Paxil withdrawl...I need help/advice

[star1999]

I am absolutly miserable and I can't live like this so I need some advice! I started taking paxil 20mg in June 2010, upped it to 40mg in July 2010. Now I am going through a divorce and won't have insurance anymore so I need to get off it. I didn't know how bad it was and I quit cold turkey! My last pill was taken on January 7th. Since then I have had hot and cold flashes where I shiver and sweat, really bad migraine headaches, and yesterday things got 10x times. Yesterday I started getting these zaps I keep reading about, and extreme waves of dizzyness and nausea. I can't hold any food down, I can't go to work, my kids think I hate them, and I feel like I am going crazy. I don't have insurance anymore so going to the doctor is out of the question. I do however still have 2 bottles of 40mg paxil. Should I start taking it again with a plan to taper off correctly? I need to do something because I am so horribley sick. Does anyone have any advice that will help me? If keep not taking it, how much longer will I feel so badly for? And if I start again how should I taper off with only 50 pills? Thanks for the help in advance.

[scotty]

Start taking the 40mg now....this is not the way to stop paxil and it will get worse before it gets better. Restart, get stable and we'll walk you through getting off of it.
As for having only 50pills....no, that is not going to be enough. Who prescribed for you in the first place? Once you get stable I would contact them and ask for renewals, explaining the money situation. Generic paxil is available at Walmart and Target for 3-4$ a script.

[kathleen2]

If you've been rxd a drug before, often you can get refills by just calling the doctor (so no appointment fee). I know such tasks can seem overwheling when in w/d, but you have 50 days to figure it out, so don't even worry about it yet.

Agree with wise Scotty: take the 40mg! Get stable, then you can wean a wee bit at a time.

Walgreens too has a cheap drug program for the uninsured.

[star1999]

Thanks for the quick replies! Scotty I followed your advice and took one of my 40mg pills this afternoon. Hopefully it gets into my system soon so I can get some relief! I can't believe this drug is legal when the withdrawl affects are so bad! I've seen all the posts on how to slowely taper off so my attempt #2 is going to be done correctly. I wish I would have researched some before I stopped taking the paxil. I was thinking it would be like most other drugs where you feel like crap for a few days until it's out of your system, then you are back to normal...yeah right huh? I can get refills from my doctor, I just thought it would cost me a couple hundred dollars a bottle. If I can get the generic brand for less then $50 a bottle I can make that work. It's worth it to not have to feel like this! Does anyone know how long it will take for me to be "stable" again.

[scotty]

For my son it was much better within days...for others it took a week or so, but at least you've stopped the acute withdrawal.

If you can get refills, ask for 10mg tabs, since that will give you more weaning options when you're ready.

[kathleen2]

I checked the Walgreens site--12 bucks for a 90 day supply of paroxetine (generic Paxil)!

[kathleen2]

p.s.-I think you have to sign up tho.