home
RSS
September 21st, 2010
10:23 AM ET

How can I stop using Paxil without the side effects?

Every weekday, a CNNHealth expert doctor answers a viewer question. On Tuesdays, it's Dr. Charles Raison, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Emory University, and an expert in the mind-body connection for health.

Question asked by Sharon Reynolds of Tampa, Florida: I have been taking 10 mg of Paxil for nine years. I would like to get off of it but have heard of the many side effects associated with stopping it. Brain "buzzes" and various other frightening possibilities.

How can I stop Paxil without those side effects? I started taking it after a complete hysterectomy that resulted in extreme anxiety.

Expert answer: Dear Sharon,

There is good news and bad news about your situation.

The good news is that only about 20 percent of patients who take antidepressants experience these type of withdrawal symptoms when they discontinue the medications, and when experienced, these symptoms are usually mild and resolve in a week or two.

The bad news is that you have two risk factors for experiencing an antidepressant withdrawal syndrome. First you have been on your antidepressant for an extended period. Second, you are taking Paxil (generic paroxetine) which - because of its short "half-life" in the body - is especially notorious for causing withdrawal problems.

There are two very important things you can do to reduce your risk of having the type of symptoms you describe.

First, you should work closely with your health care provider. Second, you should never just stop the medication.

Probably the all-time best way to experience antidepressant withdrawal is to just suddenly stop the medication. Doing this is a shock to the nervous system, which has adjusted its neurotransmitter release based on the presence of the antidepressant.

In the case of medications like Paxil that affect serotonin, we believe most of the withdrawal symptoms are related to a sudden increase in serotonin activity for which body and brain are not prepared.

The first thing a good clinician will do is closely examine whether stopping the Paxil is a good idea in the first place. If you have been on the medication for 10 years and are emotionally stable, it might be the right thing to do.

Even if it makes sense to do this, a good clinician will be carefully watching, not just for withdrawal symptoms, but also for any sign that the psychiatric condition that prompted you to take the medication in the first place isn't coming back.

The most common symptoms of a Paxil withdrawal syndrome are feeling like you have the flu, often in combination with dizziness, sensory disturbances (like the buzzing you describe) and anxiety/agitation.

The trick to lowering your chances of having these symptoms is to reduce the dose of the antidepressant as slowly as possible. For people who are really sensitive it can take months to get off an antidepressant slowly enough to avoid withdrawal symptoms.

But remember that most people can stop an antidepressant cold and won't have symptoms. Whether you would be similarly fortunate or more unlucky is probably not a question you should test out. Rather, I recommend starting to work with your clinician to slowly lower the dose. If you feel fine you might try lowering the dose more rapidly as it feels comfortable.


soundoff (1,620 Responses)
  1. Ik zal 550 Duitse of Nederlandse backlinks gastberichten plaatsen

    Leuke post. Ik was constant op deze blog aan het checken en ik ben onder de indruk! Zeer nuttige informatie, vooral het laatste deel Ik geef veel om dergelijke informatie. Ik was al heel lang op zoek naar deze specifieke informatie. Bedankt en succes.

    https://www.fiverr.com

    April 22, 2021 at 06:04 | Report abuse | Reply
  2. do you need prescription for canadian perscribition of cialis in usa

    cialis, sale, canadian pharm. https://canadacialisstore.com/ cialis on line purches canadian pharmacy

    April 22, 2021 at 14:15 | Report abuse | Reply
  3. homes for sale near my area

    https://google.to/url?sa=t&rct=j&url=https3A2F2Fmeganleary.com&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNGaY_nlK9ozc51fqwjiVdMaYZL7rg

    April 24, 2021 at 01:15 | Report abuse | Reply
  4. RV Driver Seats Near Me

    https://www.delano.mn.us/statistics/logClick.php?statType=banner&pageId=0&Id=56&redirect=http://rvmarketingexperts.com

    April 24, 2021 at 01:22 | Report abuse | Reply
  5. Forklift Maintenance

    http://yellowpages.wellsvilledaily.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=wildwestlifttrucks.com/off-road-forklift-repair-orange-county-california/

    April 24, 2021 at 02:27 | Report abuse | Reply
  6. RV Sound System Near Me

    There's certainly a lot to learn about this issue. I like all the points you have made.

    http://novalogic.com/remote.asp?NLink=http://ocrvart.com

    April 24, 2021 at 09:39 | Report abuse | Reply
  7. realtors near my location

    Having read this I thought it was rather enlightening. I appreciate you finding the time and energy to put this article together. I once again find myself personally spending way too much time both reading and commenting. But so what, it was still worthwhile!

    https://image.google.ad/url?rct=i&sa=t&url=https://meganleary.com

    April 24, 2021 at 09:40 | Report abuse | Reply
  8. Forklift Parts Orange County

    http://sv2.deqwas.net/edge/codezine/standard/item/4742/choose?destination=https://wildwestlifttrucks.com/west-covina-forklifts

    April 24, 2021 at 13:22 | Report abuse | Reply
  9. horse trailer window replacement

    Hello there! This post couldn’t be written much better! Looking through this article reminds me of my previous roommate! He continually kept talking about this. I will send this article to him. Fairly certain he will have a very good read. Thanks for sharing!

    http://www.city.mino.gifu.jp/minogami/topics/145/logging?url=https://ocrvcenter.com/state-farm-rv-collision-repair-shop-near-me/

    April 25, 2021 at 04:05 | Report abuse | Reply
  10. RV Bathroom Orange County

    https://www.efilmcritic.com/ads/adclick.php?bannerid=6&zoneid=2&source=feature&dest=https://blog.joromofin.com/2016/10/17/the-male-ego/

    April 25, 2021 at 04:29 | Report abuse | Reply
  11. horse trailer painting

    https://news.newnn.ru/go.php?site=http://ocrvcenter.com/rv-repair-shop-palm-desert-california/

    April 25, 2021 at 12:21 | Report abuse | Reply
  12. sildenafil nz price

    generic sildenafil from canada https://eunicesildenafilcitrate.com/ sildenafil tablet online india

    April 26, 2021 at 09:46 | Report abuse | Reply
  13. Your Private Proxy

    you got a very great website, Glad I found it through yahoo.

    https://dreamproxies.com/tag/usa-private-proxies-sale/

    April 26, 2021 at 19:11 | Report abuse | Reply
  14. property for sale rathdrum id

    https://2.222.at/?http://meganleary.com

    April 27, 2021 at 22:01 | Report abuse | Reply
  15. home for sale coeur d alene

    http://www.qtellhousehunter.com/l.php?web=meganleary.com

    April 27, 2021 at 22:15 | Report abuse | Reply
  16. https://shiatsu-web.com

    Best view i have ever seen !

    https://baoviet.com.vn/Redirect.aspx?url=https://shiatsu-web.com

    April 28, 2021 at 08:38 | Report abuse | Reply
  17. cheap viagra from canada

    buying viagra in canada https://canadaviagrastore.com/ viagra sale canada

    April 28, 2021 at 22:44 | Report abuse | Reply
  18. avanafil

    avanafil vs cialis avanafil cost

    April 29, 2021 at 08:44 | Report abuse | Reply
  19. erectile dysfunction pills

    erectile prescription pills https://canadaerectiledysfunctionpills.com/ erectile coffee

    April 29, 2021 at 13:14 | Report abuse | Reply
  20. https://www.songmanhits.com

    Best view i have ever seen !

    https://www.google.co.jp/url?q=https://www.songmanhits.com

    April 29, 2021 at 14:01 | Report abuse | Reply
  21. Cameron Mellas

    Great post! We will be linking to this great content on our site. Keep up the good writing.

    https://extraproxies.com/buy-proxies/200-proxy-pack

    May 1, 2021 at 17:38 | Report abuse | Reply
  22. 카지노사이트

    우리카지노

    https://nextsetup88.com

    May 2, 2021 at 23:28 | Report abuse | Reply
  23. 우리카지노

    카지노사이트

    https://cabelas.cc

    May 2, 2021 at 23:40 | Report abuse | Reply
  24. chloroquine diphosphate

    chloroquine tablets https://chloroquineorigin.com/ cloroquin

    May 4, 2021 at 17:16 | Report abuse | Reply
  25. RV Fabrication Riverside

    Very nice article. I certainly appreciate this website. Thanks!

    http://dok1.odeum.com/scripts/banner.php?iBannerFileID=115040000087611&vcFile=https://ocrv.pro

    May 4, 2021 at 17:26 | Report abuse | Reply
  26. diesel truck repair shop near me

    https://maps.google.com.ly/url?rct=j&sa=t&url=https3A2F2Fsprintervanrepairshop.com&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNGaY_nlK9ozc51fqwjiVdMaYZL7rg

    May 4, 2021 at 17:44 | Report abuse | Reply
  27. mind group

    https://maps.google.com.cu/url?sa=j&url=https://mastermindformen.com

    May 4, 2021 at 17:53 | Report abuse | Reply
  28. truck suspension near me

    http://login.internetaccess.io/portal/index/online?url=https3A2F2Fsprintervanrepairshop.com

    May 4, 2021 at 18:34 | Report abuse | Reply
  29. strategic group

    https://map.google.rs/url?q=https3A2F2Fmastermindformen.com&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNGaY_nlK9ozc51fqwjiVdMaYZL7rg

    May 4, 2021 at 20:22 | Report abuse | Reply
  30. ram promaster

    http://images.google.com.ar/url?q=http://www.fleetservicesorangecounty.com

    May 4, 2021 at 21:09 | Report abuse | Reply
  31. aika online

    Hello, There's no doubt that your site may be having internet browser compatibility issues. When I look at your website in Safari, it looks fine however, when opening in I.E., it has some overlapping issues. I simply wanted to provide you with a quick heads up! Besides that, wonderful site!

    https://www.vansplatformscontate.it/trigger.php?r_link=http3A2F2Faikareborn.com

    May 4, 2021 at 22:25 | Report abuse | Reply
  32. pleasure way plateau ts

    When I originally commented I seem to have clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and from now on every time a comment is added I get 4 emails with the exact same comment. There has to be a way you are able to remove me from that service? Thanks a lot!

    https://clients1.google.fr/url?sa=i&source=web&rct=j&url=https://fleetautorepairshop.com

    May 5, 2021 at 01:17 | Report abuse | Reply
  33. dapoxetine

    dapoxetine 10 mg dapoxetine 10 mg

    May 5, 2021 at 02:22 | Report abuse | Reply
  34. Vision Center Near Me

    I’m amazed, I have to admit. Seldom do I encounter a blog that’s both educative and interesting, and without a doubt, you've hit the nail on the head. The problem is something that too few people are speaking intelligently about. Now i'm very happy I stumbled across this in my hunt for something concerning this.

    https://maps.google.mu/url?sa=i&url=https://optometristphoenixaz.com

    May 5, 2021 at 02:48 | Report abuse | Reply
  35. mindset coach

    Excellent web site you have here.. It’s hard to find quality writing like yours these days. I truly appreciate people like you! Take care!!

    http://us.member.uschoolnet.com/register_step1.php?_from=menmastermind.com/

    May 5, 2021 at 05:33 | Report abuse | Reply
  36. accountability training

    http://ighaleb.ir/redirect/redirect.php?url=https://masteringthemanwithin.com

    May 5, 2021 at 08:07 | Report abuse | Reply
  37. truck oil change near me

    http://www.eurogirls17.com/cgi-bin/at3/out.cgi?id=258&tag=toplist&trade=https://fleetservicesorangecounty.com

    May 5, 2021 at 09:11 | Report abuse | Reply
  38. Eye Doctor

    Pretty! This was an incredibly wonderful article. Thanks for providing this information.

    https://images.google.co.ug/url?sa=j&source=web&rct=j&url=https://sunglasseseyedoctorsoptometristphoenixaz.com

    May 5, 2021 at 12:54 | Report abuse | Reply
  39. how to play on private aika server

    https://maps.google.ad/url?q=j&rct=j&url=https3A2F2Faikareborn.com&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNGaY_nlK9ozc51fqwjiVdMaYZL7rg

    May 5, 2021 at 13:10 | Report abuse | Reply
  40. isuzu box truck

    bookmarked!!, I like your site!

    http://www.fancyspace.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=www.fleetservicesorangecounty.com

    May 5, 2021 at 14:44 | Report abuse | Reply
  41. aika online

    Good article! We are linking to this particularly great post on our site. Keep up the great writing.

    https://agussaputra.com/redirect.php?adsID=5&u=https://aikareborn.com

    May 5, 2021 at 14:53 | Report abuse | Reply
  42. online accountability coach

    Very good post. I definitely appreciate this site. Keep it up!

    http://www.krazykat.biz/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=www.menmastermind.com

    May 5, 2021 at 14:54 | Report abuse | Reply
  43. pleasure way lexor fl

    Hello there! I just would like to give you a big thumbs up for your great information you've got here on this post. I will be returning to your site for more soon.

    https://image.google.ws/url?rct=t&sa=t&url=https://fleetvehiclerepairshop.com

    May 5, 2021 at 16:59 | Report abuse | Reply
  44. truck repair near my current location

    Very good article. I am facing a few of these issues as well..

    http://maps.google.co.cr/url?q=https://fleetservicesocrv.com

    May 5, 2021 at 18:24 | Report abuse | Reply
  45. publix near me

    This excellent website really has all of the information I needed concerning this subject and didn’t know who to ask.

    http://directory.hawaiitribune-herald.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=www.coolcatsupplies.com

    May 5, 2021 at 19:56 | Report abuse | Reply
  46. truck frame repair shop near me

    https://www.pmates.com/te3/out.php?l=post&u=https://sprintervanrepairshop.com

    May 5, 2021 at 20:03 | Report abuse | Reply
  47. chili's near me

    http://sokol-saratov.ru/redirect.php?url=spokanevalleywebdesign.com

    May 5, 2021 at 20:08 | Report abuse | Reply
  48. penske truck repair near me

    https://map.google.com.et/url?sa=t&url=https://fleetrepairshops.com

    May 6, 2021 at 00:21 | Report abuse | Reply
  49. Eye Exams Near Me

    Nice post. I learn something totally new and challenging on blogs I stumbleupon on a daily basis. It will always be exciting to read through content from other writers and practice something from their sites.

    https://images.google.co.in/url?sa=i&rct=j&url=https://eyedoctorphoenixaz.com

    May 6, 2021 at 00:43 | Report abuse | Reply
  50. RV Kitchen Near Me

    http://www.home-stile.ru/bitrix/rk.php?id=44&site_id=bb&event1=banner&event2=click&event3=2+2F+5B445D+5BLEFT_25D+&goto=https://ocrv.tv

    May 6, 2021 at 01:09 | Report abuse | Reply
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32

Leave a Reply to Kay


 

CNN welcomes a lively and courteous discussion as long as you follow the Rules of Conduct set forth in our Terms of Service. Comments are not pre-screened before they post. You agree that anything you post may be used, along with your name and profile picture, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and the license you have granted pursuant to our Terms of Service.

Advertisement
About this blog

Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers. They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love.