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Mental Health (Expert Forum)
About Paxil WIthdrawal
Questions posted in the Mental Health forum are being answered by Dr. Roger L. Gould, author of the Mastering Stress and Depression program and affiliated with the UCLA. Department of Psychiatry. Topics covered include anger, attention deficit disorder (ADD), bipolar disorder, dementia, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), learning disabilities, memory, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic, personality disorders, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, stress, transitions, and work problems.
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About Paxil WIthdrawal
by amanda, Oct 13, 1999 12:00AM
I have been trying to get off paxil...I've been on it almost 4 years. I've tried to get off of it once before but b/c of stressful events in my life, the panic returned. I've been feeling good this time, no anxiety or panic. (I'm down to 10 mg. from 40 mg.) But when I move my eyes to the left or right or up or down, I get a disturbing feeling of a zap-like nervousness, and an increased heart rate. Because of this, I am afraid to move my eyes too much. I know this sounds ridiculous, but I am truly concerned about it. Has anyone heard of this before? And what can I do about it? I'm tired of being on meds, and I have gained around 40 lbs on it.
Doctor's Answer
by HFHS M.D.-SW, Oct 18, 1999 12:00AM
Dear Amanda,
From your letter, you seem overwhelmed.
You have brought up many concerns; weight gain, an unusual side
effect and the discomfort of being on medication so many years.
As you have mentioned Paxil is effective treatment for your anxiety and panic attacks. There are alternatives, such as Celexa or Prozac which may cause less weight gain. With any medication proper diet and exercise are important.
I am unaware of Paxil causing the side effect you mentioned. It is also possible that it is a symptom of anxiety. Consult your
psychiatrist for a proper evaluation.
Finally the medication you are on is effective. Many patients with panic disorder need chronic medication to keep the disorder in remission.
Best Wishes
HFHS M.D.-SW
*Keywords: Paxil, Panic Disorder, Anxiety disorder
From your letter, you seem overwhelmed.
You have brought up many concerns; weight gain, an unusual side
effect and the discomfort of being on medication so many years.
As you have mentioned Paxil is effective treatment for your anxiety and panic attacks. There are alternatives, such as Celexa or Prozac which may cause less weight gain. With any medication proper diet and exercise are important.
I am unaware of Paxil causing the side effect you mentioned. It is also possible that it is a symptom of anxiety. Consult your
psychiatrist for a proper evaluation.
Finally the medication you are on is effective. Many patients with panic disorder need chronic medication to keep the disorder in remission.
Best Wishes
HFHS M.D.-SW
*Keywords: Paxil, Panic Disorder, Anxiety disorder
withdrawal, as well as the comments offered by users
of this forum. Of these, Amanda's experience most
closely matches my own. When I stopped taking Paxil,
the only noticeable side-effect was that I would
experience an intense (yet brief) moment of dizziness /
disorientation whenever I moved my eyes or closed
them quickly. This lasted for about a week, and was
very difficult to cope with.
I'm guessing the doctor who replied to your query has nothing at all to do with anti-depressants. Otherwise he or she would know that Paxil in particular has really nasty withdrawal side-effects for many people. They include what you described, plus, nausea, vomiting, headache, insomnia, vertigo and dizziness. I have tried 10 times or more to withdraw, and just couldn't do it until now. I am taking Wellbutrin as well, and the reason I started it was help with those symptoms, but it only helped to a small extent. Mind you, I was only taking 5MG of paxil a day. In the end, it was only determination and grit that got me through it. Actually, after a week the symptoms are still quite vivid. Herbs that have helped are Kava Kava for the overwhelming irritation and anxiety, and Valerian for sleeping. I came upon your question while searching for further help, of which there is little. It's not "all in your head", and an easy way to find out is to go back on it to see if the symptoms subside. I suggest that you listen to your innate wisdom, rather than relying solely on MD's advice. Respectfully, yours in suffering.
I have been taking it for a year and have really felt
a great deal better on it. This past week I was busy
with work and so on and just didnt get around to
getting a refil. I was off it on thursday, and by
monday I was feeling pretty strange. I should first
mention that I felt a gradual depression come over me
over those days. It was not an intense depression but
enough for me to notice. Then by sunday I was geting
what I now call the neuro-shivers, meaning that when
I moved around I got this wave of dizziness through
my neck, head, and eyes. It is one of the strangest
sensations I have ever felt.
This information I discovered is a little scary, and
made me think a lot about what it would be like to
get off paxil completely. I have also gained weight
on paxil. Though I have an improved diet since being
on it, I find that I gain an average of 2 pounds
every month. (This may also be a lifestyle issue, but
I feel it is worth mentioning as a possible side-effect)
THIS MAKES ME MAD!!! Trust me I am glad that paxil helps
me conquer my anxiety attacks, but I just wish there was
a way to better inform people before they get on these
drugs. I guess I blindly trusted everyone who contributed
to me being put on paxil, and I wonder where I would
be if I researched the effects of it myself, before
getting hooked.
-timothy
If doctors would try listening to the patients instead of patronising and looking down at them we might all be a little further along the road as regards medical discovery.
I would like to state again that this forum service and your responses are greatly appreciated, but this kind of statement beggars belief.
But after a couple of weeks it just went away and I haven't had any problems since.