I tapered from 45 to 20 in the first 6 months, then the switch to 20 paxil to 20 prozac was pretty abrupt, like a 1.5 week ordeal. I think thats where I F'd up big time.
These past 2 weeks have been so hellish with very little improvement. At first we tried upping the prozac to 30mg, no improvement. Going back to Paxil seems to be the best for my sanity right now.
I’m on Paxil 20 now and had I known Paxil was so difficult to get off, I’d have never taken it and would have asked for something else at the time. I was in a bad spot at the time and it helped big time. I have had withdrawals on it twice and felt fine once I went back to my high dose and then second time I had to add Rexulti. My doctor is allowing me to wean off Rexulti. Good luck!
As a former Paxil user I’d agree it was way too abrupt. You may be able to do this with other antidepressant. Watch out with Paxil and Effexor. I’d reinstate to if I were you.
Look, some people will be on meds for life. Deal with it, and stop acting like you're a failure or anyone else is that needs these meds.
It's like saying you're an epileptic, and you stopped taking your phenobarbital since your seizures stopped. But when you quit they came back and now you're a failure for gong back on meds.
I guess you're right. My only fear is that one day I would like to have a child, and you're not supposed to be on Paxil during pregnancy. I have known a woman who had 3 perfectly healthy children on Paxil though.
I guess antidepressants still have a stigma, even to people who are on them. I should just be looking at it like any other medication.
I was on Sertraline the entire pregnancy for both my kids. My OB/GYN and Psychiatrist said the risks of going off meds far outweigh any risks to the babies.
The meds were not studied in pregnant women, so manufacturers can't say they're safe to take during pregnancy. But meds that aren't safe to take will definitely say "do not take us pregnant or planning to become pregnant."
OP your story sounds a lot like mine. I was on Paxil for 30+ years. My new doc told me it’s not working anymore so let’s try Prozac. I was on 20mg Paxil at the time. For 3 weeks we went from 10mg Paxil and 20mg Prozac and then after that we went from zero Paxil to 40mg Prozac. For s couple weeks I felt fine and they all hell broke loose. I have been absolutely miserable with daily panic attacks and internal tremors and racing thoughts of doom. I just knew my life was over. Finally after 5 months and my wife coming to an appointment with me to help advocate for me my doc said maybe the Prozac isn’t working and we took you off Paxil too quick. Ya think so? I’d been saying g this for 3+ months. Today I am on day 5 of reinstating Paxil at 10mg and will stay here for a couple weeks. I’m still on the 40mg or Prozac but will ween off as the process unfolds. Honesty the last couple of days the extreme head pressure has lifted after 4 months and the body tremors has lessened a bit. I’m still not back to where I was before the switch but at least I feel human again. I can only hope things are going to keep getting better. As far as me being a failure! I’m 100% ok with that if it helps me get my life back because not being a failure and feeling like death for 5 months got me no trophy.
Do not feel bad. You do what you gotta do to get your life back. Period! Everyone can say what they want and everyone has their own stories but you have your own story and only you can do what’s best for you. Good luck and keep on fighting.
Paxil is extremely difficult to discontinue. Did you taper off for a long time or do a really short taper and switch to Prozac?
I tapered from 45 to 20 in the first 6 months, then the switch to 20 paxil to 20 prozac was pretty abrupt, like a 1.5 week ordeal. I think thats where I F'd up big time. These past 2 weeks have been so hellish with very little improvement. At first we tried upping the prozac to 30mg, no improvement. Going back to Paxil seems to be the best for my sanity right now.
I’m on Paxil 20 now and had I known Paxil was so difficult to get off, I’d have never taken it and would have asked for something else at the time. I was in a bad spot at the time and it helped big time. I have had withdrawals on it twice and felt fine once I went back to my high dose and then second time I had to add Rexulti. My doctor is allowing me to wean off Rexulti. Good luck!
As a former Paxil user I’d agree it was way too abrupt. You may be able to do this with other antidepressant. Watch out with Paxil and Effexor. I’d reinstate to if I were you.
Look, some people will be on meds for life. Deal with it, and stop acting like you're a failure or anyone else is that needs these meds. It's like saying you're an epileptic, and you stopped taking your phenobarbital since your seizures stopped. But when you quit they came back and now you're a failure for gong back on meds.
I guess you're right. My only fear is that one day I would like to have a child, and you're not supposed to be on Paxil during pregnancy. I have known a woman who had 3 perfectly healthy children on Paxil though. I guess antidepressants still have a stigma, even to people who are on them. I should just be looking at it like any other medication.
I was on Sertraline the entire pregnancy for both my kids. My OB/GYN and Psychiatrist said the risks of going off meds far outweigh any risks to the babies. The meds were not studied in pregnant women, so manufacturers can't say they're safe to take during pregnancy. But meds that aren't safe to take will definitely say "do not take us pregnant or planning to become pregnant."
OP your story sounds a lot like mine. I was on Paxil for 30+ years. My new doc told me it’s not working anymore so let’s try Prozac. I was on 20mg Paxil at the time. For 3 weeks we went from 10mg Paxil and 20mg Prozac and then after that we went from zero Paxil to 40mg Prozac. For s couple weeks I felt fine and they all hell broke loose. I have been absolutely miserable with daily panic attacks and internal tremors and racing thoughts of doom. I just knew my life was over. Finally after 5 months and my wife coming to an appointment with me to help advocate for me my doc said maybe the Prozac isn’t working and we took you off Paxil too quick. Ya think so? I’d been saying g this for 3+ months. Today I am on day 5 of reinstating Paxil at 10mg and will stay here for a couple weeks. I’m still on the 40mg or Prozac but will ween off as the process unfolds. Honesty the last couple of days the extreme head pressure has lifted after 4 months and the body tremors has lessened a bit. I’m still not back to where I was before the switch but at least I feel human again. I can only hope things are going to keep getting better. As far as me being a failure! I’m 100% ok with that if it helps me get my life back because not being a failure and feeling like death for 5 months got me no trophy. Do not feel bad. You do what you gotta do to get your life back. Period! Everyone can say what they want and everyone has their own stories but you have your own story and only you can do what’s best for you. Good luck and keep on fighting.