# paxil



## hurricane12 (May 22, 2008)

went 2 psychiatrist and he prescribed paxil 20 mg. i took it for 3 days and feel like crap. i also read that paxil has alot bad side effects one of them being depersonalization. can i just stop taking it? and are there any anti-depressants that help but dont have depersonalization as a side effect? i dont want 2 make things worse


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## Jay (Mar 27, 2008)

hurricane12 said:


> went 2 psychiatrist and he prescribed paxil 20 mg. i took it for 3 days and feel like crap. i also read that paxil has alot bad side effects one of them being depersonalization. can i just stop taking it? and are there any anti-depressants that help but dont have depersonalization as a side effect? i dont want 2 make things worse


I would not recommend stopping the paxil by yourself. There are pretty heavy withdrawal side effects (especially with paxil), but since you have been on this drug for a very short amount of time, it will most likely not be a problem. Always talk with your doctor before you stop any drug. I am not on paxil but I take Lexapro/Cipralex (another ssri antidepressant). The first couple of weeks when starting any antidepressant can be a rather bumpy road in terms of side effects, but they _do_ tend to even out after this period. I am in no position to recommend an antidepressant, but cipralex has the lowest side effect profile of any ssri out there, while being one of the most effective ssri's. Also, it has a rather mild withdrawl syndrome when compared with paxil or effexor. Although I felt a little 'different' during the initial days on lexapro (could be confused for DP), it did not feel to me like DP, nor did my DP worsen. Tell your doctor how you feel about paxil, he may also tell you to wait out this side effect period, or he may prescribe something else.

~ Jay


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## Guest (Jul 2, 2009)

Come off it slowly. I came off Paxil too fast and had these weird electric zap feelings in my head. It was the scariest thing I'd ever experienced. Some people have actually sued the company who makes paxil because of the suspected long term effect. I wouldn't recommend Paxil to my worst enemys!


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## hurricane12 (May 22, 2008)

thx for the response i stopped taking it and the symptoms went away lexapro seems pretty common ima ask my doctor to prescribe it when i go tomorrow hopefully no side effects


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## Jay (Mar 27, 2008)

hurricane12 said:


> thx for the response i stopped taking it and the symptoms went away lexapro seems pretty common ima ask my doctor to prescribe it when i go tomorrow hopefully no side effects


As with any medication, there are always side effects. Like I said before, try to ride them out. When starting lexapro I noticed a slight, maybe almost imperceptible, alteration of consciousness for about two weeks. Also I was yawning every two minutes for the same time period. There were also brief periods during this time that I experienced a mild euphoria which felt similar to the feeling of 'amazement' of simple things experienced during childhood. The only side effect that continues with me today is vivid dreams. I have always been prone to vivid dreams but lexapro just cranked up the vividness to a whole new level. Other than the few mentioned, I didn't experience any other side effects, and those that I have mentioned were definitely bearable.

~ Jay


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## hurricane12 (May 22, 2008)

yea i had the yawning thing and tingling in legs and hands i felt like i had to keep moving my legs couldnt sleep for 3 days. still have it but not as bad as when i was still taking it


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## Rebekah (May 16, 2009)

I really disliked Paxil. I'm not pychotic, but started having grotesque dreams and visions on it. I noticed somewhere that Dr. Simeon recommended Anafranil (clompramine) an older sedating tricyclic antidepressant. I took Tofranil and Norpramin, both tricylics, and they didn't have the strange psychotic images that I got on the SSRIs.


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## voidvoid (Sep 5, 2008)

I am on Lexapro/Cipralex and it is technically not an SSRI but an "SSAI" or "SSNI" according to their website. They also mention that they do not know exactly how it works. My instinct tells me to stop using SSRI/antidepressants, because of this reason and because of never really noticing any effect, and the documentary Generation Rx, which everyone considering a drug should watch.

http://www.generationrxfilm.com


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## Absentis (Jul 10, 2007)

The side-effects of taking an antidepressant are the worst at the beginning than at any other time. The initial adverse effects will diminish with time, and won't get worse. Side effects suck, but they do go away. Honest.

The antidepressant effects of Paxil will begin anywhere from 2-6 weeks, and by that time the side-effects will be easily tolerated.


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## aloof (Nov 18, 2008)

SSRIs have never been shown to help DPD. I initially tried zoloft and prozac because my shrink didnt really "get" what i had...both made things worse. Unfortunately there are very few meds that do help long term. I believe any med that modifies re-uptake of serotonin is not the answer. I have been on trileptal and klonopin, both anti-siezure meds used off-label to help mood stabilization and anxiety respectively. I have seen minor to moderate improvement with this combo....but lately it seems to be not as effective. Perhaps I am building a tolerance to the klonopin(1 mg per day).


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