Paxil quit working: 13 years ago I was... - Anxiety and Depre...

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Paxil quit working

Adispots profile image
12 Replies

13 years ago I was started on Paxil. I have extreme anxiety. A constant, nagging fear that I was never able to relieve. Constant BP spikes, very high, that caused my anxious mind even more fear. Goes to the couch, scared to move. A week after being on Paxil, it all went away. Gone...poof. I could get off the couch, be social, joined a basketball league, etc. Excelled at work, like nothing was ever wrong. 13 years later, I noticed it all slowly coming back... Then one day, crash....just like I was13 years ago. A constant ball of fear, anxiety, and a steady focus on the negative. It's debilitating for me. I've learned it was from 20 plus tears of never doing anything about my anxiety (my parents and I didn't know what it was.) I do see someone, and I'm now on Zoloft, but I'm all the way up to 200mg after 6-7 weeks. My symptoms have not really changed. I'm just wanting to know if anyone has had this problem and what did you switch too to get comfort again? Again, I see someone regularly and my Phyc. Doc is working with me. Her idea was the Zoloft. Should I try going back to Paxil? She said it might work. Is there another SSRI that someone here in my situation has had success with after a Paxil poop out? Please let me know. I'm just looking for relief. This past August it all started again and hasn't let up. Thanks in advance.

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Adispots profile image
Adispots
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12 Replies
Kat63 profile image
Kat63

My experience has been this way: The doctor will put me on an SSRI, and it will work fine for maybe 3 years. Then gradually it stops working; I tell the doctor, and he/she puts me on a different SSRI. And it works great...for a couple of years.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

Adispots profile image
Adispots in reply to Kat63

Alright. I won't give up hope. What worked best for you?

Kat63 profile image
Kat63 in reply to Adispots

The doctor just has to switch me to a new drug every 3 years or so. It’s like I built up a tolerance to it. All the SSRIs work about as well for me - I’ve been on Prozac, Paxil, Lexapro, Celexa, and Zoloft - and now, I’m back on Prozac again.

foxglove_pnw profile image
foxglove_pnw

Hi !

I have had the same problem , Lexapro for 8 years until one day it stopped working.

After months of having panic attacks and anxiety I decided to try Zoloft ( September of last year) it didn’t work for me ! I lost a lot of weight , I felt like a zombie and when I skipped two days because of serious stomach pain when taking the pills , I ended up at the ER with discontinuation syndrome ! I almost went crazy , flu like symptoms , wanting to crawl out of skin. They gave me intravenous Ativan and sent me home .

I am back on Lexapro , same dosage and still suffering from anxiety / panic/ OCD ( some new stuff ) . I am able to function but I am not where I would like to be ! Some days are better than others. My energy is back ;)

Hope you can find an answer .

Adispots profile image
Adispots in reply to foxglove_pnw

Thanks for the info. I can see we are all in this stuff together.

foxglove_pnw profile image
foxglove_pnw in reply to Adispots

We are ! I trying to figure out where to go from here ! I really don’t want to try any other meds . I am trying new coping skills to see if I can do this !

Adispots profile image
Adispots in reply to foxglove_pnw

That's a great idea. Paxil worked so well for me, so I'm thinking to go back on it, try to gather myself, and work on myself more.

foxglove_pnw profile image
foxglove_pnw in reply to Adispots

I wish I could tell you is an easy road but it is not ! Like I said , the only good think is my energy ! I feel like doing things , getting together with people etc

It is worth trying ! ;)

Rosa66 profile image
Rosa66 in reply to Adispots

Did it work again? Paxil stopped working after 25 years and I’m afraid about what to try next….

Rdiz777 profile image
Rdiz777

Best of luck my friend. Praying for you! You WILL get back to where you want to be!

Adispots profile image
Adispots in reply to Rdiz777

Thanks for the kind words and prayers.

LilyAnnepuppy profile image
LilyAnnepuppy

I was on Paxil for over 20 years when it stopped working. It took awhile to find the right combination of meds. But I worked with a psychiatrist. My antidepressant now is Prozac. But there’s a couple of more meds involved as well. Im stable now.

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