PAXIL Reviews (PAROXETINE HYDROCHLORIDE)

Average Rating: 2.9 (1018 Ratings)

Filter Results

Compare PAXIL with similar:
 ANTIDEPRESSANTS

 Type: Rx Drug

  

PAXIL  (PAROXETINE HYDROCHLORIDE):  Paroxetine is used to treat depression, panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder. It works by helping to restore the balance of a certain natural substance (serotonin) in the brain. Paroxetine is known as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). This medication may improve your mood, sleep, appetite, and energy level and may help restore your interest in daily living. It may decrease fear, anxiety, unwanted thoughts, and the number of panic attacks. It may also reduce the urge to perform repeated tasks (compulsions such as hand-washing, counting, and checking) that interfere with daily living.   FDA Approval Date: 1992-12-29 (Sources: U.S. Centers for Medicare Services, FDA)

  

Results are sorted by length of time drug was taken from shortest to longest duration (reviews with no time reported listed first).

Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.)
5=HIGH (this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal.)

Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51


RATING  REASONSIDE EFFECTS FOR PAXILCOMMENTSSEXAGEDURATION/
DOSAGE
DATE ADDED
 
 1  anxiety nausea; loss of appetite; dry mouth; night sweats; lethargy; leg twitches; agitation; depression; feelings of loneliness and isolation; wild-eyed look; became withdrawn from family. Family doctor prescribed for anxiety; however, medicine made me physically ill and threw me into a state of deep depression. I was barely functioning and my wife made inquiries (and reviewed this site) and felt strongly that I was having a bad reaction to the medication. Consulted doctors who thought I was in a deep depression (which was true but caused by the medicine) I immediately stopped taking medicine and within days physical side effects ceased and all evidence of any depression vanished. M 48 10 days
6/24/2004
 1  General Anxiety Severe panic attacks, hot/cold flashes, racing mind, and overall a state of pure hell. After going off the drug--several weeks of extreme dizziness, brain shocks, flashing lights, confusion. Initially, the medication felt great and life could not have been better. After about 10 days, I stepped up the dose (from 10 to 20 mg/day), and experienced the most horrendous, extreme panic attack of all time. (I had never had a panic attack prior to taking the Paxil---and for those of you who have never experienced a panic attack--it is the worst living hell that a person can experience). I stopped taking the drug immediately--and went into a state of pure panic disorder for several weeks. It took me months to recover. THIS DRUG SUCKS---BEWARE OF WHAT YOU ARE TAKING M 43 10 days
11/1/2004
 1  Depression After 1 dose, I began feeling anxious, nervous, panicky. This became worse each day until I was having one constant panic attack and spent the whole day trying to walk it off. Doctor said it couldn't be the Paxil. But it was. Prozac works great. In the years since, I have heard of multiple people having this same reaction, including my own daughter (who did not know about my own experience) and a friend. Paxil is dangerous; it can do the opposite of what is intended. F 63 10 days
8/19/2006
 1  depression I have had trouble with being sick to my stomach for years. While taking paxil, nothing eased my stomach. I was in exteme distress. F 56 10 days
12/16/2001
 1  Depression Severe headache Seemed to work fine for the depression. Then a stabbing pain, as though someone had just driven a spike through my head, woke me up in the middle of the night. The doctor said it probably happens all the time and I just never noticed it before. Right. F 33 10 days
12/8/2009
 4  IBS No sex drive unable to orgasm. I was put on this medication for IBS which was wrecking my life. The Paroxetine stopped the diarrhea bouts that would hit me 20 mins after a meal, or for no reason. I didn't want to go anywhere. And had to know where every bathroom was in all of the stores and other places. I am glad to have my life back. And to be able to eat when out with friends and family without the worry. F 47 11 days
40 mg 1X day
8/5/2012
 3  social anxiety, depression, panic a Sleepy, no sex drive, emotionless. Cannot seem to get off of it, I have tried many times, end up getting sick. Has helped with the panic and anxiety though, which I had dealt with all of my life. Started taking it after experiencing a terrible tragedy, then noticed that it helped in other ways. Having done it again, I think that I would have asked for something less addicting. M 47 11 days
2/20/2008
 3  depression, ocd , social anxiety horrible tension headache, no libido, insomnia, hotflashes, lack of energy, decreased appitite, feelings of being high, grumpy moods, loss of interest in everything. i have had depression since i was in elementary school, i started taking paxil almost two weeks ago and the side effects are pretty bad. on a good note, i am having less anxiety/panic attacks and my social anxiety is getting better. the most important thing i try to remember is that if i just get through this, i will feel better. its worth a shot because whatever i am feeling now is better than before. F 23 12 days
7/11/2005
 3  Mild depression headaches,nausea,hot flashes and chills, feeling faint, chest discomfort after 12 days I only took this because of a relationship ending. The initial effect was excellent:no obsessing thoughts, no ambivalence,no crying spells. However on 10 mgs. I am starting to feel side effects and reading these comments I will gradually cut down and then stop!!! THIS SHOULD BE SHORT TERM ONLY!!!! F 63 12 days
12/11/2006
 1  panic attacks horrible ,akathasia ,couldnt relax ,usually feel easy going ,and suddenly started feeling like i wanted to kill someone ,felt like i wanted to cut myself ,[never felt like this before, insomnia ,no appetite ,stomach churning ,sick ,pissed off depressessed ,wanted to do away with myself ,felt like i couldnt sit still at all ,would wake up from nightmares and have panic attacks worse than ever ,get up pace around for hours,and hours ,eventually i burnt out didnt sleep for 10 days on the shit ,doctor gave me valium to relax me ,should have taken me off the shit all together,but i didmnt know whether it was me getting worse from my panic attacks ,felt lost the worst time in my life . please dont take this stuff if you go right down hill ,if your feeling close to the edge i can honestly see how people do themselves in ,i found it very hard to distinguish whether it was me getting worse or the damn drug ,i lost confidence in my ability to reason ,now looking back i know i had horrendous side effects ,doctors need to be alot more conciuos of the bad side effects and how serious they are ,and im angry i wasnt warned ,and also that after going back several times he had no answer for me other than take valium .this drug made me feel absolutely beside myself ,i just wanted to get away from myself and couldnt ,i felt so bad ,and rang life line ten times a day thinking i was loosing the plot ,ive never felt like that before!!! F 32 12 days
2/23/2005
 5  Depression Excessive sweating, weight gain, 40 pounds over several years I was on Paxil 20mg for many years with great benefit. I was less shy and depression lifted. When the dose was increased to 40mg I started sweating and couldn't get it to go away again; even by going back to 20mg. Had to stop taking it. F 45 13 days
3/22/2005
 4  Panic Disorder, SAD,GAD I have only been on Paxil for a short time but had very little in the way of side effects. Some dizzyness, nausea but nothing real bad. Warning: Anxiety will increase for the first few days. This drug has definelty helped me in a short time. It has stopped negative thoughts, removed panic and anxiety. I also had derealization that it has almost wiped completely out. It looks like Paxil will help me. I am just lucky that it has worked as well as it has. If you suffer from anxiety, you should give it a shot. M 37 13 days
10 x 1 1X day
3/12/2011
 1  increased anxiety pretty much every side effect listed on this site I was suffering from palpitations (due to being given too much thryoid hormone which I didn't find out until later)so my dr. and I agreed it could be anxiety and I would try Paxil Cr-12.5 mg. After taking the drug for about 2 weeks, I was told I should go off of it because my dr. and I found that my palpitations were worse. I reduced the dosage by half and then by another half over 2-3 weeks. I developed odd symptoms and figured I was getting sick. 2 weeks after stopping the Paxil I was having head rushes/pressure that felt like my brain was going to explode out of my ears, severe nausea, anxiety like never before, dizziness, disorientation, numbness and tingling in my arms/hands, IBS, chest pain, etc. Dr. put me back on 5 mg on Paxil (it has been 2 1/2 months now) I went to the ER on 2 occasions and to many specialists in the last several months. I have heard inner ear problems, dysautonomia, panic attacks, hormone problems, etc. but I attribute it all to the trial of Paxil. Now I just have to figure out how to get off of 5 mg. especially since I am still having head pressure sensations, electrical sensations, panic and anxiety. I hate drugs now. If anyone can relate, comments would be appreciated! F 31 13 days
9/14/2004
Email
 5  GAD Slight constipation, dry mouth, low libido, sleep disturbances, At 14 days at 20 mg I think I feel a little better in terms of anxiety but my depression still comes and goes..I am not like any new person but maybe it does not intend to change me. The lump I had in my stomach feels like it is gone..So maybe that was depression feeling? I guess I will ask my friends if they think I am better, M 14 days
9/28/2004
 4  anxiety dizziness, vivid dreams even though not bad ones, decreased libido This is the third time I have been on paxil. It has always worked well for me. When I went of it: I have allways decreased the dosage very slowly, 2.5mg at the time, giving myself a month to get used to the new dosage. So it took me months to get off it, but I did not have any severe withdrawal symptoms. I am back on it now (paxil CR), but seem to have a problem with dizziness now, which I never had before. F 34 14 days
12/29/2002
 3  Depression (Blahs) Sex drive is fine, can't achieve orgasm. oh, and I yawn a lot. So far Paxil has done some good things for my depression. I find myself smiling more and enjoying life a little better. The lack of an orgasm, is bad and good.. if you know what i mean. Unsure whether i'm going to continue on the drug for longer than 6 months. M 31 14 days
12/5/2005
 1  Panic disorder and Major Depression MAJOR mood swings (would go from being euphoric to in a rage in a matter of minutes); hallucinations; night terrors; blackout periods; suicidal thoughts I would NEVER take this drug again in a million years. I was diagnosed with major depression and panic disorder when I was 16 years old and this was the first medication my psychiatrist tried me on. Within a few days, my moods changed severely and I became very unstable. I would yell and scream and start crying for no reason. There was one time after a period of rage that I blacked out. I have no memory of anything then. I also experienced frightening hallucinations and night terrors. As a result, I could not sleep which only made things worse. The last straw was suicidal thoughts. I was very close to ending things and I told my mom I wanted to die. She took quick action and called the psychiatrist who immediately took me off the medication. He said that I had a chemical reaction that mimicked severe bipolar disorder. He put me on Seroquel for two weeks while the Paxil got out of my system. I would never recommend this to ANYONE. F 16 14 days
20mg 1X day
8/17/2012
 1  insomnia / slight depression Hands shook uncontrollably. Didn't work for me. F 47 14 days
5/19/2004
 1  period of stress caused hands to tremble, perspiration/heat intolerance, brain fog, fatigue, insomnia My husband took this for two weeks, the symptoms from the paxil continued after he went off the med but then he immediately also had mood swings and confusion, (he did not have this before going on the paxil...it was given to him as a "precaution"). He didn't even need this poison. After 5 weeks the side effects continued...but he gave up his fight. This drug killed him and left me a widow. Be warned...the chemicals in this do alter brain chemistry. The warning of fatalities on the bottle is true. M 23 14 days
10/28/2007
 2  Anxiety No bad side effects for the first week. After the second week the headaches were horrible. I also felt depressed, blurry vision,loss of concentration.I was also taking Xanax to help with the major panic attacks. Still seeing side effects after 5 days off. The headaches are not nearly as bad. My ears feel clogged and still can't concentrate well. M 28 17 days
10/3/2004

Previous Page       Next Page

BACK TO TOP