Today was the second time in the last 6 months in which I forgot to take my daily 20mg of Paroxetine (Paxil). I started taking it 2 years ago, when my primary care doctor prescribed it to me for Anxiety I was experiencing. My experience with it has been mostly great! The doctor paired my prescription with a referral to a psychotherapist’s office, and the one-two combo has been an effective treatment. Paroxetine gives my brain the hormonal balance it needs to be able to develop techniques with my therapist.
But no one told me about withdrawals. The first time it happened was a couple of months ago. I forgot my usual morning dose. It wasn’t until the afternoon when I began to feel nauseous and tingly that the thought crossed my mind. Maybe I was just getting sick? But after taking my missed dose that afternoon, I recovered by night fall. Today, December 17th, was the second time. I usually keep water on my nightstand, but I realized later that it wasn’t there. I forgot again. Again, I felt fine for the morning. I even went to a coffeeshop to work and had an oat milk latte and a black coffee. I was feeling great, and was really productive at work. But once I got back home and ate lunch, the nausea returned. Maybe the frozen Amy’s meal I ate was bad? Nah, it tasted fine. It only got worse. Again, I realized that I forgot to take my morning dose. This time, I’m currently about 2 hours after taking it and I’m only just now beginning to feel alright.
Why didn’t I know to be weary of these withdrawal symptoms? When my doctor prescribed it to me, they didn’t detail many of the side effects. Because of that, I read up on the medication myself and saw that it is one of the most prescribed SSRI’s for anxiety and depression. But the withdrawal symptom information didn’t seem to be prioritized online either.
Now, I decided to read about other people’s experiences with Paroxetine withdrawals. Anecdotal, I know, but it was relieving to know that this isn’t necessarily an abnormal reaction. Medical information I found does also warning about quick withdrawal symptoms thanks to Paroxetine’s short half-life, so it isn’t all anecdotal. The 24-48 hour onset of withdrawal symptoms after drug discontinuation mentioned here: Paroxetine withdrawal syndrome - PubMed lines up with my experience. And while I didn’t pay the $17 for this 2002 article Withdrawal from paroxetine can be severe, warns FDA | The BMJ about the FDA’s warning on the severe withdrawal symptoms of Paroxetine, the responses to the article are filled with anecdotes of other Paroxetine user’s withdrawal experience.
So, where do I stand? I’m very grateful for the help Paroxetine has provided me in treating and managing my anxiety. Two days of withdrawal symptoms (so far) is a worthwhile tradeoff in my eyes for the more than 2 years of mental health treatment that it has provided. I do, however, feel frustrated at not knowing about these side effects prior to experiencing them. For now, I’m going to continue my usual dose of Paroxetine. I hope to create a tapering off plan with my doctor (although I’ve moved away from my previous doctor, so I guess I have to find a new one) when my prescription is up, in about a month. Until then, wish me luck! Thanks for reading, I wish you well.