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Paxil withdrawal and Prozac side effects are awful

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tonia_2003
tonia_2003

I have been on Paxil 45 mg for 15 years and it has stopped working as of almost 10 months ago. Major anxiety and OCD. Having heart palpitations, nausea and akathisia. My doctor has me going down 5mg every two weeks on the Paxil. Still seems a little fast to me because I have been on it so long.

Started taking Prozac 10 mg as of last Thursday and my anxiety has gotten worse, nausea and restlessness. I have taken Prozac years ago and it didn't bother me. I found out that Prozac is the most activating of all the antidepressants. Between the Paxil effects and now the Prozac effects I feel like CRAP!!!!! I had a gene sight test done back in 2014 and found out why my Paxil didn't work all that well off and on the entire 15 years. I don't have many antidepressants to choose from that my genetic makeup doesn't interfere with. It's mostly old ones that I can take, like the trycyclic antidepressants. Anyone else know if the effects of Prozac are temporary or if they can be permanent? I can't stand the side effects.

0 likes, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • betsy0603
    betsy0603 tonia_2003

    Posted

    HI Tonia, 

    It may be that you are sensitized to most SSRIs at this point, having the Paxil poop out after so many years on it.  Long term use of ADs has been found to worsen depression and cause treatment resistent depression.  These drugs were never proven as long term solutions, with the negatives outweighing the benefits over the long haul.  Most are surprised to learn that these drugs were only studied for 6 to 8 weeks before going to market; we long time users are the guinea pigs with regards to chronic use.

    You are right to be concerned about the speed of the taper.  The nervous system is very slow to remodel back to life without the drug when we have been on them for years.  I know of one person who has been sliding off Paxil very slowly for YEARS, having been on it for over 20 years.  He has been comfortable with this process and is feeling better now than ever before, at 0.72 mg/day currently and NOT replacing it with any other AD.

    Most who do the very slow taper just feel better and better the lower we get.  

    He is a moderator on a support forum for coming off.  If you'd like info on that, let me know and I will PM you.

    • tonia_2003
      tonia_2003 betsy0603

      Posted

      Yes, give me the name of the forum and his name. So he's only coming off not even a milligram a day? I've got to have something to replace it with because I have OCD. Ever since last July I have had akathesia, nausea etc. My nurse practitioner I see says some of her patients have the same issue with it because it's very activating. I guess that's why they used it as a weight loss drug at one time.
    • betsy0603
      betsy0603 tonia_2003

      Posted

      Long term use of these meds can cause tardive akathesia.  This fellow came down from 40 mg, I believe and is down to 0.72 mg.  I'll send you the info.
  • Sara4321
    Sara4321 tonia_2003

    Posted

    I have been on sertraline for 10yrs when they stopped working, prescribed 20mg of Prozac without any side effects, then increased dose to 40mg ,for 2 weeks felt awful ,extreme anxiety ,teary,depressed but now feel so much better, give it time before you make a decision .
    • tonia_2003
      tonia_2003 Sara4321

      Posted

      Paxil is short acting also. It's the worst antidepressant to come off of. Some doctors won't prescribe it anymore. How did you feel when sertraline quit working
    • Sara4321
      Sara4321 betsy0603

      Posted

      I felt a little better on 20mg but felt I needed to be on a higher dose
    • Sara4321
      Sara4321 tonia_2003

      Posted

      I was having panic attacks and felt verily low and anxious when the certraline stopped working
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