Help to wean off Paxil/Senior Antidepressants

What’s the dosage ?

I am taking 25 mg of Paxtil and still very depressed . What should I do . My panic attacks have increased and I have insomnia for 5 mnths and take trazadone 50 mg for 5 mnths and Lexapro 1mg and venaflaxin 300 mg . Please help and advise
I am staying with my sister and want to have one good week even on these medications and recently started having brain fog . I have been a patient of depression for 25 years and bounced back in 3 mnths . I have good and bad days . I am doing physiology and alternate treatments like acupuncture. For 3 days only . Nothing is working I am on wits end . Please help . I don’t want to be a burden on my sister

You’re taking 4 antidepressants?

Our past seems to have remarkable similarities!
I too have one son , but unfortunately he seems to be dysfunctional with his childhood.
When he was a child my Mother and Father watched him while I worked. So he was sort of in the same atmosphere. Sigh..I was too
Traumatized from 1st marriage to
Even start picking apart family issues. Not a day goes by that I don't regret all the decisions I made in my life and my sons.
You are so very caring to take the time to point out the good things in life however the mind is a complex thing. I have no reason to
Relive my childhood . Maybe I want to blame them for my
Shortcomings?

Hi ravnitk,
What struck me is the # of medications you are on, continued depression, increased panic attacks, insomnia & brain fog. You also have suffered with depression for 25 years (I more than hear you about that). And doing alternate treatments also. But would truly stood out for me was your statement "nothing is working I am on wits end". This sounds like to me truly poor psychiatric care you are on the receiving end of. Not knowing your background at all, age, etc. etc. is hard to give a personal opinion BUT if I were you the first thing I would do is change my psychiatrist. I am "assuming" you are also in therapy. Perhaps even a new therapist is in order.
I feel you need a new set of eyes to look at your mental health status because what you are doing now is clearly not working for you. Believe it or not, I get it that you are still depressed on 25 mg. of Paxil. I am on 10 mg. of this drug and while it has damped my anxiety down I actually felt an increase in depression since starting it 8 weeks ago. Currently working on this with my psychiatric nurse practitioner. Get a new treatment team! And something else I want to mention to you. IF you have tried so many antidepressants, etc. and nothing is helping you there is always ECT. Yes, ECT. It is NOT what it use to be. It is very safe and can be very effective. Just a thought. I hope you can get that one good week you wish to have. If your therapist is close by - see him/her several times during that good week you wish to have to help you find some mental well being. Focus on changing things up for yourself b/c obviously the plan you are on now is not working. All the best to you and don't give up!

Hi neri47,
First, I get the "blame" issue. Of course, if we are unfortunate to suffer so much with our mental health as adults we go back to our parents/childhoods. And, again, unfortunately emotional abuse during our formative years so very hard to overcome (but can be). But you are no longer a child. Regrets from the past we all have, hands down. But what are you gaining from reliving then again and again? A happier mind for yourself NOW? A sense of wonderful mental well being NOW? You are hurting yourself again and again. I know the mind is so very complex. Even the very best of psychiatrists and neurologists say this and so much is not understood about the mind/brain. Brain research is always on-going. New discoveries happening as we speak. But I more than understand you are operating with a "damaged" mind. There is no question. Just the fact you report trauma from your 1st marriage is enough to damage the mind. I speak from experience about this. My ex practically destroyed me with the conditions I lived under and accepted as "normal". They were anything but normal! Read "The Body Keeps the Score" (can't think of author right now). It is foremost the best book written on "trauma" - some experts think in the world to date. However it can read like a medical textbook so I found I could only read a few pages a a time. It will validate your statement "the mind is a complex thing". So right you are! Yes, your mind has been severely damaged. Accept this and more reason to give yourself a MAJOR break! You have been terribly wounded! Treat yourself with care now not more hurts! Love yourself, bit by bit. I know it is so very hard. But you can learn to treat yourself with love and kindness one day at a time, one moment at a time. Have faith, don't give up. Turn to your Higher Power who/whatever it may be for support. Do what you must do, to live your best life. You more than deserve it!

You are so kind to reply to my posts! I know all about trying to stop this reliving of my past. Depending on my "mood of the day" will dictate how much I dwell on it and how much it affects me.
Keeping busy is crucial, but at my age I really feel better resting my broken body. Prednisone is my life saver for the present, and I will enjoy the perks of it as long as I can. I am sad that someone has the same feelings as I do but I do know that people who have maybe
Worse childhoods than ours do not dwell like I do.
I believe I take things very personally. All my life I have felt
Inadequate but if you knew me you would never guess that of me. I am
More to show aggression and anger if someone is accusing
Me of anything!!
My life has been a theater production of getting through things I don't understand.
Sigh.....
Thank you for understanding!!!!!

@briarrose and @neri47 I wanted to share this with both of you. I have experienced childhood traumatic events and I understand how it affects a person everywhere in their life. This author really does speak to that and about how to overcome the trauma. In my life, I have overcome the PTSD that was related to my fear of surgery. I regard this as the greatest lesson in my life to have overcome the fear. I have this book.

Jennifer

Thank you kindly Jennifer for thinking of me. Yes, childhood traumas never really leave you...and affects everything in life - so matter what it is or who it is.
I will certainly check out the book you are recommending. I just finished "The Body Keeps the Score"...written by a psychiatrist whose name escapes me right now. It reads like a textbook in many ways so you can only read a bit at a time. So interesting to see how "trauma" actually re-wires and changes the brain. BUT with the right treatments CAN be helped. Thanks so much again, I appreciate it and will check out your book. 🙂

Hi,
I am currently weaning off Paxil also - from 40 mg, 30 mg, now on 20 mg. and feeling much better. Some days are better than others. I find that when I am home alone, my mind gets the best of me. Dr. is pleased, but wants me to stay at the 20 for another 6 weeks before going down any further. Does this sound encouraging? I really want to get this over with. Has anyone else experienced these ups and downs during the process??