Doctor put me on Paxil 3 days ago

sealunar · 11-16-2009, 02:19 PM

Just started taking it, then I came across this forum. I do not have major anxiety attacks, nor do I suffer from depression. I worry sometimes that things are wrong with my body, and I also can get nervous in social situations.

Is the drug really that bad as far as withdrawl goes? I tried it for a week about a month ago but I didn't notice any difference. My doctor told me I have to be on it at least a month for me to notice any changes.

lavamama · 11-16-2009, 02:29 PM

I would stop taking it immediately. Paxil is bad!

I would look toward Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to ease your nervousness in social situations. This is by far, the best, long term solution.

If I could build a time machine and go back to when my husband first started taking paxil for anxiety we would never have gone to his physician, I would instead have found someone who knows about CBT.

I'm sure you will find that the majority of the people here will tell you the same thing.

Homerbcool · 11-16-2009, 02:29 PM

You are still on Paxil....or you are off it after trying for a week one month ago?

The drug will take at least 3 weeks to work initially....

BUT please find some other way to deal with your issues, do not rely on a pill that yes is that bad.....exhaust all other avenues, the paxhell road is not a fun filled road at all...

sealunar · 11-16-2009, 02:31 PM

I tried it for the first time ever for a week, then stopped. That happened a month ago. I just started again 3 days ago. I have never been on it longer than a week, so I never had any withdrawal symptoms or whatever.

HanPanes · 11-16-2009, 02:31 PM

Hey, I'm wondering whether your symptoms are severe enough to warrant the hell that it might be coming off this stuff further down the line.
I was on Paxil (Seroxat in the UK for 7 years) and it was the biggest mistake of my life.
Like you I initially suffered from anxiety but what being on Paxil led to was far far worse.
I don't know how you'll find being on it but I'd wait until you hear from a few more people and then make an informed choice because in my mind this is a big decision. I wonder whether there are other alternatives to dealing with your symptoms that are not likely (to be blunt) ruin you?

All the best

scotia21 · 11-16-2009, 02:35 PM

Please, please, please find other non-med ways to help you deal with your anxiety issue. Paxil (and any other ssri) changes brain function considerably and is just not worth the side effects. I also did not have anxiety or depression before Paxil but became bipolar while taking it and it came really close to ruining my life. Your doctor is severly misinformed about the dangers of SSRIs and should never have prescribed this for issues as mild as yours.

11-16-2009, 02:44 PM

I think withdrawal happens when your not weaned off correctly, and it can be horrible. It really depends on the person though, some people tend to go off and be just fine.

11-16-2009, 02:45 PM

Also, if you are going to take SSRIs, which I don't recommend, I definitely would not take Paxil. That is the worst among all of them.

LCrawford67 · 11-16-2009, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sealunar

Just started taking it, then I came across this forum. I do not have major anxiety attacks, nor do I suffer from depression. I worry sometimes that things are wrong with my body, and I also can get nervous in social situations.

Is the drug really that bad as far as withdrawl goes? I tried it for a week about a month ago but I didn't notice any difference. My doctor told me I have to be on it at least a month for me to notice any changes.

Welcome to paxilprogress!

If you don't have major anxiety or depression, why were you prescribed Paxil?

Being nervous in social situations is very common for millions of people, that's not a mental disorder and a lot of people worry, or have some form of health anxiety. Neither of those conditions, unless completely debilitating, would require and anti depressant.

Your doctor is correct, it can take up to 8 weeks to notice any changes. Yes, withdrawal is hell and I'm sure you've Googled enough to know it's not just the people on this board who have horrid withdrawal stories. Let alone, the side effects Paxil brings such as loss of libido and weight gain.

Nothing you've described warrants medication. You have to change your thought process regarding your health anxiety and there are many ways of dealing with your social anxiety.

Seek out a cognitive behavorial therapist and learn CBT techniques. Or, there are plenty of self help books out there that will also help you with this.

I was prescribed Paxil for irritable bowel syndrome...believe me, this is not the path you want to go down to solve, what sounds like, a minor issue.

sealunar · 11-16-2009, 02:54 PM

Thanks everybody for the help. I will stop and let him know it's not worth it. I don't blame him for putting me on it- I'm sure he isn't aware of the horrible withdrawals. I'm just glad I found this place first

Lucy · 11-16-2009, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by northernlights

Also, if you are going to take SSRIs, which I don't recommend, I definitely would not take Paxil. That is the worst among all of them.

I'm not so sure I'd agree with paxil being the worst - Most SSRIs have the potential to cause the same problems paxil causes. My lexapro w/d has been worse than paxil, but there may be other reasons for that, besides differences in the drug.

Songbird · 11-16-2009, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LCrawford67

Being nervous in social situations is very common for millions of people, that's not a mental disorder and a lot of people worry, or have some form of health anxiety. Neither of those conditions, unless completely debilitating, would require and anti depressant.
...
Nothing you've described warrants medication. You have to change your thought process regarding your health anxiety and there are many ways of dealing with your social anxiety.

Seek out a cognitive behavorial therapist and learn CBT techniques. Or, there are plenty of self help books out there that will also help you with this.

I agree with everything Laurie has said. I now believe taking an anti-depressant should be a last resort, and should be reserved for people with major problems. For the problems you describe, CBT and self-help are much better options.

lavamama · 11-16-2009, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sealunar

Thanks everybody for the help. I will stop and let him know it's not worth it. I don't blame him for putting me on it- I'm sure he isn't aware of the horrible withdrawals. I'm just glad I found this place first

I'm so relieved to see this post. Please find other ways to manage your nervousness. You will be glad you did.

jule1 · 11-16-2009, 05:30 PM

Also if you are looking for more info on antidepressant withdrawal, google the Effexor petition online there are plenty of horrid withdrawal stories there. if I could go back and knew what I was doing in NO way would I have taken Effexor (prescribed to me for sleep!). If I were you now I would ditch the Paxil in a heartbeat. Not to scare you or anything because this wouldn't happen to you this early on but I lost my sister to Paxil withdrawal from a high dose. These meds are just not the way to go unless there is a severe problem I think.

sealunar · 11-16-2009, 05:37 PM

What makes people want to stop taking Paxil?

Songbird · 11-16-2009, 05:53 PM

http://www.paxilprogress.org/forums/...ad.php?t=45054

pax80 · 11-17-2009, 03:25 AM

paxil is evil and makes us take really bad decision and screws our health...

Cosette123 · 11-17-2009, 03:54 AM

Sealunar, if I may give you an advice please stop Paxil!
I was on Paxil(Deroxat in France) for 10 years because of major anxiety and my husband's suicide and I can say that the hell of withdrawal is worse than all. The biggest mistake of my life was to take this drug.
Now I am Paxil off since 18 months and still suffering.

Fallen from Grace · 11-17-2009, 12:41 PM

STOP NOW. Nothing you listed merits taking this drug. Shy of self harm or threats of injury to others, or life crippling debilitation there are other options! Behavior modifications, self help books, therapy, group sessions. I have seen people quit illicit drug use easier than this crap!

It was easier to quit smoking cigarettes.
It was easier to quit smoking marijuana.
It was easier to go abstinent for 6 months.
It was easier to hold my breath for 9 minutes.
Ok, that last one was a joke.

But seriously...STOP NOW BEFORE ITS TOO LATE.

99% of what that doctor is telling you about that drug is bullsh*t. He doesnt know that drug at all. The only thing he knows is what the drug reps tell him. Accordingly, if you reference the internal memos from GSK, what the reps are taught is to lie.

STOP. NOW.

11-16-2009, 02:19 PM	#1
sealunar Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 4	Doctor put me on Paxil 3 days ago Just started taking it, then I came across this forum. I do not have major anxiety attacks, nor do I suffer from depression. I worry sometimes that things are wrong with my body, and I also can get nervous in social situations. Is the drug really that bad as far as withdrawl goes? I tried it for a week about a month ago but I didn't notice any difference. My doctor told me I have to be on it at least a month for me to notice any changes.

11-16-2009, 02:29 PM	#2
lavamama Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 400	Re: Doctor put me on Paxil 3 days ago I would stop taking it immediately. Paxil is bad! I would look toward Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to ease your nervousness in social situations. This is by far, the best, long term solution. If I could build a time machine and go back to when my husband first started taking paxil for anxiety we would never have gone to his physician, I would instead have found someone who knows about CBT. I'm sure you will find that the majority of the people here will tell you the same thing. __________________ "When you come to the edge of all the light that you have, and you make the decision to step out into the darkness of the unknown...there will either be something absolutely solid to stand on or you will learn to fly."

11-16-2009, 02:29 PM	#3
Homerbcool "colors outside the lines" Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 16,353	Re: Doctor put me on Paxil 3 days ago You are still on Paxil....or you are off it after trying for a week one month ago? The drug will take at least 3 weeks to work initially.... BUT please find some other way to deal with your issues, do not rely on a pill that yes is that bad.....exhaust all other avenues, the paxhell road is not a fun filled road at all... __________________ That's one of the curses of anxiety--we make possibilities into certainties.....Tim

11-16-2009, 02:31 PM	#4
sealunar Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 4	Re: Doctor put me on Paxil 3 days ago I tried it for the first time ever for a week, then stopped. That happened a month ago. I just started again 3 days ago. I have never been on it longer than a week, so I never had any withdrawal symptoms or whatever.

11-16-2009, 02:31 PM	#5
HanPanes Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 107	Re: Doctor put me on Paxil 3 days ago Hey, I'm wondering whether your symptoms are severe enough to warrant the hell that it might be coming off this stuff further down the line. I was on Paxil (Seroxat in the UK for 7 years) and it was the biggest mistake of my life. Like you I initially suffered from anxiety but what being on Paxil led to was far far worse. I don't know how you'll find being on it but I'd wait until you hear from a few more people and then make an informed choice because in my mind this is a big decision. I wonder whether there are other alternatives to dealing with your symptoms that are not likely (to be blunt) ruin you? All the best __________________ Seroxat (Paxil) 1997 - 2003 (age 17 to 23) Breakdown from withdrawal 6 month stay in hospital - July 03 - Dec 03 Somewhere in that mess - Mirtazapine, Olanzapine, Diazapam, Lorazepam, Cirpralex, Promazine, Effexor, Busperone - all off now Reinstated 15mg Prozac one month off 15mg Remeron 1mg Fluanxol 0.5mg Ativan

11-16-2009, 02:35 PM	#6
scotia21 "really wants a tagline" Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 6,098	Re: Doctor put me on Paxil 3 days ago Please, please, please find other non-med ways to help you deal with your anxiety issue. Paxil (and any other ssri) changes brain function considerably and is just not worth the side effects. I also did not have anxiety or depression before Paxil but became bipolar while taking it and it came really close to ruining my life. Your doctor is severly misinformed about the dangers of SSRIs and should never have prescribed this for issues as mild as yours. __________________ 1/05/07 20mg-17.5 1/20 17.5-15 2/24 15-12.5 3/08 12.5-10 3/29 10-7.5 4/12 7.5-5 6/15 5-3.75 6/30 3.75-2.5 7/28 2.5-1.5ish 8/11 1.5-1 8/25 1- zero "Keep lighting candles, eventually nobody will be in the dark" me "Why is it so hard for everybody to believe that a pill can change brain chemistry for the better but not for the worse?" me "Time does not come in pill form" me

11-16-2009, 02:44 PM	#7
northernlights Posts: n/a	Re: Doctor put me on Paxil 3 days ago I think withdrawal happens when your not weaned off correctly, and it can be horrible. It really depends on the person though, some people tend to go off and be just fine.

11-16-2009, 02:45 PM	#8
northernlights Posts: n/a	Re: Doctor put me on Paxil 3 days ago Also, if you are going to take SSRIs, which I don't recommend, I definitely would not take Paxil. That is the worst among all of them.

11-16-2009, 02:54 PM	#10
sealunar Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 4	Re: Doctor put me on Paxil 3 days ago Thanks everybody for the help. I will stop and let him know it's not worth it. I don't blame him for putting me on it- I'm sure he isn't aware of the horrible withdrawals. I'm just glad I found this place first

11-16-2009, 05:30 PM	#14
jule1 Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 1,916	Re: Doctor put me on Paxil 3 days ago Also if you are looking for more info on antidepressant withdrawal, google the Effexor petition online there are plenty of horrid withdrawal stories there. if I could go back and knew what I was doing in NO way would I have taken Effexor (prescribed to me for sleep!). If I were you now I would ditch the Paxil in a heartbeat. Not to scare you or anything because this wouldn't happen to you this early on but I lost my sister to Paxil withdrawal from a high dose. These meds are just not the way to go unless there is a severe problem I think. __________________ Was on Effexor (150mg) @January? of 2006 until January 1, 2008. Weaned off over 3 month period with no instructions of weaning from doctor. 24 months off Effexor January 2010 and still protracted withdrawal Supplements: Tryptophan, Magnesium, Fish Oil, Calcium D, Stress B Complex, Ashwagandha, tapering .5 mg Xanax at bedtime 2/15-.4375mg 3/12-.375 mg 4/5-.3125 mg 4/23-.25 mg 5/21-.1875 mg 6/17-.125 mg 7/13-.0625mg 8/29-0

11-16-2009, 05:37 PM	#15
sealunar Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 4	Re: Doctor put me on Paxil 3 days ago What makes people want to stop taking Paxil?

11-16-2009, 05:53 PM	#16
Songbird Queen of the appendage vocabulary Join Date: May 2007 Location: New Zealand Posts: 9,191	Re: Doctor put me on Paxil 3 days ago http://www.paxilprogress.org/forums/...ad.php?t=45054 __________________ Jul 01-Feb 02 Aropax Feb - Dec 03 Citalopram Jul 04 Aropax ... several failed tapers ... Jan 07 - Feb 08 20mg - 5mg Apr 4.5mg 5mg Jun 10mg zopiclone > seroquel, Jul 20mg Oct aropax > loxamine, Dec off seroquel 7 Dec 17.5mg, 30 Dec 15mg 2009 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 2010 30 Aug 6.15mg Appreciation is the antidote to stress - Trust is the antidote to fear

11-17-2009, 03:25 AM	#17
pax80 Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Portugal Posts: 3,765	Re: Doctor put me on Paxil 3 days ago paxil is evil and makes us take really bad decision and screws our health... __________________ 2002- 10mg diazepam(for a neck pain) 2003- 20mg seroxat(for benzo wd) 2005-stopped diazepam (1 year taper plus acupuncture) 2006-stopped paxil (1 year taper) 3 years free from drugs

11-17-2009, 03:54 AM	#18
Cosette123 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: France Posts: 560	Re: Doctor put me on Paxil 3 days ago Sealunar, if I may give you an advice please stop Paxil! I was on Paxil(Deroxat in France) for 10 years because of major anxiety and my husband's suicide and I can say that the hell of withdrawal is worse than all. The biggest mistake of my life was to take this drug. Now I am Paxil off since 18 months and still suffering. __________________ Mild borderline. Severe anxiety since childhood + Major traumatism in my life. Deroxat (=Paxil) during 10 years. Three unsuccessful atempts to quit. Deroxat free since may 2008 Cold turkey A few improvements after 2 years.But my worst problem now is agoraphobia. Ce qui ne nous tue pas nous rend plus fort. What does not kill us makes us stronger. (Nietzsche) Last edited by Cosette123 : 11-17-2009 at 03:55 AM. Reason: error

11-17-2009, 12:41 PM	#19
Fallen from Grace Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 9	Re: Doctor put me on Paxil 3 days ago STOP NOW. Nothing you listed merits taking this drug. Shy of self harm or threats of injury to others, or life crippling debilitation there are other options! Behavior modifications, self help books, therapy, group sessions. I have seen people quit illicit drug use easier than this crap! It was easier to quit smoking cigarettes. It was easier to quit smoking marijuana. It was easier to go abstinent for 6 months. It was easier to hold my breath for 9 minutes. Ok, that last one was a joke. But seriously...STOP NOW BEFORE ITS TOO LATE. 99% of what that doctor is telling you about that drug is bullsh*t. He doesnt know that drug at all. The only thing he knows is what the drug reps tell him. Accordingly, if you reference the internal memos from GSK, what the reps are taught is to lie. STOP. NOW.

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