Paxil for Anxiety User Reviews (Page 4)

• Mom...
• September 4, 2017

"I was on this medication for years for OCD, anxiety, depression, and PTSD, then I wanted to get pregnant and switched to Zoloft. The Z stopped working after a year, and terrible panic attacks started happening again. I went back on Paxil. Overall, I am happy to not be crying all the time and not snapping at my family. I have a much better time on Paxil than on Zoloft. My only problem is the weight gain that comes with it. It's very sad for me to gain 20 pounds. But still, it's better than being so scared all the time. Please make sure you take it as directed. It takes six weeks for medicine like this to work. You won't know after a day or two. Stay strong."

• daz...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 1, 2015

"I started taking paroxetine about 5 years ago because I was lasting 2 mins in bed with my gf. I never had that problem before but it was happening all the time. My doctor told me I had anxiety and put me on paroxetine. Since then I have felt great and never looked back. The premature ejaculation went and I felt much better. I had always had negative panicky feelings but just thought it was normal and everyone felt like this but since starting it I have felt great. It can be hard if you just stop the side affects are pretty bad but I am happy to keep on taking it because it works for me... hope this was helpful ;)"

• Kt5...
• June 25, 2017

"I started Paxil approximately 3 weeks ago, and my life started changing for the better about 2 weeks into it. I feel my social anxiety dissolving, I didn't realize how depressed I was, but life is starting to look so much brighter. I suffered from bad PE, which made sexual intimacy impossible, and this has pretty much gone away. I am becoming more outgoing and able to express myself to others, and I am working hard to remove everything in my head that caused my anxiety by talking with my spouse and others in my family. I am also becoming much more comfortable in social situations. I sure hope it continues because I can't imagine going back to my old self. I had bad nausea and was so tired the first week, but it was so worth it."

• Yel...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 3, 2013

"I started Paxil 1 week ago and I have only had one little attack. It has given me more energy for work! But I do find myself going home after work and taking a nap! The only bad thing about it so far is I'm clenching my jaw a lot causing my back teeth to hurt and can't really chew that well, may be why I am losing weight also! But it has made my life a lot easier so far! From before I'd have to miss work because of my anxiety!"

• Sun...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 19, 2020

"I was on Paxil for 3-4 years, starting at 10 mg a day to, I think, 50 mg a day? My doctor kept upping the dose as my mood wasn’t really lifting. It made me so drowsy, my doctor told me it would go away, but it never did. What I initially loved about it was the calmness I had, I could handle social settings with ease! BUT then came the other side. I was just so spaced out, people at work noticed me staring into space and would ask if I was okay! Then one day, driving to the store, I made a left turn and smashed into another car. No one was hurt, cops came, and as I sat on the curb, people asked if I was okay, one guy told me I seemed “out of it.” I saw the car coming, but my reactions were slow. To this day, I believe my being on Paxil contributed to the crash. I stopped cold turkey, which was awful! Never ever do that. Paxil warns about driving and operating heavy machinery. It might work amazingly for some, everyone is different. Happiness to all :)"

• Mr ...
• August 11, 2015

"I began taking Paxil for my depression and anxiety. I started at 10 mg. The first night I took it, I had horrible dizziness, headache, sickness, and felt weak. The next night I felt fine. Now it is 3 months later, and I feel wonderful! No side effects, and I can get through the day without anxiety being the focal point. I am now up to 30 mg."

• Lem...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 10, 2020

"My doctor prescribed me Paxil, as she felt I had anxiety (and that I was depressed as a side effect). For what little anxiety I felt I had, it works great. I flew for the first time and felt no anxiety at all, I was like, “Wow, this is what it feels like to be normal.” However, for depression, I still do get sad, although that may just be me (my therapy sessions are rather useless). At first, when taking this, I was on cloud 9. I was feeling great, and I had no appetite at all, so I lost 8 pounds. Once I got used to eating without being hungry, my appetite got back to normal. I also started getting constipated while taking this, so my doctor prescribed me Miralax. I also have noticed that it seems to have dulled my senses “down there”, it takes longer to have an orgasm, which is frustrating. I have heard about how this is a difficult drug to get off of, which I am nervous about. All in all, I think it works okay, but this is also the first anti-depression medicine I have ever taken."

• Mr ...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 6, 2016

"Paxil is going to affect everyone differently. What worked great for me may be the worst medication you've ever tried. I've been on Paxil for 20 years, and for a large majority of those years, Paxil really helped me with my anxiety. I've been back and forth between 15-30 mg many times. I never had any major side effects from it (not libido, not weight gain). The thing with Paxil is, there's the potential for what's called 'Paxil poop out' (yes, it's real, Google it), where the Paxil stops being effective. I was completely unaware of this, so I was totally blindsided with debilitating anxiety and horrible panic attacks out of nowhere one day. I was really bummed because Paxil had done so much good for me. It's a great med when it works."

• Bel...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 4, 2016

"I went on this medication due to having severe anxiety and mild OCD to the point where it affected me in almost every aspect. I've only been on it for almost a month, and so far the results have been amazing. The only side effect that I've really noticed is the fact that I get sleepy, so I take it before bed. Other than that, I'm happier, calmer, and my OCD isn't as bad anymore."

• jrb...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• May 22, 2012

"I have had anxiety for approximately 30 years and have been on Paxil for about 10. What a difference it has made in my life. I would recommend this medicine to anyone who is suffering from anxiety. I also suffer from panic disorder, and just carrying Xanax with me has helped alleviate my attacks. Only have to take it once in a while now. Also, working out more has really helped with stress, a great preventative, and with a little of the weight gain from Paxil. Take care."

• anu...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 12, 2014

"I started Paxil after being off antidepressants for a couple of months for bad anxiety and depression. This medication made me feel like a million bucks within the first couple of weeks. I was able to get up on time, didn't feel tired, and was exceedingly happy. Unfortunately, I had to get off of it because it caused bad Restless Leg Syndrome for me."

• Sar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 9, 2022

"A couple of months ago, my anxiety became life-consuming. It came on very suddenly. I was having panic attacks, waking up in a panic, couldn't eat, had diarrhea, couldn't sleep, didn't want to travel, didn't want to do anything social, couldn't work, was weepy all the time, and I ended up in the ER twice. I tried Lexapro for one day and had a terrible reaction. I started on Paxil 10 mg, upped to 15, then 20, and now I'm on 25 mg. I've been on it for 10 weeks now. I just want to share that I'm no longer experiencing panic attacks. I don't wake up in a panic, my appetite is back, no more crying, I'm productive, etc. I'm in a MUCH better place now. I'm seeing a therapist, and Hydroxyzine is also helping. My Paxil side effects were headaches, sleepiness, and crazy dreams. All of those have gone away. I'm not 100% back to myself, but I'm feeling a lot of relief. I'm calm and rational. I'm seeing a big difference. Give it time! Hang in there. Stay up through the struggles."

• liz...
• April 21, 2009

"I have been on Paxil for 6 weeks now and it just finally kicked in. I suffered with anxiety and extreme panic for 6 years. Now I'm fine. I can't believe it. It's my wonder drug. My life feels normal now. However, I stopped taking it for three days in a row and I felt crazy, so do not cold turkey this drug."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 10, 2014

"Great medicine. I suffer from minor depression and anxiety. I've had them my whole life. I have been taking this for almost 2 years. If you want to stop taking this medicine, wean off it really slowly. I'm taking 20 mg in the morning and at night."

• Sti...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 2, 2019

"I was really hoping that Paxil would work for me since it worked for my sister. I have intrusive thoughts and anxiety. This medication ramped my anxiety up bad. Thoughts way worse. I'm stopping after 6 days. I know there are those who say keep with it. I am getting 1 hour of sleep on this drug. I can't stay on it. It's not for me. I realize it may help people, but my comments are for those it didn't work for. You are not alone. I have insomnia, increased anxiety, I am a mess."

• Pet...
• August 6, 2015

"Have been on paroxetine twice. It worked very well both times. Only side effects were increased anxiety at first (went away after a week) and heart palpitations (also went away). Only reason I would recommend trying something else first is because the withdrawals make coming off this drug very difficult."

• Joe...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 16, 2021

"Paxil was a game changer for me. I had severe anxiety, couldn’t sleep or eat, and felt that horrible tightness in my chest all day. The doctor prescribed Paxil, and within 2 days, I started to feel like my old self! I did gain a tad bit of weight, but I needed to anyway, so that didn’t bother me. Highly recommend!"

• Peb...
• January 20, 2014

"My journey started around 17 years ago when I was pregnant and suffered an episode, and I was put in the hospital as my son was due. They gave me 150 mg straight off of clomipramine, you can imagine how comatose I was. Over the next few years, I had many crashes on this drug. Then, about 7 years ago, a doctor prescribed Paxil. The best thing that could ever have happened. The positives outweigh the negatives with the side effects. I'm on 15 mg and would love to reduce again one day, but I'm happy to be stable and of sound mind."

• Bra...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 8, 2019

"I have been on Paxil 20 mg now for over a year, and it seriously helped my anxiety during a very difficult period of my life. Now that I want to come off, the side effects are awful. I experience brain zaps with the lower dose or when I accidentally miss a dose, which makes me want to just go back to my regular dose because they are so uncomfortable. I am tired no matter how much sleep I get. My sex drive comes and goes, but I can go longer amounts of time without even thinking about it. About 5 months ago, I was experiencing brain fog, where I was forgetting what I was talking about halfway through a conversation. All in all, there are pros and cons to the drug. It really does help, but there are so many other things to consider. I really want off, but I am so afraid to experience any withdrawal symptoms. Good luck to you all!"

• Rac...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 29, 2024

"Paxil allowed me to experience what it feels like to live like a normal person. I just wish I could have tried it sooner. I've tried other SSRIs like Lexapro and Prozac, but Lexapro had AWFUL side effects and made my anxiety worse, and Prozac stopped working after 2 years. After only 4 weeks of taking Paxil, I began to notice small, positive differences, and after 8 weeks, I felt like a NEW PERSON. I had little to no side effects. The way I am now is how I should have felt my entire life. I'm honestly sad thinking about all of the things I've missed out on through the years due to my anxiety and how this med could have changed my life sooner. The only reason I gave a rating of 9 instead of 10 is because it makes me really sleepy. I get easily fatigued and need at least 1 short nap a day in order to function (even if that means taking one right after work), but I'd rather feel sleepy than the way I did before. I'm finally living my life. I will never come off of this drug."

• Jer...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• May 5, 2023

"I have been taking Paxil for over 20 years for anxiety attacks and depression. I have gone up and down with dosage and have had a year or two periods that I went off the medication. It really has let me live a normal, fulfilling life and function successfully in school and career. It is definitely not a cure or wonder drug, but it certainly has helped me tremendously in life."

• dee...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• April 17, 2021

"I have been taking Paxil for 27 years. It really helped me with depression and anxiety. However, after menopause, I felt I had too much in my system-i.e., no emotions-so I started to wean off very slowly. 5 mg every 3-4 months to avoid withdrawal symptoms. I successfully got down to 10 mg. I tried lowering to 5 mg but got very bad anxiety. So I went back up to 10 mg. This seems to work fine, and I will stay on this dosage for now. I did gain about 50 lbs after taking Paxil-although part of that was bad eating! Since then, I have lost a good chunk of the weight through healthy eating and exercise. So overall, the drug has worked well for me-but it took over a year to go from 20 mg to 10 mg very slowly, so I didn't have bad withdrawal symptoms."

• Anonymous
• August 27, 2008

"Paxil changed my life so far. It's been 3 months on 10mg and my anxiety is all but gone. Sometimes, when I have PMS, I still get some anxiety, but I am not willing to take more than 10 mg, so I will live with that. If taken properly, it is great."

• dda...
• December 28, 2018

"I was on Paxil 18 years ago, it changed my life. I was shy, never dated. I was put on Paxil and then married the first guy I went out with. I have been married 18 years, have 5 kids. I had to go off Paxil while I was having my first 2 children, and they switched me to Zoloft when I was having number 3. Zoloft worked good for me for 10 years, but I have switched back to Paxil. I have been back on it for 17 days and hope it works again. I also have OCD, panic attacks, well, all that Paxil treats. It runs in my family."

• Emi...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 24, 2014

"My entire life since a young child, I've been fighting post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression. I didn't even know it until I was about 22. I was in a very bad car accident, and it changed my life and worsened my anxiety. My panic attacks were so bad I'd be just sobbing and screaming and crying and freaking out in waves throughout the whole day. I finally sucked up my pride and admitted something was wrong and I needed to see a doctor. I went, and he immediately put me on a 20 mg dose. It was great, I did calm down quite a bit, and when I'd have flashbacks, it came without panic attacks. It's been a year, and I've hit the poop-out. I was at 40 mg 4 months ago, and now I'm at 5 mg and take Wellbutrin XL for this last month to regain my energy. It's working."