| Sep 16, 2008 @ 9:37 AM |
Paxil - Ever been "off" your meds?
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Empath
Posts: 5,288
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I'd been "off my meds" for over a week, and my head was a mess!! One of the best analogies of what my head was like is an interrupted satellite signal on a televsion ...pixelated.
Along with the dizziness, patchwork focus and thought process, came clicking noises. The longer I was "off", the worse these effects became, until I felt unsafe to drive. I became clumsy, and generally unbalanced. It was progressively more difficult to focus, think, and even my vision was impaired. I won't even attempt to discuss my mood!
I try not to get into such a situation, but it happens from time to time and this time was the longest, and the worst. Lots of water helps, but it doesn't completely eliminate the effects.
If you take Paxil, or another SRI, or know anything about them, has there ever been a time when you ran out, or couldn't access them for a period of more than two days? How would you describe how you felt, and what, if anything, did you do to counter-balance the effect?
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| Sep 16, 2008 @ 3:02 PM |
Paxil - Ever been "off" your meds? |
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daisy315
Posts: 4,945
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I haven't had my Prozac or Lexapro in over a year.. no insurance= no meds.. there are alot of days I don't even get out of bed anymore. I have dizzy spells, roaring in my ears, my fibro pain is horrendous, I don't sleep well.. sometimes it's 6am before I fnally conk out from exhaustion.. I'm thinking thats why my eyesight has gotten so bad.. and like you, my balance is awful, I tend to stumble and fall alot. ( a friend of mine commented the other day that my balance seemed to be really bad)
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| Sep 16, 2008 @ 11:20 PM |
Paxil - Ever been "off" your meds?
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lazareth
Posts: 1,473
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I weaned myself off my paxil a few months ago so the withdrawal wasnt so bad
I still have pcer half a bottle, just in case I feel like going postal
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| Sep 16, 2008 @ 11:59 PM |
Paxil - Ever been "off" your meds? |
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Empath
Posts: 5,288
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I've cut myself back as well from 60mg/day to 30mg, and I'm thinking about going even lower, but wow....I'll not do it cold turkey!!! Then again, I wonder if the withdrawls eventually go away ....like other drugs.
My mind is me, though, and to lose it just doesn't feel good. 
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| Sep 17, 2008 @ 12:10 AM |
Paxil - Ever been "off" your meds?
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daisy315
Posts: 4,945
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Going cold turkey is not good Em.. anytime you want off a med, lower your dose of a period of time.. my doctor said going cold turkey is bad for your heart..
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| Sep 17, 2008 @ 12:17 AM |
Paxil - Ever been "off" your meds? |
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Empath
Posts: 5,288
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It wasn't by choice!! 
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| Sep 17, 2008 @ 12:23 AM |
Paxil - Ever been "off" your meds?
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lazareth
Posts: 1,473
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back around 2001 I was on prozac and something else... cant remember what... but when I didnt take it My feet would just go nuts shaking abck and forth, I felt like I had been beat with a baseball bat and I was in a major fog.... but after about 2 weeks, I swear I just woke up one day, the fog had cleared, body aches gone and when I felt like I couldnt sit still, just went out and worked in my flower beds to work it off
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| Sep 17, 2008 @ 10:10 AM |
Paxil - Ever been "off" your meds? |
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Empath
Posts: 5,288
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The reason I lowered my dosage before was that I was always tired and found I had more "get up and go" when I'd take one pill instead of two, due to a need to ration temporarily. I'm thinking of lowering the dose again, because, even though my head was a mess, I had a great deal more energy when I was off them for that week.
I'm thinking my need for seratonin reuptake inhibitors may have come to an end, and plan to discuss weaning with my doc. Too bad he's in Toronto...lol.
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| Nov 29, 2008 @ 8:08 AM |
Paxil - Ever been "off" your meds?
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LipGlossQueen9
Posts: 10,951
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clicking noises
Do you get the "shocks" too?
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| Dec 10, 2008 @ 6:11 PM |
Paxil - Ever been "off" your meds? |
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Empath
Posts: 5,288
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"shocks"??
physical, as from static electricity, no, I drink too much water. Is that what you mean, LGQ?
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| Dec 13, 2008 @ 10:26 AM |
Paxil - Ever been "off" your meds?
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Kenn159
Posts: 4,402
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I have never been on these drugs but my brother was on Prozac a couple years ago and was able to get off after insisting to the Doctor that he didn't want to stay on them and become addicted.
The doctor recommended a slow taper off method.
My brother is doing much better now, he is going to school in Berkley and has been seeing a therapist for the last couple years.
In California where he lives, the state pays for the therapy.
Have you considered other methods like Therapy, Yoga or Meditation?
Empath, do these drugs affect your empathic abilities?'
I don't know how they wouldn't.
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| Dec 17, 2008 @ 1:04 AM |
Paxil - Ever been "off" your meds? |
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Empath
Posts: 5,288
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I find they 'numb' emotion to a large extent, mercy! Something had to!
Before the Paxil, I was pretty much an emotional basketcase. Everything was filtered through a haze of emotion and I seldom thought things through rationally...when I was able to think things through at all.
I went through a few other types, but within a week of starting Paxil, I began to notice a significant change, and I am now a much calmer person (but don't read 'calm person' into that! LOL). I still 'feel', but the emotion is much less intense ... which is beneficial for 'sourcing' the 'pull'.
I'm really not sure if Paxil alters what I sense, but it does alter my reactive emotion.
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| Dec 27, 2008 @ 9:55 PM |
Paxil - Ever been "off" your meds?
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mailorderannie
Posts: 6,021
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I went off Paxil years ago and it felt like I had electrical shocks going through the center of my head. Was the worst withdrawal I've ever had, and I certainly won't ever take anything like it again.
The stuff is dangerous and addictive...I suggested talking to your doc about getting you on something else.
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| Dec 28, 2008 @ 7:13 PM |
Paxil - Ever been "off" your meds? |
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Empath
Posts: 5,288
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Perhaps not for everyone, but for me, it works. The electrical shock analogy is a good one!
These days, I only take them every other day. Still haven't got to the doc to request a lower dose, but I will soon....very very soon.
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| Dec 29, 2008 @ 3:11 AM |
Paxil - Ever been "off" your meds?
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mystery2u888
Posts: 18,025
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 Em I hope it works out for you......... 
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| Dec 31, 2008 @ 12:38 AM |
Paxil - Ever been "off" your meds? |
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signme
Posts: 12,535
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I'm on citalopram, 20 mg. They seem to do okay although I still have trouble sleeping. When I was on Lexapro, I did much better but thanks to insurance changes, it's no longer available to me at a cost I can afford. This one is a cheap one. I usually take it Mon-Fri and then not on the week ends.
Good luck Em!
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| Jan 1 @ 12:41 AM |
Paxil - Ever been "off" your meds?
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uab_5
Posts: 4,759
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Good luck, Empath.
I don' have insurance either.
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| Jan 11 @ 9:15 PM |
Paxil - Ever been "off" your meds? |
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Angel178
Posts: 36,291
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I don't know what that med is...but I know that i'm feeling a little unsteady myself. I stopped seeing a psychologist 2 months ago cold turkey. I told myself I did not need her anymore. In the past two days I've found myself in a bad way over something. I found myself tonight locked in my room for an hour wanting the whole world to go away. I think I'll call her tomorrow. 
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| Jun 21 @ 1:15 PM |
Paxil - Ever been "off" your meds?
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WSOR
Posts: 2,507
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I made the mistake 2 years ago of packing my meds in my check in luggage instead of my carry on. Well, my luggage gost lost for a day & so I was without for over 24 hrs. Not fun.. especially if you're dealing with any type of anxiety issues due to unavoidable serotonin imbalance. These people that say "it's all in your head" ought to have their heads examined !!  Yeah, it IS in our heads... brain in particular.. but we have no control over the release of bodily chemicals. 
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| Sep 4 @ 12:23 AM |
Paxil - Ever been "off" your meds? |
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stormy73
Posts: 1,181
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Can't believe I never posted to this!
I can't remember if I ever said anything on the forums about this, but back in Novemeber and the first week of December, I was suffering through the worst depression of my life thus far. It got so bad that I got a friend to prescribe Paxil(generic) for me. I took four of the pills and had to stop; the side effects were only exacerbating my depression.
Finally, in early December, I started taking B12, and that was the "miracle" I was looking for. I've been depression-free ever since. 
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