Paxil cr symptoms and conditions

I've been on some form of Paxil for about 9 years now. Overall, it has been fantastic. My anxiety is nowhere near as bad as it used to be. The only time I've had any trouble with it is if I go off it for a couple of days. The withdrawal is terrible. I get very jittery and shaky and the stomach aches I used to get before I went on this drug come back. I've tried going off it before, but have only manage to get down to 20mgs, which is where I am now. Any lower and I get withdrawal.

Paxil CR, on the other hand, was a bad idea all together. My doctor tried to switch me to that several years ago, and it was not a good experience. I became severely depressed and started having suicidal thoughts. Needless to say, I was put back on regular Paxil and everything went back to normal.

I hope someone can help me. I developed a couple of boils in my inner thigh area and my doc did not want to drain them until he tried one last remedy, Sulfamethoxazole. I began taking 2 giant pills a day exactly 12 days ago. The medicine helped the with the boils a lot. They seem to be down to pea size. I suffer from Generalized anxiety disorder and Panic Disorder and I can honestly say that this medication induces anxiety in people. I woke up in the middle of the night about 2 days ago shivering uncontrollably and could not move from the spot I was shivering in. I think I broke a tooth from the chattering of them. I did not think anything of it because I figured it was a nightmare. This morning when I woke up, my body was really sore. My back was killing me and I had a rash on the back of both hands and around/on my feet. I could not get a hold of my dermatologist so I called a couple pharmacies and they told me to stop taking the medicine and take a benadryl. I took the advice and am now wondering if I am allergic to sulfa or maybe this is all a side effect from the pills. I am now terrified about all this because I just read about a disease called Stevens-Johnson syndrome. If anyone has input, please post. Thanks

-John

P.S. I currently take Klonopin and Paxil CR incase needed to know.

I am 29 and i have been taking Toprol XL for 3 yrs. now and i was amazed when i seen what everybody had to say about this med. I had been on other meds for Anxiety, Panic Disorder. I was on Paxil CR and also Klonopin. I had gain 70 pds in 5 yrs and thought this is from the Paxil so i decided to come off of that and the Klonopin. Well, I'm still taking the Toprol XL and i am still haveing problems and it's just like alot of the same things i have read from other people on here. I am concerned about this med. And i hope everyone can find something that works great. If any one has any good luck with a different med please post it. I'm looking for a different way to deal with the rapid heart rate without all the nasty side effects of Toprol.

I have been taking paxil cr 25mg for about a month now and it has really helped my anxiety. The first two weeks were hell but my body has gotten use to the drug and now I feel fine. My only side affects are yawning like crazy, no sex drive, and low appetite (this part I love I have lost 15 pounds) but will the yawning and no sex drive go away eventually? please if anyone has an answer please let me know

This is both one of the BEST and WORST drugs for anxiety/depression. I was on Paxil CR 37.5mg for five years for moderate anx./dep., and yes, the weight gain (10-15 lbs.), vivid dreams, sweatiness, etc. were all side effects. But the Paxil so thoroughly balanced out my anxiety and depression that the side effects seemed a fair tradeoff.

(P.S. Nothing kills a libido like Paxil.)

And then, I went off the Paxil b/c I was changing insurance companies. Having read all of the terrible withdrawal symptoms, I scheduled myself a full four months to taper off. I lowered my dosage every week by only 2-3mg at most. (This involved cutting up the pill, which *they* say never to do, but of course *they* also claim that there are no withdrawal symptoms.) As a result, my withdrawal symptoms were negligible at best.

This past year, I went back on the Paxil CR 37.5mg and for a short while it worked again. And then it suddenly STOPPED. *They* don't want us to know that once you've been on, then off, Paxil, when you return to it, its chances of working again are slim to none. I took less time (only 2 months) to withdraw this time around, and the withdrawal symptoms were HIDEOUS. I've never felt so scared of what my body exhibited--unbelievable dizziness, terrible electric "shocks," headaches. And abject rage that I've never experienced before in my life. So much incredible nervous energy that I couldn't sit still. A rotten memory and confusion. Horrible symptoms. And yet, while I was withdrawing, I could see my body improving in other areas--far less appetite, for one, far less need for sleep, and less exhaustion.

While my anxiety and depression have returned, and while I'll probably need to be put on a different pill, I now at least know to research not just "official" medication Web sites but also patients' anecdotes. If I'd done so the first time around, I never would have stopped the Paxil at all. Pharmaceutical companies are just pimps who own doctors, so drs. are never going to warn you about the bad side effects of what they prescribe!!

Sleepless,
I had terrible insomnia when I was on Yasmin - along with about 10 other things (leg pain, heart palps, high BP, swollen face, to name a few). Anyway, when I had a really bad anxiety attack, they put me on 12.5 Paxil CR(a SSRI) and it made me sick. So, for the past month I have been on 37.5 (the LOWEST possible dose) of Effexor (SNRI) for my anxiety (since depression has been ruled out 100%) that I take at 9:30 at night and I can sleep straight usually 5-7 hours.
I went to a female nurse practitioner and she prescribed the Effexor. I am in my mid 30's, married w/2 young kids.
What she is doing is charting my BP and anxiety during the month and during my cycles to check for a correlation. If the anxiety has nothing to do with the hormones and may go away on its own, she will wean me off all medicines. And... that will be the HAPPIEST day of my life.
Take care and stay well. Try and rest.

PS I also use a sleep CD called delta sleep system. It is a great help to keep me asleep. I use it every so often.

I received 2 calls from Berlex (the co that makes Yasmin) regarding my complaint about "adverse effects". So, maybe they are listening. When they heard just a few of my symptoms including my BP was 170/120 and I had severe leg pain coupled with a major panic/anxiety attack (unprovoked), I think the woman on the phone took me seriously. I am glad that I called. I am praying that NO OTHER woman ever has to endure the agony that this pill has caused me.

goingofftoday- I did not read what your symptoms & side effects are but I can tell you my experience. As soon as I stopped the Yasmin, I started to feel better almost within a few days. I was on yasmin for a total of about 12 months.

My bloating went down and my other symptoms started to go away within a week or so. In january & feb I had to take medicine (Paxil CR every day and Xanax as needed) which I no longer take. Although I stopped Yasmin on 1-21-06, I take 37.5 mg of Effexor XR each day to help rebalance the chemicals in my brain. I NEVER imagined myself to be on this type of anti-anxiety medicine, but I look forward to getting off of it within a few months.

You should keep in touch with your gyn if you stop mid cycle. Also, don't make the mistake of stopping then restarting the Yasmin which is a HUGE NO-NO.

TAKE CARE and please let us know how you are doing.

Hi Denise, Mamawannawin, Karla & everyone,
Today I "celebrate" two months off of Yasmin. I am still plagued with panic and anxiety, but to a lesser degree. I am now taking Effexor XR 37.5 (EFFEXOR XR is a once-daily SNRI (serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor) approved for the treatment of depression & generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), to keep the anxiety under control. Unfortunately it is an anti-depressant but it is supposed to also be for anxiety (I DO NOT have depression). I was on Paxil CR for 2 months but discontinued it due to side effects.
I also have hypertension which the doctor said is secondary to my anxiety and I am not taking BP medication. I took off 12 pounds so far, which helps. My face was so bloated when I was on Yasmin that it looked like I was on steroids.
I NEVER EVER had anxiety until I was on Yasmin. This pill has wreaked havoc on my whole system!!!! Never again.

I wish you all the best for renewed good health!

Hi everyone,
UPDATE -- I stopped Paxil CR and started taking Effexor XR today. The RN I saw spoke with me about my anxiety being a side effect of being on Yasmin post-partum for a total of about 12 months. The Paxil CR did not help me as much as I needed it to. I am praying for the day to come when I will need NO medicines... just like when I was pre-Yasmin. I was so healthy and happy before I poisoned myself to regualte my cycles.

ALSO - I tried (several times this week) to call the hotline on the YASMIN website to report an ill-effect of the medicine. I called today at 2:00 Eastern time as the website had the following:
Contact Us Product Information Hotline: 888.237.5394

Our specialists are available Monday through Friday, 9 to 5 p.m. EDT to help you with any questions you may have about YASMIN.

Well.... guess what -- nobody answered, I got the "after hours" message line. So, where are all of the "specialists" who can discuss my side effects??

Has anyone else called?

thanks :-) we are in this together......

Blueberry-
I suggest that you speak with your doctor (although my doc will not admit to the correlation of the symptoms that I had and my being on Yasmin). The hot flashes may get worse (mine did) as you take more Yasmin. You may develop other symptoms as you take more pills.
Please refer to some of the posts below in this forum. Yasmin does some serious things (havoc) to your system.
I am waiting to have my second pd since stopping Yasmin. Since my pd is getting closer, I am having more hot flushes/flashes and am much more anxious and shaky.
I took Yasmin for about 5 months, then off for a month then on for 8 or 9 more.

Gina - YES, I am still lightheaded and dizzy! It only lasts 1-2 seconds, but it is there. I too gave up both the occasional glass of wine and Diet Coke to "detox" myself. Seems like it is helping a little. I am not back to myself, not even close. I guess that the Paxil CR is helping too.

I am seeing a nurse practitioner this Thursday. Let's hope that she has some answers for me. This has been a nightmare for me. I just KNOW the Yasmin is to blame, it HAS to be.

Take care everybody!

Hi everyone,

I too had BP of 140/100 (or MORE) when I was on Yasmin. My face was extremely bloated - looked like I had 3 chins and a very round face. My hair fell out in clumps when I was on Yasmin - now my hair is fine and I don't "shed".

After quitting Yasmin, it took a few weeks, and the facial bloating was GONE! When the doc saw me she said "half your face is gone" :-) My family cannot believe that my face looks so different.

My BP now is 110/80 average. I do not take BP medicine and I do not take BCP any more.

My chest pains are for the most part GONE!!! They really had me scared.

I am on Paxil CR 12.5mg once per day for the extreme anxiety that I have which I attribute to taking Yasmin for about 9 months. I also have trouble staying asleep at night. I have observed that my anxiety is peaking when my pd is due.

I had an anxiety/panic attack on Dec. 21, 2005 and I took my last Yasmin in late January 2006.

Thank you all for your informational posts and concern. I had a few minutes so I thought I'd post an update.

PS- I think that the manufacturer better read this site and DO SOMETHING!!!!

Hi Hill,
Sorry that you are not feeling well. The cold will pass.
Fortunately you are no longer on Yasmin and are on your road to getting better.
My experience is that I cannot take Benadryl or any cold medicine without getting a racy heart and/or totally exhausted.
It is hard to say with certainty why you are having these symptoms. Keep an eye on them and see if you can see a direct correlation to the meds and the symptoms. You will know your body's reactions.
I am about one and a half months off of Yasmin. I notice that my anxiety is peaking during ovulation and my period. I started Paxil CR 12.5mg when I stopped the Yasmin. I assume that it is helping keep the anxiety under control.
Do alot of deep cleansing breaths when you feel anxious. Also, I recently purchased a couple of relaxation CD's. I listen to them in the late evening once my kids and husband are asleep. It has helped me fall asleep. Staying asleep has not been easy, but I am working on it.
Also- Have you had your blood pressure checked?

Hi everyone!
I thought I would check in and give you an update....
I am just over one month off of Yasmin now. My anxiety is somewhat less intense (The doc put me on 12.5 Paxil CR) and I am having less full-blown attacks. But, I really feel anxious if I don't get a good night's rest.
I am dizzy alot of the time but not to the point of it being incapacitating. The chest pains are less intense as well.
Hopefully the Yasmin will be fully out of my body soon and I can get off all meds!
Feel good everyone!

Nakie,
That was one of my first symptoms. It sounds like we experienced the same thing. This feeling would hit me at any time, not at one particular time of day.

They progressively got worse until a full panic attack hit me in December 2005. I thought I was having a heart attack or something. My blood pressure skyrocketed.

I am off Yasmin ONE MONTH today. Unfortunately, I am now on Paxil CR 12.5 every morning. I also had to take Xanax as needed for panic/anxiety. It was much worse during my pd.

I still have a racy heart every so often and small bouts w/situational anxiety. My BP is still elevated and I see my internal medicine doctor every few weeks to monitor my medicine.

I am in my mid-30's and I NEVER thought this would happen to me. I was always so in control of everything.

Hajnalka and Nakie---I commend you for getting off of the Yasmin. Do not restart without asking your gyn (see my previous posts). Good luck to you. Keep posting to let us know how you are doing.

Silke- Thank you for your post. I am just hanging in there. I had some anxiety today but I guess it is par for the course. This is unfortunately not going to be easy. I am so glad that I am off of Yasmin! Today would be the day that I started a new pack -- instead it is going into the trash!

Another update--- I took the Paxil CR 25 at 9:30 last night. It was a disaster. It felt like I took 10 cups off caffiene at once. I was unable to rest and was extremely jittery, dizzy, lightheaded, saw spots... you name it.

This morning, I paged my internal med doc and told him what happened. He said not to take the Paxil 25 anymore(that the psychiatrist prescribed) and take the 12.5 (which I was doing OK on, just that it wore off in early evening) starting tomorrow am. He also told me to take the xanax as needed for anxiety so I took a half pill this afternoon.

michellep - sounds like alot of tyenol - are you OK?

Lisa- thank you for your Mirena input. It is helping me to reinforce my convincing myself NOT to do it. No pds sound very nice but I cannot justify the side effects.

My husband and I have been up for 2 nights straight with a sick baby (fever, vomiting, etc....) so I am sure that it is not helping my anxiety (or whatever is making me feel this way) that I am not getting enough sleep.

GOOD NEWS -- I lost about 5 pounds. Bad news is that I am finding that I have very little appetite. I think just being off of Yasmin has reduced my water retention.

All the best to each and every one of you.......

UPDATE.....
Hi everyone,
My pd started yesterday after 2 days of light spotting (1st cycle off Yasmin). I went to the doc yesterday and told her that my anxiety was terrible in the early evening. She switched me from Paxil CR 12.5 in the AM to Paxil CR 25 in the evening. She also wants me not to take any more xanax unless my anxiety is extreme. I also need to try yoga and an exercise routine (try that with 2 little kids...)!
My chest pain is still there. She listened to my heart but feels that the pain is related to the anxiety that I am feeling. She will see me in 2 months. My BP is 140/100. The cardiologist did not send the reg doc the results of the 24 hour BP monitoring. My heart is racy and I am a bit lightheaded (maybe from my pd??).
My left shoulder pain is now gone. Every so often I get "warm" feelings in the tops of my arms- has anyone else felt this?
I think that the doc (internal medicine) is now starting to see a correlation in the Yasmin I took and the condition that I am in. I can't say for sure, but she noticed an amazing difference in me in 3 weeks. I hope that I can continue on this path to full recovery.

I will NEVER take another hormone.
SILKE- You are right, I will NOT consider MIRENA!

One thing to mention.... I took Yasmin for 8 months, went off for 1 cycle and restarted for 3 months. The last 3 months (Oct, Nov & Dec 05) I was on the Yasmin were living he_ _!!! I advise you that if you stop Yasmin, DO NOT restart unless you speak with your doc and are convinced that you are OK. The pharmacist thinks that the stop/restart thing really did a number on me.

As always, thank you everyone!

Denise -- thank you - hugs back to you too!

Hi Lisa-Thank you so much for asking....

Here is my post-yasmin update.....
My pd started very light today and I had a very anxious night last night, hopefully related to PMS. I have been taking the xanax at night and paxil CR (12 mg) in the AM and I am seeing the doctor on Friday and will know about my BP monitor results then.
I am trying to avoid the xanax but the anxiety is pretty bad these days. This is my first cycle off of yasmin.
I took yasmin for 6 months, stopped for one month, and then again for three months. I think I really did some hormone damage to myself. I am off of caffeine, artificial sweetners (which I loved) and all alcohol (never took much anyway). I lost about 11 pounds this month since stopping yasmin. My face has alot less swelling and puffiness.
My vision is a little blurry.... any ideas????

My anxiety is back, but not as bad. I am due for my pd on Tuesday and this is my first cycle off of Yasmin after about 10 months.
I am taking .25 Xanax once per day and Paxil CR in the AM.
Do you think this anxiety could be "PMS"? I am lightheaded a little as well.
I have had a stressful week but I used to deal with it so much better prior to Yasmin.
Thank you all for your posts.....

i took yasmin for three months, during that time i had nausea, more migraines, restless legs. then i noticed little signs of anxiety. at the end of the third month during my period i had the heart palapatations went to the doc had ekg stress test heart was fine but it then turned into a full blown panic attack. i feel like i am nuts. the doc gave me xanax and paxil cr to take i have only been on the paxil foe 2 days. this is so not like me i am a happy easy going person i have never been like this in my life. i want the old me back i have two small children i have not been able to work

Thank you everyone for your posts. We are all in this together so I thought I would give you an update.

Today I went back to the regular doc (not gyn) and she prescribed Paxil CR(an agent in a class of antidepressant medication known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). It is effective and generally well tolerated and has successfully helped people treat their depression, social anxiety disorder, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and panic disorder.)

I told her that there is DEFINITELY a correlation between Yasmin and the symptoms that we are all feeling. She was not aware of what I was telling her.

I feel that it cannot be a coincidence that we are all experiencing these conditions. We are all of different ages, parts of the world, parents/nonparents etc...So, I agreed to take the Paxil and purge my system of ALL hormones (BCP, Mirena, etc.) She still needs me to consult with a psychiatrist. I am not looking forward to it.

Paxil also has side effects..... just what I need.

Thank you again everyone!

I recently was changed from Paxil CR 12.5 MG to regular paxil 20 MG, after taking the regular paxil for the past ten days, I have felt horrible. I am back to the sleepy feeling all day, headaches and feelings of uneasiness. I was doing so well on Paxil CR. I even started cutting the pill in half and I still feel horrible. The Paxil CR was working so well for me, I wish I could go back to it.

I was put on Paxil after a recent miscarriage. I had an emotional breakdown several days after the D & C. Instead of thinking it was just hormones, the Dr;s thought I was having panic attacks, which I have never had before. They put me on Paxil CR &Xanax. I did not take the Xanax after the first does because I hated the way I felt. Almost as soon as I took the Paxil I became sick. Nausea, vomiting, total loss of appitite, insomnia, headaches, dizzy, cramping in my legs, and finally heart palpitations. After only 4 days of this drug, and being told I had a "bug" I went to the ER. They were baffeled by my heart problem, because after many tests my heart appeared to be fine. After the ER Dr made many phone calls she discovered that heart complications is a RARE side effect to Paxil. This was NOT listed on the papers the RX gave me, nor is it on the website for the drug. I was immediately taken off of it. Emotionaly I am fine. Physically I have been having all of the same symptoms, however they are decreasing. I will never take a drug again without doing my homework. This hate been a nightmare, and I have lost nearly 3 weeks of my life.

I have imput several posting on this site about how great Paxil CR has been for me. However when I went for my last refill I was told that Paxil CR was taken off the shelves because of problems concering the "Control Release", so i was give Paxil 20mg, which is a lower dose that what i was use to. Now i have been having very bad migraines that last 2-3 days. I get very tired early in the day and feel just wore out to the point I cant get out of the bed as early as 7pm. I have no energy and feel real bad in general. Has this happened to anyone else? I went from calling Paxil CR my life saving drug to regular paxil a nightmare drug.

I have been on Paxil CR 25mg for over 2 months and it has changed my life for the better. Hardly any panic attacks or depression. I can actually fuction is society. I have a few side effects like yawning and night sweats but nothing major. Paxil is the best thing that has happened to me. Good luck to all of you!!

I went on Paxil CR (12.5 mg) because of constant panic attacks that lasted for about 1 month. I was so anxious for this period of time that I rapidly started losing weight, broke out in hives and eventually couldn't trust myself to function normally in common situations (i.e. work, driving, etc.). I was on it for 1 year and noticed a significant difference within 2 weeks. The panic attacks stopped, I returned to my normal weight and remained there, and I had an overall feeling of contentment. I went off of it 2 months ago because it was making me feel too content and I was starting to make bad choices (some anxiety is a good thing). I just want all of you to know that it can be used as a tool to help you get back on track, it should never be the solution. I had a few side effects coming off of it (dizziness, feeling electric-like shocks), but have not had any panic attacks or unusual anxiety. It sounds as if a lot of the side effects listed here could be a symptom of anxiety itself. If you make changes to your lifestyle, and are confident in your decision, you can leave Paxil behind.