Underestimating the Severity of Paxil Withdrawal: Important Information About SSRI's

I've been taking Paxil for two years. As an anti-depressant, it's effective. As a drug, it's too effective. When I was prescribed this medication, I didn't know much about selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI's). I didn't research them as much as I should have. My doctor informed me of the side effects that plague most users. There was no way of sidestepping these symptoms, so I decided to simply live with them. After a year on Paxil, I decided that the side effects were too vexing to live with. After consulting with a different doctor, I decided to start taking a different SSRI while weaning myself off of Paxil. After discontinuing Paxil, I wished that I had never taken anti-depressants to begin with.

Drug companies are upfront about common side effects, but when it comes to withdrawal symptoms, there is scant information available. I wanted to switch to a different pill because Paxil was crushing my libido (which is the most common side effect). Having been through Paxil withdrawal, a sedated libido doesn't seem so bad. In order to wean myself off of Paxil, I had to lower my dosage for a week before dropping it entirely. Apparently, this lessens the severity of withdrawal. On the first Paxil-free day, I felt fine. On the second Paxil-free day (of Christmas), I felt lightheaded. On the third Paxil-free day, I was very lightheaded and hypersensitive to sound and motion.

By the end of the week, I felt like a heroine junkie. I was constantly dizzy, I was nearly suicidal, my equilibrium was off-kilter, I was having nightmares almost every night, I could only sleep in 30-45 minute intervals, my libido had overcorrected itself (which is not as fun as you might think), my entire body was tense, and I was paranoid. I was actually afraid to go to bed for fear of dying in my sleep. I was told that these symptoms would eventually taper off, but they didn't. I went back on Paxil after 2-3 months of this hellish ordeal. Would these symptoms go away on their own? I didn't want to find out.

I did some online research to see if my withdrawal experience was uncommon. I am here to tell you that it is most certainly NOT uncommon. I was shocked to read thousands of testimonials from people who went through the exact same stages that I went through. Google the words "paxil withdrawal" to see for yourself. My doctor said that he had never encountered a case quite like mine. He had never known SSRI withdrawal to be so severe. Some anti-depressants do not have reported incidents of withdrawal. Prozac, for instance, seems to stay in your system long enough to attenuate the chances of withdrawal. In fact, it is even recommended to take a single Prozac capsule to stop Paxil withdrawal in its tracks. Good luck netting a Prozac prescription on top of your Paxil prescription.

Hopefully, I've enlightened those who are considering discontinuing their Paxil intake. Severe withdrawal symptoms do not pester all Paxil users. This is merely a cautionary tale. There is a disconcerting paucity of reading material on this subject, so I'm hoping to raise awareness of these terrible medicinal aftershocks.