Paxil Weaning

IXTHYS · 11-25-2009, 10:29 PM

I want to try and wean off of Paxil. I am on 30 mg and have been taking it for around 10 years. My plan is to take 10% less for a few months just to see how it goes and then if I feel OK continue to reduce.

I am planning to go to a 93% weekly average dose by using the following dose schedule for a month or two:

Sunday: 30 mg
Monday: 30 mg
Tuesday: 22.5 mg
Wednesday: 30 mg
Thursday: 22.5 mg
Friday: 30 mg
Saturday: 30 mg

The reason I am using this schedule is to make things easy by cutting all my pills in quarters. 30 mg = 4 quarters, 22.5 mg = 3 quarters, 11.25 mg = 2 quarters, 5.625 mg = 1 quarter.

Does this sound reasonable?

Cairistìona · 11-26-2009, 02:12 AM

Hi and welcome IXTHYS!

The recommended taper plan is to reduce 10% of each dose every 3 weeks (at least). Alternating doses is not recommended because it makes it harder for you to adjust to each new dose.

An example:

Day 1: 30mg
Day 21: 27mg
Day 42: 24.3mg
Day 63: 21.87mg, etc.

The point of this is to slowly reduce so that your brain, which has been altered by the med, can have time to adapt before you reduce again. This minimizes the withdrawal effects.

Quote:

Originally Posted by IXTHYS

I want to try and wean off of Paxil. I am on 30 mg and have been taking it for around 10 years. My plan is to take 10% less for a few months just to see how it goes and then if I feel OK continue to reduce.

I am planning to go to a 93% weekly average dose by using the following dose schedule for a month or two:

Sunday: 30 mg
Monday: 30 mg
Tuesday: 22.5 mg
Wednesday: 30 mg
Thursday: 22.5 mg
Friday: 30 mg
Saturday: 30 mg

The reason I am using this schedule is to make things easy by cutting all my pills in quarters. 30 mg = 4 quarters, 22.5 mg = 3 quarters, 11.25 mg = 2 quarters, 5.625 mg = 1 quarter.

Does this sound reasonable?

PatriceKM · 11-26-2009, 11:26 AM

Alternating doses like that is a bad idea.

LCrawford67 · 11-26-2009, 11:51 AM

Welcome to paxilprogress!

If you want to get off of Paxil, daily and consistent dosing is the key. Taper in 10% increments every 3-6 weeks and you'll do just fine. Alternating doses does nothing but confuse your brain and for most, makes tapering much more difficult.

You're in the states, so get a scipt of liquid Paxil from your doctor and it will make measuring much easier. Here are some threads you should look at.

http://www.paxilprogress.org/forums/...ad.php?t=41850

http://www.paxilprogress.org/forums/...ad.php?t=40020

CarlaD · 11-26-2009, 01:12 PM

I am new so the only advice I can give you is this....I have recently gone from 30mg Paxil to 25mg Paxil...today is day 17 and today is my worst day yet as far as withdrawls go. I thought I was doing well and that 5mg was a piece of cake, but I am realizing now that 5mg is perhaps too much. I have no choice but to do it this way as my Doctor is making me, but if you have a choice, please do it slower

Good Luck to you!!

rain · 11-26-2009, 01:26 PM

Hi Carla... tell your doctor what YOU want to do. A doctor can't make you do anything you don't want to do! If you want some quality of life while you are going thru this, do the 10% method as is suggested here. Don't alternate as in your first post... it doesn't work and confuses your brain. Good luck!!

mapleleafgirl25 · 11-26-2009, 05:28 PM

take if from someone who has had brutal withdrawl from going off to fast..the slower the better..i went back on 2 years ago..after 11 months off of paxil...it was that brutal...now i am doing a very very slow taper...

11-25-2009, 10:29 PM	#1
IXTHYS Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Boston Posts: 1	Paxil Weaning I want to try and wean off of Paxil. I am on 30 mg and have been taking it for around 10 years. My plan is to take 10% less for a few months just to see how it goes and then if I feel OK continue to reduce. I am planning to go to a 93% weekly average dose by using the following dose schedule for a month or two: Sunday: 30 mg Monday: 30 mg Tuesday: 22.5 mg Wednesday: 30 mg Thursday: 22.5 mg Friday: 30 mg Saturday: 30 mg The reason I am using this schedule is to make things easy by cutting all my pills in quarters. 30 mg = 4 quarters, 22.5 mg = 3 quarters, 11.25 mg = 2 quarters, 5.625 mg = 1 quarter. Does this sound reasonable?

11-26-2009, 11:26 AM	#3
PatriceKM Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 407	Re: Paxil Weaning Alternating doses like that is a bad idea. __________________ 6 years on paxil 9/29/08- 40mg-30mg 10/19/08 20 mg 12/16/08 10mg dizzy, hot flashes 12/30/08 Back to 20mg 1/4/09 18mg 1/19/09 16mg 2/5/09 15mg 3/8/09 13mg 5/17/09 - 12mg 6/12/09 11mg 6/17/09 10mg 7/8/09 9mg 8/10/09 8mg (screwed something up) 8/31/09 6mg 10/13/09 5.4mg 11/9/09 5mg 1/3/10 4.4 "Healing comes from the healed; not the physician." DG

11-26-2009, 11:51 AM	#4
LCrawford67 Moderator "Everybody poops" Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Ohio Posts: 27,634	Re: Paxil Weaning Welcome to paxilprogress! If you want to get off of Paxil, daily and consistent dosing is the key. Taper in 10% increments every 3-6 weeks and you'll do just fine. Alternating doses does nothing but confuse your brain and for most, makes tapering much more difficult. You're in the states, so get a scipt of liquid Paxil from your doctor and it will make measuring much easier. Here are some threads you should look at. http://www.paxilprogress.org/forums/...ad.php?t=41850 http://www.paxilprogress.org/forums/...ad.php?t=40020 __________________ aka LC aka Laurie C. Paxil, 20 mg since 1997, for IBS Two unsuccessful attempts to quit. Started tapering 11/27/06 PAXIL FREE 12/29/07 Snowflakes are one of nature’s most fragile things, but just look what they do when they stick together. ~ Verna M. Kelly

11-26-2009, 01:12 PM	#5
CarlaD Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 107	Re: Paxil Weaning I am new so the only advice I can give you is this....I have recently gone from 30mg Paxil to 25mg Paxil...today is day 17 and today is my worst day yet as far as withdrawls go. I thought I was doing well and that 5mg was a piece of cake, but I am realizing now that 5mg is perhaps too much. I have no choice but to do it this way as my Doctor is making me, but if you have a choice, please do it slower Good Luck to you!! __________________ over 10 years Paxil 30mg, Clonazepam/Klonapin 1mg, Wellbutrin 150mg Nov 9, 2009 25mg Paxil Dec 5, 2009 22.5mg Dec 23, 2009 20mg Jan 13th, 2010 started 1000mg Omega3 Jan 31st, 2010 Clonazepam .75mg (because I'm STUBBBORN) Feb 8, 2010 back to 1mg Clonazepam (had small panic attack) ONE PILL AT A TIME OR WHACK ME WITH A WET NOODLE

11-26-2009, 01:26 PM	#6
rain Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Bay Area, California Posts: 2,490	Re: Paxil Weaning Hi Carla... tell your doctor what YOU want to do. A doctor can't make you do anything you don't want to do! If you want some quality of life while you are going thru this, do the 10% method as is suggested here. Don't alternate as in your first post... it doesn't work and confuses your brain. Good luck!! __________________ Currently 20mg Celexa 6/6/09 - 17mg appx. 7/6/09 - 15mg 9/7/09 - 12 1/2 appx. 10/24/09 - 10mg 1/19/10 - 7 1/2 appx. ...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

11-26-2009, 05:28 PM	#7
mapleleafgirl25 Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 2,145	Re: Paxil Weaning take if from someone who has had brutal withdrawl from going off to fast..the slower the better..i went back on 2 years ago..after 11 months off of paxil...it was that brutal...now i am doing a very very slow taper... __________________ aka MICHELE My history with paxil is too long to write here..lol..but you can look at my old posts to see!

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