Paxil for Depression User Reviews (Page 3)

• Twitc...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 9, 2020

"I suffer from anxiety, depression, and OCD. I was on the lowest dose of Paxil for a month and almost immediately developed twitching and a vocal tic that comes with the twitch. I had withdrawals after tapering off for about a week (per my doctors instructions) so I had to redo the taper over a month period of time. I’ve been off Paxil for 6 months and continue to have the twitches and vocal tics. I worry this is now a life long issue. It’s embarrassing when I’m in public and keep twitching or making involuntary sounds. I wish I never went on Paxil."

• wesskid
• February 2, 2014

"I've used Paxil when I was in my 20's for depression and anxiety. Paxil worked great for me. Side effects were loss of appetite for 2 weeks and taking long to ejaculate which I loved this side effect. Through the years I have been on and off Paxil with it working for me every time but I notice as I got into my 30's it made me very drowsy when taking it. Of all my time of taking Paxil I have never taken it for more than 3 months. I experience the brain zaps once only when I used it for the 1st time. Never had a problem going off Paxil since that 1st time. I would recommend Paxil for depression and definitely anxiety. However, the last time I took it in my 40's it was causing me stomach problem and made my throat feel scratchy all the time."

• --ano
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 26, 2019

"When I was a lot younger under 18 (like 16) when I was put on 15 mg of Paxil. I stopped after a couple months cold turkey because it made me even more suicidal. A couple days after I stopped using it I started getting heart palpitations and I went to the ER and had to stay over night because the getting off Paxil after barely taking it for 2 months made me almost have a stroke and a heart attack at once. Just posting this for those under 18 who were thinking about Paxil. Be careful<3."

• Lily-...
• January 11, 2016

"I'm 21 years of age and up to now, I've been taking 20 mg for the past 9 months. Since I was 16 or so I've suffered from, at least in the beginning what some may call 'smiling' depression, and what followed was chronic depression in my 20s. At 17-18 years of age I participated in cognitive behavioural therapy (coping mechanisms). I suffered frequent panic / anxiety attacks, suicidal thoughts, etc. 19-21 went to college. Chronic depression hit hard and they put me on 20 mg Paxil. I have never felt better in my life. Usually it is difficult to realise when one is in such a state, and now that I can see things "clearly", I've excelled in school and in other social conditions. In Europe, the Gov't produces Paxil without a brand name. Cheap."

• Anony...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 30, 2019

"I give it 0. I took it as a teen over 15 years ago. Worst thing I could have ever taken! The first time I took it I wanted to die. I was so sad. I didn't want to feel like that. Now 15+ years later I can barely orgasm. When I do it's not the same and never has been since. It makes me depressed just thinking about that. I was misdiagnosed with depression because I was a rebellious teen. Now I'm stuck with the side effects for life probably. I don't know if I'll ever be the same after this drug. Don't take it. Please."

• Panzy
• June 22, 2016

"I've been on Paxil for 16 yrs and overall it's been a positive in my life. There have been days through the years when anxiety has still arisen. This spring depression returned and my dr increased my dosage from 20-30 mg. After a month my mood stabilized, depression lifted and I've been able to resume enjoying life again. However, last night I drank 3 beers and today have walked around like a zombie. Not worth the after effects!!"

• Laulee
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 17, 2021

"I was on Paxil from the age of 16-32. I was afraid to be on this med while pregnant so I came off of it. I tried antidepressant after antidepressant including Effexor, Pristiq, Prozac, Lexapro, and Cymbalta and nothing seemed to work. I also have GAD and PTSD. I feel into a severely depressed and anxious state for over 2 years. I just convinced my Dr to put me back on Paxil as I am not longer family planning (divorce). It has been 2 weeks on Paxil CR and I can already feel it working. This drug saved my life for 16 years and its saving my life again now. I cant wait until next week when I am moved up to 37.5mg of the CR version. This is the only medication that works for me."

• Anonymous
• January 7, 2012

"When my doctor asked me how I felt my Paxil 20mg was working (after being in Wellbutrin unsuccessfully for two years) I could only explain it as "someone finally washed both sides of the windows". Other medicines (Zoloft) helped with some anxiety but left me still depressed. Still others (Celexa) helped with the depression but the anxiety was left uncontrolled. I finally feel like I am back on track to take control of my life. I am pretty sure some dosage adjustments still need to be done, but I am amazed at the past four months on Paxil and what a difference it has made. The minor OCD I was experiencing is gone, the anxiety is a minimum and the depression no longer rules every day. I wish I would have done this for myself and my family years ago."

• Foune
• July 14, 2016

"I strongly recommend Paxil 20 mg for depression this drug has uplifted my mood, and truly suppressed my appetite I have been on it for two weeks and loss four pounds already. The one side effect that I have experience is excessive yarning. Once the dose was adjusted the symptoms has stop."

• Karina...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 17, 2018

"I had been on Paxil years ago for a very long time until it kind of “pooped out” and stopped working. After several attempts at trying to find another antidepressant that worked, I asked my psychiatrist to once again put me back on Paxil. Just a little over 4 weeks of being back on Paxil, the dark cloud that followed me lifted and I was able to see the sun once again. I didn’t give Paxil a 10 only because I experienced many sleepless nights when I first started it, but all in all, it has given me my life back."

• Stacy
• December 8, 2009

"I've been on Paxil for approximately 15 years now, and I absolutely believe it has saved my life. After only about 2 weeks, I had the first "good day" I could ever remember having. Until taking Paxil, I never realized that people could actually be genuinely happy. There have been a few times during the first 5 years or so when I tried to stop cold turkey. The side effects were really awful and I almost immediately went back into severe depression. I've since just accepted that I'll be on medicines the rest of my life. Small price to pay for the benefits. However, I think I am in the minority in that I didn't experience any particular side effects while on Paxil; only when trying to stop."

• KTM
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 6, 2019

"I have an eye disease and I am losing my central vision. I was laid off 2 years ago and ended up on disability. I was feeling depressed and my doctor prescribed Paxil. When I started taking it I became very lethargic and could sleep 10-12 hours and still be unable to get motivated. I yawned all the time. I started gaining weight (6lbs in 4 weeks) and I could tell my sex drive was fading. I thought that my body would eventually adapt. A few weeks into it I was trying to make love to my wife and I could not have an orgasm. That was the last straw. If you want to be a fat zombie that can’t have an orgasm, well the big pharma chemists at GlaxoSmithKline have got a pill for you! BTW, after some research I learned that GSK was fined $3,000,000,000.00 (yes that’s $3 billion) in 2012 by the US Department of Justice for withholding data regarding Paxil. Please don’t ingest this chemical"

• Redhead
• December 6, 2014

"Paxil was the first antidepressant I was put on when I was first diagnosed with depression roughly a year and a half ago. While it did stop the suicidal thoughts, the side effects were just not worth it for me. It made me tired ALL THE TIME. And not just kind of sleepy. It was more like I could get a full nights rest, wake up, and not half an hour later feel so exhausted that if I laid down on the ground I could take a nap right there. It also took away my ability to orgasm. I'm a 21 y/o (20 at the time) college girl who is a pretty sexually open person. So to say I was not down to never have another orgasm while on it would be a huge understatement. Did work, but not worth the side effects."

• Johan...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• May 26, 2014

"I wonder if anyone can relate to my experience with Paxil. During about 17 years of severe depression and anxiety, no medication (I've tried them all) seemed to help and the ones that did, brought along unbearable side effects. ECT didn't help either. Paxil is the only pill that really works for me, but it makes me slightly manic. Combining it with a mood stabiliser works perfect %u2013 but only for 6 months. After that, it's depression all over again. After waiting for another 6 months, I can start using Paxil in combination with a mood stabiliser again, with good results that always only lasts for 6 months. This 6 months on/6 months off has become a very predictable pattern over the years. "

• StaceyG
• September 29, 2019

"A few months ago I was given this medication by my doctor because I was going through severe depression. I took it for 4 days and I couldn’t deal anymore. After 30 mins of taking it I went numb. I then started to cry uncontrollably for about half an hour for no reason. When I went to sleep I started to have brain zaps every time I was falling asleep. My eyes started to roll back and I stopped taking it. 2-3 months later and my anxiety is now way worse. I started having out of body experiences. I am now numb even when working out. I have severe headaches. I regret ever taking this. My brain will never be the same! It cause problems I didn’t even have."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 15, 2018

"While on the medication, everything seemed fine. I can see why people like to take it. It helps with anxiety and depression both. What the doctor didn’t tell me was that there’s a chance of gaining 20-50 pounds in the first 6 months . I gained a total of 18 pounds in the first 4 months. I had taken other SSRI’s before and never experienced weight gain so I thought “why take Paxil if I can take something else that doesn’t cause extreme weight gain”. I began tapering off like I always have when I wanted to stop a medication and what I experienced was pretty awful. Let me just give you the breakdown: Brain zaps (constantly). Electric shocks going through my head (constantly). Dizziness when standing. Vertigo. Diarrhea every single day. Chills. Insomnia (I didn’t sleep once for 4 days straight). Outbursts of uncontrollably crying. Mood swings (I literally had lost control of all my emotions)."

• JohnH...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 28, 2014

"I took Paxil for about 4 years. It was truly a life saver from the horrible depression I suffer from. However, after about 4 years it quit working, and my doc moved me to Bupropion. Paxil was terrible about causing me to randomly fall asleep. I had to pull off the road and nap MANY times. Also, almost no sex life while taking it. "

• Star
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 18, 2020

"I have been on this medication Paxil for over 30 years, has worked great for me, but one of the side effects is having GI problems. I have just found out I have IBD, the GI doctor said SSRI'S is the cause of it. Now I have to change my medication from this medication to something else with no SSRI'S in it."

• Shelly
• Taken for 10 years or more
• July 5, 2018

"I have been taking Paxil since 1999 and have slowly had to increase my dosage to 60mg. Have been stable with that dosage for awhile now. I do not think I would of been here to this day with out it. I have HUGE anxieties and panic attacks back to back. I had no idea what was wrong with me. Finally after many different meds. These work. I know that I will always have to take these for Life and I am okay with it. My Father (RIP) committed suicide in 1996 and I refused to go down that route. I think that is what triggered my break down. I am glad that before my "breakdown" I chose not to have children. I am now 47 and very thankful that I made the right decision to not have children, I would never ever been pregnant and taking meds. Things happen for reasons"

• paxil...
• August 25, 2011

"I took Paxil 20mg for 8 years. It is excellent for depression, anxiety and social anxiety. I completely lost all anxiety, shyness and experienced relaxed euphoria. I excelled at work and dealing with people. However it is very sedating, I would drink coffee all day while on it. I look back on those 8 years and it all seems like a blur. Sleep very deeply and a lot but at least I was happy. I'm now in my mid thirties and was recently switched to Celexa because I started finding it difficult to achieve orgasm on Paxil. Bad decision...I now experience anxiety from the moment I wake up, shortness of breath, agoraphobia, terrible and obsessive thoughts, and racing thoughts and a feeling that I am going crazy. I'm going back on Paxil."

• Perpl...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• March 22, 2013

"I went on Paxil a year after father died 15 years ago. I was told it was non-addictive and started on a low-mid dosage, 20mg. It helped and was on it for about 10-12 years. I just accepted that I needed it. Everyone is correct about not missing doses - if I missed 2-3 days, I'd get very emotional, cry at drop of a hat, etc. - which I unfortunately took as proof that I needed to stay on it - I didn't understand it was the withdrawal effects! Over time, with ups/downs in career, I gradually increased dosages, going to 40 mg/day. In late 2010, after out of work for 2-3 years, I went back to general dr and he prescribed 60mg/day. Within a couple months, I was in downward spiral. "

• Chris...
• January 29, 2010

"Paxil saved my life. I was depressed and could not climb out. Tried Effexor but it made my heart beat rapidly and made me really nervous. Paxil has been amazing. I feel like a regular person. I have highs and lows, but the lows aren't as low as they used to be... and they only occur when there is a real reason to be sad. The Bad: the withdrawal symptoms are horrible! I didn't try to get off Paxil, but I forgot it once on a vacation trip. Got very light headed, dizzy, and I had the "zaps." It was like being shocked at random moments. I'll probably never get off Paxil... but it is worth it. My quality of life improved in the last 3 years and it is worth any long term effect this drug has on me."

• Anonymous
• June 24, 2010

"I have been really surprised by Paxil. I've been disabled by Panic Disorder (and follow-on depression) for years. Benzodiazepines provided relief from panic attacks, but increased depression. I tried other SSRI's with horrible experiences. My MD really wanted me on an antidepressant- I wanted away from benzodiazepines, so I took a chance with Paxil. The first month was bit of nausea/cramps - worst were feelings and thoughts were really jumbled. Somewhere in 2nd month it all sort of stabilized, I felt a lot better, panic attacks dropped a lot. Now in 5th month - Before Paxil I was housebound and hopeless, slowly starting to live again."

• Candi...
• May 1, 2017

"I have been on Paxil for 19 years, the side effects are becoming too much to bare so recently I attempted to wean from it, I became so physically ill and mentally disturbed I had to be hospitalized and put back up a dose to stop the withdrawals, now I have to take the liquid for to slowly wean off, it is worse then heroin withdrawal and methadone withdrawal both which I have over come cold turkey. I cannot get off this medication and it is sad because I want to have children but pregnancy is a no no while on Paxil, I'm 34 I've been on it since I was 15, I was put on it and never told anything about the addictiveness and withdrawals or any of the problems associated with it, it was a bandaid solution that has become a life long addiction"

• Jenna
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 9, 2016

"I personally WILL NEVER recommend Paxil to ANYONE. It literally ruined my life. At first, I felt that it was ok. But, quickly and suddenly, I started gaining weight. ALOT of weight. Literally, my pants fit one week and did not fix the next week. And that wasn't all. I was feeling much worse. I was very manic. So depressed that I could not get out of bed. My life was work, eat, and sleep. I had no motivation and I started fixating on thoughts of suicide. It wasn't until the unexplained rapid weight gain that I started to ask myself what had changed in my routine. That's when I realized that Paxil was the newest addition to my life and I began doing research. I've been off of it for about 2 months and I still can't lose the weight."