"On Paxil, I was always sleepy, and would constantly have to take naps."

I spent about 13 months on Paxil and have just switched to Effexor XR. On Paxil, I was always sleepy, and would constantly have to take naps. It was an irresistible urge to lie down and sleep, and really got in the way of a normal daily life. I could no longer drive for more than an hour or two without having to pull over for a nap, and I spent most of my days off on the couch, too tired to go out and do anything. The other main effect I suffered was weight gain -- 30 pounds' worth. Unfortunately, I had mononucleosis when I began taking Paxil for depression, and since mono's symptoms include fatigue and possible weight gain due to less exercise and a slowed-down metabolism, it took my family doctor and myself a long time after my recovery from mono to determine that Paxil might be the culprit causing the weight gain and continuing fatigue. My psychiatrist (who initially prescribed the Paxil and whom I no longer see) dismissed my concerns that I was rapidly gaining weight, even though this had never happened to me before in 30 years. He said Paxil rarely causes weight gain and was more likely to cause weight loss. Skimming through the Disease Management Forum paints a different story. My family doctor has run a battery of tests and ruled out pretty much anything he can think of that would cause this weight gain and fatigue (thyroid, anemia, hepatitis, ect.). That's why he has switched me to Effexor XR, which he says may improve my condition. To be fair, Paxil did get rid of my depression, mood swings and temper, and the only other side effect I experienced, mild sexual dysfunction, was not serious. However, after months of convincing myself that Paxil was a wonder drug (in that it improved my mood so much) I decided I was not willing to continue with the drug if the tradeoff was constant fatigue and steady weight gain. I am now going to Weight Watchers to get rid of those 30 pounds, and after just five days on Effexor, I already more energy and my head is a lot clearer.

-- submitted by anouk, 30