How long does it take for Paxil increase to kick in. And should I start with 5 mg increases?

Hi Nona, I have been on Paxil for 25 years. I started on 20 mg and through life crises and have had it increased to 30 mg, then 40 mg, then 60 mg at the peak of COVID-19-19, plus my sister got killed and her children were left to deal with a greedy stepfather. Things have settled down and I am back down to 30 mg. Originally, I had side effects when I started Paxil, but I really didn't have any side effects when the dosages were increased and it only took about a week to feel the change. Also, when I had the dosage lowered, I had no side effects.
Please explain what you mean when you say your doctor changed your meds last year and you went into crisis and you went back to Paxil. Around 2007, I was dealing with caring for my physically and mentally ill mother. She was always berating me and my husband and accusing us of doing illegal things and trying to kill her. It was her illness, but it was hard to take. I asked the doctor to change my meds as they weren't working. He changed it to (? don't remember), after weaning me off of Paxil for two weeks. A week later I had horrific symptoms. Constant headaches, shaky, emotional, anxious, nauseous, irritable. It was so horrible. I called the doctor's office. He was on vacation in another country for a month. The on-call doctor was not comfortable adjusting the meds. I thought it was the new med, so I stopped taking it but the symptoms lasted two months until I got back into see him. He told me it was Paxil withdrawal. TWO MONTHS!! I went back on Paxil because I was still taking care of my mother. I now realize at age 70, that I will be a lifelong Paxil patient because I never want to go through that again. So, I was wondering if you had Paxil withdrawal or just had life events and went back on Paxil. Sorry you're going through this. It's no fun. Take care.

Hi, Nona!
It usually takes about 3-4 weeks to see full improvement and increased anxiety and depression can be common side effects in those first few weeks.
Dosages are usually increased by 10mg/week increments but starting with lower doses may help lessen any side effects you may have. Depending on what condition it's being prescribed for the maximum daily dose could be as high as 60mg.