Paroxetine for Major Depressive Disorder User Reviews (Page 2)

• Lou...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• December 21, 2020

"I have been on paroxetine 50 mg for the last 17 years. It’s been an amazing antidepressant for me. No more anxiety or depression. Just remember to give it a good 12 weeks for full effect. Good luck to you all."

• JC6...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 14, 2020

Paroxetine "Paxil has some side effects like ED and sexual dysfunction that I don't like, as well as weight gain. But I recently discovered that adding Pristiq or Effexor helps a lot with depression when Paxil alone isn't enough, and it somewhat helps with sexual disorders. Still, ask your doctor if this combination is right for you because it doesn't help everyone. Start slow, and you don't need a high dose either. Paxil is effective for anxiety, and Pristiq is effective for depression. The combo works for me."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 31, 2017

Paroxetine "Tried 4 SSRIs, and Paxil was the worst. Was on it for 7 months at 40 mg for depression, social anxiety, and OCD, and no improvement at all. It was VERY sedating and made it very difficult to orgasm, which was frustrating. I am now on Lexapro, which is working great with half the side effects of Paxil. I suggest looking at other SSRIs before considering Paxil."

• Sar...
• January 26, 2018

Paroxetine "Paxil has been very effective for my anxiety. Within a couple of months of starting, I was able to get a job, something I couldn't do before. I found myself feeling more confident and caring less about things that used to worry me. However, Paxil unfortunately hasn't helped with my depression. And while the side effects I have experienced (sexual dysfunction, vivid dreams, drowsiness) are pretty minor, the withdrawals are insane. My insurance screwed up, and I missed my meds for a couple of days, and it was a nightmare. I was angry, anxious, suicidal. I had constant brain zaps and could hardly sleep. So be careful with this one. Don't miss any doses, and try to take it at the same time every day. And if you want to quit, TAKE IT SLOW."

• Tom...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 9, 2019

"It really worked for my depression and anxiety. I used it for 2 years and now I am getting off. Although it gave me energy and motivation, I don't want to take antidepressants for the rest of my life. So I was taking 40 mg per day, and now I am in 15 mg per day. For those who want to get off it, please don't do it cold turkey. It is really dangerous for your health. I am taking 5-HTP to help me get off it, and it is working. I hope this helps somebody."

• Bud...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 14, 2017

Paroxetine "Paxil is one of the few antidepressants that worked well for me. However, don't stop taking the drug when you start feeling better. Stopping Paxil abruptly made me physically ill. The Paxil withdrawal symptoms are similar to opiate withdrawal."

• Mar...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 24, 2015

Paroxetine "I tried Paxil in 2000 when I had unstoppable panic attacks. I had been dealing with anxiety all of my life, and those years I had constant panic over a teen addict and a son with learning disabilities and marital issues. This was the first time I had ever taken an AD. The very first day I felt relief from it. However, looking back, the start-up dose of 20 mg caused me to be a bit withdrawn and weirdly unresponsive to my family after that first day. As time went on, though, I began to feel much better and happier. I will say the dose was probably too high, as I did make some regretful decisions from not thinking things through. I gained several extra pounds, and I 'thought' I had sexual side effects; it could have been situational. Not well since stopping."

• jB_...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 23, 2023

Paroxetine "Will not take this again ever. It made me feel like a zombie, dreary and horrible. I also had dizziness, nausea, and migraines. I stopped taking it but have had a depressive episode that is lingering for a long time. It is not a good medication."

• Pax...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• December 23, 2021

"Was on Paxil 40 mg for 6 years. I've had major depression from losing a child and awful panic attacks that floored me. Just before Halloween, I had a breakthrough attack. I was also using an inhaler when I didn't really need it, so I got crazy shaky, and one thing led to another: worst attack I'd had in many, many, many years. I heard that SSRIs sometimes quit working, so of course that was the case with me. The doctor prescribed 20 mg Lexapro instead of my Paxil. Boy, was I wrong. I'd have intermittent attacks here and there. Now, the last 4 days I've been in the ER twice, both because of panic attacks. I convinced my doctor I wanted back on Paxil at 40 mg. Took my 2nd dose today, I felt better this morning after only 1 dose of Paxil. I'll never take Lexapro again. 40 mg Paxil saved my life without a doubt. Now, I have to wait another 4 to 6 weeks for it to fully work, just after I waited 6 weeks for Lexapro not to work."

• Sun...
• April 25, 2018

Paroxetine "I tried this medication, and it had the most horrible side effects and all around worsened my condition. It caused a more severe depression and rageful episodes, which destroyed a wonderful relationship with my boyfriend. After taking it for less than a month, I could not breathe and fell unconscious and had a seizure. It was also prescribed for hot flashes, which didn't work either. In addition, it caused nausea and flu-like symptoms and 10 lb weight gain. I felt worse than ever, and it had a deleterious effect on my life. Horrible drug!"

• Tha...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 25, 2022

"I started using paroxetine in 2018 because I had many depressive symptoms (low mood, anxiety, stress, loss of pleasure). Nowadays, I take 40 mg daily, and my depression is under control. This medicine worked great for me. Every drug has its side effects, so paroxetine would not be different. I gained some weight and noticed less sex drive. However, I use ginseng, which is a stimulant herb, and I got my sex drive back. I recommend this drug if you are depressed. Remember: always talk with your doctor to choose the best option. Stay safe and take care of yourself."

• Ada...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 28, 2019

"Paroxetine works for me in a 40 mg per day dose for major depressive disorder. It really helps me with my anxiety, I have more confidence and less shame about talking to people. Sometimes I use it with some caffeine (not too much), and it works very well. Side effects are some weight gain."

• Rob...
• April 23, 2016

"I was diagnosed with severe clinical depression and anxiety. I was placed on Paroxetine and have been on it between 20 and 30 mg for the last 6 or so years. Along with others here, I found it to help out heaps after a period of months. You could not measure the change from this week to last week, but rather this month compared to 3 months ago, and there was a noticeable positive difference in my mind. The last 6 or so months, however, I feel like I've plateaued and don't feel as though they are helping me with my inner struggles as much anymore. Definitely saved my life, though, as I was in a bad, bad way. A bit of weight gain, but if that's the price for getting better, I can handle that :)"

• MAS...
• September 3, 2017

"Pros: felt great quickly, kept me fairly level for a few years before poopout. Cons: SEVERE withdrawal and ANGER and AGITATION. Upon reflection, the past 3 years on Paxil were also filled with inappropriate anger to the point of rage, uncontrollable outbursts that I've never experienced before. I isolated my loved ones, lost my partner, and became a recluse as I feared my emotions. Didn't realize this until I reconnected with loved ones. Gained 40 lbs, despite a healthy diet and exercise. Joint pain, muscle loss. Yuck. Had to switch to Lexapro to come off this drug and lead an antihistamine/anti-inflammatory diet (huge contributors to mood disorders--eye-opening discovery). It smoothed out the ride, but I still suffered 'Paxil Rage'."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 6, 2018

Paroxetine "I originally started at 20 mg. This dose was too much and had trouble sleeping. I went down to 10 mg, which is working much better for me. Unfortunately, I am experiencing a blood taste in my post-nasal drip. I have excellent oral hygiene, and this is not coming from my mouth. It is definitely from the throat. Not sure if anyone else has experienced this? The medication is working, but this side effect is gross."

• med...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 22, 2023

Paroxetine "I took Paxil for both severe depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). It has helped my OCD intrusive thoughts, but unfortunately does not help with my depression. Sadly, it has made me very irritable, especially at the 40 mg dose. I have sadly damaged several important connections due to this medication making me so volatile. I also experienced a lot of suicidal ideations that did not occur for me as often as before I started Paxil. I want to change medications ASAP. When I look back on it, while it helped my intrusive thoughts, the anger, volatility, and worst of all, suicidal ideations do not make it worth it at all for me. Overall, a very scary medication, and I spent nearly two years being this angry, hostile person I hardly recognize anymore."

• NOT...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 2, 2020

"I tried several antidepressants (fluvoxamine, escitalopram), and paroxetine was by far the best of them (been 2 years on it). For those who are starting the medication, you have to be patient, it took between 1 and 2 months to take effect, but it worked wonders for my depression and anxiety, an authentic life changer. I only stopped the medication because it causes serious problems with erectile dysfunction and sexual libido. I felt total anorgasmia with paroxetine, so I will rate the medication with a 9, because if it were not, it was by far the best medication I have ever taken, I did not feel any negative side effects with it."

• Tor...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 5, 2022

Paroxetine "Just don’t. It wasn’t hard to get off. My doctor prescribed it, and at first, it went well. No anxiety, depression, and I was getting a bit better. Then, suddenly after two months, the depression came back. Anxiety gone still. Horrible, horrible thoughts came out of nowhere as well! I talked to another doctor, and she said she rarely, if ever, prescribes this. She basically said it shouldn’t be prescribed. Side effects after getting off were some weird head feeling, headache for a day, continuous weird dreams for a few days, and stomachache, nausea for one day. Not bad. I wished meds doctors won’t even prescribe would be taken off the market. There is a reason they don’t."

• Ale...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• July 4, 2022

"I have been taking paroxetine (French version - Deroxat) for 5 years. It is very effective for depression and quite effective for General Anxiety Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. The problem is that it makes me too sleepy (I sleep for 12 to 15 hours a day). I don't know how I will handle this with a professional career, as when I lower the dose, I immediately feel anxious or depressed."

• Lan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 24, 2016

"I am a 31-year-old female. Paroxetine definitely helped my mood, but it made me lethargic, and I gained about a kilo a month for the five months I was on it. I was unhappy about the weight gain, so I tapered off very slowly and didn't have any serious side effects besides being a bit emotional for a week. Losing the weight seems to be harder than it was before I took the medication. It didn't help my mood any more than sertraline or Effexor did, and the side effects of those were far more tolerable than so much weight gain."

• Vic...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 14, 2016

Paroxetine "I've taken Paxil 10 mg for almost a week now, and I absolutely cannot stop craving food. I just want to eat, eat, eat, and I can't stop. I will definitely be talking to my doctor about this side effect and try to get a different medication."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 17, 2015

Paroxetine "I've been on Paxil for 4 days, and so far I have been staying up late, had a sore throat for a few days, and also been eating a lot. As far as my moods, I haven't felt any changes or anything as far as pulling me out of my depression shell. As far as I know, it doesn't start actually working until about 4-6 weeks."

• Tri...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• July 28, 2020

Paroxetine "Love this Paxil medication. I have been taking it for 10 years and only once had thoughts of suicide. They upped the dose to 30 mg. It has been the best thing I have ever taken."

• sye...
• September 26, 2018

Paroxetine "Great med - within 1 week after taking I feel improvement in my depression. Now I can go anywhere. I love it."

• asd...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 6, 2018

Paroxetine "Bad headache. I drove a truck, and daydreams and racing thoughts were making me miss my turns or go past my stops. I also stopped taking it because of the headaches."