Has anyone had any good/bad expieriences taking Paxil?

Question

Doc is changing me from zoloft to another anitdepressant. I want to chose one that will help with anxiety and panic, but with low low side effects. anyone know if Paxil is any good?

Answer 1

Paxil CR and Paxil are approved only for adults 18 years and over. In some children and teens, antidepressants increase suicidal thoughts or actions. Young adults, especially those with depression, may be at increased risk for suicidal actions. Whether or not you are taking antidepressants, you or your family should call the doctor right away if you have worsening depression, thoughts of suicide, or sudden or severe changes in mood or behavior (for example feeling anxious, agitated, panicky, irritable, hostile, aggressive, impulsive, severely restless, hyperactive, overly excited, or not being able to sleep), especially at the beginning of treatment or after a change in dose.

http://www.paxilcr.com/index.jsp
Side effects
General side effects are mostly present during the first 1-4 weeks while the body adapts to the drug. Almost all SSRIs are known to cause either one or more of these symptoms. A person receiving paroxetine treatment may experience a few, all, or none of the following side-effects, and most side-effects will disappear or lessen with continued treatment, though some may last throughout the duration.

Nausea
Drowsiness
Headache
Changes in weight and appetite
Changes in sexual behaviour
Increased feelings of depression and anxiety (initially)
Dry mouth
Constipation
Diarrhea
Aggressive behavior (esp. in children)
Possible suicidal behavior
Possible congenital malformations
Rash
Restlessness or akathisia
Itch
Sodium depletion
Changes in urination
Sweating
Muscle weakness
Uncharacteristic levels of aggression
Individuals experiencing any of the following symptoms should contact their doctor immediately:

Jaw, neck, and back muscle spasms
Fever, chills, sore throat, or flu-like symptoms
Yellowing of the skin or eyes
Black, tarry stools (this can indicate upper GI bleeding)
Despite these side effects, Paroxetine is effective and generally well-tolerated in adults. Paroxetine is a useful tool in treating major depression, particularly in adults who have not responded to other therapies.

[edit]
Warnings
During the trials it was evident that there were major health risks involved such as possible suicide and major congenital malformations, the remedy was introduced despite those reasons. This is prompting a wave of litigation against the drug's manufacturer. One of the first trials in America was set by the law firm of Robert Kwok & Associates, L.L.P. in Houston, TX.[11][12]

Seroxat must not be used for treatment of children.[13]

When reports came of suicide, the controversy about Paxil became public.[14][15][16] The FDA continues to issue warnings regarding Paxil.[17][18][19]

Paroxetine users should not discontinue and resume treatment with more than a few days' gap between dosings, as paroxetine decreases in effectiveness if it is stopped for a significant amount of time, and then resumed.

[edit]
Discontinuation syndrome
Main article: SSRI discontinuation syndrome
While any psychoactive medication (from caffeine to anti-psychotics) can cause withdrawal symptoms upon discontinuation from acute administration, anecdotal evidence suggests that paroxetine has a higher incidence rate and severity of SSRI discontinuation syndrome than other SSRIs and psychoactive medications. For those experiencing extreme and unusual difficulty discontinuing paroxetine, it is recommended that an SSRI with a longer half-life, such as fluoxetine, be administered for approximately two weeks, then discontinued, to lessen symptoms.[20][21]

Suicidal ideation is a frequently reported experience in those withdrawing from SSRIs.[22] Withdrawal from paroxetine or any other SSRI should be medically supervised.

Answer 2

Paxil has worked well for me, and I don't think I have gained that much weight from it. I believe all anti-depressants seem to have some weight gain disadvantages, though. The one drawback I have had and read that others have noticed is the withdrawal, like if I forget 1 day to take it, I will notice it. I am only taking 10mg and I feel that I need to change to something else as I don't want to "up" the mg's of paxil and other reasoning's just mentioned... I would also look into how much different drugs cost, as I am a student and I don't have insurance, so some of these types can get very costly.. Also, Effexor, I didn't care for at all; made me quite "out of it".!!!! Hope this helps.

Answer 3

I've been on Paxil for about four years now and I'd have to say the worst side effect has been the loss of sexual desire and weight gain. Also, if you forget a pill or two, the dizziness sucks! You get all spacey and can't concentrate. Paxil doesn't make you more anxious, it actually helps with anxiety. At least it does me. It is actually supposed to be more for anxiety than depression. But you should explore your options and be sure to be accurate with your doctor about your symptoms/feelings. Good luck feeling better.

Answer 4

Paxil is a wonderful anti anxiety drug if you can tolerate gaining weight with it. No matter how you watch your food intake and exercise, you will most likely gain a substantial amount of weight. It is just so unfortunate because it works so well with the panic attacks. I think that you need to balance the effects vs the side effects, and decide if you can deal with a weight gain. Many people, particularly women would not as the gain tends to make them more anxious. Perhaps you can discuss this with your doc, and see what he/she says about it. Have you tried Lexapro? That has less side effects, virtually none in most people and can work. Another is an older one, but still in the new drug classifications as a seritonin uptake, is Effexor. That one was very good. Good luck.

Answer 5

Im on Paxil, and I could feel the difference from the second day I was on it. I take it for depression and severe anxiety disorder, and it has really worked wonders. When I first started I was on a higher dose and I got dysphagia (difficulty swallowing; feels like a lump in your throat that you cant swallow past)as a side effect; we lowered the dose and its been fine since. My main concern with it is that I have gained 30 lbs in the past year when I have never had weight issues before and I watch my diet and activity closely.

Answer 6

I used it for 5 years. I didn't have any side effects while on it. It helped me. However, there came a time when I didn't want to take it. After such a long time, I got severe side effects if i didn't take it for three days. Eyes and motion coordination. Dizziness. Actually, I felt sick.

So, my doctor and I set up a decreased dose plan, reducing the milligrams each couple of days over about 45 days, and I got off it.
I'm fine now and can say, it helped me then. (It does have a reputation for decreasing ones libido).

I hope your situation, is situational and not a chronic one. Good luck and take good care!

Answer 7

I am fine with Paxil but not generic excepted 1 but the company got in trouble so can't get it I am tring to get off of it slowly and fell hora bel becuse of insherince will not cover it so if I have kids I will not have them put on antidepressant. Or ADHD meds becuse of things like this hapning I out growe the insherince that paed for it

Answer 8

Paxil really helped my anxiety. I had no side effects. My brother who has panic attacks also got a lot of relief with Paxil but he had a lot of side effects. It was a real pain to come off of. You have to taper it off slowly.

Answer 9

I took paxil, and really couldn't tell any difference... my doctor switched me to zoloft, and the effects were the same. I just quit taking meds altogether... I would talk to your doctor about it though... They know what stuff may be better for you.

Answer 10

I tried it once and it made me 3 times worse and you cant just stop taking them you have to get off of them slow Zanax has a 24 hr pill that seems to work pretty well ask him about that one Michael