Questions On Meds? Paxil, Effexor etc.

[guy_lafleur23]

Hello, hope everyone is coping well with the biggest con I like to call anxiety. This post is for anyone taking meds they would like to share their knowledge about.
Anyhow, here is my question, Has anybody out there try taking Paxil before a.k.a. apo-paroxetine? And If so, What can you tell me about it? Because I just got a brand new prescription for my anxiety/panic attacks.
9 Months ago I was on Effexor, and it was pure hell, all the way through, right up to the end, the withdrawl was intense and apparently its like coming off of Heroine. I don't suggest it to anyone. Anyhow, hopefully you will all share your stories about the meds you are on or have been on. Thank you!

[Robbed]

Okay. I have not taken Paxil (or any SSRI/SNRI) myself. But I have known a few people who have. And NONE of them had a really good experience with it. One of the BIGGEST complaints I have heard about Paxil is its tendency to cause constant drowsiness. A friend of mine who was on it for a few years talked about how he ALWAYS felt like sleeping when taking it. Another person I knew had a HORRIBLE time getting off the stuff. Of course, this does not mean that you WILL have these problems with Paxil. But after your bad experience on 'The Evil E' (Effexor, that is - I've heard it called that on several occasions), do you REALLY want to even think about going through it all again?

Seriously, one of the WORST things you can do with anxiety is to rely on meds alone to make you better. Yet this seems to be what the health care community promotes so heavily. I think that in light of your exrience with Effexor, you should probably try to deal with your anxiety without meds before trying them again. Get a good self-help book like 'Complete Self-Help For Your Nerves'. Or try the program at anxietycentre.com. You might be surprised to find out how much better things can be without drugs.

[BobaFett49]

I've been taking Paxil (Paroxetine) for Generalized Anxiety Disorder or whatever it's called (should be called View into Hell :evil: ) but it's paired with Klonopin (Clonazepam) and it seems to be working pretty well. I think an SSRI/benzodiazepine combination works very well, I've been on it for years now and have been doing fine. Yes I still get the catastrophic anxiety attack every 2 or 3 years where it literally takes me almost a week to recover from it, but usually I can trace the roots of it to lifestyle choices and what is going on in my life.

Effexor works alright, I was on it for about a year (took a break from Paxil) and it worked alright, not as well as Paxil from what I can tell. Most noticeable uncomfortable side-effects were a persistant diminshed appetite and insomnia. But then again, I've heard that what works for one person may not work for another. Just beware, if you and your MD decide to start Paxil, just beware it CAN cause unbelievable nausea for the first few days as your system adjusts to it.