Symptoms: Cognitive impairment, Insomnia, Depersonalization/Derealization, Suicidal ideation, Muscle/joint pain, GI disturbances, feeling cold, fatigued
I took Paxil 20 mg for around nine years because I was experiencing heart palpitations and insomnia due to grief from the loss of a family member. I just kept feeling the heart palpitations so I would go to the ER. I got a consult from a cardiologist who tried to prescribe a TCA first followed by Lexapro. The Lexapro made me feel anxious. My heart was fine. A cardiologist has no business prescribing an SSRI or any other psych med. I went to the campus health center; the doctor there prescribed Paxil. I received no information about how Paxil literally affects every system in the body, or how to safely get off. I took it because I was desperate to sleep better. I was in graduate school at the time.
Once Paxil kicked in, I slept well and was feeling great for about nine years; I was curious why no doctor would ever ask me why I was on it. At around six or seven years on, my hematocrit levels were going up; the doctors did not seem concerned. I eventually needed a CPAP because of Paxil. I also had some heart rhythm problems in that time too. Not one doctor said it could be Paxil, the only med I was on.
At around nine years, I started to experience really bad insomnia. I went from 20 to 10 mg in a month and stopped. My doctor said I could stop cold turkey. I chose to taper for a month. I have been in protracted withdrawal for almost three years. It has affected my digestion, sleep, and more; I went from full time to part time because of the extreme fatigue. It has been hard to get doctor's notes for work, when SSRI withdrawal is not recognized by the healthcare system. It is hard to trust doctors when they hurt people with these meds.