RESEARCHERS Look here for case histories of prolonged discontinuation syndrome

[altostrata]

Have you had significant discontinuation symptoms for 6 months or longer?

Please post here, following the model in my post for summarizing your case. Researchers are starting to look at this site for case histories.

Oh, and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE stay on topic. Medical researchers will not have the patience to wade through pages of digression.

[altostrata]

Yep, I'm 22 months post-Paxil now. I'm a 56-year-old menopausal woman. I took 10mg Paxil for 3 years, tapering off in August-October 2004.

My most distressing discontinuation-related symptoms currently are:

1) insomnia
2) emotional numbness with intermittent episodes of intense anxiety-depression unrelated to environmental events
3) concentration and memory problems
4) hypersensitivity to medications and other substances
5) anorgasmia

Contact me via private message to altostrata.

[pantala]

Should this be a sticky?
Kathryn

[rdjanis]

My daughter was taken off paxil abruptly. Her discontinuation (withdrawal symptoms) lasted approx. one year. Took another year to heal from 'shock' of withdrawal. These are the symptoms that I noticed as the parent. My daughter far to young to be descriptive as to her 'exact' symptoms.

She experienced long term:
1. wide range of mood swings
2. suicidal
3. sensitive to noise
4. agoraphobia
5. unable to concentrate
6. unreal fears
7. horrific nightmares
8. self harm

[heyK]

This is my second time getting off of Zoloft. I am a little over 8 months off after a very slow taper lasting several months. My original time period on Zoloft was 8 years.

My persistent withdrawal symptoms (which I never had pre-Zoloft or while on Zoloft) are:

chronic headache
extreme light sensitivity
depersonalization
anxiety
confusion
memory problems
visual lag
dizziness
clicking sound in my right ear

[scotty]

My son,then 14, put on paxil for panic. On for 14 months. After a somewhat rapid taper (and suicide attempt with first wean) the following symptoms persisted for approximately 14 months.An additional year for full recovery.

1. Visual disturbances ("whoosh effect")
2. Electrical sensations ("zaps")
3. Short term memory loss (documented with standardized testing)
4. Agorophobia
5. Hallucinations(visual and auditory)
6. Insomnia
7. Increased anxiety
8. Decreased concentration and retention of information from the written word.
9. suicidal

Three years post paxil use:
Dysautonomia, unable to maintain his blood pressure through a normal diet. Now requires large amounts of fluid and salt.

[Hopeful]

12 months post ssri…see signature for ssri history (began Paxil 10/97).

Current symptoms that I did not have prior to ssri use:

1. extreme anxiety
2. sensations of panic and fear
3. bouts of weepiness
4. Head Pressure
5. Terrible stress feeling in chest and back.

see this link for first 10 months symptoms:

http://paxilprogress.org/forums/showthread.php?t=19076

[babs]

I was on 20mg Paxil for 11 years and have been off 15 months following a 4 month taper. Symptoms I still have that I did not have pre-Paxil are:

greater anxiety
weekly episodes of severe depression that lift in a couple of days
difficulty falling asleep and waking too early
overly emotional and moody
decreased appetite, change in food preferences

I think some of the mood issues are caused by approaching menopause.

[LossLeader]

I was moved between SSRIs for eighteen months, then remained on 50mg of sertraline for four years, rising to 100mg for a further five years.

In the 8-9 months since discontinuing sertraline, I have experienced numerous symptoms, none of which I'd experienced prior to using the medication (or whilst on the medication).

The following symptoms lasted for six months, gradually fading:

Persistent high anxiety
Heart palpitations (which did not correspond to the times of highest anxiety)
Extreme arthritic pain in knees
Cognitive problems (inability to concentrate on reading or writing; memory loss; difficulty with abstract thought)
Blistering and inflammation inside mouth
Perpetual sleepiness
Tearfulness

The following symptoms persist to this day, with little or no improvement:

Suicidal depression
Depersonalization
Altered sexual function (alternating low libido and hypersexuality, severe premature ejaculation)
Breathlessness
Rages
Hair thinning / parts of hair and beard suddenly turning snow-white
Tinnitus
Slow mental reactions and sluggishness
Swollen and extraordinarily prominent veins in arms and legs
Inability to cope with stress

[parox]

I am a 32 years old guy, prescribed antidepressants for social phobia 11 years ago, been on different brands and last 1 ½ years on Paxil. Still struggling with withdrawel symptoms after 16 months.

• Derealisation and depersonalisation
• Rage, mood swings, bizarre suicide thoughts
• Vision problems, foggy vision, focus problems
• Cognitive problems, foggy brain
• Sexual dysfunction http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/SSRIsex/
• Muscle weakness, fatigue, low stamina
• Apathy, lack of emotions
• Balance problems
• Stiffness, slow movement, “walk problems”
• Sticky skin, oily skin,
• Horrible sensations like heavy head, feels like I am going to fall, pressure in my head, vibrations through body, burning sensations ( arms and legs )
• Don’t tolerate alcohol and fat food like pizza
• Trauma of getting through this
• Worse anxiety and depression than pre the AD’s
• Feeling intoxicated
• Dizziness in different ways, vertical and horizontal
• Sensitive for sound
• Yellowish diarrhoeas
• Restless legs

Some improvements after 14 months, blood test done without any differing results, thyroids checked

[zappelina]

I was put on 20 mg paroxetine for insomnia and slightly lowered mood due to heavy workload, later switched to 50 mg sertraline increased to 75 mg after some time.

After about a year on sertraline I started to feel emotionally very numb, didn´t react to anything, felt more and more tired and generally disinterested in life. A couple of months later I woke up one morning with severe restlessness, stiff neck muscles and stiff spine and anxiety. Prescribing doctor instructed me to increase to 100 mg and within a few hours my symptoms exacerbated. Stopped the pills completely for 3 days and felt nothing but relief until withdrawal hit during the fourth day off. Initial symptoms nausea, dizziness, unstable joints (feet fold when I walk) and muscle weakness. From day 4 tapered quickly from 50 mg and down. I had none of the following problems before these drugs.

Withdrawal first 12-18 months:

- nausea, vomiting, dizziness
- 10-12 white to yellowish diarrheas per day full of mucus and sometimes blood
- bleeding and blisters in mouth and nose, blisters on hands and feet
- coughing blood and lots of phlegm and plugs resembling hard plastic
- urinary and fecal incontinence during the first 3-4 months, sometimes difficulties passing urine which is filled with white particles and is dark and reddish
- muscle weakness throughout body, often so severe I couldn´t stand up, dropping things I tried to hold, joints jumping out of place
- slurred speech
- trunk muscles so weak I could only use neck muscles for breathing
- ice cold arms, legs, back, nose and tongue
- blue lips, fingers and toes
- body temperature 34 degr. C
- jerking, twitching of muscles visible through skin, involuntary movements
- rapid 40 pound weight loss
- muscle wasting
- strange sticky substance resembling resin and not water soluble coming out in skin and eyes causing intense discomfort and pain, skin getting thicker and thicker, is bright red and very painful
- skin itching and burning intensely
- blood pressure often dropping to 85/55
- layer of water under skin
- water in ears and lungs
- anxiety, panic and fear
- severe confusion, aphasia, amnesia
- "electric" shocks, zaps, travelling through body every few minutes
- at four months off complete stiffness throughout body, often unable to move legs
- cramping, twitching
- feeling of leaden heaviness in body
- heart palpitations and uneven heart rhytm
- tripping, falling
- feet hanging down, unable to flex toes on left foot
- burping, bloating, gas in stomach causing lots of pain
- problems eating and swallowing, food doesn´t move from esophagus down to stomach, like every normal body function has just stopped.
- sense of vibrations travelling through body
- attacks of painful cramping, head is thrown backwards and twists to the left and gets stuck in that position for minutes
- intense night sweats NOT relieved but made worse by estrogen supplements I used with good results prior to this
- intolerance to lots of food, especially dairy products, fish, meat, fat, sugar.
- intolerance to drugs and chemicals
- fungal infections in mouth, nose, intestines and lungs. Treatment unsuccessful
- severe fatigue
- sensitivity to sound, light, smells
- a feeling of gas moving upwards inside body tissues and under skin.
- strange feeling of popcorn popping inside my legs and all over back


At about 18 months I began to see some slight improvement.

- stiffness persists altnernating with weakness, upper body swaying in all directions due to weakness around waist area. Difficulties holding my head upright

- can walk about one block before compelete stiffness sets in, most other promblems remain.

- panic and anxety mostly gone

At 25 months off:

- begin to breathe a bit better but still coughing up mucus and sharp, white particles, cough now sometimes dry and painful
- muslces still stiff and making cracking sounds when I move
- can walk about four blocks without stopping to rest because of breathlessness and hardening , painful and stiff muscles
- can tolerate small amounts of meat and fish without becoming completely breathless but still can´t tolerate dairy
- joints a bit more stable but still have to bandage ankles
- no more panic or anxiety but still sensitive to stress and trying to deal with the aftermath of the shock and trauma and trying to figure out how to best heal the body damage.
- sticky skin now a bit less sticky but not so much water under it and it seems to me that lately its beginning to adhere to the deeper tissue layers again but this process is physically quite painful.

[sheacarney]

My signature explains my AD history. I have experienced a severe withdrawal syndrome. The following symptoms I did not have prior to taking Paxil and still persist today:

1. insomnia (wired feeling, paired with flushing and nausea)
2. anhedonia
3. limited stress tolerance
4. muscle pain/stiffness
5. psuedoarthritis/joint pain

[mach3939]

I am a 45 year old female. I was on an antidepressant for about 8 years for Generalized Anxiety Disorder. I took 7 months to wean down from 30 mgs of Paxil. My weaning schedule with medical complications is in my signature at the bottom of this post. I am almost 7 months Paxil Free.

Diminished quality of life.
25 lbs weight loss
Insomnia with and without restless legs.
Concentration and Memory problems, inability to find and use the right word in conversations.
Days/Weeks of feeling confused and spacey.
Anxiety without heart racing.
Depression – didn’t have before
Sensitive to noises
Overly emotional and moody. Anger/Rage that lasts for weeks.
Headaches for weeks at a time.
Sinuses and Allergies worse and more infections.
Asthma acting up.
Eyes are puffy with dark circles.
Increase in Menopausal type symptoms that blood work does not support. Chills/hot flashes, night sweats. Every month a night of waking up shivering and cold.
Menstrual cycle has changed longer and heaver.
PMS is a lot worse. Paxil was picked for me because of bad PMS.
Hypoglycemia
Grinding of teeth.
Fatigue most of the time.
Fear of losing my sanity and not understanding what is going on.
All I have right now is an existence.

Eyes have been checked and I do not need new glasses.
Blood work has been checked because I have thyroid and take medication for it, all came back normal. FSH is normal.
ENT says right now that sinuses are not the cause of headaches.
Allergist has checked immune system and those tests were normal too.

Debbie

[Light]

I’ve been off of Effexor for nearly 16 months. My symptoms, which started upon discontinuation include:

1. Intense, episodic, daily bouts of confusion
2. Mood swings (improved but not resolved)
3. Rage (improved but not resolved)
4. Tremors, muscle twitches, muscle stiffness, joint pain.
5. Eye twitch (resolved)
6. Insomnia (improved but not resolved)
7. Episodic vision problems
8. Electric “zap” sensations
9. Profound fatigue
10. Depersonalization/derealization (improved by not resolved)
11. Profound motivation problems
12. A cartoonish inability to deal with everyday activities and stressors
14. Memory problems
15. Attention problems
16. A variety of other information processing deficits
17. OCD symptoms (improved but not resolved)
18. Flu-like symptoms
19. Nausea/vomiting (resolved)
20. Dysautonomia
21. Light and sound sensitivity
22. Intense waves of terror/feelings of impending doom (not a panic attack).
23. Severe hypersensitivities to medications, supplements, exercise, and the sun.

[Iksfreundin]

I am a 28 year old female. Read my signature for my drug history. I have also been on Wellbutrin, Zyprexa, Xanax, Valium, Zoloft, Seroquel, Remeron, Risperdal, and many others that I was on for only a very short time and as such will not list them. Nothing but Paxil the last 4 years. I was often cocktailed, until I put an end to it against the wishes of my doctors, and I have personally experienced or are currently experiencing: dry mouth, increased sweating, night sweats, heart palpitations, abdominal pain and cramping, belching, bloating, diarrhea, dyspepsia, flatulence, heartburn, indigestion, nausea, toothaches, asthenia, chest pains, chills, fever, hot flashes, leg and extremity pains, malaise, flu-like symptoms, tightness in my chest, unexplained bruising, arthralgia (sudden sharp nerve pains in the joints), horrible upper and lower back pains, jaw pain and stiffness, serious thirst, dizziness and headache, migraines, tics, tremors, twitching, vertigo, rage and agitation, anxiety attacks, apathy, impaired concentration ability, impaired memory, depersonalization, depression, terrible dreams, abnormal crying, insomnia, suicidal thoughts, acne, eczema, dry lips and skin, boils and hives, fear, and rashes.

Thank you.

[altostrata]

Results may not happen for quite a while.

silence, what do you mean by prolapsed? If you've had withdrawal symptoms for more than 6 months, posting your profile here would be okay. It doesn't matter how long you were taking Paxil.

[silence4now]

Originally Posted by altostrata

silence, what do you mean by prolapsed?

Symptoms recurring after some period of time of feeling better, sometmes prolonged periods.

[silence4now]

My recurring symptoms after 25 months:

1. foggy brain
2. hypothyroidism
3. costochondritis
4. paresthesia, left arm and back
5. Sound sensitivity
6. chemical sensitivity

[altostrata]

Shaney attempted suicide August 2006 after 22 months off Paxil.

from his signature:

Started Paxil:Nov 2000
For: Very very very very very mild depression. In fact, looking back, it wasn't even worth
the the visit to the Doctors.
Dose: 20 mg
Last Paxil Taken: 10/10/04
Method: 3 month taper 2.5mgs per 2 weeks
Via: liquid paxil
Withdrawal Type: Extremely Severe
Duration: Est. 18 months pre withdrawal severe problems too
Links: seroxatdiary.co.uk
quitpaxil.org

His journal can be seen at http://www.paxilprogress.org/forums/...howjournal&j=2

[Healing]

I am a 43-year-old professional woman.

Took Paxil for 9 months in 1996. Had 8 months of severe withdrawal after stopping, but did not know it for withdrawal at the time.

So, took Zoloft from 1998-2001. Started to have withdrawal symptoms for 4 months after stopping, but still did not realize it was withdrawal.

So, took Paxil for 20 months starting 2002.

Began wean Sep 03 due to severe head and neck pain. Wean took 20 months due to severe symptoms in response to dose reductions. Added Prozac during wean to mitigate symptoms.

Last dose of Paxil May 05. Last dose of Prozac June 05.

Since then and to date (Aug 06), I have experienced severe depression and anxiety unlike anything I had experienced before taking SSRIs, chronic insomnia, akathisia, dysautonomia including rapid, uneven, or forceful heart beat, detox rashes, muscle and joint pain and injuries from muscle spasms, impaired circulation, disrupted menstrual cycle, hair loss, gastrointestinal problems, increased "floaters" in eyes, hypersensitivity to supplements and medications, cognitive impairments, quasi-OCD, etc.

[Katesmom]

When I began paxil, I was 31 years old and nine weeks pregnant. I was prescribed it for stress related to severe pregnancy-induced hypertension. I had never been diagnosed with anxiety or depression and was in excellent general health prior to pregnancy.

I discontinued paxil after a rapid taper (three weeks) 20 months later.

My most distressing withdrawal effects in the post-six month period include:

1) Lowering resistance of the immune system (esp. in the 5-7 month period)
2) Strange and unwelcome thoughts
3) Visual and olfactory hallucinations
4) Depression
5) Anxiety for no reason
6) Sometimes I forget to breath
7) Fatigue
8) Zaps and wooshes (went away and reappeared from month 9 to present)
9) Lethargy

[Lilly]

I was prescribed Paxil for a mild depression I was going through due to a life crisis. I c/t then reinstated, which did not relieve my symtoms at all and then weaned for 6 months. I was on it for 9 months. I had been on xanax 1 1/2 years, then off it for 8 months before the paxil. I was in w/d for 2 1/2 years.


Some of my symptoms were:

Rages so violent I broke mirrors or threw whatever was in my hand to punching holes in my walls.

Panic attacks where I could not breath.

Extreme dizziness. I had to hold walls to walk sometimes. Had to give up hiking. Elevation made it 10 times worse.

No memory.

Head zaps.

Easily stressed.

Slower mentally.

No concentration, so I could not watch tv or read things of length.

Clumsiness, had bruises all over my body from walking into things. Fell of my treadmill a few times.

Tintinnitis, which lasted well after my w/d stopped.

Insomnia.

Arm, leg and sometime whole body jerks.

Body shakes.

Obssesive thinking.

Aching muscles and no energy.

I could not drive, cook or shop. Husband did everything for a while.

Sense of taste and smell was gone. I could not eat red meat.

Sound sensitivity

Naseau and diarhea.

Sever mood swings.

Anxiety and depressions that kept me in bed.

PTSS.

Suicidal thoughts.

Phsychosis that let self harm. This had nothing to do with the suicidal thoughts.

I just found a paper I wrote in 2001, that listed a lot of things otherwise I have pretty much forgotten them. These things were very strong the first year and got better as time went on and then went away.

I am fine now!
Lilly

[sheacarney]

My signature explains my AD history. I have experienced a severe withdrawal syndrome. The following symptoms I did not have prior to taking Paxil and still persist today:

1. insomnia (wired feeling/tingling, paired with flushing and nausea)
2. anhedonia
3. limited stress tolerance
4. muscle pain/stiffness
5. psuedoarthritis/joint pain
6. tinnitus

[Tara71]

My name is Tara McMullin and you can contact me through myspace.com if needed. I've been trapped on Paxil since 1995. Failed attempts to quit due to the following symptoms:

-cognitive/memory problems which cost me a news editing job
-speech problems which turned my career away from doing live radio reports
-depersonalization to the point I don't recognize myself
-zoning out - missing exits in traffic, forgetting where I was
-anxiety pain in chest + rapid heartbeat
-lucid nightmares - can't tell if I'm awake or sleeping
-trembling
-twitching nose and face
-muscle soreness and knots
-skin rash
-sharp, stabbing pains in my head
-zaps, blurred vision
-dizziness
-nausea, ongoing diarrhea
-exhaustion
-irritability
-restlessness and skin-crawling sensations
-relentless insomnia

I have addressed this with GlaxoSmithKline and was interviewed for ABC Primetime Live in 2004. Thank you.

[altostrata]

Since pms have been disabled, I guess you'll have to give an e-mail address for contacts.

Please write me at altostrata@comcast.net.