"After my last child i started to suffer from severe postpartum depression"

I am a 23 year old mother of three. After my last child i started to suffer from severe postpartum depression. I went to the doctor to discuss this with him( he was a doctor that I hadn't seen before, but my doctor was in a real bad accident and wasn't able to work), he didn't know a thing about me but prescribed me paxil. I started taking it because I thought it would help. Boy was I wrong. After two weeks of taking Paxil I started to experience real bad side affects, I couldn't move of the cough because if I stood up i got so dizzy I would fall, I felt like i was on a whole lot of drugs. Anyways I was at home alone one night with my three little boys and I got this horrible feeling come over my whole body, I felt almost paralyzed, i couldn't think, i was scared that I was going to die , I couldn't even talk, I phoned my husband to tell him to come home because I couldn't watch the kids but all I could say is come home, come home. he asked what was wrong but that is all that would come out of my mouth. It was the starriest thing that has ever happened to me in all my life. But to make a long story short i weaned my self of of it starting the next day. Please make sure your doctor knows your history, and you really try other help like counciling first, if that doesn't work then talk to your doctor, maybe paxil could work for you. I am not a doctor so i won't tell you not to take it because everyone is different and it could work very well for you. every thing said here is only my opinion and my experiences, and I just wanted to share them with you.

-- submitted by Reign, 23

"I started taking Paxil for postpartum depression"

I started taking Paxil in November 1999 for postpartum depression. I started feeling great right away and had no side effects. In January 2000 I tried to come off of it and had dizziness and nausea. My pharmacist told me to go back on it and to wean off of it. I went back on it (feeling better immediately) and decreased the doses as advised. It is February 28 and my last pill was last Wednesday. The dizziness and sick feeling is getting worse by the day. The dizziness has become so severe that I cant stop thinking about taking a pill to make it stop but I am determined to get away from it (I hope I win). My doctor and pharmacist assured me that this drug was not addictive and I would not have any trouble coming off of it. I trusted them both. This website is just what I needed. It feels good to know that this is real and not because of an underlying illness which is what I was told. I did not understand that if was not from withdrawal then why did taking a Paxil make the symptoms stop? I am wondering just how long the withdrawal symptoms last because I need to know what I am up against. I am desperate to get back to normal and enjoy my beautiful family without Paxil.

-- submitted by Jane, 32

"I have two months on Paxil, I can said that it works on me, it helped with my depression, mood swings and temper"

I have two months on Paxil, I can said that it works on me, it helped with my depression, mood swings and temper but on the side effects I feel very, very tired, I want to sleep all the time.I have also wet hands and some problems to sleep.

I am taking a 1/2 20 gms pill a day , I started with one pill daily, but it was too strong for me I was like a zombie! looking at all in gray color, with eyes of fish and with a dry mouth, looked to everything and said !bah!

I don't want to feel like that all the time! I feel better with out depression but this feeling is disturbing me now!

I read that some people here switched on Effexor Xr to avoid that lack of energy, is there anyone who have done this?

what is the dose that you are taking?

did you waited two weeks to clean your body from paxil?

Thanks in advance for your help and good luck!

--submitted by Carlos, 27

"I initially went on Paxil for severe social anxiety and panic disorder."

I initially went on Paxil for severe social anxiety and panic disorder. I responded to an ad in a magazine. My doctor put me on Paxil 2 weeks ago. I took 10mg for 1 week and increased to 20mg this last week. Eventually I will go on to 40mg. After reading this website I am very scared. I don't want to feel the anxiety anymore however, I don't want to feel sick like everyone else does. So far, I've felt as if I were in a daze. I feel like I am looking past everything as if you were trying to stare at one of those 3D pictures. I have muscle twitches in my arms and legs. I have difficulties focusing and my eyes are extremely sensitive to the light. I experience a floating dizziness all the time. Sleep comes easily and fast, however, when I wake up, it's really early (5-6am) and I am still exhausted but can't get back to sleep. My head feels foggy and my body aches. Will all this go away? I keep being told it will. Also, does anyone know the best time to take this drug? I am currently taking this at night and wonder if that is part of the problem. Anyone with similar symptoms or general info please e-mail me. I see my Dr. in 2 weeks and wonder if I should try something else? Good Luck everyone. I know I'll need it

-- submitted by Foxy1er, 21

"I have overcome the physical sickness of the withdrawals, I am dealing with the mental side of it now"

Well, I have been off Paxil going on 2 weeks now. That first week I felt like I was going to die. But GLORY TO GOD I feel normal again and I can't tell you how great that is! I'm not sleeping my days away. I actually look better.( not like a zombie ) I feel like I am dropping weight and that is awesome!!! I really feel for people on Paxil and are trying to come off. I was on for 2 years and once I made the decision to come off, I was fine until the withdrawals kicked in. It was a very sickening experience but I think I have made it through the worst. I have heard that it takes only a short period of time to leave your system but a very long time for it to rid itself from your body totally. Even though I have overcome the physical sickness of the withdrawals, I am dealing with the mental side of it now. I had a crying spell yesterday that lasted 30 minutes. I don't even know why I was crying but it felt good afterwards. I would like to tell all the people who are trying to come off to not give up. Middle way of your withdrawals, don't give in to Paxil. I thought about it, believe me but I felt as though I had come too far to go back. Just be strong and head strong that you are going to win this battle. I owe all my success to the LORD. Without him, I don't think I would have been physically or mentally strong enough to come off this medication. I still have a ways to go but I know I have got it whipped now. I will continue to keep you updated.

-- submitted by Ola, 31

"i started taking Paxil at 17 years old along with lithium for bi polar"

i feel better to know that i am not the only "prisoner of paxil". i started taking it at 17 years old along with lithium for bi polar. honestly, i don't remember any extreme changes in my mood, i know the lithium helped. paxil seemed to allow me to see the gray in situations, it sort of numbed me a little. it had less of a strong effect than any other meds i had been on so i continued to take it until about two weeks ago. i got off cold turkey, ignoring what the doctor said. i regret ever being on it. the way i feel now is horrible. pains inside my ears occur off an on, dizziness, sensitivity to sunlight, over emotional etc. but the side effect that is most bothering me is a continuous head buzz, like a headache, but it doesn't hurt. what is feels like is a sharp fast rush in my head, it sounds almost like a helicopter in the distance. it feels like a constant hangover, without the pain. they are these real strong waves in the top of my head that occur every five to ten minutes,strong at first and then they fizzle out. they are worse when i haven't eaten, or slept enough. they continue all day, i cant stand them it feels like im on acid almost. i keep thinking that maybe im pregnant but after reading some of the symptoms other people have had maybe it is paxil, i don't know, someone please tell me if there is anything NON ADDICTIVE i can take to feel normal again. emotionally im really not doing that bad in fact i feel a little better off of it, but i cant stand walking around everyday with a throbbing head. honestly it feels like your head feels when you are extremely over tired. someone, anyone, relate? i need to feel better.

-- submitted by yippyskippy, 21

"I took Paxil because I was having some problems coping with depression"

I began taking Paxil in October of 1999. I took it because I was having some problems coping with depression. At the time, I felt I was wise enough to ask the psychiatrist about any side effects Paxil might have. She pretty much assured me that the side effects were minor and, at worst, I may get some sexual side effects.

Anyhow, I took 10mg for the first 4 days (as she told me to go gradually onto it) and then I increased it to 20 mgs for my daily dose. I will say that it did calm me down but I think it did too good of a job as I was very detached feeling and showing little emotion at all.

While I was on Paxil, I did experience sexual side effects as well as muscle weakness/shakiness, was emotionally "blah" (almost zombie like I guess) and got some of the famous electrical "zaps" early on. As I got used to it, these effects were reduced to some extent but were almost always there. In fact, I started developing these muscle twitches/spasms in areas of my body as time went on (especially in one of my feet).

I decided about a month ago (after being on Paxil for over 2 months) that I did not want to continue as I didn't like the groggy, detached feeling I had and I was tired of the effects on my muscles. I went cold turkey (my doctor had advised me to wean myself off of Paxil and I didn't) for the 1st two weeks. I didn't have terrible problems but I had a dull headache and I felt less than normal.

The one thing that I did develope after a week of being off Paxil and continues to happen after about 3 weeks is that I get these involuntary muscle twitches. This is what bugs me the most (not painful or anything but a big nuisance). I have been searching for others who may have experienced this as well.... which is a big reason why I came to this website. I get these twitches all over but its really consistent near one of my eyebrows and it is so IRRITATING! They are like any normal muscle twitch that anybody experiences at one time or another in life but they are much more persistent and happen more than usual.

I am wondering if others have had these same involuntary twitches in their body after going off Paxil and how long it took for them to disappear (please tell me they eventually disappear!!). I would really welcome any Emails in response to this as it would be a big help. I have looked around and have seen that shaking/tremor is a withdrawal effect but I am not sure if muscle twitches are included in that "definition" so I want to hear from others who may have experienced this as I want to make sure this is a "normal" withdrawal effect.

With the exception of the muscle twitches, I feel like I have gotten over Paxil. I am not completely over it (it has been about 3 weeks off of it at this point) but I am hoping these twitches will eventually diappear.

I hope by giving my experience with Paxil will help others. I have felt alone at times and the muscle twitching has made me a little bit nervous that its not the medication and its something else wrong with me (although my parents and girlfriend tell me its clearly a withdrawal effect).

My advice is to anybody considering Paxil is to really weigh the pros and cons HARD. Personally, I will never go on any kind of Psych medication ever again in my life. I would rather fight through it with other means (like therapy) than to use a medication. This medication may work perfectly fine for some but it doesn't work for me.

Please Email me if you have dealt with muscle twitches from Paxil withdrawal. I need your support and advice if you can give it. Thanks in advance!

"Zoloft seemed to suck the life out of me so she then switched me to paxil"

In the spring of 1999 I ran a marathon. I had a few weeks of anxiety and went to my doctor to see if this was an effect of the race. She decided to put me on zoloft which was an absolute nightmare. Zoloft seemed to suck the life out of me so she then switched me to paxil. The change over to paxil was pretty quick and the side effects kicked in fast. I was constantly irritated and very moody.I tried to ram my best friends head into a golf cart after he made a comment about changing the dosage of my meds (paxil) because of my attitude. I can relate to almost all of the comments listed. I have gained 20lbs. in the last 8 months and its really playing with my head. I want to get off of paxil and decided to check on the side effects before doing so.I am glad I did. My dosage has been 10 mgs. all along and wonder if I will have the same side effects you all have listed. If anyone has any advise please e-mail me with your comments.

-- submitted by ssatkoske, 32

"I was so addicted to xanax which i was put on by my gp for anxiety disorder"

I've been on paxil for approximate 4months, I started on 20mgs.and was increased by therapist to 30mgs, this all came about in oct.99 I was so addicted to xanax which i was put on by my gp for anxiety disorder. I was on 2mgs of xanax a day. which is not that much but then i got used to it so I kept increasing my dose, I had got refills so often from my gp and other doctors that i would see. I crashed in oct. with an accidental overdose and placed in the psychiatric dept. I went through complete hell withdrawing from that crap, I had the shakes ,feeling of dizziness and sweating my head felt like i wasn't there it was so much hell i couldn't sleep and didn't have any support from my husband. It was so bad and i wasn't getting any better after about 3weeks in hospital and i had lots of therapist observing me,so i was proof that being taken of medication cold turkey was not successful. On the third week they put me on paxil to get me straightened out again. And within 2 days I was feeling totally normal, that should of been my q that this was another addictive med. but my therapist said it wasn't. After reading the other addictive paxil stories this scares me to tears and my heart goes out to you. I'm only 32 years old i don't want to be dependent on med. But I'm scared to go off this medication for fear of that terrible withdrawal. If there is anyone out there that this little note reaches I hope you will really educate yourself on the medication before you too will get addicted without knowing it. I'm a married 32 year old mother of 2 boys, and definitely not a drug addict. I thought. What I wouldn't do to be "normal" without medication.

-- submitted by Jim, 32

"NEVER take a cough suppressant called dextromethorphan with Paxil"

this isn't a story about my withdrawal i just want to alert all paxil user to the drug interaction from a common over the counter cold medication. i was warned by my pharmacist NEVER under any circumstance should you take a cough suppressant called dextromethorphan or DM. i was told paxil keeps the cough med from metabolizing in your liver where it builds to a lethal amount. if your cold med says DM DITCH IT QUICK. REMEMBER TO LOOK FOR ANYTHING WITH COUGH SUPPRESSANT. THE ONLY COUGH SYRUP OK FOR US TO USE IS A PRESCRIPTION ONE LIKE CODIEN. PLEASE TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE TAKING ANYTHING.

-- submitted by KAREN, 27

"my only symptom being having trouble getting a deep breath"

Three days ago I was prescribed Paxil for anxiety...my only symptom being having trouble getting a deep breath. I was told to take 20mg in the evening with dinner. When I woke up the first morning I could not talk and breathe at the same time. I had been told it would take 2 weeks for the medication to take effect so I never even considered that Paxil was the cause. After about an hour I was fine. The second day I woke up feeling in a fog without the normal feeling in my right arm. As I sat on my bed my husband asked me if I was all right. I said not really. I quickly realized I could not talk and breathe at the same time again. Also, my hands were sweating. Next I had an attack of diarrhea. As I went downstairs afterward, I was literally shaking all over. This lasted for about an hour. I decided to go on-line to see what I could find out about this drug. Thank goodness for your stories. You saved me from what could have been a terrible mistake. I also do not like to take medication, preferring herbal remedies when possible. I am grateful to be able to learn the easy way - from all of you - that this is not the drug for me. THANK YOU

-- submitted by kmjmchugh, 39

"Paxil caused me to gain weight, and it causes me to not want to have sex with my husband"

I have been taking Paxil since I had my 2nd child in December of 1995. The recovery period from a C-section the 2nd time was tremendously different than the natural childbirth the 1st time. I also had a Colicky, cranky, never sleeping baby to deal with as well as a 18-month old. Since my 2nd baby had her days and nights reversed, she would not sleep at all during the night but would sleep from about 6:00a.m. until 11:00 a.m. This was her long sleep daily. I was spending all night awake and most of the day, so I quickly became very depressed. I was put on the Paxil for this and I saw results right away. However, this wonderful drug caused me to gain weight, and it causes me to not want to have sex with my husband. The weight gain isn't as much of a problem as the other. My husband could not deal with this at all. I tried going onto other meds but nothing works as well as the Paxil. When I am not on any medication I am extremely mean and evil. I want to throw things at my husband for almost nothing at all. He has to immediately get up when I ask him to do something or it puts me over the deep end. I would rather keep peace and harmony within my marriage and family so I keep taking the Paxil. If anyone has suggestions on the mood swings that I have when not on the Paxil I would love to hear them. The other meds that I have tried that do not work as well are Zoloft, Celexa, Wellbutrin, and Prozac.

"Progressively, since abortion I was having bouts of depression, guilt, and anxiety."

I had an abortion on May 30, 1999. Progressively, since then I was having bouts of depression, guilt, and anxiety. By Christmas, I had officially had my first panic attack after months of generalized anxiety. I had numb hands and feets and my first night of sweating. My doctor did blood work and said everything was normal except for a slightly off thyroid test. He prescribed 10 mg of paxil per day which I was to take for 1 week and then up the dosage to 20 mg. I could not tolerate 20mg. It made me extremely agitated and jumpy...almost worst than the reason I was on the medication in the first place. My doctor told me to go back to 10 mg. I continued this for a month and found that my anxiety and depression had only minorly improved. My doctor then took me off the paxil and told me to take 15mg of Buspar per day. I have taken the buspar 4 days now and have been extremely fatigued and lightheaded. I also cry very easily and I am extremely sensitive and irritable. I don't know if these reactions are due to the Buspar or due to the paxil withdrawal. I would recommend to anyone suffering anxiety or depression to avoid medications at all costs. It is better to work through your problems and if you are religious, to seek spiritual guidance and counseling. Medications can compound the problem and sometimes doctors don't tell you this. Remember, you are one of many, many patients that they see and your symptoms are probably just like many other people out there (even though we tend to feel like we are alone). Doctors are just trying to do their job as quick as possible with hope for success. Medicine is trial and error sometimes. Therefore, consider all of these things before you decide to start antidepressant medications. It can prolong your suffering in the end.

-- submitted by Jane, 26

"My symptoms involve anxiety, depression, mood swings, appetite changes, in varying levels 7 - 10 days before my menstrual cycle"

I was about to partake in a controlled study to investigate the efficacy of the treatment of paxil (10-20 mg) in patients with premenstrual syndrome. I suffer from PMS, as millions of women do across the world. My symptoms involve anxiety, depression, mood swings, appetite changes, etc., in varying levels 7 - 10 days before my menstrual cycle. I have never subjected myself to prescribed drugs as I am an advocate of cognitive and/or herbal therapy over chemical therapy, however I was curious as to the effects of such chemical therapy and decided to volunteer as a candidate for this study.

Well I'm glad I did my research before starting the program!!! There seems to be an overwhelming majority whom have experienced negative effects and results from PAXIL! I am grateful for your responses as it warned me of the detrimental effects that this drug can cause, and as a result I have decided not to be a mule for the pharmaceutical companies!

An interesting fact...The sponsor behind this PMS study is the pharmaceutical maker SmithKline Beecham. They provide the doctors with the funding to do the research, knowing that if the results prove beneficial (even slight and/or short-term) then this drug will be overly prescribed to the millions of women who suffer from PMS, thus making the pharmaceutical company millions and millions of dollars in profit, and we will have a society of drug dependent women!!!!!!!!!!

There seems to be a cultural crusade to medicalize any trait - physical or behavioral - that does not measure up to the elusive ideals generated by pop culture, advertising, and the shifting moral and political norms. We have become a society that runs for a chemical relief for any little idiosyncrasy that we experience!

What do we do and where do we turn?

-- submitted by natalie, 32

"he was not concerned about rebound depression or anxiety"

I chose to go on Paxil in February of 1999 due to high levels of stress and anxiety that were related to being in my third year of graduate school. I intended to take it for one year and then discontinue. I went off the Paxil on 2/6/00 after consulting with my prescribing physician who told me that he was not concerned about rebound depression or anxiety (neither was I). On Thursday, 2/10/00, I began to experience a headache, not unlike those I have had in the past due to sinus pressure from weather changes. This headaches did not discontinue, rather, it increased in severity and by Saturday I was ready to do anything to stop the pain. On Monday I saw my physician who prescribed migraine medication. I spoke to him the next day to inform him that it was not working and was encouraged to continue using the Midrin. On Tuesday (2/15/00) evening, I was taken to the ER by a friend of mine, was checked out, and was given a shot of narcotics. The ER physician told me to come back the next day if my headache was not gone. I returned to the ER the next day and had a head CT Scan. The CT reading resulted in no evidence of any problems, including my sinuses being clear. I now have a prescription for Metaxalone which is a muscle relaxer. While the severity of my headache has reduced somewhat, I am still experiencing pressure and discomfort behind my eyes which is exacerbated by reading, driving, etc. making it difficult for me to function as I need to. I am currently convinced that these symptoms are due to withdrawal from the Paxil and would welcome any solution that does not require me to go back on an SSRI.

-- submitted by Ann, 26

"I had decided to stop taking paxil 7 months later"

my obgyn put me on paxil 10mg. after diagnosing me with pre-menopausal symptoms on July 12,1999(even after my blood level was checked and hormone level was normal) I had decided to stop taking paxil 7 months later because of the expense and on the 3rd. day I thought that I was going to jump out of my skin.I was extremely nervous and could not fall asleep that night. I also had bouts of diarrhea with severe stomach pain.I called my doctor and she asked me if I still had any klonopin left over from months back, I said yes and she told me to take 0.5 mg. to combat the symptoms. In 1 hour I felt fine again but I had to ask myself,do I want to become addicted to klonopin as well?? NO>>>>> I started back on the paxil the next morning and have felt fine since. I have to wonder if the doctors and Pharmaceutic Companys realize what this drug is doing to people or if they even care.

-- submitted by scsun, 45