do those books really work? Do you have anxiety?

11-09-2009, 07:16 PM	#13
Songbird Queen of the appendage vocabulary Join Date: May 2007 Location: New Zealand Posts: 9,170	Re: paxil withdrawls They do work, but you have to practice the exercises, it takes more effort than popping a pill, but is well worth it. __________________ Jul 01-Feb 02 Aropax Feb - Dec 03 Citalopram Jul 04 Aropax Jan 07 - Feb 08 20mg - 5mg Apr 4.5mg 5mg Jun 10mg zopiclone > seroquel Jul 20mg Aug + methionine Oct aropax > loxamine Dec off seroquel 7 Dec 17.5mg 30 Dec 15mg 24 Jan 12.5mg 16 Feb 10mg 10 May 9mg 30 May 8mg 5 July 7.5mg 2 Aug 7.25mg 1 Sep 7mg 9 Oct 6.75mg 8 Nov 6.5mg 18 Dec 6.3mg Appreciation is the antidote to stress - Trust is the antidote to fear

11-10-2009, 02:21 AM	#14
rob.pow Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Sydney Posts: 94	Re: paxil withdrawls Hey... like Songbird says it does take time and practice with cbt but it becomes second nature after a while and dealing with anxiety and depression can become quite manageable. Just seeing the family doctor and taking pills is not a long term solution and you could end up in a worse situation with big crazy med stories like most of us here. Has your doctor offered you any alternatives like therapy (psychologist), relaxation techiques, nutriton/lifestyle changes etc.? or did they just put you on paxil...? __________________ 1994 Prozac 20mg 1999 C/T Prozac - hospital. 2000 Effexor - bad side effects. 2000 - 2009 Aropax 20mg - 60 mg Feb 09 @ 40mg Mar 09 @ 38mg Apr 09 @ 36mg Apr 09 @ 34mg Apr 09 @ 32mg May 09 @ 30mg May 09 @ 27mg May 09 @ 23mg Jun 09 @ 20mg Jun 09 @ 17mg Jun 09 @ 15mg Jun 09 @ 13.3mg Jul 09 @ 11.6mg Jul 09 @ 10mg Jul 09 @ 8.6mg Jul 09 @ 7.7mg Aug 09 @ 6.6mg Aug 09 @ 5.5mg Sep 09 @ 4.4mg Sep 09 @ 3.3mg Oct 09 @ 2.2mg Oct 09 @ 1.6mg Nov 09 @ 1.1mg

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)