Paroxetine and Nausea: What Users Say (Page 2)

• dip...
• January 9, 2011

Paroxetine for Anxiety and Stress "1st week: Paxil worked for my depression and anxiety instantly, which is out of the norm. I was nauseous all the time and experienced yawning quite frequently, this went away as time went on. Paxil had an almost euphoric feel for me. I was laughing at everything and enjoying life. 1st month: Yawning still exists, euphoria has worn off as well as any anti-depressant effect. However, it still works for anxiety. 3rd month and beyond: Outside of excessive sleeping and somewhat of a fatigued feeling, Paxil is awesome for anxiety, but the antidepressant effect wore off rather quickly for me. I recommend it for anxiety, but not for depression."

• Sha...
• February 14, 2017

Paroxetine for Social Anxiety Disorder "For years, I felt depressed and shy and had anxiety, but was too young to understand and definitely too shy to say anything. As I got older, I decided to talk to my doctor about how I was feeling. After a few years on and off of antidepressants, feeling so sick I couldn't take them anymore. And now I'm 21, I have been on Paxil for about 6 months. The first month was really hard because I felt so nauseous and shaky, and my heart kept racing and I was extremely tired. But I fought through it all. And today, for the first time, I feel alive, happy, loved, and most importantly, I feel like myself and how I should have felt a long time ago. Please do not drink on this medication or any other antidepressants. It will definitely slow the process down."

• LLO...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 15, 2018

Paroxetine for Hot Flashes "My doctor prescribed this to help me with hot flashes and night sweats. After taking this for just three days, I was in bed with one of the worst headaches I've ever had. Seven hours, six ibuprofen, three aspirin, and three ice packs later, I still had it. On day four, I woke up feeling somewhat human, only to have it return with a vengeance within a few hours. By the end of the day, at a friend's home, I was on her bathroom floor and convinced I was dying. Not only was the headache almost unbearable, but I also had a stabbing pain in my left eye. My husband managed to get me home, but not before I threw up in the car. I had chills and pain all night long. After investigating the side effects, we've decided this is not the medication for me. The hot flashes and night sweats are bad, but they're not nearly as horrible as the pain I've been in."

• Fra...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 5, 2019

For Anxiety and Stress "Was on Lexapro (escitalopram) for 5 years, then pooped out. Nasty side effects and withdrawals. Know your doctor, if you don’t like him or her, change. He had me taper off Lexapro without any help in meds for withdrawals from 20 mgs till nothing was in my system. I got off in a month. Lexapro is nasty when it stops working, by God, absolutely horrible. Got a new doctor who got me on paroxetine (Paxil). Started out, saved my life. Don’t be scared, it’s made to not make you scared anymore. 12.5 is what I started. Little dizzy, little hunger, nausea. Stay close to a bathroom if you catch what I mean (from your bowels). I take mine before I go to bed anyway, helps with all the side effects and 0.5 Xanax for anxiety spikes before the full effect of P hits in the next weeks. They work beautifully together."

• Tim...
• August 5, 2016

Paroxetine for Anxiety "Everyone's experience will be different. I have experienced anxiety all my life, but no depression. A medium to low dose of Paxil has normalized me. My previous extreme fear of nauseousness and throwing up has been quelled. Ativan and Xanax are fine as a temporary solution (say for flying), but Paxil has provided me with a normal level of anxiety. I give Paxil 5 stars, but only if you feel anxiety along with some OCD. Depression, bipolar, might require something else."

• Van...
• November 30, 2018

Paroxetine for Anxiety "I used Paxil for 13 months for general anxiety. My general doctor introduced Paxil to me. I've started with 10 mg and later increased it to 20 mg. It worked amazingly for that time. The only downside was I gained 13 pounds and lost my sex drive, which made me want to quit. I knew that I shouldn't stop cold turkey, so I consulted with my doctor. This medicine withdrawal is the worst. Tapering off from 20 mg to 10 mg was a nightmare: constant electric shocks, flu-like pain in the whole body, nausea, and vomiting. It took two weeks for me to adapt to the lower dose. Changing it to 10 mg every other day was okay, but again quitting it all for good was the worst torture. I tolerated the nausea and vomiting for 5 days in a row, and I couldn't do it anymore, so I took the 10 mg dosage again. Doctors don't warn you about the withdrawal, but please, please, if you are reading this, don't start Paxil. Quitting it is the hardest thing that you cannot even imagine."

• Pun...
• January 31, 2014

Paroxetine for Anxiety "I felt so much less anxious initially, so foolishly, and with doctor's encouragement, I stayed on Paxil for 3-4 years. Two months ago, I started to wean myself off this medicine very slowly. I have never felt so bad in my 72 years of life. At first, I felt it must be the flu, though I'd had a flu shot in November of last year (13). The withdrawal symptoms of nausea, vomiting, hot flashes, not thinking clearly, fatigue, extremely vivid and frightening dreams, dizziness, and depression lasted 5-6 days. My doctor recommended that I go back on Paxil at half a tablet initially, and then a whole tablet after a week. So it has been two weeks now of my taking a 40 mg dose each evening. I tried documenting my terrible experience."

• Jen...
• July 8, 2015

Paroxetine for Anxiety and Stress "I had a rough childhood. Growing up, I tried to stay positive and press on. As an adult, anxiety became overwhelming to the point where everything started to stress me out. This happened to me around 29, and I dealt with it until 31. I had been grinding my teeth and clenching my jaws as a reaction to stress, causing damage to my teeth... about $7,000 worth. My dentist said I had to do something about stress if I wanted to have any teeth left in my mouth. I saw a doctor and was diagnosed with anxiety, OCD, and PTSD. I've taken Paxil for almost 2 weeks and am relieved of anxiety but feel pretty spaced out and numb right now. Motivation is lacking as well and I'm nauseous on and off. I'm hoping these side effects subside."

• Ree...
• April 25, 2018

Paroxetine for Hot Flashes "Brisdelle definitely helped and calmed down the night sweats, therefore, I gave a five rating. If I had to rate the side effects, it would be a zero due to the severity. I experienced all the symptoms mentioned in other comments, which include vertigo symptoms with the room spinning a couple of nights, fatigue, swooshing sound in head, sensitivity to light, headaches, etc. I have been off this medicine for three weeks and am still feeling fatigue, nauseous, light-headedness, head tremors/zaps, and, most of all, feeling weird. I believe I would rather deal with the hot flashes instead of going through all this drama. I gave it a try, and it's not for me."

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

Paroxetine for Anxiety and Stress "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."

• Anonymous
• December 13, 2016

Paroxetine for Anxiety "I have been on and off Paxil CR several times over the past 3 years. It has been a lifesaver! I am able to be myself and enjoy life every day instead of focusing on my anxiety. The first few weeks can be a little challenging adjusting to the medicine, but it is totally worth some nausea and sleeplessness."

• Anonymous
• June 24, 2010

Paroxetine for Depression "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 SSRIs 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 a bit of nausea/cramps - the worst were feelings and thoughts that were really jumbled. Somewhere in the second month, it all sort of stabilized, I felt a lot better, panic attacks dropped a lot. Now in the fifth month - before Paxil, I was housebound and hopeless, slowly starting to live again."

• Anonymous
• May 30, 2008

Paroxetine for Depression "It worked great for 12 years. Then I decided to stop taking it and deal with some emotional issues. Bad idea. Incredibly difficult to get off of. Nausea for a month, and after that I was dizzy for another month. Fell into a horrible depression, saw and felt the gates of hell. Ironically, I'm now taking 3 drugs to deal with my depression: Lexapro, Lamictal, and Seroquel. Dealing with my emotional issues, but I definitely would do things differently if I had to do it over."

• Kas...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 6, 2015

Paroxetine for Hot Flashes "I have been taking Brisdelle for 7 months. I wanted to give it a fair chance. I had fairly severe hot flashes but no other problems relating to menopause. I went from having about 15 hot flashes a day to about 10. The severity was a bit better, but I still had a lot of sweat with each flash, especially at night. It was very expensive, and my health plan didn't cover it, so I came off. I weaned myself off very slowly over a six-week period. The withdrawal is pretty severe. Feelings of vertigo and dizziness, nausea, and zaps."

• Fla...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 9, 2017

For Hot Flashes "Saw relief within 24 hours after starting paroxetine 12.5 mg. No more hot flashes! I didn't realize how much sleep I was missing. Now I wake up rested. Take them in the am, so any energy surge happens in the morning. Only having a teeny bit of nausea and loss of appetite in the evening. Drinking water helps. I'll trade that for no more hot flashes."

• Sha...
• August 22, 2019

For Anxiety "Paxil gave me my life back. I’m a young woman. Was hesitant of the stigma and all the burden that a lifetime of medication carries. I can tell you within one DAY of taking the medication, it was like someone opened the curtains, let the light in, and said let me show you what life has to offer beyond your fears. I have had panic attacks and anxiety my whole life, but I thought everyone felt that level of stress. Until it ruined my relationship. Paxil may not be the one for you, but it was the one for me. Low dose. Minimal side effects (sometimes makes me foggy so I just take it before bed and that side effect has very much worn off the longer I took it), and when I first started, I was a bit nauseous. It also really took the edge off my depression. A wonderful medication. As someone who was a skeptic, I can’t praise it enough. And I’m back to who I was before the chemicals in my brain decided to get lazy. Happy. Fun. Anxiety is not you. It’s chemicals."

• AD0...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 26, 2022

Paroxetine for Anxiety "I have severe anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and PTSD. Suffering for years, as soon as I took 20 mg, within 30 mins my anxiety, sadness, and negative thoughts were gone. I felt 'normal', I felt like how a human is supposed to feel. I'm not saying I'm cured, but my life has improved drastically, and I'm now excited for my future. There were side effects, but they only lasted 2 days: weakness, shakes, nausea, but it wasn't too bad."

• Nat...
• October 26, 2019

Paroxetine for Major Depressive Disorder "Paxil literally saved my life. This fast-acting pill can get you feeling better in as little as a week. It helped me get completely stable, and after years, I finally felt what happiness was once again. I cannot rate this life-saving pill a 10 due to its side effects. Paxil 30mg helped me to reconnect with myself once again and feel at peace, but every single day I would wake up with serious nausea. Also, weight gain is a strong factor to look out for, as I gained 40 lbs in just one year on it. It also took a toll on my sex drive, but that wasn't a major problem since I was single at the moment. Although Paxil has its side effects, it's such a life-changing pill, I decided to deal with them. I then got switched to Effexor 150mg ER, yet it gave me a terrible relapse that I ended up in a psychiatric institution. I'm now on Wellbutrin XL 150mg and seem to be feeling fine, but thank you, Paxil, for saving my life in a time of desperate need."

• Lil...
• June 18, 2013

Paroxetine for Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder "I was prescribed Paxil 10 mg for Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder. I've been taking it for two weeks, and I feel so much better! It also helps with my social anxiety as well. I feel calmer, centered, and more assertive. It makes me less emotional and somewhat experience 'flat effect,' which could be bad in certain situations. In the first two days, I felt very nauseated and couldn't eat and lost 5 pounds. However, I noticed my appetite has increased and I'm watching my weight! So far, so good. (Note: SSRIs work differently on pre-menstrual women, and improvements seem to occur in the very first cycle, at least in my case.)"

• Cic...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 23, 2019

Paroxetine for Postpartum Depression "This is the worst medicine ever. I took it for postpartum anxiety, and it turned my anxiety into severe depression, which I have never experienced in my life. When I took it, I became insomniac, dark thoughts, feeling deep unworthiness, wanting to leave my family, could barely walk, heart palpitation, nausea, weak memory. At some point, I became so numb, and I felt so aggressive, which I have never felt before in my life. I took it for 2 months and a half. I was taking 10 mg at a time. Withdrawal symptoms: non-stop crying for no reason and ideation. Now I am on week 4 since I stopped it, and the withdrawal symptoms are still horrible. The ideation disappeared, but the uncontrollable crying spells, coughing, insomnia are still there. Sometimes I really feel like I lost my mind. This is again the worst thing that ever happened to me in my life. It is poison."

• HHA...
• June 27, 2016

Paroxetine for Anxiety "I had a pretty good experience while taking this drug. I decided to pursue a career that would need me to not be on any medications and talked to my doctor about it. She slowly started to take me off the medications, and that took about 2 months total to get off. About 4 days after I stopped taking the medication completely, I began shaking uncontrollably, was nauseous, and my depression/anxiety was through the roof. I went to the ER, and they said it was withdrawal. These side effects lasted about 2 months total, but weren't as severe the whole time. It's been about 5 months since I went off, and I feel great!"

• Jam...
• November 17, 2013

Paroxetine for Anxiety "This is my second time taking Paxil. For me, it is the only medication that has been effective in treating my anxiety. I've taken just about every medication for anxiety over the past 10 years. In my early 20s, I took Paxil for about 6 months and experienced sexual side effects but only gained about 5 lbs. It was horrible to come off of Paxil, and I experienced dizziness, headaches, and nausea. I am currently 29, and I started taking Paxil again about 5 months ago due to increased anxiety. While it has been effective in helping me to lead a normal life with minimal anxiety, it has caused horrible weight gain. I gained 15 lbs in the past 3 months, which is a lot for my petite frame at 5'1". Due to the weight gain, I am currently attempting to stop."

• Hur...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 7, 2017

Paroxetine for Depression "My doctor weaned me off of Paxil a few weeks ago, as it wasn't working. Three days after the last dose was the start of the two worst weeks of my life. It included migraines, nausea, decreased vision. When I turned my head or moved my eyes, there was a whooshing sound in my head accompanied by extreme dizziness. Then there were the bouts of crying for no apparent reason. In summary, I would call this poison, not medicine."

• SAR...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 18, 2016

Paroxetine for Hot Flashes "Brisdelle - SUCKS - Why prescribe a medication to help you with the hot flashes, YET make you feel miserable (side effect) HEADACHES, nausea, trembling eye, Ewwwww. Really... I'd rather go through the hot flashes. BAD BAD medicine. Also, I was puking up."

• jil...
• November 28, 2015

Paroxetine for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "After a few intense months of panic and high anxiety, I finally was brave enough to try this medication. I have tried other SSRIs in the past, but usually found them very agitating at the 'normal' doses, so I have learned to start and stay very low. After a month of insomnia, I finally decided to give Paxil a try. I started at 2.5 mg. The first few days were fine, I felt sleepy and a bit lazy, but at least that was better than high-strung panic. At about a week, I started to experience some small benefits and some fairly harsh side effects (nausea, diarrhea, derealization, increased panic). At a month, much better, and I was sleeping well again. However, getting off this medication after 5 months was really challenging and uncomfortable."