Does anybody know anything about the side effects of the drug PAXIL??

Question

My sister in law has been on this Paxil crap for 6 months. With everything going on with her health, they have told her she has Fibromyalgia. That's basically what they tell you you have when they've exhausted all tests and can't figure out what is wrong with you. When she's gone to the emergency room, which has been numerous times, she's been called a drug addict. But, the fact is that she has requested NOT to be prescribed any narcotics. She's a good girl...doesn't smoke or do drugs...has a glass of wine about once a month. Anyway, I'm trying to find out what side effects others have had with PAXIL. I went to webmd.com and was AMAZED at all of the side effects of this drug! Yet they continue giving it out like candy and don't pay attention to the signs and symptoms of the drug when she sees any of her 4 doctors or the emergency room docs. Any information as to what others have gone through would be great. Thanks a bunch in advance for your answers! :) ~Kendra Leigh

Some geat answers so far (and so quick!). She has about 65% of the symptons that bombhaus posted. And yet, when she tells the docs the ONLY meds she has been taking is PAXIL they can't put 2 and 2 together. It takes 2 people who aren't in the medical field (my brother is a DJ and I own a cleaning business) to figure this out. Unreal...Thanks for the answers so far...I'm sure there will be more and I'm looking forward to reading them. :)

My sister in law is taking 40mg of PAXIL a day. I've read alot about this now and it sounds like the weening process could be pretty torturous on her poor little body. By the way, when we tell her 4 doctors what she's feeling (the side effects) they say NOTHING!! They haven't even put 2 and 2 together to see that it's the PAXIL that's causing this. It's so discouraging knowing your doctors prescribe this crap and don't pay any attention to what you're telling them when you're ill because of that particular drug. Thanks for letting me vent. :) And thanks again for all the answers and websites you've given!!

Answer 1

hi kendra :) i kno *exactly* what u mean.. i'm sorry to hear that happened to your sister-in-law. i kno how she feels---because i went through the same thing ! although it was a different drug---effexor xl. my crazy doctor put me on that stuff back in March. since it was my first time with an anti-depressant drug, i thought that it would immediately help me feel better---boy was i wrong.

effexor xl took awa y my appetite completely. i had no interest in food anymore. i remember i went for a whole day without eating one thing---i survived on water and fruit juice. my mom tried to get me to eat but just the sight of food made me want to puke. it was also my birthday. usually, i eat birthday cake and pizza. this time, i ate nothing. i couldn't even eat my cake, just the sight of it made me sick. i was prescibed that drug for depression. instead of making me feel happier, it made me even more depressed. severely depressed. most teenagers my age spend their birthdays with friends/family. but i spent my birthday locked away in my bed--feeling very suicidal and angry. note that i had *never* felt suicidal in my whole life before taking that crap.

so my mom took the pills away from me and called a psychiatrist at the hospital. he told her to take me off that drug immediately, and that my physician should have never prescribed it for me.

never trust doctors. from now on, i am very careful with the drugs i am prescribed. if anything abnormal happens , i stop taking it right away. doctors don't seem to listen to their patients anymore. they don't realize that these drugs they prescribe could be deadly---they either don't realize it, or they don't care...one of the two.

Oh---and as for paxil----i heard some bad things about that drug too----don't let your sister-in-law take that crap anymore ok. do u have a drug book ? my grandma does, it helped me understand effexor a lot. maybe u should consider getting one for future reference :)

Answer 2

I have been taking Paxil since 1995 and never had any problems or side effects. I like taking Paxil. A couple of times I have ran out and was unable to get my refills. The withdrawals I experienced wasn't difficult at all, generally they lasted anywhere from 48 to 60 hrs with very little side effects. Paxil reacts differently with each person and also how it reacts with the other drugs these individuals may be taking. Take only what the doctor prescribes. After reading the others who have responded to your call, I seem to be one of the few who likes Paxel. I've been a good boy all my life because I don't smoke and drink either.... This is my testimony for Paxil.. I hope this helps..
Good Luck...

Answer 3

PAXIL (paroxetine) is an antidepressant medication of the SSRI class. It is used for anxiety as well.

Of the antidepressants it is actually one of the safest ones. The SSRI's are all really quite safe, even in solitary overdose. They become dangerous when combined with other antidepressants.

The side effect profile of paroxetine includes: nausea, diarrhea, dry mouth, constipation, decreased appetite, sleepiness, dizziness, sexual side effects (impotence in men), nervousness, tremor, yawning, sweating, abnormal vision, weakness, or insomnia.

(It looks like they left out agitation, confusion and fever)

This seems a lot, but if you start looking at the side effects of many other drugs you will find that this is pretty much run of the mill.

For instance, compare with Aspirin - a common enough analgesic also used in heart patients. The most common side effects of aspirin involve the gastrointestinal system and ringing in the ears. It can cause ulcerations, abdominal burning, pain, cramping, nausea, gastritis, and even serious gastrointestinal bleeding and liver toxicity. Sometimes, stomach ulceration and bleeding can occur without any abdominal pain. Black tarry stools, weakness, and dizziness upon standing may be the only signs of internal bleeding. Should ringing in the ears occur, the daily dose should be reduced. Rash, kidney impairment, vertigo, and lightheadedness can also occur.

You could look at any other drug and get a similar list.

We DO pay attention to the side effects of the drug and there are some side effects of Paxil and its family of drugs similar to the overheating syndrome you can get from Ecstacy or Speed - again this is rare (called "serotonergic syndrome") unless in conjunction with other similar agents (antidepressants, amphetamine and amphetamine-like drugs, ephedrine etc).

Answer 4

I don't think Paxil is FDA approved for the treatment of shyness. Shyness typically comes from a low self-esteem, or even just a personality trait, but it's not a medical condition. Now, Paxil is approved by the FDA for anxiety. If you experience anxiety while you are around groups of people, or while publicly speaking for example, then it can help reduce the anxiety you experience in these situations, enabling you to cope better in public.

Answer 5

My mom took paxil also. She was switched to .....oh I forget............ It gave her mood swings like no other. They also told her she has fibromyalgia. Sometimes I think this is made up because her body doesnt hurt like it used to. I dont know. But what I do know is the people I know that were taking Paxil switched to something else. My mom had to go to a different doctor so she could get off it because her doctor wouldnt listen to her.

Answer 6

As with any prescription medication, Paxil CR may cause some side effects, which are usually mild to moderate and may fade or disappear completely over time. A common side effect of Paxil CR is nausea, which may be lessened by taking it with food. Other side effects may include injury, infection, diarrhea, constipation, decreased appetite, sleepiness, weakness, dry mouth, insomnia, dizziness, tremor, yawning, sweating, abnormal vision and sexual side effects. If you should experience any side effects, be sure to report them to your healthcare provider as soon as possible and follow his/her advice.

Answer 7

Suicide is a known side effect of Paxil.

Of course they keep dishing it out like candy, these companies make billions of dollars. And the FDA that approves them are also often employed by the drug companies.

There is a great book called Selling Sickness that I think you would enjoy.

Answer 8

One of the worst non-working Meds of all time.
It was just a rise of all the Ritalin kids that got this drug out there. Took it for a year, was one of the worst experiences.
I had to stop cold turkey, no joking.

People Say I was never the same after, I'd like to think that I kept my sense of humor, and yes my boobs did enlarge.

Answer 9

All I know is that my mom took Paxil for a couple months and immediately switched to Zoloft, which she's been taking for years and has really helped her. Paxil didn't work out so well for her and I don't really know why.

Answer 10

One of my best friends was hospitalized for 3 months after coming off of that because she "lost touch with reality" She went completely insane, and this was from a girl who had her head on her shoulders she was just having tension headaches all the time because of anxiety. Anyhow she was a full time student and worked part time but a lot. She told the doctor it was making her feel very out of it so he weened her off of it and 2 weeks into weening off of it she ran out of work because everyone turned into demons and started screaming at her. She was taken away in an ambulance. This is from a 4.0 honor student with a minor anxiety problem. Get your friend away from it SLOWLY. That **** is trash!