DrugBuyers.Com: ??? on Paxil and lexapro

Oh! I just HAD to respond to this one.

I know your original question was whether Paxil and Lepraxo are safe to take together but like 'stevesmith' I have some very bad news for you about Paxil and the terrible withdrawals I had from it. It's important to let you know first that I have also stopped taking Xanax, I've also been on many other SSRI's and other drugs and have stopped taking them all with little or no side effects. But I have never experienced anything as bad as coming off Paxil.

At first I thought I had a freakish kind of Flu. I'd run out of my prescription and all of a sudden I was struck down by what I thought was a crazy virus. I stayed in bed for two weeks convulsing, sweating and having auditory hallucinations, unbelievably vivid dreams and a very dark and frightening depression. The funny thing is I never once thought it was because I'd stopped taking my pills, I just assumed that the reason I couldn't get to the doctor to collect my next prescription was because I had 'caught' this unusual bug.

Anyway, 6 months later I decided to stop taking Paxil for other reasons, and tapered off slowly and guess what? The exact same symptoms of the mysterious virus that I thought I'd contracted several months earlier returned. It was then that I realised I was going through major withdrawals. Nothing could stop them so I just rode it out... one night I remember having the heating cranked up full blast and although I was wrapped up in a fleece blanket and was practically stuck to the radiator, I was shivering and aching all over. I felt like a proper junkie and I thought that the nightmare was never going to end! Thankfully it did, and needless to say, I never went back to the doctor who prescribed Paxil to me with the assurance that 'they are in no way addictive'.

I had to share this experience because to this day I am amazed that this seemingly 'harmless' drug could do this to me, whilst other drugs that are considered highly addictive had little or no effect when I stopped taking them. I suppose once again it is down to the individual, everybody reacts differently to drugs. It pains me to say this, but I'm sure there are lots of people out there who have taken Paxil and have given up with minimal side effects. What you have to ask yourself is this: Is Paxil the only drug that can help me with panic attacks, or are there others that I can try? I think you'll find that there are less controversial drugs out there that can help you.

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Sally