Paroxetine and Weight Gain: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Joe...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 16, 2021

For Anxiety "Paxil was a game changer for me. I had severe anxiety, couldn’t sleep or eat, and felt that horrible tightness in my chest all day. The doctor prescribed Paxil, and within 2 days, I started to feel like my old self! I did gain a tad bit of weight, but I needed to anyway, so that didn’t bother me. Highly recommend!"

• Sco...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 25, 2023

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "Took it in the late 1990s for depression and anxiety, and it worked really well. I've been back on it for two weeks after a major depression/anxiety attack and can already tell a difference. I know that SSRI drugs like Paxil are said to need several weeks to kick in, but my depression is far better after just two weeks, although the anxiety is still there. But I was started at just 10 mg, so I can certainly take more to ease the anxiety. I take it in the morning; it is somewhat energizing but not bad. I try to work out each day to dial down the weight gain from Paxil (and Seroquel). Paxil definitely makes me crave food, so I drink lots of water and hit the gym almost daily. All in all, after just two weeks of being on Paxil, I'm in a much better place."

• Ove...
• June 29, 2015

For Panic Disorder "Paxil helps me so much. I thank God for it. I've tried so many antidepressants, and none work as well as Paxil. I would have terrible anxiety and panic attacks. Now I feel calm, confident, and happy. It works. I did gain a little weight because it increased my appetite, but nothing exercise and a healthy diet can't fix. I'd rather be happy anyway."

• Nan...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• October 20, 2019

For Anxiety and Stress "I've been on 60 mg of Paxil daily for years now, but I am so sad and disconnected from everything and everyone. It helps with my anxiety, but I've gained a lot of weight! To say the least, I am depressed over it, but I am afraid to stop taking it since I've been on it for so long. It's turmoil not knowing what to do to help myself."

• dee...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• April 17, 2021

For Anxiety "I have been taking Paxil for 27 years. It really helped me with depression and anxiety. However, after menopause, I felt I had too much in my system-i.e., no emotions-so I started to wean off very slowly. 5 mg every 3-4 months to avoid withdrawal symptoms. I successfully got down to 10 mg. I tried lowering to 5 mg but got very bad anxiety. So I went back up to 10 mg. This seems to work fine, and I will stay on this dosage for now. I did gain about 50 lbs after taking Paxil-although part of that was bad eating! Since then, I have lost a good chunk of the weight through healthy eating and exercise. So overall, the drug has worked well for me-but it took over a year to go from 20 mg to 10 mg very slowly, so I didn't have bad withdrawal symptoms."

• Mon...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 1, 2017

For Depression "I have been taking 10 mg of Paxil for over 20 years and began taking it after surgical menopause in my late 30s. Having dealt with depression/anxiety on and off since I was young, this really transformed my life. My career was very demanding, and I was able to have a successful career until retirement a few years ago. I am a professional who worked under very strenuous circumstances, and without this medication, I could probably not have done so. I did not gain weight but have been an exerciser most of my adult life, which, incidentally, also helps a great deal with depression. Everyone is different, and so is their reaction to medications. This is why it is so important to have a doctor who continues to follow you."

• lau...
• August 3, 2016

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I took Paxil for 5 years. I have been off Paxil now for 7 years, and I suffer from OCD and panic attacks. I am 49 years old and have suffered since childhood with my 'issues'. I won't go into great detail. I do not take medicine, but I was in VERY bad shape when I started on Paxil. Within a few days, I slept, stopped washing my feet, counting things, and those obsessive thoughts were gone. THANK GOD. I did gain weight, and my family described me as being an emotional zombie. I chose to discontinue taking Paxil on my own, which was a bad idea. NEVER. I say NEVER do that. I am lucky that I am still alive. If you choose to quit taking it, please do that only under the care of your physician. Today I am not cured, but I am happy and living normally."

• Pax...
• June 24, 2013

For Panic Disorder "I've been on Paxil for 5 years, and it helped my panic attacks 100%. The good thing is that I can cope with the tremendous amount of stress I am under at work and home with my special needs son. I was going to a naturopathic physician, and the natural remedies worked for a while and then stopped. I couldn't sleep much for four months and kept jumping out of my sleep with massive panic attacks. I started out on 10 mg and now cut my pills in half (5 mg), and it keeps me panic-free. The negative side effects are sexual performance, weight gain, and I feel the medicine is aging me. I now have occasional head shaking that upsets my wife. She wants me to get off this, and I tried to a couple of times with a renewal of panic attacks."

• CC_...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 27, 2017

For Anxiety "Really helps my PMDD and my stress/anxiety. I was very thin from stress before I started on Paxil. I have rapidly gained weight since taking this medication. I have also become emotionless. As much as I dislike it, at least I don't feel anger, stress, and anxiety anymore. Clearly, I'm taking the good with the bad."

• Mic...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• January 4, 2019

For Anxiety "I have been taking Paxil for about 5 years now for anxiety and depression. It took about 2 weeks before I noticed any changes in my symptoms. I no longer suffer from panic and anxiety attacks. The side effects for me have been weight gain (20 lbs) and decreased ability to achieve orgasm. I have recently cut down from 20 mg to 10 mg, and while my anxieties have ramped up somewhat, it has brought my sex life back. I feel 10 mg is the right balance for me now."

• Anonymous
• May 20, 2010

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I have been taking Paxil for 5 years. Since I turned 50 and my blood pressure shot up to 210/102. Paxil was the biggest blessing. No, I did not gain any weight. Well, I gained two pounds only because I ate my way through them."

• Str...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 11, 2014

For Depression "I experienced severe postpartum depression after my twins were born, actually, it started after I stopped breastfeeding them. My hormones were all over the place. I was sleep-deprived and suicidal. Paxil worked great on my depression, but I had negative side effects. First of all, it really flattened my emotional response. Nothing much upset me, but nothing made me excited either. I had zero sex drive and could not achieve orgasm at all. I also gained a lot of weight in a very short amount of time. Also, I had trouble falling asleep. I switched to Wellbutrin and actually lost weight. I would still have difficulty coping some days, but it was manageable, and no negative side effects."

• jan...
• May 2, 2015

For Major Depressive Disorder "I was suicidal for many years. I tried NOT to commit suicide but ended up trying 5 times. I started on 180 milligrams of Elavil but craved sweets, gained weight, and was always tired. I started on Paxil and have taken it for 20 or so years. I started at 50 mg and now take 40 mg. I feel completely normal. I haven't gained weight. My diagnosis was Major Endogenous Depression."

• cla...
• December 28, 2008

For Panic Disorder "I've been on Paxil for about 8 years now. I take 10 mg a day. Paxil gave me my life back. I was incapacitated by fear before I started taking it. My panic disorder had progressed over 14 years to the point that I was afraid to go in other people's cars, to drive on the expressway, to fly in planes, of meetings at work, and the list goes on. Now, after 8 years, I am capable of doing all those things. I'm still not crazy about flying, but I do it. I don't think about what I'm afraid of all the time. It doesn't cross my mind anymore to be afraid, only rarely. The only downside is the weight gain and memory issues."

• Ash...
• January 6, 2015

For Anxiety and Stress "I love Paxil, but I have to say I have put on weight being on it, and I have the most horrible vivid nightmares where I can't wake up. I think it works great for anxiety, but I think maybe this medicine has stopped working because I've been on it so long. It has improved my life for the better, but I'm thinking of changing now, 'cause it just doesn't do the same for me anymore."

• Van...
• November 30, 2018

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."

• sta...
• December 9, 2016

For Social Anxiety Disorder "I have only been on this medication for about a month, and I've felt the best I've felt in over two years. I feel my self-esteem has increased, as well as toleration of speaking to people and being in crowds. Only thing is that my appetite has gone up somewhat, and I've gained a little weight. But that is only a small price to pay for a happier life."

• Anonymous
• March 26, 2008

For Anxiety "I have been taking Paxil for about 6 months. Before that, I was taking Zoloft for depression. While I was no longer depressed feeling on Zoloft, I realized that I was getting stressed out about little things. I have always been 'high strung' and full of energy. Since starting Paxil, I have calmed down, and I am able to relax. I have just started taking Niravam for high-stress moments. I have gained weight, and I am also tired feeling, but the peace of mind is worth it."

• Day...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 16, 2015

For Anxiety and Stress "I have been on Paxil for a year now. I can honestly say overall it works wonders for my anxiety and stress. However, the weight gain is too much for me to deal with. It is difficult to lose weight on Paxil. I am going to be changing meds soon. If you have no weight issues to begin with or are not self-conscious of weight gain, give it a try. This medication is great for its intended purposes."

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

For Depression "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 (6 lbs 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."

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

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."

• ikn...
• February 9, 2012

For Anxiety and Stress "Been on Paxil almost 2 years. Been taking it in the morning the whole time. Have to take a 2-hour nap every day round lunchtime. I'm switching to nighttime to see if it helps. I gained 50 lbs and I'm emotionless, however, I like that because I'm no longer screaming at my kids about every little thing and never cry like I used to. Had a hard time reaching orgasm the first few months, but the side effect does pass. I take 20 mg, and when I feel myself fixing to have a fit, I take an extra 10 mg. I love my Paxil, just hate the tiredness and weight gain. Highly recommended."

• Piz...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• March 18, 2015

For Panic Disorder "Paxil literally saved my life. I have been on Paxil since I was 26, and I am now 40. Out of the blue, I started having severe panic attacks. My psychiatrist gave me Paxil. From that day forward, I have not had any panic attacks. The only reason I gave this medication a 9 out of 10 is because I gained almost 100 lbs on it. I have since lost 50 lbs. It is a great medication for panic disorder; however, for depression, I would take something else."

• Ste...
• October 24, 2016

For Anxiety "I started Paxil after telling my doctor I had general anxiety, and the medication worked after two weeks. At the time, my anxiety wasn't high, but it was a level 3 out of 10, so the medication helped out. I was able to be more social and worry less traveling around NYC, but I noticed that I started to gain weight, which sucked. After 6 months, I wanted to come off because I noticed I never really needed it, and this was the hard part. Coming off it was horrible! It made me have higher anxiety without it, and it was anxiety I never experienced before. I've been off for 4 months, and I still haven't felt the same since before taking Paxil. I'd really recommend taking any medication like Paxil if you really need it for panic attacks or high anxiety."

• JDa...
• July 5, 2018

For Anxiety and Stress "I started taking Paxil 3 years ago. I was changing jobs after 20 years, had a second child, and my wife and I were no longer close. I was angry and stressed out all the time and started having euphoric dizzy sensations, so I was put on 20 mg. What a life changer! I started to notice that the small things didn't bother me anymore, and a lot of the big things were manageable. I still got the dizzy sensations, but slowly over the next year, they went away. I'm 6'4" and weighed 250 lbs. when I started taking it and now weigh 300 lbs. now. I definitely suffered from weight gain. Also, if you miss taking one, you know it. That sucks. Take it at the same time every night. It evened everything out. I take it before bed, as I wasn't sure if it would make me tired or not. Also, as an occasional beer drinker, after one, I get REALLY sleepy. Despite these effects, Paxil has worked great for me. Would recommend."