Coming off Paxil ...is this normal?
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| Sun, 08-02-2009 - 10:49pm |
O.k just over a year ago I had 3 major & trumatic events happen in my life.....my Dr. put me on Paxil ( also taking lorazapam for sleep) Anyway this is the 3rd attempt to come off of the Paxil, the first time was back in December and tried cold turkey and it was AWFUL!!!!!!!!! so a week later I went back on it, Again a few months later, after looking on the interned , I tried to wean my self off.....again just didnt work.
Now on to my 3rd attempt.....for 2 months know I have been gradually lowering the dose ( as told by my Dr.) I have 2 more weeks of just taking half the 10mg tablet so thats 5 mg every night......I take my med at the same time each night 9pm.....but by 7pm my face is feeling numb, and my head is spinning and I'am so off balance.
is this normal......how long will this last for?
I know I do need to probably look into taking another form of medicine for Depression, but we just moved from Mass to Georgia and I still have to find a primary care Dr.
Is there anything out there that does not have these major side effects when trying to come off?
what about anything that is safe to take while Pregnant?
Hoping maybe someone has some words of advice?
Thanks for your time
~Julie

Hey Julie! Welcome to DS.
I think what you are experiencing while weaning off the Paxil is perfectly normal along with any other med. But please keep in mind that the meds will effect the individuals differently. I went off my effexor cold turkey and it was HECK! By day 3 I was feeling horrendous. Finally had to pay for the med outright because of lapse in insurance.
I went from Lexapro to the effexor with no time lapse. Didnt have any issues there. But going off the med completely is a different story. I hope you are doing this with professional guidance.
Let me back up a sec - first things first. Find the primary doc asap. Do you have insurance? You can always call your insurance carrier and ask for a referral. Make the appt and let s/he know what has been going on. You may need something mild to help you through.
Keep us posted. I will think about you often.
Hi Julie
If you're pregnant or trying to conceive my OB/GYN suggested Zoloft as an antidepressant, if I had to have one.
Suzanne