coming off Plaxil

[PeopleCanFly]

hello!

been taking paxil since june for anxiety and panics and felt good since then. i decided to stop the meds at mid december . i went gradually from 20mg (script dosage) to 10 then 5mg everyday then 5mg every 2 days till last week when i stopped totally . yesterday and today i had some anxious moments and i fear that im still sick .... i dunno what to think .. is this only from the withdrawal??? i was feeling good at 5mg every 2 days this like 2.5mg/day so i guess the meds were not supporting my system a lot compared to 20mg/day like before i hope it's just my system who needs a bit of time to reajust but still have the fear that i still need to take meds...

meds were not fucking myself up i was feeling good on em but the thing i dont like is that you always need to think bout taking it and i feel weak from taking them... just like i can't manage myself i need help n' stuff and like 90% of the people are bitching about antidepressants so i still see a bad vibe from them even if they helped me a lot...
i feel like i surrender to taking meds not able to manage myself up but anxiety is the worst thing i came accross in my whole life !! i would redo highschool instead of having anxiety and lil panics this is so unpleasant what you feel is so intense ans disturbing ... those who never had those feelings can't really understand what im talking about but those who lived or live the same thing can understand . most people i talked them about anxiety and panics never understood how i was feeling and just can't really help .

so can this be only temporary or i still need meds? i plan on seeing my doc soon and would like to have meds suggestions from other topiates who took them in the case i still need em .. i was on Paxil and withdrawal was a bitch ... i heard someone talk about wellbutrin i dont know this med but looked like it was good . i dont want a MAOI or something that would be heavy on myself and my everyday life. i need to be alert and motivated .
if there is a med that i would like and that is less a bitch to withdraw from i would like suggestions

thanks for reading!!!

PCF

[PeopleCanFly]

humm.... i dont feel rigth...

[eezdharma]

I too suffer from severe anxiety. I've been taking Zoloft for the past few months and am feeling better than I have in close to 10 years. It doesn't change me at all as a person, just filters out all the bullshit.

The thing about severe anxiety is that it's mostly biological. You and I both know intellectually that we have nothing to fear however, under certain circumstances our bodies react in a negative manner to certain stimuli which, in turn, can negatively effect our minds.

I can't give you any advice as to what would be an easier anti-depressant/anxiety med to come off of. From what I've heard and read they can all be hard to discontinue. I can say, however, if it works for you don't be in a hurry to stop taking it. Who cares what others think and what social stereotypes are. Would you suggest a diabetic stop taking insulin? Besides, anti-depressant/anxiety meds like paxil and zoloft (SSRI's) are pretty safe compared to wellbutrin (smoking or drinking while on wellbutrin can be dangerous) and MAOI's. The only real side effect to zoloft and paxil is delayed ejaculation (for me it's much more of a benefit than a side effect )

I know I didn't really answer your question but I just wanted to let you know that you're not alone.

[Leary's Ghost]

i can relate dude. my anxiety/panic attacks were so bad when i was in college i was not only on paxil, i was on 20mg of valium per day. 5mg 4x a day actually. i couldnt function without it and never would have made it through college without it--i am certain that i would have had to have been hospitalized.

good news/bad news. that was 20 years ago and i am much better today. you can get better but it might not happen quickly. it can take some work on your part, professional help, and possibly years of time.

i had never taken a psychedelic drug before i was 40 years old. it was my long journey of trying to find a quiet head and a peaceful heart that led me here and to psychedelics. it has been part of my treatment and growth. self prescribed obviously. i havent been able to find an MD who would tell me i should eat shrooms but they are out there.

i digress. keep in mind that SSRIs like Paxil have a long half life. you tapered off fairly quickly. the drugs in your system were probably metabolized more slowly than your dose reduction. so they will "catch up." you can expect to feel like shit during the discontinuation period. the electric shock sensation was the most unpleasent for me, but there are plenty of others, just google it. none of them are life threatening tho so dont freak out.

i wouldnt be in such a hurry to go off them if they are helping you. if you are having trouble with side effects, there are many alternatives within the same pharmacological class. try a few different ones and see if you can find one that you tolerate better. also give it some time. that spacey, tired feeling you get should go away after a while. i took SSRIs for years before i started going off them.

good luck and most importantly, dont give up. there is hope and you can get better.

LG

[PeopleCanFly]

thanks a lot for those replies guys . yesterday was a hard day ... i dont have any side effects while on paxil but im tired of being dependant to a med to live normally ... this hurts my self esteem just to see my life ruled by a damn pill .. never had to take meds like this before and always thougth i'd never need those kind of meds in my life but looks like things changed.. paxil helped me a lot and i am pretty sure it saved my life cuz i would had done something stupid without their help .

i like to drink i like to chill up with shrooms and never stopped doing it while on paxil and never had side effects from mixing . i guess other types of meds are way diffrent like MAOIs .

dunno if a little serotonin boost from 5-htp would help but i read that SSRIs works on receptors and 5-htp makes more serotonin but how could more serotonin help me if i was working on receptors lol . i read this is a mild antidepressant .

i had the electrical shocks a lot while withdrawing and this is really annoying but i dont get em anymore now or at least i barely feel em . if today is too hard for me ill get back at 5mg/day ..i thougth i tapered slow enough in 7 weeks but first time with SSRIs so maybe just have to stay more longer on 5mg before cuting off.

thanks for reading

pcf

[infinity]

Originally Posted by PeopleCanFly

i like to drink i like to chill up with shrooms and never stopped doing it while on paxil and never had side effects from mixing . i guess other types of meds are way diffrent like MAOIs .

dunno if a little serotonin boost from 5-htp would help but i read that SSRIs works on receptors and 5-htp makes more serotonin but how could more serotonin help me if i was working on receptors lol . i read this is a mild antidepressant .


pcf

This is straight from a vitamin website

"5-HTP, or 5-hydroxytryptophan, is a precursor to the neurotransmitter serotonin - which is essential for controlling mood, sleep and pain levels. The body produces 5-HTP from tryptophan, an amino acid found in small amounts in high-protein foods such as chicken, fish, beef and dairy products. It can also be taken in supplemental form, in which case it's extracted from the seeds of the Griffonia simplicifolia plant.

5-HTP is believed to help increase serotonin production in the brain, which may positively influence mood. 5-HTP may also help with other health issues related to serotonin deficiency, including nervousness, body tension and stiffness and head cavity discomfort.

Certain elements of sleep are also believed to be affected by 5-HTP. Supplementing may not only assist with falling asleep faster, but also with increasing the duration of dream states (REM sleep) and of deep slumber.

5-HTP may also promote weight management by helping to reduce cravings for sweets and starches, which may help contribute to healthier overall eating habits.

For best results and quickest absorption, take 5-HTP on an empty stomach. Do not take 5-HTP for more than three consecutive months without consulting a healthcare practitioner."


As far as your drinking habit goes....Generally alcohol would be classified as a depressant due to the fact that it inhibits the synthesis of neurotransmitters and hormones. It also completely inhibits the r.e.m. stage of sleep, and dreaming. One of the main neurotransmitters affected by alcohol is serotonin.


My personal advice would suggest a more subversive lifestyle by questioning everything you interact with (drugs, food, vitamins and enviorment). Think for yourself and remember that everyones nervous system works differently. Some people can drink alcohol and be fine, others can die after a few drinks. I stay away from it being that I am trying to improve my cognitive functioning.

[dial8]

If it helps with no side effects, pcf, you should probably stick with it. I understand where your coming from about having to take a pill everyday but we all do something everyday to help us get by. We all have some kind of a crutch. Be it religion, beer, pot, vitamins, or cheese and crackers.

I hope you get to feeling better, brother.

mines pickles.. the side effects being smelliness and no girlfriend
: D
props for trying without it bro..
i cant really give you any suggestions for pills tho.. : /
i used to take welbutrin, but it seems praxil is better than that.

[PeopleCanFly]

as for the drinking it's not really an habit i dont drink every day or every weekend either .. i just like it ocasionally.

strangely drank a LOT since im on paxil like 12-13 beers in a single nigth..
but maybe my yesterday crash was from the party i went this last saturday . i drank 7-8 beers and didn't slept well . my theory for this crash is that whilke on paxil my serotonin levels were kept up even with the deprerssive effects of the alcohol and now that im not on paxil anymore i just felt the depressive effects now...

today been good not any anxiety at all all went and felt well surprisingly .i was really nervous on drowning back into those wrong feelings

so ill look at my alcohol amount in the next partys hehe

feeling good as we speak complete opposite as yesterday evening


PCF

[golly]