Paroxetine for Anxiety and Stress User Reviews (Page 4)

• Mar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 30, 2019

"I'm 26 years old and have had hypochondria and GAD since I was a child. I was recently convinced by my doctor to try an SSRI again because my anxiety has gotten much worse this year. This morning, I took my first 20 mg dose of paroxetine. This was one of the worst experiences of my life. For me, the side effects were too severe. My anxiety was worse than it has ever been, causing several full-blown panic attacks in which I couldn't breathe and fainted. I had vertigo so bad I couldn't move my head at all without vomiting. The drowsiness was so bad, and my reactions and thoughts were so slow I felt like I had been roofied. In addition to this, I was having graphic, vivid mental images. I tried to sleep because I was so groggy, but sleep never came, only terrible horrific images. Like having a nightmare while still awake. Waiting for it to wear off was the worst 12 hours of my life. I know everyone is different, and hopefully no one else will have the same side effects I did."

• Tin...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 2, 2018

"After a year, I finally decided to share my experience. I am so grateful for having been prescribed paroxetine. No more Sunday blues that last days, and I feel a lot more social and worry less. I wish I had known about this when I really struggled about ten years ago. The only problem is you can’t become pregnant on it, as it can have a negative impact. Otherwise, I can only recommend it. Please note that you will probably have some side effects first. For me, it was extreme sleepiness, feeling spacey, etc. After a few weeks, you will feel better but probably won’t notice the total effect until about 8-12 weeks. Give it a try if you are struggling."

• Rot...
• January 25, 2020

Paroxetine "I have taken Paxil twice. Once in my twenties, and I'm currently on it again in my early 40s for different reasons. Having gone through the withdrawal before, I can tell you that it is difficult, and you should not do it without being under the watchful eye of a Dr. My main side effect is sexual, which in my 20's worked well. Now that I'm older, the delay in ejaculation is fine, however, the lack of feeling isn't great. Normally, you can feel the semen rising up through your urethra, but on Paxil, you can't. It still feels good to orgasm, but not the same. After I got off of it last time, I became so sensitive that two thrusts and I would explode. Not good for the ladies, although my wife always said she didn't care. At this point, my agreement with my Dr. is that I'm going on the drug for a short period and will begin my tapering again soon. I will say that this does keep me from getting aura migraines, and it is wonderful not to have those."

• Big...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• February 23, 2020

"Have been on Parox for over 10 years. It definitely works for me, as it stopped me from feeling constantly tearful. Initially, it masks your emotions, but they do return minus the tears. Sadly, I have gained an awful lot of weight, but I'd rather that than the sadness and tears at even the slightest thing. Hope this helps someone considering Parox."

• tri...
• March 22, 2013

Paroxetine "I was able to cope with people better, and it eased me from flying off the handle. The downfall was when I owed my Dr. money, and she refused to refill. The withdrawal is terrible, and now I am back to the anger issue."

• Sor...
• March 17, 2015

Paroxetine "I have been on Paxil for 18 years now. Within the last seven years, I have developed severe muscle tightness. I go to a massage therapist and chiropractor every two weeks. This helps sometimes, other times, I'm still in pain. I'm going to see a rheumatologist next week who thinks I might have an immune disorder since I was just diagnosed with Raynaud's in my toes. Paxil has helped my anxiety, but sometimes I feel like I have no emotions and don't react to things that I should be. Which is good and bad. Take care of yourself, if you're not feeling well, see if a different medication works or different alternatives! It just took me 18 years."

• Deb...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• July 10, 2022

Paroxetine "I have been on Paxil for about 5 years, and other than weight gain, I have nothing bad to say about it. I recently had to increase the dosage to 30 mg daily due to higher depression and anxiety, and it helped a lot."

• Anonymous
• September 2, 2010

Paroxetine "I am so happy to have found this board. These success stories are amazing. I've been taking Paxil for about 2 weeks and 2 days and have experienced some tough side effects, lots of trouble sleeping, headaches, mood swings, but it seems a lot of people seem to really do well after getting through those first few weeks. I think I want to try and stick with this. It's also helped ease a lot of pain and stress I experienced from a brutal gallbladder surgery."

• Big...
• August 22, 2015

Paroxetine "I was having trouble with erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculating. I thought it was either my blood pressure or diabetes, so I went to the doctor, and I didn't my BP was normal, and tests showed that I didn't have diabetes. I was prescribed Viagra months earlier, but I stopped taking it because it clogged my sinuses. Then my doctor prescribed me 20 mg of Paxil, and it's been a lifesaver. Not only does it take seconds to get an erection, but I am able to maintain it longer than I have been able to for a while. I have not experienced any side effects."

• Anonymous
• April 22, 2009

Paroxetine "I have been on Paxil for 5 years now. It has done wonders up until I had a baby a year ago, and I just don't think it's working anymore. The only thing I hate about this drug is weight gain, but other than that, it has been a lifesaver for me, and I would recommend it to anyone."

• Nic...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 22, 2021

Paroxetine "Been on Paxil with Wellbutrin since early 2000. When I've tapered down below 10mg/day, it usually ends up with me needing to up the dosage to 20mg for a while, following which I tapered back to 10mg. At 10mg, the sexual side effects are less troubling. My doctor added a low dose of gabapentin to my daily Paxil/Wellbutrin regime, and it's been helpful. All in all, I'm very happy not to be the person I was before my anxiety/depression diagnosis when I started Paxil. Has it been life-changing? Yes, and in a very good way. It just works for me."

• pak...
• July 24, 2020

"I took seroxat 10mg (UK brand of paroxetine) for a couple of days at first. It caused horrible acne breakouts since the first dose. I upped the dosage to 20mg as said by the psychiatrist, the acne worsened even more, and I started being extremely sleepy all day and had daily 9-hour migraines. I'm not kidding. They started each day after 3 pm, and I would go to sleep with them. They stopped the day I discontinued seroxat. Also, I would wake up in the morning, and within 3 hours, I would want to sleep again. The breakouts are horrible, I'm still dealing with them 2 weeks after stopping seroxat. And yes, I got all those within just the 1st week of taking it, and it didn't help with stress at all. I stopped it right away, it's just not for me."

• Jas...
• January 25, 2024

"I am a male, 53 years old. I had a loss of a loved one 6 months ago. I suffer from GAD, depression, and OCD. I was constantly thinking of suicide. I am athletic and have always exercised. I realized that I needed intervention. I researched and researched and found that a combination of 50 mg of Paroxetine and 100 mg of Atenolol, a blood pressure medication, would work well for me. My doctor agreed to it. So it gave me instant relief. The Atenolol stopped my heart racing and killed off the fight-or-flight reflex, and the Paroxetine keeps me chilled and relaxed all the time. I now feel no stress and pressure and work much better in my job. The only side effects are that if you drink alcohol, the Paroxetine makes you blackout if you drink too much. Also, I used to have strong regular erections, and now I'm quite limp, my libido is very low, and ejaculation takes forever, and if it happens, it doesn't feel strong."

• Dea...
• November 18, 2017

"I've been taking it for about two months, and it has really helped me a lot. I was dealing with a lot of stress and anxiety, I couldn't sleep and was even having difficulty eating, but now I feel so much better."

• Anonymous
• January 20, 2021

"I can't even begin to describe how much this drug has improved my life. I've always been a generally anxious and stressed person. I developed tinnitus and noise sensitivity 5 years ago (caused by loud noise), after which my anxiety progressively got worse. My hearing problems triggered my anxiety constantly, and I cried almost every day. I was just so angry at life. I tried countless methods in order to find peace (CBT, EMDR, hypnotherapy, and psychotherapy), none of which worked. But then I started taking 10 mg of paroxetine. My anxiety and anger suddenly became so much milder. I still struggle with my hearing, but it doesn't bother me so much anymore. Paroxetine has also helped tremendously with my social anxiety. I don't get so nervous around people anymore, and I can just enjoy a conversation without monitoring myself. The only downside for me is the night sweats. But overall, I'm a calm and happy person now, which I couldn't have dreamt of before!"

• Anonymous
• March 5, 2013

Paroxetine "Paxil worked well for the first few months and then stopped. My doc upped my dose, and the same thing. I took it for 6 months, from half a tab to two tabs a day. I gained 15 lbs and became more depressed and lazy to the point that I wouldn't get out of bed. I also had side effects of agitation, vivid dreams, and problems concentrating. It did not work great at first, but it is not for me."

• Anonymous
• November 24, 2009

Paroxetine "I have been on Paxil for 3 months and have gained 6 pounds. Doesn't sound that bad, except I've been going to the gym like crazy to counteract this side effect, and still the scale keeps creeping up. I have almost zero interest in having sex, and when I do have sex, I cannot have an orgasm. Any interest in sex I do have is counteracted by the fact that I feel gross having gained extra weight. If I were single, I might not mind the sex issue as much, but if you are in a relationship, I would consider a different drug."

• The...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 13, 2020

"Paroxetine saved my life. I have been taking it for 6 years. I was on 20 mg, but with my new job, I started getting anxiety but didn’t want to raise the dosage because it caused me difficulty to orgasm. Thus, for 5 months, I’ve tried two other drugs, Venlafax and now Brintellix. It seems they don't really work for me. I’m planning to go back on paroxetine, just with a higher dose. I hope it helps me again. Life was so much easier with paroxetine."

• Nik...
• August 31, 2010

Paroxetine "I have been off and on Paxil about 3 times in the last 2 years. I start on 20 mg and am told the first week to start with a half a pill once a day. I have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and mild anxiety. I could not stop yawning. I felt tired all the time. I didn't notice any weight gain like others that have taken the medicine, but I could not deal with the extreme euphoria. I felt like I was floating through life in a bubble, if that makes any sense."

• Bar...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• August 25, 2019

"Took Paroxetine for a total of 15 years. 1st time in 1996, the first week was really bad, anxiety increased 100% and could barely cope, but suddenly it stopped and I was fine afterwards. Took it for around 10 years. I then stopped due to pregnancy. 2nd time, after the baby was born, I suffered postnatal depression and so went back on 20 mg per day. Didn't have one single side effect at all. Made me feel incredibly better. Gave me back my life. Started college and applied for uni. Felt it was time to stop taking it, and withdrawal turned my life into hell. 3rd time starting it, on day 5 I had the worst reaction ever. My anxiety increased by 200% and I had a 10-hour long panic attack. It nearly killed me. So I stopped and have never tried it again."

• Bil...
• July 12, 2013

"After a divorce and years of denial in dealing with my anxiety, I finally tried Paxil. That was over 10 years ago, overall, I think it has helped a lot. I only recently was raised to 20 mg from 10 because of a return of my anxiety. I hope it helps so I don't need to change medicines."

• Gid...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 1, 2018

"I started taking medication for anxiety (also mild depression and OCD) almost two months ago. In the beginning, I had some side effects like fatigue and nausea, but it went away within the week. I began to notice the effects quite early and even cried (with relief) in the shower because I'd started to sing along to music again. Although I still have off days every now and again, I would say that the drug has definitely improved my mental health and outlook on life. (18 years old, mental health issues for 4 years, ongoing therapy)"

• Cra...
• December 31, 2016

Paroxetine "At first, I loved Paxil because I wasn't crying all the time, but even as I'm writing this, I feel like there are sprinklers going off in my head. I'm always forgetting things, 0 sex drive, either I'm in a euphoric state of mind or completely absent-minded. I constantly feel stoned (and not the good kind). I just started a new job, and I can hardly focus."

• Gaz...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• May 9, 2022

"I took paroxetine in my early 30s for anxiety and social phobias, it was life-changing and provided instant relief. I was shy as a kid, didn't like school because I used to blush and have panic attacks if I had to read in front of the class or anything with an audience. I wish I had access to this drug during school, as life would have been so, so much easier, and I would have been a different person. My early life anxiety limited my abilities in life. In my 30s, I was suffering badly with crowded places, even at the checkout in supermarkets, I wanted to abandon my groceries and flee, as I thought everyone was looking at me and I would blush easily in those situations. I used to walk the long route to avoid groups, etc. I had to get drunk before I went out to make the social thing bearable. I was on them the first time for about four years. I got back on them five years ago, went through bankruptcy, and the anxiety and panic attacks took over. Without the paroxetine, I’m sure I would have had a nervous breakdown or committed suicide, they helped so much. It is a wonder drug."

• Cha...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 3, 2022

"I had the worst anxiety and panic all the time, it was making me throw up, and I was having panic attacks. It was horrible. I was suffering badly, and this medication saved me. I haven't felt anxiety in weeks, and it's helped with my mood and happiness level. I was miserable and anxious, now I can live calmly, happily, and confidently."