October 31, 2012

I am feeling great.  I didn't sleep as well last night; however I fell to sleep around 8:30 and at 1 am my brain said I think that's enough.  Falling back to sleep by 2 or so I did wake up feeling great. 

We are coming up on a month of 10 mg of paroxetine down from 12 years of 20 mg.  I am continuing at least for one more month before I do any more reduction in my dose. The sweaty episodes are fading and no nausea at all.

I hope this inspires those who have heard the horror stories...listen to your doctor if he really understands the way you feel.  If my behavior changes for the worse, I would ask for a different RX.

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October 29, 2012

The weekend was a good test of my ability to cope on the 10mg of paroxetine.  The paroxetine was prescribed to deal with my depression and anxiety and I was sick of taking a pill to make me nicer.  Why couldn't I learn to cope with situations with tolerance and love?

I was around family this weekend and I learned that people are not putting me at the top of their priority lists.  Everyone, including me, has days of tiredness, pain and sadness.  People don't have to cater to me and I need to learn to grow a little thicker skin sometimes. 

I am trying to not grow old in my thinking and when I listen  to some older people I want to scream. Negativity bores me and makes me crazy.   Too bad for me, right?  Whatever anyone else feels, says or does is not a problem for me to solve for them.  The only problem is me...sticking my nose in where it doesn't belong.

Happiness is something I need to find on a daily basis.  It doesn't have anything to do with the world, it has to do with my attitude.

I feel that I am weaning off the paroxetine in a good way.  I am still a little sweaty...my blood pressure is a little higher than normal; however I am feeling good.

October 23, 2012

Everything seems to be going well.  No big headaches and I can't tell if that's due to the allergy shots or getting used to less paroxetine.  I am sweating sometimes when I get the hot flashes.  Never had this much moisture on my forehead and neck before. No sweating at night...I never did!

All in all, I have been very happy...no nausea.  Is there something about taking the paroxetine at 10 am with a glass of milk???

October 22, 2012 Five days later!

The food journal and the daily activities are helping me to see what is going on.  For a while now I have been blaming my bad headaches on the paroxetine.  Yesterday I had a severe headache following the morning dose....probably about an hour later.  The headachesmake me nauseous and I had two mini Milky Way bars...the Halloween size.  My headache did subside but returned about 2 pm. 

The nausea feels almost like hunger, but food doesn't interest me.  After I took the Allegra and the Sudafed for my "allergies", I became nauseous again.

Today I took my allergy shots and first thing in the morning, I took the omeprazole.  It's 9:30 am and all is fairly well.

I slept very well last night and did not take the Melatonin 3mg.  I also did not take the Super complex vitamin B yesterday.

Will take the paroxetine at 10am and see how it goes.  That is usually a morning light snack time so I might take it with 20 peanuts or 8 oz of almond milk. (40 calories).

Paxil Withdrawal Diary

By

Anonymous

 

OCTOBER 3, 2012

Twelve years ago I was going crazy with anxiety after taking Buspar for four years.  The psychiatrist thought it was time for Paxil*. The Paxil has been my daily side kick and I have never taken more than 20mg successfully.  At 40mg, I could not stand up without losing my balance so it was back to 20mg each day.

I have to admit that I have been afraid to stop taking the Paxil because my life if good today and I am able to cope with some pretty nasty situations without going bonkers; however it has now been way too long to keep depending on a substance like Paxil.

Doctors’ and their opinions?  Well, I have moved several times since beginning the drug and each new doctor continued to prescribe it.  When I wanted to stop, on psychologist advised I just stop taking it.  That was truly wrong advice. Sick and weary I began to take it again within a week. 

Another doctor gave me a withdrawal procedure that had me off the drug in two weeks.  Hello, I have taken this stuff for 12 years!  Two weeks won’t get it done.

I am going it alone with some advice I have read from the experts.  SLOW this time and watching vitamin B and a few other things.  I am hopeful that this is the next right thing to do.

Today’s dose was my normal 20mg.

 

I am still suffering with mold allergy and received a buildup shot for my allergies today.  Itching at the injection site again this week is evident.

 

 

October 4, 2012

 

Today I took 10 mg Paxil and began with 2 biotin tablets and took my melatonin at bedtime. 

I am looking for food sources of Vitamin B and hoping that the supplemental vitamins will begin to work on the CNS and allow the withdrawal to be easy.  I am anticipating that this withdrawal could last from 6 months to a year.  I am not in a hurry because what I experienced before with trying to stop Paxil wasn’t worth it.  I am trying to do it with some common sense this time.

*I take the generic Paxil.

 

October 5, 2012

 

Good day…did stand up about the Doctor appointment…I don’t think that was too much. ( Voiced a strong opinion about seeing the doctor instead of the nurse practitioner.  This is the cancer doctor who checks my M protein level every 6-8 months concerning my MGUS.) I went about everyday business without any problems. I began taking complex B vitamin and researched choline.

10mg Paxil, 1 super B complex vitamin, 1 1000mcg Biotin, energy drink powder drink mix (just add water).

 

October 6-12, 2012

Allergies are quiet troublesome; however my general mood is good and no real problems are being noticed.  This is the second week of 10mg of paroxetine after taking 20 mg for 12 years.  I am sleeping well…interrupted only by the coughing associated with the allergies.

October 12-16, 2012

I have been experiencing a little nausea…nothing big.  Increasing my water consumption and sitting calmly for a few minutes is turning out to be the right solution.  So far, so good.

The horror stories I have read on the Internet were very scary and kept me from the weaning process.

October 17, 2012

Two successful weeks are very encouraging to me.  My new doctor thinks I am proceeding in the right way and agrees that this will be a long process…many months.

October 18, 2012

In 1996 I began using Buspar and then in 2000 I was weaned from Buspar to Paxil.  I remember being told that behavior modification was essential to produce a better feeling.  The drugs cannot do it alone.  That is another reason for wanting to wean off now...I know more about me and what makes me tick.  I feel I can control my reactions to my feelings  better now than I did 12-16 years ago.  Continuing to do the same crazy things over and over again expecting different results is truly insanity. I think it was Einstein who said that.