View Full Version : My Paroxetine (Paxil) Diary
Hello Everyone!
I just started taking Paroxetine (Paxil) today and thought it would be a good idea to keep a diary on here for anyone else who is also starting or thinking about starting this medication. So far I have tried 2 other antidepressents with no success: citalopram and mirtazapine. :mad: I was just about to give up on meds altogether but as my anxiety and panic disorder continues to get worse, even with CBT therapy, I feel I want to give this med a try and hopefully third times a charm!!!
I just took my first pill about an hour ago, so I have nothing to report except for increased anxiety, which is not due to the medication, but to the thoughts, fears, and worries, I usually have when beginning a new med. I will post again tomorrow. Hugs to all who are also on this journey! :hugs:
nicola1980
16-11-11, 21:15
Good luck and fingers crossed these r your 'magic' pills :hugs: x x
Day 1: I'm considering this the first official day since it has been 24 hours since my first dose. I am only taking 5 mg for the first week as prescribed by my doctor. I felt well enough to pick up my daughter from school, help her homework and make dinner. This is pretty big for me as my panic disoder has been very bad lately and I haven't been leaving the house (only to my CBT appointments).
Toward the evening started to feel some nausea and had trouble sleeping. Woke up every 2-3 hours with the beginning feeling of panic but they never amounted to a full blown attack. Woke up this morning still pretty nauseous (I'm usually like this in the morning, the meds seem to make it a bt worse) but managed to eat some toast and took my second dose. So far, trouble sleeping and mild nausea are all I'm feeling at the moment. These seem pretty typical when starting SSRIs so I'm trying not to let them get me down.
Thanks nicola for your reply... I too hope these work out for me. :)
Hi luv2teach - I remember when you were on the mirtazapine. I'm sorry to hear that it did not work out for you, it didn't for me either. I'm glad you're trying something else and hope you have success with it. Keep us informed :)
Take care.
Belle x
Day 2: So the last 24 hours haven't been pleasant. The nausea and sleep disturbances continue which is making my general anxiety levels higher than normal. I find myself having to do quite a bit of deep breathing to calm myself down. Been able to avoid having a full blown panic attack by deep breathing and taking lorazapam twice a day. Thank goodness my doctor started me on only 5 mg, because I can tell that 10 mg would be too much for me. Hopefully side effects calm down before I'm supposed to up my dosage next week.
For anyone else suffering from nausea because of starting a new medication, I have found that eating a bland diet and spearmint tea to help ease the feeling of being sick. Also, I know that when we are nauseous we don't even want to eat anything, but I am forcing myself several small meals because an empty stomach makes the nausea worse for me.
Belle, I am sorry the mirtazapine didn't work for you either. Are you trying a new med or taking a break from them? How are you feeling since being off the mirt? To be honest, I must mention that I started the paroxetine right after weaning myself off the mirt so who knows at this point which side effect is due to the withdrawal or start up of this new medication?? Hope you're doing well... Hugs!! Xx
Hi luv2teach, I was only on the mirt about 10 weeks and had no real problems with withdrawal from them. Currently I am not on any meds and have been up and down due to an ongoing stressful life situation at the moment. I am trying to decide whether to try Pregabalin or not and am doing as much research into it as I can.
Regarding nausea - ginger is a tried and trusted old remedy for this. Perhaps try some ginger tea or even ginger biscuits can do the trick.
I hope you'll be feeling less rough as the days wear on - do let us know how things are going for you.
Take care,
Belle x
Day 3: Today has been a little bit better then the first two days. The nausea is still with me, but not much as before and it seems to come and go throughout the day, as opposed to being with me constantly. This has been the first day I woke up without a churning stomach or the feeling that I needed to vomit. Just to be clear, I have not actually thrown up on this med, just felt like I might especially in the morning. Also, I slept better last night and did not wake up as much. Probably got 4 hours of solid sleep, woke up for a little bit but didn't feel as anxious as previous nights. Then was able to fall back to sleep for another 2 hours or so.
In terms of panic and anxiety, it's too early for me to tell if it's helping me yet. I don't really expect it to so early on as I know it can weeks before any therapeutic benefits are felt. Also, I haven't really left the house since starting paroxetine...was becoming agoraphobic before taking this med so the side effects made it a little hard for me to pluck up the courage to go anywhere. Today, I do plan on getting out of the house to visit my mom and sister so we will see how that goes! I'll update again tomorrow. :)
P.S. If anyone out there has also just started this med or is thinking of starting, and you have any questions feel free to reply or send me a PM. :)
Hi luv2teach, thankyou for your posts they've been really helpful, now hopefully I can give you some positivity on taking paroxetine. I took paroxetine for about 5 yrs on and off and they really helped me with anx and panic, I came off them 18 months ago as found out I was pregnant and as I was feeling ok I stopped them straight away !! over the last 8 wks or so I've been suffering with bad anx again and panic, the docs gave me sertraline which certainly did'nt work for me, I upped the dose and they made me worse than ever so have now stopped them and gone straight on to paroxetine 20 mg since last monday, and I must say so far so good especially the last 2 days... I will also keep you posted over the next few days as to how they are working but at the moment I feel the best I've felt in weeks !! keeping everything crossed that this is the meds kicking in and not just me having a couple of good days ! ( does that make sense ?! ) as I know it's early for the meds to have taken affect yet !! :) will keep you posted too x
Hi Ella! Quick question for you... When you first started paroxetine 5 years ago, do you remember what side effects you got and how long they lasted? When did you start feeling better in terms of your anxiety and panic? I'm taking .5 lorazapam as needed because I tend to over-react and get more anxious when starting any new medication. Thanks for the positive post.. I needed to hear that!! Hugs xx
Hi luvtoteach, to be honest I can't really remember how long they took to kick in but I do remember it was'nt very long ! as for side effects, I remember having quite a bad headache for a while and that seems to be the same this time, hoping it won't last to long.... apart from that there was only one long term side effect... ( bit embarrasing !! ) but heh I don't know you !! lol ! it seems to have a not so good effect on the sex life !! apparantly it is quite normal, just a bit of a bummer !! and I'd rather put up with that side effect than feeling the anxiety/panic... today I feel ok, probably not so good as yesterday and Friday but no where near as bad as what I have been ... no where near :) I also take propranolol 3 times a day which are supposed to help with the physical symptons ! not sure if they really do anything though to be honest, hope you've had a good day xx
---------- Post added at 19:39 ---------- Previous post was at 19:20 ----------
Hi, luv2teach, me again Iv'e just thought of something else after reading back through your posts, I have a feeling of restlesness, now I know that it's part of the anx and just another symptom but Iv'e a feeling it's a bit worse this week since starting the paroxetine. saying that I am sleeping which is a god send !! hope you're ok xx
Day 4: Ugh, well I wish I had a better report for today, but I'm definatley feeling the effects of increased anxiety and my reflux had been a little worse these past few days. Starting the meds hasn't been as hard as I thought it would be, but I just hate the feeling of being on edge 24/7! I get a little bit of relief in the late evening, but mornings and afternoons are rough.
On the other hand, I did leave my house for the first time in days!! :) I went to spend some time at my moms house and my sister was also there with my baby nephew. I had a few rough moments and the beginning of panic here and there, but I did get to enjoy the baby, which helped me a lot! I'm going to try and force myself put of the house more, because in the long run I know it help me overcome my agoraphobia.
Ella, so glad I have a support buddy like you that is also on this journey. I am also glad you are doing well and not having too many side effects. I also get sexual side effects so no need to be embarrassed talkin about it! It is such a common side effect... But like you I will take that over the feeling of panic and anxiety any day! Thanks for updating me on your progress... Keep me posted when you can!!
Day 5: So far, today has been much better than yesterday! :) I haven't wanted to left home alone since starting this med, but today I woke up without that usual fear (well only a little bit.. Not as bad as before). My mind feels a bit clearer, like I am thinking more rationally about things. Anxiety is still with me, although this has also improved since my last post. One thing I want to mention about my panic attacks... I was getting them almost everyday before starting paroxetine. They were pretty bad ones (shaking all over, felt like I couldnt breathe right, heart beating so fast I thought it would pop right out of my chest! Even called for an ambulance a few weeks ago, that's how bad they are to me! Well, since starting this med I have had increased general anxiety (restlessness, agitation, fearful thoughts) but I feel like I am able to better cope wih the actual feelings of panic and haven't had a really bad panic attack in the last 5 days. Don't know if it's the meds, my CBT therapy or a combo of the two? So that's good news! Also been praying more and putting more of my trust in God which maybe is helping me get some peace of mind. Any type of spirituality, doesn't have to be religious, can be simple meditations, being around nature, I feel is an important part of helping to keep me sane!
Nausea and reflux issues are still present but mild. I'm eating a little bit better, but still eating because I know I have to, not because I desire food. This is okay with me because I could stand to lose a few since gaining 15 lbs on my last med mirtazapine! :(
Day 6: I'm going to keep this update short as I've been feeling really low today. Nausea and indigestion is probably the worst it's been since starting this med. Could barely eat... My doctor said I need to take my pill with a meal which will help reduce the sick feeling. I'm trying to do as he says, but can only stomach some toast in the morning (which he says isn't enough).
I had a really good day yesterday... Was starting to even feel like my old self at times, but started to feel really anxious at night which im sure triggered the nausea which carried on into all of today. Let's hope tomorrow is better! :)
Day 7: Ok, I really need to relax and not let these side effects get me so low! I had a mild panic attack this morning as I felt I couldn't breathe right or something was wrong with my heart. Been reassured it's just gas pains and reflux acting up. My health anxiety is so high right now (just posted in that forum) so I'm scared that I'm not giving these meds the proper chance to settle in. It's just hard to deal with even minor side effects when you're constantly worried about our health! Can anyone relate???
On a brighter note, still have not had a bad full blown pain attack this whole week! I usually have at least 2-3 pretty bad ones before starting this med. Also, when side effects aren't so bad, I feel much more peaceful and calm.. My daughter and I used to argue about just about everythin (she's one feisty 7 year old) but I've had a lot more patience with her this week. :)
Day 8: Felt a little bit better today in terms of the nausea/reflux issues but still couldn't manage to go to a big family get together for Thanksgiving Day. I told everyone I was feeling too sick from the meds to attend and they understood, but I think it had more to do with my agoraphobia and anxiety than the side effects of the medication. Im hoping that if these meds are going to work for me, then they will help me overcome my anxiety about leaving the house. But, I also know that it's going to take work on my part since these aren't magic pills! I'm hoping they give me a little boost in the right direction and help calm my mind down when it starts with all the negative thinking.
I did manage a pretty good nights sleep, I'm waking up less throughout the night, and when I do I am able to go to back to sleep with minimal problems. I will update again soon... I'm supposed to increase my dose tomorrow from 5 mg to 10 mg so we'll see how that goes. I'm a bit nervous about it, but if things get really bad I know I can always drop back down to 5mgs and let my doctor know. Wish me luck!!
nicola1980
25-11-11, 07:34
good luck :hugs: xx
I'm sorry to hear you having a bad time on the paroxetine. I've just started this about 15 days ago. First time on this medicine, was on citalopram and escitalopram previously and for me the side effects are non existent! The first 3 days had constant headache.
I would say my anxiety has been heightened whilst starting this but somehow I'm dealing with it. My only complaint is that I seem to feel a lot more bouts of light headedness on these which can still scare me! I also get intense feelings of fear that just make my head all confused and dizzy. Mind you reading up on google about adrenal fatigue or disorders doesn't help. I tend to experience the anxiety sensations first ( out of the blue ) then my mind picks up on it and makes a bigger deal out of it than what it should be. I just don't understand I don't feel anxious yet my body continues to give me all the sensations as if I am! Hope it gets better for you anyway
Days 9 & 10: Well I let my health anxiety take over and had my mom take me to the ER yesterday because I was convinced I was having a heart attack! After all these years I should know better than to google my symptoms... And just like always stupid google tells me that I may be having a heart attack (nausea, back and chest pain, fatigue). Needless to say they did te EKG, chest x ray, blood and urine test and the doctor says everything came back perfect. I felt so dumb but relieved!
I was hoping that by now the meds would have at least kicked in a little in terms of helping to clear my mind of all my health related obsessions. I was just about to quit them yesterday, but decided I would wait until the two week point and then tell my doctor how I'm feeling to get some advice. Oh, and I haven't upped them yet because I'm hoping the nausea and anxious feelings will decrease before I do. So yeah people... I'm acting this way over a teeny tiny baby size dose of only 5mg!!! I probably won't update again until i talk to my doctor. But feel free to post here with any questions or comments as I will still check in daily.
Thanks for the good luck nicola! Rene, sorry to hear that your body is still signaling off all those annoying sensations! They drive me mad!!! Keep me posted on how the meds work out for you. :)
Hi luv2teach just wanted to wish you good luck with everything and really hope the meds soon kick in for you, I know how bad this terrible thing makes you feel ... on a positive note I'm feeling loads better, not great but much better than a week or so ago. I'm taking 30 mg of paroxetine now, upped from 20... will see how I feel in another couple of weeks, the doctor told me to take 40 mg but did'nt want to up them to much as I am feeling quite a bit better, I still feel very anx in the mornings but it passes much quicker now, and I have'nt had a panic attack since starting taking them so thats obviously really great. I still feel restless it's hard to sit still like a fidgety feeling in my hands and feet !! anyway please keep us posted on how you're getting on... chin up and all that !! :hugs:
Days 11 & 12: Emtionally I've been having a hard a time... Not so much because of the meds but because there is a lot of loss that I've recently had to deal with and sometimes it just takes over. I'm not sure if I mentioned this, but I had to resign from a job I loved in September because of how bad the panic attacks were, and hen within the last month and a half my two grandpas passed away (first real loss of anyone close to me). I just thought this was important to mention, because I have a lot more going on then just anxiety and panic disorder. Maybe if I wasn't also so depressed because of my recent losses, this med thing would be going smoother for me.
As far as side effects, they are lessening a bit, or at least becoming more manageable. Nausea isn't as bad, and I ate more today than I have sine I started the meds. I actually even ate a meal out of hunger, not just because I had to! So that must be a good sign. Anxiety and depression are still pretty high, but with distraction and relaxation excersises they aren't too bad. So I hope I keep progressing little by little, I just need to have more patience. Sleep wise, it hasn't been too bad either! I sleep for an average of six hours on and off. I am trying to not take naps during the day to see if I sleep better throughout the night.
Ella - so good to hear an update from you! I am glad you are doing well on them and are able to gt through the morning anxiety! Keep the updates coming... It makes me feel like I'm not so alone on this journey. :) Quick question: how many weeks total have you been on them now? I still haven't made it to 10 mg yet... But am hoping to up my dosage soon!!
julieannboo
29-11-11, 16:28
you don't need anti depressants.
please go to this site:
paxilprogress.org.
paxil is a bad drug it won't help you just mask the problems that you have.
you will feel okay for a while, but how long do you plan to carry on with this drug? it stops working after a while called 'poop out'.
then you think that you can just stop taking it but the withdrawal effects are a million times worse than any other drug that you have taken in the past.
please go to the above website.
best of luck in the future. x
Hi luv2teach, Iv'e been taking them for 2 weeks sunday just gone. I'm so sorry to hear about your grandpas that must be really tough. Keep going I know it seems to be a long old process !! if only there were a magic pill eh ! I can't believe Iv'e felt like this for 12 wks now from when it started but just keep reminding myself of how much better I feel now compared to those 12 wks ago... keep going with the meds and stay positive, good luck take care x
Hi there - just wanted to share that I am experiencing the same side effects as you and am currently on day 8 at 10mg. My GP prescribed 20mg per day but having taken this AD before I knew I woulnd't be able to handle the side effects of such a high dose.
This is my third time on this AD and on the previous two occassions it's worked wonders after 4-6 weeks, it's just a shame that the side effects are so bad. I've only ever tries one other AD, Prozac, and it made me vomit every day for a few weeks so I stopped and went back onto Seroxat.
I went back on seroxat this time following a long wthdrawal, ending in January this year (I'd be taking it for about 10yrs and decided it was time to see if I was "well"). Since January I hadn't been myself but never noticed the signs until a couple of weeks ago, when I decided to go back to the GP and ask if I "could have my Seroxat back". I've had a series of good days/bad days and my anxiety has gone through the roof but I've been trying to tackle it as best I can, which is often very hard but investing in jigsaws and puzzle books to channel my concentration and relax me has helped a bit.
I find that if I take mine in the evening the side effects are easier to deal with and I get a better nights sleep (although I'm not sure how deeply I'm sleeping because I'm not dreaming at all but at least I'm not having nightmares like I used to whenever I took it in the morning).
Riding out the storm is very difficult when the anxiety is so high but I haven't had a full blown panic attack which is a positive. I've forced myself into the shower every morning and tried to get out of the house as early as I possibly can - even if that means spending time at someone elses house, as long as I'm not sitting home alone my anxiety lessens because my anxiety feeds my anxiety.
I know friends who have taken AD's without ANY adverse side effects or worsening of their particular condition and I'm so jealous of them but I know that this AD has worked for me before for many years so I'm hopeful that I'll start to level out over the next week or so.
It's worth noting that Seroxat has a very short half life in comparison to other SSRI's so can take longer to build up in your system and stay there (hence, I tend to feel much better in the afternoon or evening as it's starting to lessen in my system).
I find reading other peoples progression useful as it helps me relate to the side effects I'm experiencing.
Well after only 2 1/2 weeks on this med, I am now coming off of it! A few days ago I started dry heaving, spitting up yellow bile, and having bad thoughts. I hate to even write this down because I've always been so scared of death, so when I felt like just giving up without even thinking about how it would effect my family (mainly my little girl), I knew something was terribly wrong. Went to see my doctor who told me I should not be getting worse like this and that I should come off of paroxetine ASAP.
Sine I've only been on it for such a short time, I'm going to take half my dose (5mg) for a few days and then just stop. I really was hoping this one would work for me, but I am just way too sensitive to SSRIs ... So I'm going to try a d get through this with my lorazapam and CBT. I am not comfortable taking any antidepressants for the time being. I do want to wish everyone who is still on this journey the best of luck! I've heard many stories of people who had positive outcomes taking this and other types of antidepressants. I will let you all know how I get on without the meds. :)
I'm so sorry it's made you so ill. I can empathize having reacted the same was with Prozac.
I know how you feel with still needing to function as a mother and not wanting your little girl to see you this way. I have a little girl too and I really don't want this period to effect her in any adverse way. The up side is they can only see what's happening on the outside (that's what I try to tell myself anyway). My daughter has coped very well with periods of me being in hospital following surgery which was probably more trying for her.
I hope that you find the right course of meds/therapy. I've made it through far worse times than this so we can all do it. Your inner strength will surface soon, just finding the strength to see your doctor is an incredible achievement for many of us.
Thank you lauz! I'm tapering off of them for a few days and then I'll just stop taking them (as advised by my doctor). I'm still feeling sick and nauseous but I hope that will go away soon! Best of luck to you and I hope the meds continue to help you. :)
Hi luv2teach, I'm so sorry to hear the meds made you feel so bad I can also relate to how awful you feel as I also reacted badly to my meds before the paroxetine which was sertraline !! scarey !! keep us posted on how you get on with the cbt, good luck and take care :hugs:
cathycrumble
06-12-11, 23:58
Hi luv2teach just read through your posts and i can understand how bad you must have felt. I was like that on citalopram. Well i suffered the SE badly when I first went on them but my god I ended up having a bad water infection and I sufferd pain and dry vomiting I thought it was my water infection which i ended up in hospital with for 3 days as i was weeing blood and I also coughed up a bit of blood a few times while on the cit. When I think back it could have all been related to the citalopram. as cystitis is a symptom one can get with citalopram.
Anyway long story short I am now on amitriptyline it is an old type AD my cousin and one of my friends took it and said thy felt calm and it helped them the only side effect I have had is drying of my nose and mouth but water helps that. I have been on it a week started on 25mg and the dryness started to go so tonight I have upped it to 50mg will stay on them. They are good at helping you to sleep also. I just thought it may help you if you do need to take a AD good luck with whatever you decide
Cathy xx
I saw my GP yesterday and after two weeks on 10mg I am now slowly upping to 20mg over the next couple of weeks, just 2-3mg every 2-3 days depending on the SE's. Just want t get through it as quickly as I can to allow the full 20mg so start doing its magic.
My GP is also referring me for councelling/CBT. Hopefully by the time I get to the top of the waiting list the the Seroxzat will have properly kicked in and I'll be feeling more like me again.
Ella- thanks for the reply! I had another CBT session yesterday and felt pretty good afterwards. Even stayed out of the house most afternoon with just a little anxiety. Today, not so good as I just got my period and that always makes my anxiety and all related symptoms worse. Hopefully in a few days, I'll feel better again.
Cathy & Lauz - best of luck on your meds...I truly hope they work for you! If things don't improve for me, I will ask my doctor about the amitriptyline. Hugs to all...hope we all get some relief soon. :)
Hi Luv - hope you're feeling better this evening.
I started upping my dose two days ago and was really fearful of the SE's returning, I only upped it by 2mg but so far so good, no returning of adverse SE's at all at this point so may up by another 2mg tomorrow.
What other AD's etc have you tried in the past? Has anything else worked for you before?
I tried citalopram and Mirtazapine ... I was hoping med #3 would be the one for me! Right now I'm just taking my lorazepam to get me through the days. I've been better about going out, but still feel so much anxiety when I'm away from my comfort zone. Today I had a parent teacher conference at my daughters school and although I felt trapped and on the verge of panic the whole 30 minutes, I did it! I even went shopping afterwards but the shop was so busy that I left after only about 10 minutes or so.
Do you suffer from agoraphobia too, or just a general anxiety? I wish I could go back to the days where I just had general anxiety and an occasional panic attack. When you add agoraphobia to the mix of everything, it is soooooo much worse!!! :(
Whilst I've been back on Seroxat, my anxiety has been about EVERYTHING, but I had to just keep telling myself it was just the SE's and would go away. In the most part it has but there are still some lingering anxieties, particularly early in the day. The fear of being alone is the hardest, because I don't like being idle, that's when my thoughts get the better of me.
It's a really hard, long battle sometimes, and even though the AD's/meds heighten the anxieties initially, the 2-3 week battle is worth it for the feelings of relief that start to come are all worth it.
I know that I'll feel 100 times worse for a while, but soon, I'll feel 1000 times better.
Lauz-lea Wow that is so strange to me, as soon as I up my dose a from a near zero, say 2.5mg to 5mg wow and instant relaxing effect, calming and feel more positive than before.
Luv2teach It does take time forsome people to kick in and some may experience anxiety, dizzy spells, palpitations even as brain chemistry is being altered it's only logical that something will happen, in my case only good things happen when I up my dosefrom a very low dose, maybe cause I have taken it for a long time and therefore there is little adjustment in my brain, I don't know.
Hey if you live in London I can go with you to some shops or places, actually was thinking of doing this to help others beat their anxieties, sometimes family members don't understand how can they really? I nused to have serious anxieties aboutbeing in a room with others and going 'red' or blushing and everyone looking at me, .:doh: Still do sometimes but nothing like before.
Maybe it would have been great if someone could have taken me by the hand years ago when my problems all started instead docs gave me tranquilizers that made me into a zombie, idiots saying to me snap out of it and making me feel more embarrased made my self esteem reach the floor.
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