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HELP MY PARTNER IN MELTDOWN AFTER COMING OFF PAROXETINE !

Posted , 6 users are following.

anne28866
anne28866

Hi there,

I am looking for any advice as to how to cope with Paroxetine withdrawal.

I have posted on here before regarding my partner who had been brought down from Paroxetine 50mg per day to nothing in the space of 5 WEEKS!!!

He seemed to be a different person, bad tempered, volatile but now he is really suffering with self hatred and saying he is not fit to be near me. Indeed he says he is not fit for company at all.

I know he was brought down way too quickly to be transferred to Mirtazapine, now taking 25mg of that a day, not helping much.

How can I deal with this, I want to help but all my advice to him only serves to irritate. Feeling hopeless not doing what to do.

Any help out there gratefully received

0 likes, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • Jilly40730
    Jilly40730 anne28866

    Posted

    Hi there,

    that is a stupid way of tapering from the doctor!

    I was on 40mg and was weaning off over the course of a year! I got to 2.5mg one day and 5mg the next but went back to studying so have gone to 10mg daily which is fine.

    the withdrawal is horrendous, paroxetine and mirtazipine are the two worst to ween off and the worst for weight gain ( I wanted to come off due to the weight as gained 9 stone)

    I cannot advise how long the effects will last since he has been given a different drug at a lower dose I'm afraid. I would be mortified if my doc suggest such a quick taper - I've weaned off Mirtazipine which was brutal, before going onto paroxetine when I couldn't cope after a car accident.

    I hope this helps

    • anne28866
      anne28866 Jilly40730

      Posted

      Thanks Jilly.

      You have just confirmed everything that has concerned me all along.

      Where to doctors get these ideas from? I know they cannot be experts in everything but his GP should have got advice from mental health services before bringing him down.

      He is only now telling me how bad he is feeling which is a good thing I guess. Trying to get him to the GP tomorrow.

      He has been stubborn all the way through, determined he would get it "over with" by following her guidelines but as you know that is not the way it works.

      I am so glad you have at last found the right meds for you and wish you well in the future with your studies.

      Thank you for your feedback, bless you

  • vhville
    vhville anne28866

    Posted

    After coming off paxil I struggled with severe brain fog . I was looking for help online and came across a website by James Heaney.

    https://npanth.wordpress.com It doesn't necessarily provide steps to relief but it does do an amazing job of explaining SSRI withdrawal. Reading the posts on his blog was very therapeutic.

    • anne28866
      anne28866 vhville

      Posted

      My goodness, I cannot thank you enough for this help.

      My partner has been reading it with great interest and I am leaving him to study it, so much information to take in.

      Thank you for this wonderful favour, will keep you updated on progress.

      Having this knowledge is half the battle.

      Have a wonderful day, you deserve it, God bless

    • vhville
      vhville anne28866

      Posted

      your very welcome! Its amazing how just reading something like that helps so much. We're not in this alone

    • anne28866
      anne28866 vhville

      Posted

      Hi there,

      Yes you are so right about reading this information helping.

      It has helped my partner understand the anger that he feels coming from nowhere exactly as described in "waves".

      I have struggled to understand but I now have an insight thanks to your help on how to approach and cope with the way my partner behaves now, like a different person. It is very hard to see it.

      I hope you are now free of Seroxat and living a great life.

      Troubles come and go in this life but they are much harder to bear when you are withdrawing from these drugs.

      Have a great day

  • sharinggilly
    sharinggilly anne28866

    Posted

    I am SO sorry for your partner. Im So sorry, poor thing!!! But I will say this - at least hes got you. I had no-one. I am continually DISGUSTGUSTED by doctors saying 'Oh you only need a couple of weeks' etc. They have never been on Paroxetine themselves have they?! Half the time, I wish they could take some for a few weeks and then stop in two weeks - then at least they'd know how it feels.

    It took me a year to come off them personally from 60mg, by cutting tiny bits off each night with scissors. Obviously, this is being MEGA cautious but I was on it in my teens and stopped suddenly (from 60mg) and I ended up having a breakdown so understandably, I wanted to be super careful this time!

    Please take however long YOU need.

    All the very best & I am thinking of you.

    Lots of love

    Gilly. xx

    • anne28866
      anne28866 sharinggilly

      Posted

      Hi Gilly,

      Just noticed your post and had to thank you for your response.

      You have done so well to get off these drugs by going at a slow and steady pace. I agree that GPs do not have any idea of how withdrawal from these drugs can affect you. as I told my GP recently there should be more qualified advice and support for those in this situation.

      I think my words were, there is nothing between the GP and the nut house!!!

      Only now is it coming to light that a gradual withdrawal is essential.

      My partner had to stop this rapid withdrawal and now has settled on 40mg/ day down from 60mg/day. The mirtazapine was dropped completely.

      I can only applaud you for getting off these for good. thank you for your kind reply and I wish you a happy drug free life.

      All the very best

      Anne x

  • jason1945
    jason1945 anne28866

    Posted

    ive been on paxil 10 years and by day 4 of withdrawal i am totally a different person awful withdrawal u just want to give up on life

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