Paxil for Depression User Reviews (Page 5)

• Anonymous
• February 8, 2010

"I tried Zoloft for depression and it made me hyper. Paxil works. I have used it two times during my life when I was depressed and self-help was not working. It worked great for depression and I didn't have many side effects EXCEPT that I cannot achieve orgasm while taking this medication. Nada. I have a wonderful husband and I am used to a good sex life. Paxil kills it. As soon as I'm off the drug for a week, everything comes back. I hate losing sex but I hate being depressed more. In the end, that is the choice for me."

• paxil...
• December 15, 2011

"Thanx to Paxil I'm still here to type this comment, it saved my life. I was started on 20mg but had to go up to 40mg (max dose) for about 3 years after which I was slowly dropped down to 20mg, then right down to 10mg, which I was on for awhile then down to 5mg and eventually went off the medication. The times I did miss my dosage it was usually the second day when the zaps started along with the feeling of vertigo. The half life of this medicine is very short about 3 days that's why people feel withdrawal symptoms so quickly but I've found quite tolerable for the good it has done for me. A wonderful medication!"

• Amber...
• January 25, 2018

"I've been on Paxil for about three months now, and it's been a welcome change from Effexor. I'm finding myself calmer, less aggressive, still have my bad days but they're not as bad. Family and co-workers have seen a noticeable difference for the better. Effexor numbed me out, I wasn't depressed but I wasn't happy either and after awhile it just became less effective. So far with Paxil, I'm noticing better moods, actually smiling and laughing more so I hope it continues. Only downside I've noticed so far is some drowsiness, but it's manageable."

• Rappman
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 8, 2012

"I went to my primary doctor for a check up. I told him that I just was not feeling right. He referred me to the mental health clinic. The doctor there asked me a lot of questions about how I felt, was I suicidal. Discussed my military life. And any combat experience. That was to check on PTSD. She started me on Paxil. I had the usual side effects of dry mouth, couldn't sleep, excessive urination, constipation, and diarrhea. But I got over the side effects when my body got used to the medication. One of the main problems with this medication is that I cannot get an erection and cannot orgasm. "

• disco...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 31, 2012

"I was prescribed this medication initially for depression and then along with another medication for atypical depression and panic disorder. I had to give it some stars because it did help with the anxiety. Problem was I had no life. No sex drive. Emotionally flat. Slept 12-16 hrs a day (I craved sleep all the time) and ate non stop eventually gaining 80 lbs. Finally my husband encouraged me to go off it. I tapered the dose and experienced brain zaps and generally weird feelings for several weeks. "

• Anonymous
• April 24, 2009

"I was taking Paxil for 6 months for my depression. At first I felt a major difference with the chemicals in my brain. But then I felt sleepy ALL the time, it also made my appetite off the wall. I gained 40 pounds and was back at my ending pregnancy weight, which didn't help with my depression. I would suggest anyone who takes this drug to truly watch what you eat. Paxil made me feel like my "full signal" from my stomach to my brain was shut off."

• autum...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 11, 2022

"On Paxil for Borderline personality disorder. I've been on a variation of dosages from 20mg to 40 mg and to 30mg. It worked really well. First two weeks I had a sodium crave! Pickles and mustard, anything to get more salt. I had no weight gain aside from the birth control I also started. And it self-reminds you to take it daily! With that being said, It’s a great drug but difficult to get off of. I’m currently taking my last 2.5mg chip trying to get off this drug without severe withdrawals. Brain-zaps, always hot and sweaty… I’d wake up with my hair sopping wet like I just stood in the shower. I’d recommend being super cautious and slight lower it (2.5-5mg) bi-weekly for the least amount of side effects. I dropped from 30mg to 20mg and experienced those nasty symptoms. Trying out a different med to see if my Borderline personality disorder symptoms lessen."

• MeowxD
• January 31, 2017

"I absolutely HATED this medication. I have been struggling with panic attacks and major depression since I was younger. I was put on this medication for about a year and my panic attacks were not so often. The downsides of medication Is that I felt little to no emotion, And had ZERO sex drive."

• Anonymous
• March 10, 2009

"Significant weight gain experienced within a few months. VERY tough on the libido. Extremely difficult to get off this medication without significant side effects - dizziness, nausea. I was taking Celexa before and would definitely go back. For the purposes of banishing depression/anxiety, it worked, but not without side effects that make me want to stop taking it each day."

• Girly
• November 11, 2008

"This was a good drug for the first couple of years of taking it. Unfortunately, I did not consult my doctor before I stopped taking it. Huge mistake! I highly recommend seeing your doctor before you stop taking this. DO NOT quit cold turkey like I did. I felt like I was going insane, had mood swings were horrible and couldn't sleep. "

• SF...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 5, 2017

"I've been on Paxil for about 30 days. The change in my mood has been positive and very gradual. Currently I take Latuda with Paxil at night. I'm not buzzing with joy but my outlook is positive and so I think the Paxil is doing it's job.... I'm just not sure."

• Gizz
• July 14, 2009

"This medication is better than any of the other SSRI I've tried so far. It has given me very few side effects that slowly diminished. Paxil is better, it does give you a calming effect that helps me relax, and I don't feel empty. "

• 7mike
• March 3, 2015

"I was wondering why I had irregular bowel movements for quite some time. I went to Dr. after Dr. explaining my symptoms (constipation, bloating, back pain, dark stool.) Most of them thought I had IBS or an allergy to gluten. I had these symptoms from 2009 till recently. After some thought I decided to switch my medication. My Psychologist wrote me a new prescription and I started to ween of the paxil. 2 weeks into my new medication schedule I started to feel 1000 times better! I go to the bathroom daily now just as a healthy person should. In fact, it seems like my body is trying to make up for lost time. Needless to say, Paxil I feel is the cause of my extreme constipation."

• depre...
• April 7, 2010

"I have taken Paxil for about 6 months. I have not had any weight gain as I had previously with other medications. I feel emotionally much more stable and the side effects have been minimal. I still feel tired occasionally and have some trouble with my short term-memory but my overall quality of life seems to be better and although I still feel mildly blue at times the feeling is not as intense and doesn't linger for weeks. Happy with the medicine."

• Pixil...
• November 7, 2017

"I've been on it for about 15 years. It was exactly what I needed to combat depression and the behavior that went with it. These days however, I find it makes me very tired. I can spend my entire day off just sleeping and retreating into dreams, almost like hiding. Maybe it's time to find a different drug."

• Anonymous
• May 29, 2009

"Every person's experience may be different. I took Paxil for 14 years. SIGNIFICANT weight gain (over 100 pounds, before I realized it was the medication). In some people it suppresses the brain's ability to tell when one is full, so one feels hungry all the time. Left me void of emotions of any kind, more like just feeling completely numb. Weaning myself off of Paxil was very difficult - flu-like symptoms, clouded thinking, blurred vision, among other things. It was the first antidepressant that I had ever taken, so I didn't know that I wasn't supposed to feel numb. I'm sure it's a wonderful medicine for some people but it didn't work well for me."

• Encou...
• January 21, 2017

"My depression is weird, mostly due to tapering off of and recovering from benzodiazepine dependency. I have awful anhedonia and have been watching my life crumble in slow motion over the past year. I know I needed to do something. The Paxil is a stopgap solution but so far I'm starting to climb my way out. I can't really attest to side effects. The worst I guess is a dry mouth and fuzzy thinking, but honestly, I've been depressed for so long, I can't say my thinking has been that great to begin with. I was afraid it would lower my libido and I'd have anorgasmia, but so far no. My logic is thusly, I may end up losing my job because of "personal problems". Won't it be nice if I can actually handle such an eventuality instead of giving up?"

• Forme...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• December 29, 2016

"I was prescribed Paxil for anxiety & depression when I was 13. Initially, it did all it was promised with few side affects. Over the years it seemed to lose it's effectiveness, but I was afraid to come off it for fear I would be worse off. Finally started the process of weaning myself off it when multiple reports came out saying it was DANGEROUS and had multiple long term effects on teenagers. I had been taking it for nearly a decade. The withdrawals were the worst thing I have experienced in my life. Thought I was dying. My face and limbs didn't feel real. The "zaps". I was nonfunctional, and this lasted months. Please use extreme caution and have someone closely monitor you when you decide to wean off this medication."

• senn
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 11, 2017

"I was put onto horrid paxil in 1996. Turned into zombie gained 60 lbs in 4 months. Went off cold turkey, doctor said no problem won't make weight gain and not addictive. She believed the sales rep. Now 2017. Weight still high can't shed weight unless total fast that kicks in serious medical issues Plus....diabetes. yep paxil can give you that deadly expensive disease. DONT take this drug, they test on patients' withdrawal now they call it something else. Good luck. But run away from this dangerous drug. You will gain fat you can't lose and end up losing a foot and your vision to this drug. Depressed now? Try it from a wheel chair and being blind from paxil caused diabetes."

• Nawch...
• December 3, 2010

"Suicidal, depressed and anxious for 9 years, finally decided I could not handle it on my own anymore and decided to seek help. My doctor prescribed me Paxil and 20 minutes after I took it I no longer wanted to kill myself (this feeling was often, all day everyday almost). It's now been 3 days and still going good. There are however side effects, loss of appetite (not good I'm too thin already), blurred vision (very difficult for an artist), insomnia, impossible to reach ejaculation, also have experienced some increased anxiety. Despite these side affects im faced with a choice, accept the side effects or continue to live my life feeling sad and lonely."

• blobf...
• July 25, 2019

"I have depression with anxiety on top. Paxil did help calm my anxiety but also made me veeeery lazy and letharged and didn't really help the depression totally. + weight gain + zero libido and no ability to orgasm no sensation at all. So my overall quality of life didn't improve as much as I would have liked on this med. I feel like this might be a better med for just anxiety than depression for some people? But try something else first if you can.. this is the worst medication for sexual side effects I've tried"

• jja_a...
• January 24, 2010

"I started Paxil in 2000, I was depressed, I stopped drinking vodka, no desire.. I was not cured instantly but have never wanted a 'drink' since April 2000. I recently started talk therapy, and have been satisfied thus far. It is really letting all the wires connect better. Life will always be a challenge..BEST...January 2010."

• Amber
• December 9, 2017

"I was on Paxil for a little over a year, and am currently weaning off. I suffer from depression, panic disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, and generalized anxiety. I started Paxil at 10mg and went all the way up to 40mg, within the first couple of months. This drug did wonders for my panic disorder, PTSD, and anxiety, but made my depression worse! The reason I decided to stop taking it is because I didn't want to get out of bed anymore, and I gained about 60lbs since I started taking it. Funny they call it an antidepressant, when in the end it made my depression worse. I am trying Wellbutrin now... but I won't know how well that works until I'm completely off the Paxil in a couple weeks. The withdrawal is awful, even while weaning."

• Bollie
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 24, 2021

"Unfortunately my doctor prescribed paroxetine 20 mg for over 39 years when I decided to stop and slowly lower from 20-0. I had to do it alone because the doctor did not agree. It took me a year to wean down but then I had a severe panic attack (never had that) and irritation started as well as overall very emotional. It has been 6 months since I stopped and I still battle through every day. Fighting my negative thoughts. But I am convinced I will win this. Unfortunately I can not find any info on this subject... does anybody know about the effects on your brain after using paroxetine for 30 + years and then stopping? Thanks"

• Sooty...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 7, 2018

"I used this anti depressant for 12 months. It definitely improved my mood and helped my anxiety it also took away menopausal hot flushes. The down side however was that after taking it for about a month I became constantly hungry and have put on about 8kg of weight. The weight was mainly in the stomach area. I recently came off paroxetine by cutting the 20mg tablet in half for a week, then stopping it and going on to 20mg of lexapro. Within a few days my appetite was under control and I am able to eat a lot less. The side effects when I stopped taking it were headaches every morning however this may be because I have a few issues with my neck. I also got hot and cold sensations. Overall it was a good medicine for me"