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Very emotional and irritable after tapering off paxil
I was on Paxil for several years. Decided it was time to try life without it. Had several traumatic events happen starting late 2021. My husband was diagnosed with colon cancer, in June of 2022 my mom passed after a short battle with pancreatic cancer and in November of 2022 my sister in law died of ALS. Hubs is doing good but the worry of the ‘what if’s’ are there and the death of my mom was devastating. I began tapering off 20 mg of Paxil in Nov 2024 with 10 mg. Starting in Dec I went to 5 mg for 6 weeks. I was feeling pretty good except for the brain zaps but managed to get through those. Now I am dealing with very heightened emotions- crying very easily, extremely irritable. I am not suicidal but just don’t find much joy in life right now. It’s difficult to talk to anyone about what I am feeling and I am determined to keep going. I hate relying on a pill to feel whatever ‘OK’ is supposed to feel like. I have been working with a health coach and also have acupuncture once a month. Maybe I picked a bad time to ditch the meds but after researching what Paxil actually does to your brain it makes me mad that these doctors just prescribe them with mentioning the long term effects. Anyone else dealt with the super emotions? Will they ever return to normal (whatever that is)?
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I understand how you feel, we have times in our lives when medication is needed and it can be very helpful, after a long period of time we want to get off them because they change us mentally and emotionally so that you feel like you’re not living your life anymore. I’m very sorry for the loss of your mother and also your husband having cancer, it’s certainly a lot to deal with. I used Paxil years ago and it was very helpful at the time but over time I felt so mentally numb, this was useful to me at the time but I didn’t want to stay this way anymore. It’s never easy to withdraw from long term meds but it’s very possible to do so, of course you’re going to experience a lot of different emotions when you do stop and that’s okay, it’s perfectly normal, all your feelings are coming back now and it’s a normal process, if it becomes overwhelming then you need to talk to your doctor to help you through this. I had the same issue when stopping Paxil but gradually it got easier to deal with, I hope that you will feel better soon and be able to live your life on your own terms, take care.
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3 ReactionsI am 71 years old and was on Paxil for 34 years latest dose 30mg per day. My doctor, in what turned out to be an act of malpractice put me on a 30 day discontinuation schedule and transitioned me to Wellbutrin as I weaned off. It has been a nightmare. 4 months later, after the shock from too-rapid Paxil discontinuation I have been on and off Wellbutrin, hydroxyzine, and am now on my 3rd week of Buspar, 15mg per day and at the end of this week will have been on Zoloft, 25mg for one week. In addition, I am taking lorazepam to deal with the worst effects of the anxiety on an episodic basis while letting the Buspar deal with anxiety on the more long term basis. Getting off of Paxil is a good idea for many. But it MUST be done in the care of medical/psychiatric assistance for it to be done right. Because I am still healing from this, any input anyone has here I would appreciate hearing. This has been one of the worst periods of my entire life.
I’m very sorry you’re going through such a difficult situation, you are being put through so many medications and that’s never easy or even acceptable from my point of view. I know what it’s like to get off Peroxitine or Paxil, I started six months ago and was also tapered off too soon causing me to go into serotonin withdrawal syndrome, to date I am still having trouble with symptoms. I learned that Paxil is most difficult to stop no matter how long you take them, they stay a very short time in your system so withdrawal onset is fast and furious for some people. I noticed that you didn’t mention why you stopped taking them? If you found them less effective then the doctor could have added something else to help you feel better. As a fellow victim of this drug and a medical professional who doesn’t know how to treat you properly I would recommend either finding another doctor more experienced to help you get control of your body and life again.
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1 ReactionHello, I was on Paxil also and got weaned off too quickly also and had rage episodes. It was a nightmare for me. I didn’t trust myself around my family. It took about 6 months for me to adjust but it was hell. Yes I definitely totally agree. Go to a psychiatrist and have him/her manage your medication not a PCP.
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2 Reactions@teacherbuilder55 - welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I agree with you that getting off paroxetine (Paxil) requires a healthcare provider's assistance, including guidance if things go haywire during the process.
So you could talk wtih others discussing paroxetine (Paxil), I moved your post here:
- Very emotional and irritable after tapering off paxil https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/very-emotional-and-irritable-after-tapering-off-paxil/
Will you share a bit more about how the 30-day discontinuation schedule and transition to bupropion (Wellbutrin) became a nightmare?