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Paroxetine taper/venting

Bdavis07 profile image
10 Replies

Its it normal to feel just weak n numbish when coming off paraxatine? I was on 40mg and I've been tapering 10mg at a time. I did 2 weeks of 30mg n just on day 2 or 20mg now for 2 weeks. Then I'll go to 10mg paroxetine and also start the new one citalopram 10mg.

I am just so exhausted and tired I've gained weight like crazy I have no motivation and I also have a broken wisdom tooth I'm fighting with til Feb 5th. My anxiety/panic attacks kick In out of no where! I get anxious just having my nephew n nieces at my house, I can stand noise or things out of place.. I hate this I just want to be back to normal... I want to have motivation to get up and do something without having an anxiety attack. I want to go places without anxiety attacks. I want to start losing weight and becoming healthy. I want to work a job like normal people... I hate fighting my own head everyday!! Sorry rant over I'm just running out of hope today...

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Bdavis07 profile image
Bdavis07
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10 Replies
ksquig profile image
ksquig

I know how you feel! I recently went off of lexapro and now I’m starting a new medication (buspar). The going off and starting phase of medication is, in my experience, pretty terrible. Do you have any coping techniques that work well for you? For example mindfulness? Redirecting your thoughts? Distracting yourself? Instead of fighting against the noise of your niece and nephew, could you get up and join them. My anxiety was really intense yesterday so I played a board game with my 4-year-old daughter. It helped to distract me and she felt really loved!

Bdavis07 profile image
Bdavis07 in reply to ksquig

I basically just go hide with my animals or by myself n that's what keeps me from being irritable and not lashing out at them all.

Quinnyxxx profile image
Quinnyxxx in reply to Bdavis07

Oh I know exactly how you feel I feel the same every day I just want to get myself back to normal I just have no energy or strength motavation iv had enough I wish ambidextrous could take me away to a nice place help me get better home life with family is to busy xx

Ragdoll15 profile image
Ragdoll15

Can you tell me why you are stopping paroxetine. It's just that I was thinking about starting it as the one I am on now does not seem to help anymore. I can relate to how you feel overwhelmed about things. I can't do things that I used to love doing without getting overwhelmed like going out to eat or going anywhere really, it all gets too much. This anxiety is the devil itself.

Bdavis07 profile image
Bdavis07 in reply to Ragdoll15

I do not believe it's working anymore. My phyciatric doctor don't think it is either and so there taking me off and putting me on citalopram

ksquig profile image
ksquig

How are you doing Bdavis?

Bdavis07 profile image
Bdavis07

I'm doing ok. So many random things that I feel or my body does but Tuesday I start citalopram finally!!!

Jwell53 profile image
Jwell53

I noticed this 5 months ago how are you doing know? I am now coming down on paroxetine after 20 odd years to go onto a different one. I was on 30mg now on 20mg but not doing really well. Do you think the change over was good. How long did it take to change over and how long for you to feel better?

Ballywalwals profile image
Ballywalwals in reply to Jwell53

Hi there. I’ve just come across this site but very interested to hear more about your experiences as you sound very much in the same boat as me. I’ve been on paroxetine for 19 years. Coming off it to be replaced by Trintellix. I was on 30. For the last five days I’ve done 25 and all was fine. Today I’ve felt like I do on the occasions when I forget to take my meds. I’m dizzy, my eyes feel so odd - like they start squinting of their own accord; I feel far more tired and disinterested. I just feel ‘off’. My Dr has not been the best support basically telling me to figure things out as I go along, but luckily I have an engaged and caring pharmacist who talked me through things in more detail.

One of my biggest fears was withdrawal after having been on it for so long. The absolute worst feeling for me is when my head doesn’t feel my own.

I’m really interested to hear how you’re getting on and the experience you’ve had. My pharmacist has stressed that it should be sooooooo slow for me. I was hoping to go to 20 from tomorrow but now I’m second guessing everything. My husband is also in the military and has been deployed for eight months. He comes back this week and I don’t want to be a wreck when welcoming him home.

Jwell53 profile image
Jwell53 in reply to Ballywalwals

Hi I started tapering about 5weeks ago. Going down in 10mg. I am currently on 10mg.

I have good days and bad the symptoms I get are feeling very hot waking around 6 in the morning and feeling down and then anxiety.

Up until two years ago I was doing ok on paroxetine but suddenly my anxiety came back and then went but three months ago they didn’t go I have been seeing a counsellor for sometime who suggested perhaps after being on them for 20 years without any reviews from a doctor they might not be working and were causing me to have the symptoms.

My doctors are always changing but luckily when I went 6 weeks ago said he wanted me to come off the paroxetine and go onto sertraline. He has told me to be on 10mg for another week and then go straight on 25mg sertraline.

He does not want me to go any less than 10mg as around 12 years ago I tried to come down on the paroxetine without any help as I felt I didn’t need it any more that time I was using liquid paroxetine and was doing it very slowly but when I got below 10mg the withdrawal symptoms kicked in and I gave up.

This time I had the withdrawal symptoms before I started tapering and have decided I will have to put up with the withdrawal symptoms as I have read how awful paroxetine is and I feel the new medication will be better

Let’s keep in touch and support each other through this I am sure after reading all about paroxetine we will feel so much better on something else. I know it will not be easy but let me know how you are doing on each stage

Look forward to hearing from you again

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