Paxil for Anxiety User Reviews (Page 4)

• Lemony
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 10, 2020

"My doctor prescribed me Paxil as she felt I had anxiety (and that I was depressed as a side effect). For what little anxiety I felt I had, it works great. I flew for the first time and felt no anxiety at all, I was like, “Wow, this is what it feels like to be normal.” However for depression, I still do get sad, although that may just be me (my therapy sessions are rather useless). At first when taking this I was on cloud 9. I was feeling great, and I had no appetite at all so I lost 8 pounds. Once I got used to eating without being hungry, my appetite got back to normal. I also started getting constipated while taking this, so my Dr. prescribed me Miralax. I also have noticed that it seems to have dulled my senses “down there”, it takes longer to have an orgasm which is frustrating. I have heard about how this is a difficult drug to get off of, which I am nervous about. All in all I think it works okay but this is also the first anti-depression medicine I have ever taken."

• dazzer
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 1, 2015

"I started taking paroxetine about 5 years ago because I was lasting 2 mins in bed with my gf. I never had that problem before but it was happening all the time. My doctor told me I had anxiety and put me on paroxetine. Since then I have felt great and never looked back. The premature ejaculation went and I felt much better. I had always had negative panicky feelings but just thought it was normal and everyone felt like this but since starting it I have felt great. It can be hard if you just stop the side affects are pretty bad but I am happy to keep on taking it because it works for me....hope this was helpful ;)"

• Bbele...
• November 22, 2015

"This medication has worked for me for over five years. I started taking it for anxiety but it has also helped me with my extreme shyness. It throws a wet blanket over your emotions. It does reduce both the highs and lows and evens out your emotions."

• Mr An...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 6, 2016

"Paxil is going to effect everyone differently. What worked great for me, may be the worst medication you've ever tried. I've been on Paxil for 20 years and for a large majority of those years, Paxil really helped me with my anxiety. I've been back and forth between 15-30mg many times. I never had any major side effects from it (not libido, not weight gain). The thing with Paxil is, there's the potential for what's called "Paxil poop out" (yes, it's real, Google it) where the Paxil stops being effective. I was completely unaware of this so I was totally blindsided with debilitating anxiety and horrible panic attacks out of nowhere one day. I was really bummed because Paxil had done so much good for me. It's a great med when it works."

• Annie...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 10, 2015

"I have been taking Paxil since 2001, when I was in college and age 21. I have always been an anxious person. My anxiety was probably partly biological or genetic and partly learned from my anxious parents. In 2001 my anxiety became very bad. For the first time in my life I was having panic attacks and became agoraphobic. I was hardly eating. I was also suicidal. A doctor at my college put me on 60 mg of Paxil daily and 1 mg of Ativan three times a day. I also began seeing a psychologist and a psychiatrist. After about half a year I was able to decrease the Paxil to 50 mg per day and the Ativan to once a day. The combination of Paxil and Ativan saved my life! My anxiety decreased tremendously and I felt so much better!"

• Mr Mi...
• August 11, 2015

"I began taking Paxil for my depression and Anxiety. I started at 10 mg. The first night I took it I had horrible dizziness, headache, sickness, and felt weak. The next night I felt fine. Now it is 3 months later and I feel wonderful! No side effects, and I can get through the day without Anxiety being the focal point. I am now up to 30 mg."

• Yell
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 3, 2013

"I started Paxil 1 week ago and I have only had one little attack. It has given me more energy for work! But I do find myself going home after work and taking a nap! The only bad thing about it so far is I'm clenching my jaw a lot causing my back teeth to hurt and can't really chew that well, may be why I am losing weight also! But it has made my life a lot easier so far! From before I'd have to miss work because of my anxiety!"

• Mattyb
• July 8, 2014

"Numbs your emotions. Which is fine if you like your positive emotions numb too. Not a serious solution to mental problems, just a way to cover them up. Dont listen to the doctor who tells you to halve your pill every week, you need to taper your dose by 10% and only drop again after about 6 weeks. Please don't listen to opinions of people who have been on this for only a couple of weeks!"

• Bella...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 4, 2016

"I went on this medication due to me having severe anxiety and mild OCD to the point where it affected me in almost every aspect, I've only been on it for almost a month and so far the results have been amazing, the only side effect that I've really noticed is the fact that I get sleepy so I take it before bed. Other than that I'm more happy, more calm, my OCD isn't as bad anymore"

• Sarah
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 9, 2022

"A couple months ago my anxiety became life consuming. It came on very suddenly. I was having panic attacks, waking up in a panic, couldn't eat, had diarrhea, couldn't sleep, didn't want to travel, didn't want to do anything social, couldn't work, was weepy all the time, and I ended up in the ER twice. I tried lexapro for one day and had a terrible reaction. I started on Paxel 10mg, upped to 15, then 20 and now I'm on 25mg. I've been on it for 10 weeks now. I just want to share that I'm no longer experiencing panic attacks. I don't wake up in a panic, my appetite is back, no more crying, I'm productive, etc. I'm in a MUCH better place now. I'm seeing a therapist and Hydroxyzine is also helping. My paxel side effects were: headaches, sleepiness and crazy dreams. All of those have gone away. I'm not 100% back to myself, but I'm feeling a lot of relief. I'm calm and rational. I'm seeing a big difference. Give it time! Hang in there. Stay up through the struggles."

• Still...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 2, 2019

"I was really hoping that paxil would work for me since it worked for my sister. I have intrusive thoughts and anxiety. This medication ramped my anxiety up bad . Thoughts way worse. I'm stopping after 6 days. I know there are those who say keep with it. I am getting 1 hour of sleep on this drug. I cant stay on it. It's not for me. I realize it may help people, but my comments are for those it didn't work for. You are not alone. I have insomnia, increased anxiety, I am a mess."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 10, 2014

"Great medicine. I suffer minor depression and anxiety. Have my whole life. I been taking this almost 2 years. If you want to stop taking this medicine, lean off it really slow. I'm taking 20mg in the morning and at night."

• Jersey...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• May 5, 2023

"I have been taking Paxil for over 20 years for anxiety attacks and depression. I have gone up and down with dosage and have had a year or two periods that I went off the medication. It really has let me live a normal fulfilling life and function successfully in school and career. It is definitely not a cure or wonder drug, but it certainly has helped me tremendously in life."

• anutt...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 12, 2014

"I started Paxil after being off antidepressants for a couple of months for bad anxiety and depression. This medication made me feel like a million bucks within the first couple of weeks. I was able to get up on time, didn't feel tired, and was exceedingly happy. Unfortunately, I had to get off of it because it caused bad Restless Leg Syndrome for me."

• jrbogey
• Taken for 10 years or more
• May 22, 2012

"I have had anxiety for approximately 30 years and have been on Paxil for about 10. What a difference it has made in my life. I would recommend this medicine to anyone who is suffering from Anxiety. I also suffer from panic disorder and just carrying Xanax with me has helped alleviate my attacks. Only have to take it once in awhile now....Also...working out more has really helped with stress and a great preventative and with a little of the weight gain from Paxil. Take care."

• Anonymous
• February 11, 2020

"I was very skeptical about taking paxil as I’ve never taken a daily medication before. I started taking it and was on it for 4 days. On the fourth day I work up with this dizzy/ groggy feeling. I didn’t think much of it and then I took my medication for the day. I decided to take a nap due to the dizzy feeling and when I woke up I had the worst suicidal thoughts, my head felt even worse, my eyes couldn’t focus on anything, my pupils were dilated, my body felt extremely limp but I was shaking and I also had cold sweats. I called my doctor and she recommended I go to the hospital. I ended up not going because one of my friends had gone through the same thing and told me to stop taking the medication and just drink some water and eat some food. I felt better for the rest of the day but that night I only got 3 hours of sleep due to nightmares and suicidal thoughts."

• lizzy...
• April 21, 2009

"I have been on Paxil for 6 weeks now and it just finally kicked in. I suffered with anxiety and extreme panic for 6 years. Now I'm fine. I can't believe it. It's my wonder drug. My life feels normal now. However, I stopped taking it for three days in a row and I felt crazy, so do not cold turkey this drug."

• Joella
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 16, 2021

"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. Dr 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!"

• Brain...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 8, 2019

"I have been on Paxil 20mg now for over a year and it seriously helped my anxiety during a very difficult period of my life. Now that I want to come off the side effects are awful. I experience brain zaps with the lower dose or when I accidentally miss a dose. Which make me want to just go back to my regular dose because they are so uncomfortable. I am tired no matter how much sleep I get. My sex drive comes and goes, but can go longer amounts of time without even thinking about it. About 5 months ago I was experiencing brain fog where I was forgetting what I was talking about half way through a conversation. All in all, there are pros and cons to the drug. It really does help but there are so many other things to consider. I really want off but I am so afraid to experience any withdrawal symptoms. Good luck to you all!"

• Pebzz
• January 20, 2014

"My journey started around 17yrs ago when pregnant I suffered an episode and was put in hospital as my son was due, they gave me 150mg straight off of clomipramine, you can imagine how comatosed I was. Over the next few years I had many crashes on this drug, then about 7 years ago a dr prescribed Paxil, best thing could ever have happened, the positives out weigh the negatives with the side effects, I'm on 15mg would love to reduce again one day, but I'm happy to be stable and of sound mind."

• GaryP...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 9, 2019

"Have been taking Paxil for 6 months for everything anxiety depression. Within these six months, I noted that I was feeling nothing. No highs or lows. Yes, I could smile at good news but even the death of my mother, 2 weeks ago, in July, I had no reaction to, except, "thank God her suffering is over" as she was 92. I called the hospice literally 30 seconds after she was pronounced. I felt little. My sister called me a minute later. She was hysterical and driving to get to the hospice. I just wanted to be with her on the phone to make sure she got there. I am a NYer living in Italy and now, I must wait for her ashes to arrive here. A lengthy process so I cannot consider beginning closure. I am not depressed, though relieved. I am not panicking. I am just feeling pain in my chest, so tight, that I cannot let out what I believe I would be feeling. I feel like a machine. My doctor told me a week after mom's death that a side effect of Paxil is the inability to cry. This is not normal. For me."

• bean
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 5, 2020

"Worst medication i have EVER been on in my entire life. Constantly tired, sleeping 16+ hours a day on short school mornings; cried when I had to work job at night due to exhaustion. Could physically not bring myself out of bed, worsened depressive episodes and dark thoughts. Depression went from a 5 to a 10 within a few weeks. I would genuinely not recommend this medication to anyone suffering from depression or any other ailments for that matter; I wouldn’t risk it even if the doctor was sure it was going to work. You might have a good reaction unlike me, but I would not wish the risk of feeling this way on anyone I know."

• deedee
• Taken for 10 years or more
• April 17, 2021

"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 5mg 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 50lbs 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 20mg to 10mg very slowly so i didn't have bad withdrawal symptoms."

• A1990
• February 12, 2014

"After trying a few medications my psychiatrist put me on Paxil. I felt like it DID help with my anxiety and depression but that came with a price -- drowsiness, huge loss of libido, and horrible withdrawal symptoms. I was always lethargic and never wanted to go out and do anything, but I felt less anxiety and depression. I would literally go 7 days without sex (with my partner of 3 years) because I just didn't feel like it and I could definitely feel the negative toll it was taking on our relationship but luckily he stuck with me. After getting fed up with the intense side effects, I quit cold turkey -- huuuuge mistake. I felt like I had the flu and the brain zaps were never ending."

• Peter
• August 6, 2015

"Have been on Paroxetine twice. It worked very well both times. Only side effects were increased anxiety at first (went away after a week) and heart palpitations (also went away). Only reason I would recommend trying something else first is because the withdrawals make coming off this drug very difficult."