Paroxetine's not my friend anymore!

Hey!!

I'm back! 🙄

I haven't posted since 2008 As have been living a pretty normal life, bringing up my two daughter's, having holidays, adventures, holding down a job I loved, and just actually loving that I was in control of sometjhing I thought I'd never be!!

A little about me, I am a sufferer of severe anxiety, agoraphobia, dp/dr, health anxiety & OCD! I have suffered since I was 11 years old, I am now 30! I was prescribed paroxetine which I have been taking since I was 13, and over the years during tougher time have increased/decreased the dose as necessary!

Just before Christmas, I began to slowly suffer with a little more anxiety each day. Started off with my health anxiety, made worse by my job admittedly, but I have diagnosed and obsessed with cancer and brain tumours continuously since then! I have lots of clinical and medical knowledge and can calm anyone down who is catastrophizing yet when it comes to myself I am a wreck! As the weeks have passed my General anxiety has become more severe, i am now having difficulty going out of my home, shopping in supermarkets and even taking my children to school! Let alone working, in which I am currently off sick!

I can only describe this shocking relapse and being back on that rocky road as horrendous! My symptoms are endless. They feel so real and frighten me massively! And i truly believe that after 17 years of paroxetine helping me in life, being my guardian angel it has now stopped working! I've tried for 4 months to control this, increased my dose to 50mg but have had no success!

With my doctors advice this week I have chosen to come off paroxetine and start on sertraline in the hope i can get back to my life in which I love! I have been told to reduce the paroxetine 10mg each week, I'm now on 30mg this week and the withdrawals are driving me mad! I wouldn't wish it on anyone! Sweating, headache, nausea, dizziness, light headed, visual disturbances, vivid dreams, palpitations and actually seeing things out the corner of my eye! It will not beat me, but wow these next few weeks aren't going to be easy!

Has anyone got any happy endings when changing from paroxetine to sertraline? Each one of us are different i know but am scared! Paroxetine has been part of my life for so long putting my faith in another drug is overwhelming to say the least!

Sorry for the essay, hope this is in the right place, and thanks for reading!

X

Hi everyone: Brand new to this even though I've been reading threads for years. My doctor recently switched me over from Citalopram to Paxil CR. The Citalopram was no longer helping me even after an increase to the max dose.

I started 4 weeks ago taking 25mg Paxil CR. After about 5 days I felt amazing for two weeks. Almost too amazing at some points until last week. I had a bad attack and the doctor put me up to 37.5mg. So one week later on the 37.5mg I am a little worse. No appetite, major anxiety, heart racing, insomnia and so on. I went to see him today and he increased to 50mg. I have been a disaster since xmas and have not had any relief except for the first two weeks on Paxil. Will the 50mg dose help me sooner rather than later. Not sure i can take much more.

I would imagine the same as most of you. Single mom to two boys, full time stressful job. Have to get back to myself quick!!!