Paxil (paroxetine) for Depression: I went on Paxil a year after father died 15 years ago. I was told it was non-addictive and started on a low-mid dosage, 20mg. It helped and was on it for about 10-12 years. I just accepted that I needed it. Everyone is correct about not missing doses - if I missed 2-3 days, I'd get very emotional, cry at drop of a hat, etc. - which I unfortunately took as proof that I needed to stay on it - I didn't understand it was the withdrawal effects! Over time, with ups/downs in career, I gradually increased dosages, going to 40 mg/day. In late 2010, after out of work for 2-3 years, I went back to general dr and he prescribed 60mg/day. Within a couple months, I was in downward spiral.
. The good thing is that I can cope with the tremendous amount of stress I am under at work and home with my special needs son. I was going to a Naturopathic Physician and the natural remedies worked for a while and then stopped. I couldn't sleep much for four months and kept jumping out of my sleep with massive panic attacks. I started out on 10 mg and now cut my pills in half (5 mg) and it keeps me panic free. The negative side effects are sexual performance, weight gain and I feel the medicine is aging me. I now have occasional head shaking that upsets my wife. She wants me to get off this and I tried to a couple of times with renewal of panic attacks.
. I'm going to try to go up to 20mg and see how much that works, because my anxiety is still moderately high. The only side effect I got from it is sedation, I can take it and soon after I take it I fall asleep. It has also helped my depression, I can now start to function again. With this Paxil I'm almost out of my depression. I also took Celexa before Paxil and it worked for about a year and that was it, so that's why I'm on Paxil now, and it works 10 times better than Celexa.