I take paxil for anxiety and depression. 60mg a day. I am not the best at taking pils and somedays will forget to take it. If I go with out it for two days my head feels really funny (not to mention I'm not easy to live with but my main concern is the weirdness I feel). It is really hard to explain-it's almost for like a couple seconds things get really fuzzy and I get woozy. It comes and goes (until I take my medication and it kicks in) I was wondering if anyone else has ever had this problem.

I took paxil myself for awhile.Never had any problems like that at all. I'm pretty sure 60 is the maximum dosage for paxil. You may want to talk to your pharmist about this.

I tried paxil briefly with bad results, both physical and emotional.

So, I highly recommend Xanax.
I don't trust any drug that requires one's body to go through an adjustment period.

I took Paxil last year for 8 days...in that time I lost 8lbs., ran 3 red lights and could have kill someone for just saying hello. And, I'm not kidding. Some people do have awful reactions, some, it is a God send. Just be careful. Call your pharmacist and/or doctor to report your reactions. I didn't and could have caused myself or some else harm.

Usually paxil takes awhile to work. It has to build up to a level in your system. My doctor told me to give it about 2-4 weeks to work effectivly. Coming off of it I noticed a difference alot faster it seemed. I don't know what the half life of this drug is. Sam

Just like to drop that piece of advice. I got a close (female) friend.She's been taking Xanax along with Paxil.Now the doc. said your suppose to slowly get away from xanax. with the help of Paxil ....that's the goal!She thought that Paxil had bad side effects (sexuals) on her, so she switched to "zoloft" continuing with Xanax.And she feels better.Again the goal is to get Xanax out of the way!!!Slowly but surely!!

I've heard from someone who took it that Paxil causes loss of interest in sex. Your pharmacist can perhaps give you a full list of known side effects. I've found my pharmacist a better source than my doctor for knowing ALL the side effects of a drug.

I was taking Celexa. I was put on Paxil and ended up with dry heaves for hours feeling like something insane for a solid 24 hours with only one dose. Get this, the doctor told me the side effects would go away and to keep taking it. Yeah right!

These new antidepressant drugs were formed after the so called success of Prozac. Keep in mind, there were unexplained out of character acts of violence and suicide associated with this drug. These drugs have side effects many cannot tolerate at all.

I then got on Celexa. Yes, it did help resolve stress. The problem was that after about a year of taking it, I started not feeling anything. I didn't feel good feelings or bad. This drug was changing who I was. I had enough. I wanted off.

Trying to get off this drug was no simple task. It took me four tries at it. I tapered the pill down to small amounts gradually as I imagine a doctor would do the last shot. It was sheer hell. I don't drink, but for a week would wake at odd hours and make a Long Island Iced Tea so strong it would walk by itself to somehow sedate myself so that I actually could get through this period of withdrawal. My emotions were out of control. I knew they were out of proportion to what I was reacting to. My stress level was through the roof. It felt like sheer insanity.

I then managed to actually get off this drug. In past attempts of just not taking it, I felt enormous stress and out of control emotions. As you said, when I took the next dose, I felt better again. The problem was that I was back to the living dead again.

I came across a medical magazine I found at work describing in great detail what these new antidepressants do to the brain. Among many things, it causes a neuron build up in a portion of your brain. Of course, any change to the brain will change you. Once you stop taking the drug, neuron depletion takes place. That accounts for the feelings you are getting when you miss a dose. There are actually physical changes taking place in the brain.

There are people that need these sort of drugs because no amount of lifestyle change or therapy works for them. By a whole, I do not agree with doctors decisions to prescribe these drugs at all as freely as they do now. Most people are having some sort of situational difficulty in life. There may be some transitional point, some crisis, or other change that is needed to solve their problems.

Wow, Wildflower, that's an impressive accomplishment! It took courage. Lots of people stay on aids such as sleeping medicine or tranquillizers because it's so hard to get off them. Glad you persevered.

Thanks Bab. I feel getting off the antidepressant was the world largest favor that I could have done for myself. I can't say that I go around feeling just great all the time. I don't necessarily think we are supposed to. At least I feel like myself again!

You can not take antidepressant when you want to. That is not how they work. It does usually take time for the best effect of the drug. Some people can not take certain antidepressants because they act on them in a bad way. For instance I was on Prozac and it put me asleep for almost a year but yet I keep taking it. This was the wrong drug for me. When you are on a antidepressant you need to wean your self down. You just don't stop in way day. Look at how Wildflower felt. I took my Prozac down to the smallest dose then I went every other day then every 3 third day and finally after about 3 weeks I stoped it. I had NO problems like Wildflower did. If you do it slowly you will be better than if you wean in a week. I think you need to call your doctor NOW and tell him /her what you are feeling, when you dizzy and see what they say. That is not a normal thing to happen.
Just for everyones' FYI some drugs do have side effects that go away after your body gets adjusted to it. For instance I took Glucophage and it gave me the runs. It got better every day and finally after about a month it didn't happen every day. Now it does not do that to me at all. Once again you have to listen to your doctor and your pharmcy about side effects and we as patients need to talk to our doctors. I get so mad when I see people who are complaining about their medications and yet they will not express this to their docs. How are they going to help you if you don't tell them. All doctors have some kins of nurse or PA that will take your call and talk to you and then they will talk to the doctor. Sometimes the doc calls you back or for sure the nurse does.

Please call your doctor office and tell them how you are taking the drug and how you get these feelings. Maybe something else is going on. Or maybe this drug is not the right one for you.

If you have not taken your meds for 2 days, what you are feeling is probably withdrawals. When they tell you don't cut antidepressants off abruptly, they mean it. Figure out some way to remind yourself: if you drink coffee first thing in the morning, put the meds on top of the coffeemaker, or something like that.

Catty (who has been through withdrawals before)