Paroxetine for Anxiety and Stress User Reviews (Page 3)

• Day...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 16, 2015

Paroxetine "I have been on Paxil for a year now. I can honestly say overall it works wonders for my anxiety and stress. However, the weight gain is too much for me to deal with. It is difficult to lose weight on Paxil. I am going to be changing meds soon. If you have no weight issues to begin with or are not self-conscious of weight gain, give it a try. This medication is great for its intended purposes."

• Big...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 20, 2021

"Works great for me. I’m not walking around in a fog, and I actually feel like my normal self. Yes, there is a euphoric feeling, but it’s not long-lasting, and once your body metabolizes the drug, that’ll go away. This, along with Ativan, has really given me my life back free from the crippling anxiety that I was dealing with on a daily basis."

• ikn...
• February 9, 2012

Paroxetine "Been on Paxil almost 2 years. Been taking it in the morning the whole time. Have to take a 2-hour nap every day round lunchtime. I'm switching to nighttime to see if it helps. I gained 50 lbs and I'm emotionless, however, I like that because I'm no longer screaming at my kids about every little thing and never cry like I used to. Had a hard time reaching orgasm the first few months, but the side effect does pass. I take 20 mg, and when I feel myself fixing to have a fit, I take an extra 10 mg. I love my Paxil, just hate the tiredness and weight gain. Highly recommended."

• C S...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 27, 2016

Paroxetine "Took Paxil for 1 year (at the end, was taking 50 mg a day) for severe anxiety, OCD, and PTSD. It was a lifesaver. Stopped crying so easily, stopped yelling at my kids, stopped being so moody. After about 6 months, I noticed I was not laughing anymore, no sex drive, weight gain. I stayed on it. When I hit the year mark, I decided I wanted to get off of it. I told my doctor, and she suggested staying on it. Nope. I quit taking it. I took 2 days of 40 mg, 2 days of 20 mg, 2 days of 10 mg, and then nothing. 3 days after that, I thought I would die. Chills, extreme nausea, sweating, hysterical crying or laughing, twitching in my arms and legs, weird noises in the back of my head. I thought I was going crazy. Decided to go back on Paxil. 20 mg."

• Bes...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• May 22, 2013

"Been taking 20 mg of paroxetine for almost ten years. It was my family that noticed that it was working first. I was much calmer, didn't lose my temper as easily, and was just happier! I had a dry mouth for a few months when I first started taking it, but that's gone. I still have problems sweating, and I still need extra caffeine in the morning to get going, but it's a small price to pay for having a happier, calmer life! I'm so thankful that I found this medicine, and that for $20 I can get three months' worth! Good luck to everyone dealing with depression, don't give up, and don't be scared to talk to a doctor about your concerns."

• Mar...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 17, 2017

Paroxetine "I've been taking Paxil 10 mg for 3 years, and I'm not looking to increase the dose. I did gain weight, but that's also because I was not so stressed about being thin. When I do exercise, I am super fit. Paxil works, orgasms were harder but by no means impossible, just takes longer. I feel normal on it, went off for six weeks, and there were mild side effects, but nothing crazy. Had to go back on as there was a major trauma that happened while I was off them, and I crumbled. I say do it, but keep the dose low, you don't need to take a lot."

• JDa...
• July 5, 2018

Paroxetine "I started taking Paxil 3 years ago. I was changing jobs after 20 years, had a second child, and my wife and I were no longer close. I was angry and stressed out all the time and started having euphoric dizzy sensations, so I was put on 20 mg. What a life changer! I started to notice that the small things didn't bother me anymore, and a lot of the big things were manageable. I still got the dizzy sensations, but slowly over the next year, they went away. I'm 6'4" and weighed 250 lbs. when I started taking it and now weigh 300 lbs. now. I definitely suffered from weight gain. Also, if you miss taking one, you know it. That sucks. Take it at the same time every night. It evened everything out. I take it before bed, as I wasn't sure if it would make me tired or not. Also, as an occasional beer drinker, after one, I get REALLY sleepy. Despite these effects, Paxil has worked great for me. Would recommend."

• bla...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• November 28, 2016

Paroxetine "Yeah, Paxil definitely saved my arse, really. I tried Prozac first and went totally off the rails with anxiety, and 2 days on Paxil, and I slept and knew that it was the one for me. I am a fool, though, because I keep trying to come off it, because it works so well for anxiety. I have been reduced to 10 mg from 20 and have been enjoying that, but noticed that my mind fluctuates between optimism and pessimism really quite quickly. The mind is a strange thing. Anyway, it keeps me grounded, no panic attacks, no anxiety. Amazing how we all react so differently to these various SSRIs. Pity about the sex drive with Paxil. I fall in love still, but I don't have that physical thing going off like people off antidepressants do."

• swe...
• May 24, 2016

"I've been on paroxetine for 3 months, and I love it. I call it my happy pills. Taking it for anxiety and premenopause symptoms. Paroxetine helped me a lot, I feel like a new person. The first week was rough. I had headaches, but after the first week, I was feeling good. I take them at night, which fits my schedule. Everyone is different. If you're on paroxetine and only suffer with minor side effects, stick with them, the side effects go away."

• loc...
• July 17, 2013

"I've been on paroxetine 20 mg now for 3 days. I'm 27 years old, who was heading for a breakdown, my nerves were terrible to the stage I could not cope with life, crying all the time. So far, I am very irritable, feeling sick, tired, and just not feeling myself, but I am so much better! I am calm, I can laugh now. I honestly feel this can work. It's only been 3 days, and I see an improvement, so hang in there. Don't read the negatives or you'll never take it or get better."

• cob...
• April 2, 2009

Paroxetine "I've been taking Paxil for 3 years. It has been the only medicine that has given long-term relief from anxiety and stress, and occasional depression. I've had no drastic side effects to speak of. I take 60 mg/day."

• DWh...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 27, 2015

Paroxetine "I had a headache 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for a little over 4 months. I saw a neurologist who told me that it was tension causing my headaches and that it was all in my head. He put me on Paxil, and it was, without exception, the single worst experience of my life. I had never been depressed before, never been diagnosed with anxiety, and nothing to suggest any mental health issues whatsoever, and I was prescribed Paxil. This drug nearly killed me. As I said, no history of mental illness or suicidal thoughts in my entire life, and when I was put on this drug, it made me feel suicidal. I felt like I was better off dead than alive. I was only 15 years old at the time, I'm now 16. I don't think you should take this if you are under 18 years old!"

• Mic...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 29, 2023

"I was very anxious to take this. I had it sitting in my cupboard for 6 months. Finally decided I needed to take it. After 1 month, my anxiety was pretty much completely gone. I started to get out of the house again and find enjoyment in things. I highly recommend it to just give it a go. I haven’t had any side effects at all. I will most likely stay on it forever."

• Anonymous
• October 19, 2010

Paroxetine "Works great to keep me from being anxious. I take 40 mg daily for the last 5 years. The only thing I don't like is the weight gain, and I need lots of sleep. My leg also jerks when I sleep. Until I read the reviews, I didn't think about Paxil causing it. It also keeps me from getting really angry easily. If I miss doses, my family knows it immediately because I get very emotional, weepy, or angry."

• Byr...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 30, 2018

Paroxetine "Second time trying Paxil. First time it worked within a few days, had some side effects, but helped with my panic attacks and anxiety. I felt better after a couple of months, so I got off. So now, I'm having bad anxiety again, along with panic attacks. My doctor put me back on Paxil at 5 mg for 2 weeks, then wants me to increase to 10. This time, really bad side effects, dizziness, and panic attacks are worse than ever after taking for 5 days. But... in between, it is helping with my anxiety and panic, so I am going to stick it out and see if these side effects will stop."

• Wil...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• March 30, 2025

"Ok. I want to share my experience with this drug. I was taking paroxetine for several years and it was the happiest time of my life and ONLY ONE TIME when I was LIVING WITH PEACE IN MY MIND. I didn't have any side effects as dizziness, derealization, aggression, or others, which I had on each other medication that I tried. In the end, my neurologist tried to change my meds to venlafaxine. About 2 months after I started having daily panic attacks, derealization, depersonalization, and thousands of psychosomatic symptoms. In the end, after 3 years on venlafaxine, it started to affect my liver and I had to withdraw it and change it to escitalopram, which I have already been on for 3 months but it seems to be everything just worse. I literally can't continue like this and tomorrow I'm going to ask my doc to return to paroxetine. Maybe I was more sleepy when I was taking paroxetine, but at least I was able to enjoy my life."

• 42a...
• February 26, 2017

Paroxetine "It worked, a little too well. I became indifferent to everything. Inside, it was like a part of me was screaming, but my whole body and 90% of my brain just did what it needed to. I am normally a goofy, fun-loving, hyper personality. I do get bouts of seemingly unshakable depression and anxiety, but while on this medication, I noticed a change in myself... beyond the tunnel vision and kaleidoscopic hallucinations I had when waking up in the middle of the night... every night. The final straw was seeing my now wife, looking like she lost her best friend, as I just wasn't myself. I stopped taking the medication, and within 2 days started singing to her again, and nothing brought a smile like that to her face until we said 'I do'."

• Blo...
• January 11, 2016

"Was on this tablet for 11 years, and it changed my life. Foolishly reduced the dose 6 months ago to prepare to come off them and have relapsed. Back on them 10 days now and waiting for them to kick in. Wish I'd stayed on them now - they literally saved my life."

• Pan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 1, 2016

Paroxetine "Had a severe reaction to this medication on the first dose, including waking in the middle of the night dizzy and disoriented, proceeding to vomit repeatedly, numbness in fingertips and gums, severe chills, and then soaking in sweat, and difficulty speaking. Took a trip to the ER. I am sure that it works for some people, but the side effects can be very scary. Make sure someone is aware you took it and keeps an eye on you. It is very unlikely you will have a reaction like I did, but having someone in the know will save you some trouble if you do have a bad reaction."

• Tar...
• October 3, 2018

"I’ve only been on this medication now for a week. I’ve had anxiety all my life. Panic attacks, loss of appetite, dizzy, scared to go anywhere or be home by myself... this all started 6 years ago. Since then, I have been on so many antidepressants from Pristiq to Zoloft to Lexapro and so on... this is my now 6th medication, and I’m praying that it helps. I'd been changing meds because of the feeling of swaying, off balance, vibrating sensation under my feet. This has been going on for years, and I’ve seen all specialists out there possibly, got a different answer from all of them. My psychiatrist is convinced it is from anxiety, but unfortunately, none of the above meds have helped. So I’m feeling quite lost at the moment, hoping that paroxetine will help me. If anyone out there has had a similar experience or is still struggling, please let me know... greatly appreciate ❤️"

• Ash...
• August 30, 2016

"This medication has almost gotten rid of my anxiety. I was suffering for 2 years till I decided to go on medication. My doctor put me on 20 mg of paroxetine, and I noticed a difference in 2 weeks. I was able to go to the shops without feeling like I was going to have a panic attack. I've been on it for 6 months now and I can eat out in public sometimes, which is a huge step for me as I was too scared to even think about food before. I would recommend this to anyone who is desperate to get out of their anxiety. I feel so much happier and can enjoy life so much more now. The only problem I have with this medication is it has made me gain 20 kg of weight! I'm trying hard to lose it, but it is very hard to lose."

• Anonymous
• August 7, 2010

Paroxetine "I completely stopped having panic attacks after taking this medication for a few months. I had become housebound by several debilitating panic attacks every day. I have been on Paxil for close to a year, and it is still working. Side effects I experienced were bruising for the first few months. I also experienced numbness and tingling (my arms and legs started falling asleep all the time). I began taking magnesium supplements, and the tingling stopped. I am still experiencing weight gain and tiredness and constant yawning, as well as decreased focus and memory. I am also unable to orgasm, which is strange for me because I used to be able to reach orgasm very easily. Overall, I can work and live again, so it's worth the side effects."

• Pet...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 1, 2024

"I went downhill very badly due to depression and anxiety. I also had panic attacks, and they were so bad that it went from my stomach to my neck. It felt like my airways were closing over. I even pulled at my jumper to get air, but it only lasted a couple of seconds. It felt very uncomfortable, especially in a room with people. I couldn't make eye contact. This drug, at the start, gave me the sweats and completely threw me off. I was still sweating, and my concentration was very poor. I also had diarrhea. After about 2 weeks, all of that started to clear away. I have to admit, my depression and anxiety had definitely improved. I've only been on it for 3 weeks, but I will give it to this drug, it's changing my life. People actually want to be around me now, and I'm not someone who was once quiet and had a sad expression on their face at family gatherings. I've read over these comments hundreds of times, seeing other people's views of this drug. Some are good, some bad. But do I recommend it? Yes!"

• KKC...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 22, 2015

Paroxetine "I took the lowest dose, 10 mg. The first two days were great, I had zero anxiety and felt okay with no side effects but slight lightheadedness. The third day... I was putting on my makeup just before work, and all of a sudden, my pupils got huge, and my heart started beating a mile a minute. This calmed down but happened again five minutes later. It started happening every 3-5 minutes, and then my chest, feet, and armpits started burning. I started having a panic attack because I was so afraid of what was happening. I couldn't see right anymore, and I was very dizzy. On the way to the hospital, I thought I was going to die. My side effects were so severe. This happened for two days after. Doc flushed it out of my system. Beware of this medication."

• Jou...
• May 7, 2015

"I have been very unsure and reluctantly gave in to trying paroxetine as a first anti-depressant I've ever tried. Before I took them, my moderate depression (triggered by several major life changes with a huge amount of stress) quickly developed into more severe depression and anxiety. I thought, honestly, 'anything has to be better than how I'm feeling.' And after months of the box of paroxetine sitting in my drawer, which was prescribed by my doctor, I knew I had to try. And I am happy to share that my anxiety was reduced 90% from the second day. What a surprise and a huge relief. The depression symptoms are lifting after only one week. So I am highly praising this medication. I feel the benefits I've so far experienced far outweigh the mild side effects."