Paroxetine and Anxiety: What Users Say

• Hop...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 26, 2019

Paroxetine for Anxiety "I took Paxil for 19 years, and it relieved my anxiety and depression. I gained 40 lbs over those 19 years, but I was happy. In May, I decided to try Lexapro, and sure enough, I've lost 25 lbs. But at the expense of anxiety and depression returning. My doctor increased the dosage from 10 to 20 mg 5 weeks ago, and now I can't sleep. I'm going back to Paxil, I'd rather be fat and happy than skinny and depressed!"

• Ken...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 17, 2015

Paroxetine for Depression "I have always felt like something was wrong for as long as I can remember. I think my depression is just normal to me, and I've probably been depressed for many years without even knowing, just a feeling that something isn't right. A failed relationship a while back heightened my realization that something is wrong, and the pain of losing someone close was like a final straw for me. I guess it might be true that everyone comes into your life for a reason, even if it is only meant to be for a short time. After countless months and days googling and doing tests online, trying to figure out what might be wrong with me, I finally got the courage to go see my doctor. After a few visits, he prescribed me Paxil and thinks this might help get me on the right track. You see, my depression isn't the usual in that I try to go about my daily life as normal as I can, it's called walking or smiling depression. Behind it all, though, I'm crippled with self-doubt, negative thoughts, anxiety, and a constant feeling of sadness. I feel guilty a lot, distance myself from my family and friends regularly, and sometimes feel so down I cry for what seems like no reason at all. I put on a brave face to people and go about daily life as best I can, but behind the mask, I am suffering. I never really felt like I fit in, and it's like I have to try to act to be happy in everyday situations. It's hard to describe, but it's almost like I'm standing behind my shadow. I always look at other people and wonder what it's like to be just happy. I could never bring myself to telling anyone how I really felt, I guess it's only the last year or so that I became more aware and really accepting that something isn't right. It's been so long that I have felt this way, I really don't know what normal is anymore. I have lost 2 girlfriends largely due to my low self-esteem and low confidence finally taking their toll on the relationship. It's like I just expected them to leave, who would want to stay with a loser like me is how I portrayed myself to them.. That's probably the hardest pill to swallow through all this. I know if I was mentally stronger, I could have held on to something good. I know I have it in me to go change my life around. Everybody sees it in me, but I feel trapped in my body and mind. I have a lot of trouble concentrating, and I seem to always be so indecisive about what action to take. I guess I'm wondering what I can expect from taking Paxil. I know I'm the only one who can physically make changes, but can I expect to regain some self-confidence and motivation, energy, etc.? I really don't know what to expect from this drug and am apprehensive about what it can actually do for me. I guess part of me just wants to try to do everything by myself, but I really don't want to waste another second of my life. I feel like I haven't properly lived for at least the last 5 years of my life. Thank you for reading."

• Iri...
• November 24, 2013

Paroxetine for Anxiety "Let me start off by saying that NOT EVERYONE reacts the same way to the same medication. NOW that being said, Paxil was a LIFE SAVER for me! I am 30 now, and I started taking Paxil when I was 19. The first medication Dr. tried for me was Zoloft, which made my anxiety get SO much worse! I was terrified to begin with, feeling CONSTANT WORRY, fast heartbeat, racing thoughts. So after 3 days of Zoloft, I quit, went back to my doctor, and we tried Paxil. IT SAVED MY LIFE. I felt the unneeded worries of the world lift off of my back, racing thoughts stopped, my heartbeat slowed, and I could organize my thoughts. It was like I had calmed down for the first time in my life AND IT WORKED IN HOURS FOR ME (don't expect same results, but you never know!)"

• Hop...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 15, 2013

Paroxetine for Anxiety "About 6-8 weeks ago my doc prescribed 10 mg Paxil (Now up to 20 mg) & 0.25 Xanax. The first few weeks I was very, very fatigued! But since I was depressed, I was okay with sleeping the rest of the day after returning home from school. I did experience headaches, nausea, increased anxiety (Xanax helped alleviate anxiety). Within the last 2 weeks, I haven't taken Xanax, my anxiety has dramatically decreased! Depression has also decreased. A few months ago I was scared to leave the house, be around people, an emotional wreck, no motivation to work out. Now I'm happy to go to school, exercise, and be social again. Keep praying and hang in there!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 17, 2020

Paroxetine for Social Anxiety Disorder "I was prescribed this about 10 years ago, and I cannot remember why I was taken off it and put on Sertraline. However, since then, my social anxiety has been debilitating even on the highest dose of Sertraline. I was thinking and trying to remember a really relaxed, happy time, and I remembered the paroxetine period. My whole life since then has been gripped by fear, anxiety, and fear of scrutiny. I rang my doctor and asked if I could try it again. He was a bit reluctant because of the withdrawal problems but agreed. My goodness, I am SO thankful. Within a week, the anxiety, constant fear, and tension had gone. It is amazing, and I have my life back again! My heart is singing with joy, and the release is so fantastic. THANK YOU PAXIL, I have a future!"

• Hop...
• January 25, 2016

Paroxetine for Anxiety and Stress "I was on Paxil 40mg for 13 years and decided (like an idiot) that I didn't need it anymore. Withdrew from the Paxil, and it was hard! Three months later, I was in a whirlwind of emotion, anxiety, panic, and fear. Didn't leave my house for four months! I used to go to the beach to destress all the time, couldn't even do that. Went to the doctor, and he tried me on Lexapro, Effexor, and Prozac. Horrible three months of my life with all the side effects. Finally decided myself to go back on Paxil. Within a month's time, I'm back to working 2 jobs, my family is happier, I am way less stressed, and the anxiety is 3/4 gone. Please, if anyone is fighting with stress, anxiety, or panic, take the Paxil! It did great for me both times."

• Hop...
• January 25, 2016

Paroxetine for Anxiety and Stress "I was on Paxil 40mg for 13 years and decided (like an idiot) that I didn't need it anymore. Withdrew from the Paxil, and it was hard! Three months later, I was in a whirlwind of emotion, anxiety, panic, and fear. Didn't leave my house for four months! I used to go to the beach to destress all the time, couldn't even do that. Went to the doctor, and he tried me on Lexapro, Effexor, and Prozac. Horrible three months of my life with all the side effects. Finally decided myself to go back on Paxil. Within a month's time, I'm back to working 2 jobs, my family is happier, I am way less stressed, and the anxiety is 3/4 gone. Please, if anyone is fighting with stress, anxiety, or panic, take the Paxil! It did great for me both times."

• Chi...
• December 15, 2019

Paroxetine for Anxiety and Stress "Been taking Paxil at low dose 5 mg. I like Paxil because my doctor said it helps with sleep. With other SSRIs I tried, I woke up throughout the night. Doctor said if I stay at low dose, may not experience weight gain, we'll see. Trying to eat healthy and exercise daily too. Hope this helps, so far so good. Anxiety can be terrible."

• Red...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• January 2, 2019

Paroxetine for Anxiety "I used Paxil for 7 years for anxiety and it works fine, it’s not that you don’t have any anxiety but it does diminish it. Last year I decided to quit because I thought I don’t need it anymore and started taking half dose (10) and then a quarter. Everything was fine till 15 days after I had quit totally. My anxiety came back and the negative thoughts were on the run. So I get back on it, 15 days now and am feeling better. It takes at least a month to fully work, but in the meantime anxiety is there. Only the people who suffer this can understand how overwhelming this constant fear can be. I think this will be forever or until something really awesome and new came to the market. You cannot live in fear."

• Cym...
• May 23, 2014

Paroxetine for Anxiety "This really works. Been on it for a week and now feeling much less anxious. My anxiety was pretty bad, couldn't get through the work day without an anxiety/panic attack. Saw a doctor and since then this medicine has really helped."

• Eth...
• January 23, 2017

Paroxetine for Anxiety "I don't understand why people quit after 3 days starting it. It made them too anxious or depressed - isn't this why you are taking it? It doesn't work overnight. I too am very impatient and would prefer a quick fix. But the first 2 weeks are rough, but if you persevere, the benefits outweigh the startup. I'm into my 3rd week and it's working really well, it is like a lightbulb moment. I gave a 9 because for the life of me I cannot orgasm, but I'll take that over the suicidal thoughts and feeling lifeless any day... remember, give it time, your brain needs to adjust... stay strong x"

• cra...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 1, 2017

Paroxetine for Anxiety and Stress "I started with severe panic and anxiety attacks 3 years ago, which honestly made me think I was going crazy, scariest time in my life. I tried Zoloft and Lexapro, and both made me feel worse. In January 2015, I started Paxil 10mg and worked up to 20mg and honestly felt like my old self again, no longer dealt with the attacks. However, in February 2017, I decided to try Prozac because the Paxil had made me numb to everything and I did gain about 45 lbs on it. I have now been on Prozac for almost 3 months and am waiting to switch back over to the Paxil because I feel anxious and irritable on this and miss the Paxil. I pray for all of you who deal with this awful disease and pray one day they can find an actual cure for it!!!"

• Bea...
• April 1, 2015

Paroxetine for Anxiety "I am back to live a normal life. Almost 2 years ago, I got depression and anxiety after my divorce and started taking Cymbalta 60 mg for one year, but was still having problems with anxiety, which is one of the side effects of the medicine. Two weeks ago, I started taking Paxil 20 mg at night and I noticed a change after a week, and today I can say that Paxil gave me my life back. Please, if you start new medicine, give it time, and you will see light at the end of the tunnel."

• mar...
• September 6, 2014

Paroxetine for Anxiety "I had been on Paxil for about 2 and a half years but recently I decided to go off of it. I have been off for about 2 months now but have all of a sudden experienced such fear and anxiety. I feel the way I did when I went on the pill, never wanting to leave the house, or go to work. I need to work but it's so hard to get through the day! Now my doctor says I will probably need to be on this my whole life. I gained weight when I was on it to which I didn't like. Do you think I should go back on it, I can't function like this though."

• sas...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 14, 2014

Paroxetine for Anxiety "I've been on Paxil for 3 days and I honestly can say I've been sleeping mostly. Jaws are clicking. But I feel calm. I hope it works out for me. I also started meditations so I've been real spaced out. I can barely live my life with my anxiety. I will definitely post in 2 weeks with my progress."

• Fit...
• October 28, 2009

Paroxetine for Anxiety "I am on my 3rd week of taking Paxil. The first week was difficult as my side effects were nervousness (which makes you think you are having an anxiety attack) and sleepiness. After about 4 or 5 days, I started feeling better and better. I have only had 1 very small attack since being on it. I feel SO much better and happier. I finally feel like myself again. Good luck to all of you!"

• ALM...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 25, 2025

Paroxetine for Anxiety "Paxil has been the one drug that has all but eliminated my extreme GAD, which in turn eliminated my depression. A year ago, I was in the darkest time of my life. My anxiety was out of control; I was having several panic attacks a day, and I literally saw no light at the end of the tunnel. I tried Effexor and Lexapro, and they just gave me side effects with no relief from my anxiety. I started Paxil at 20 mgs. I'm not gonna lie, the first month I went through just about every side effect there is: jaw clenching, my vision was blurry, I got nauseous, my anxiety got worse, etc., but each side effect only lasted a few days or a week. I would scroll through these reviews every day to hang onto hope. After about a month, I saw a tiny improvement, so I went up to 30 mgs. That's when I really started getting my life back. I have now settled in at 40 mgs, which seems to be my dose! It has now been almost a year, and my life is back to normal. Please trust the process!!"

• Ait...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 15, 2017

Paroxetine for Anxiety "It will do nothing negative. Give it a try to enjoy life. Life is short. Don't take the burden of social anxiety and panic attacks for your whole life. If you still feel terrible when taking Paxil, use Inderal as well, and you will see an improvement in life. My score for Paxil CR is 9/10 in just days. P.S. If you ignore this illness, it will give you IBS, high BP, anxiety, messes with career goals, gives heart problems, sleep problems, low energy, you need short naps, always low confidence, and so on. I avoided medicines from age 18 to 28 years and now finally I took the step for Paxil. Stay blessed ...."

• Won...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 13, 2014

Paroxetine for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I have been on Paxil twice in my life. When I was a teenager, my doctor prescribed me Paxil to control depression. I was on it until I started my Master's. I stopped taking it because I did not think that I needed it anymore. For about five to six years, I wasn't taking Paxil, but I noticed that my anxiety got worse. It got so bad that I began to get panic attacks almost every morning. I also developed an ulcer and was diagnosed with severe Irritable Bowel Syndrome. My doctor decided to place me back on Paxil. After being on it for 6 months, I feel absolutely wonderful. I still get anxious every once in a while but not to the point that I feel as though I'm going to have a panic attack. I've also been able to control my panic attacks on my own."

• Hea...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 15, 2013

Paroxetine for Panic Disorder "I took 40 mg of Paxil for about 2 years over 11 years ago for panic, anxiety, and moderate depression. It worked very well for me. I did take Xanax while the Paxil was building up in my body. After about 4 weeks, I didn't need the Xanax anymore. About 6 weeks ago, my anxiety and panic began to increase to a point I knew I needed help in addition to my exercise, healthy eating, etc. I went to my doctor to get Paxil. I started on 10 mg for a week and had increased anxiety, which I controlled with 0.25 mg of Xanax once a day. I went up to 20 mg on day 8 and had severe anxiety and bad thoughts for about 36 hours. Suddenly, just like that, it was all gone. I now feel great! Some side effects, but worth the sanity!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 10 years or more
• June 26, 2016

Paroxetine for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I was sent to a psychologist for depression and anxiety when I was just 16. She put me on Paxil. It really saved my life. I was unable to sleep and so anxious I could enjoy nothing. After 20 years of feeling normal, although I did gain weight, I decided to wean myself because of the weight issue. Big mistake. I crashed due to stress and have been in a state of extreme panic and anxiety for over a week. I can't eat and I lost 10 pounds in a week because I want to be sick all the time. Tried switching to Prozac, which made it worse! I'm back to Paxil and I know it will help me again as soon as it kicks in. In the meantime, I am on Ativan. I wish I never stopped it. It works great for extreme anxiety and depression."

• Anonymous
• January 21, 2010

Paroxetine for Anxiety and Stress "I have taken Paxil for about 4 years. It is a drug that I had to get used to for about 3 weeks each time the doctor increased the strength. At first, I felt 'groggy' and 'spacey'. Over time, it helps so much with anxiety, irritability, anger-intense reactions, organizing my mind and allowing me to RELAX. I have, at times, missed a day's dose and YOU DON'T WANT TO DO THAT. The following day, I was very anxious and irritable until taking it again. I think it is a fantastic drug that has given me my life back. I think my kids and my husband have benefited from me being calmer, happier and able to 'roll with life' better. I take 40 mg. and it was initially prescribed by my gynecologist for hormone-based mood swings. Love it!"

• Loi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 11, 2016

Paroxetine for Panic Disorder "I started taking Paxil about 2 months ago, and it has saved my life. However, the first two weeks of taking it were hell. When you first start taking it, your serotonin dips slightly because the drug is trying to adjust to your system. I suffer from a panic disorder, and my anxiety was so bad that I had several extreme panic attacks where I had to call an ambulance. This happened 3 or 4 times during these weeks, and one happened while I was driving on the dual carriageway. However, these weeks are worth it, I can't even remember how to have a panic attack, and my self-confidence is as high as it's ever been."

• Jun...
• April 30, 2020

Paroxetine for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder "I was prescribed 12.5 mg of Paxil for PTSD. I have been on it a year. It gave me horrible nightmares, and upon awakening, I felt so overwhelmed and depressed, it was awful. I suffered through this for a year while doctors told me the Paxil would not cause my symptoms. I had never felt this horrible in my life. I finally found a new psychiatrist and told her about my problems with SSRIs. I was put on Trintellix a week ago. Today is the first day in a year that I felt good just waking up in the morning. I hope it lasts. I also am a mental health professional and have some understanding of antidepressants, or I would have just given up and believed what the doctors told me about the antidepressants not causing my symptoms. No one really knows how the psychoactive meds work, and they can affect any one person differently than another. So my advice is to believe yourself if you think a med is causing you negative side effects and don't give up until you find what works for you."

• Win...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 26, 2020

For Anxiety "I really want to share my experience because I remember that I used to look for reviews a lot when I first started my journey with antidepressants. First of all, I confess that paroxetine (Seroxat) was a lifesaver for me. My first prescribed antidepressant was sertraline, but, unfortunately, it did not work for me, so I did not have much faith in this new pill. After approx. 1 or 2 months on this new medication, I started to feel a lot better!!! It seemed unbelievable, but it worked. I used to be very depressed, suicidal, I was constantly on the edge and anxious, I had tremors and frequent hot flashes. I barely wanted to leave the house, my self-esteem was almost nonexistent, and I could not see a bright future for myself. On this day, I feel a lot better, and the symptoms mentioned above are 90% gone. Of course, there are good days and not-so-good days, but it is bearable, and I am so thankful. I really hope this medication will help you guys ease the pain, as it did in my case."