| Key to ratings for paxil cr: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine. |
| Rating | Reason | Side Effects | Comments | Sex | Age | Time Taken | Date Added | |
| | F M | | | | ||||
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| 4 | Depression/OCD | Lethargy, Loss of libido, my lows aren't as low and my highs aren't as high, loss of emotion, apathy. | Never wanted to take this drug long term - have tried to wean myself off slowly twice now but did not have a good reaction to that. I was taking it for depression for 5 years and now because my OCD is becoming more prevalent, they upped my dosage a few days ago and I'm even MORE tired than before. | F | 27 | 5 years | 1/29/2010 | 4 | depression | Burning sensation, stomach problems,double vision on occasions. dry mouth. | As i was looking through this reactions of paxil. It is amazing at how many of them I have. I blew it off as something else. I been on paxil for 11 years now. I do have burning sensations in my body, that almost feel like someone has outa lighter to my skin. I have got the out of body experience a couple times in the past 11 years. Of course at this time I get more panic in me. I feel like it was my miracle drug though. I was in a deep depression. I am alot better now,EVEN though I DREAD the withdraws that is coming my way. When I do decide to stop the meds! | F | 33 | 11 years | 1/3/2010 | 3 | Panic Disorder / Depression | Trouble focusing and concentrating. Extreme reduction in sex drive. Sometimes feel emotionless. | I want to get off this medication but I am afraid to. I wish I knew a better way to cope. I feel fine while taking it, but I just don't feel "normal". | F | 38 | 12 years | 12/10/2009 | 3 | Social anxiety | Untolerably delayed ejaculation; a bit of lethargy | It works but the sexual side effects ARE NOT worth it | M | 22 | 3 months | 11/27/2009 | 2 | Antidepressant switch | Life circumstances beyond control got my Generalized Anxiety Disorder to kick in and I thought that the Zoloft 200 mg had stopped working as well for depression. I took 25 mg at noon. Then after 3-4 hours felt profound anxiety with rapid heartbeat. Spent the whole night overmedicated with Klonopin, Seroquel, and Restoril and just got a lousy six hours and woke up in shivers. I spend an entire day with a feeling of horrible, non-stop panic and a feeling of dread. Panic disorder I don't have, but I felt like it and I can now relate to people with panic disorders. I went back to My Zoloft full dose and still have the Paxil shivers/diarrhea/hyperthyroid, although the shivers will take a bit to die down. Not the best for my hyperthyroid condition. | I'm glad I went off. I read about withdrawal and if I have stuck with it for a week, the experience of withdrawing would have been a challenge. | F | 36 | 1 days | 11/12/2009 | 5 | anxiety disorder/OCD | loss of sex drive, dry mouth | I have suffered from Generalized Anxiety Disorder and OCD since childhood, and have found Paxil CR to be the best treatment for me. Like most people, I had to try several SSRI medications to find the "right" one for me. Paxil CR effectively controls all anxiety and OCD symptoms for me. The only side effects I experience are a decrease in sex drive & dry mouth. | F | 32 | 10 years | 9/27/2009 | 4 | Anxiety, depression, insomnia | Sedated feeling the first 4-5 days, lower blood pressure and increased hunger, slower pulse on 25mg dose, frequent urination, occaisional brief feelings of panic but they go away quickly and are becoming much less frequent. | I just finished the first two weeks of Paxil CR, I was on the 25mg dose the first 10 days but my blood pressure and pulse had gotten kind of low so my doctor reduced it to 12.5mg and that seems to be a better dose for me. Low doses of meds always seem to do better for me. My anxiety level is improving daily and I am ecstatic about that. I wish I had tried this ages ago. I know this med can have bad withdrawal symptoms but, to me, living with anxiety every day of my life is it's own special kind of hell and I am glad this medicine can help me. Nothing so far has helped this much, this early on. Also, my doctor had me taking this in the evening because it can be sedating but that feeling went away and I had to start taking it in the morning or I can't sleep well. | F | 37 | 15 days | 9/11/2009 | 4 | Depression | Worked like a charm the very first dose. First dose I took a "loading" dose of 40mg and I felt tired, but much better. I agree that it takes away your lows but also takes away any highs you might have otherwise felt. I was often said to be a "zombie" with no emotions. My biggest problem, though, were the sexual side effects. It gave me extra stamina but made it harder than hell to reach orgasm! My girlfriend often got frustrated. | Wasn't hard to quit cold turkey. As a result, I have been able to take the medication when I feel necessary. I don't believe I had any withdrawal effects unlike my brother who experiences severe headaches and occasional nausea even when he tries to taper down. | M | 37 | 1 years | 9/7/2009 | 3 | depression/OCD/social phobia | apathy, no emotions, inabilty to experience love, barely any feelings. just baseline. it alleviated OCD and anxiety alot, but not completely. overall not a good medicine, by itself. | M | 18 | 1 years | 8/15/2009 | 4 | Sporadic Depression | 1st 2 weeks - dry mouth, loss of appetite, slight nausea in a.m., deep deep yawning. 3 weeks to 7 weeks - increased dosage. Most symptoms from first 2 weeks went away but were replaced with; sweating, loss of orgasm, and the odd deep yawn. | Paxil CR has helped me through a very difficult 3 months in my family life and work life. Prior to taking Paxil I was depressed a few times in my life and took Effexor several years ago for 4 months. It was very effective as well but no as much as the Paxil CR. I had similar side effects on Effexor, but was able to achieve orgasm easier than on Paxil CR. Paxil CR has helped me with: 1. What I call "taken the edge off", not every little thing bothers me anymore. 2. I've become more active and have been able to overcome any social networking issues I have, basically I can relax around people in most situations now. 3. Greatly helped me through a difficult situation in my family. 4. I've been able to sleep full nights since taking this, anxiety and worry had me up most nights and I was only getting 2-3 hours sleep before starting Paxil CR. 5. Increased sex drive. My wife is happy with my increased libido, although I have problems with orgasm. I think that most of the side effects that I suffer now will dissipate with time and Paxil CR has worked well for me. | M | 39 | 2.5 months | 7/26/2009 | 3 | I switched from regular paxil to paxil cr. Yes it does help the anxiety and panic attacks very much but made me severly constipated. | F | 30 | 30 days | 7/25/2009 | 4 | Anxiety & Depression | No real side effects that I can remember. I have been off and on this medication (Paxil CR) a few times over the past 5 years. I didn't have horrible withdrawal when I stopped. I didn't gain weight from the medication either. I did try the generic version of Paxil CR and it didn't work at all for me, it felt like I was taking a placebo. I need to take the Brand name or it doesn't work for me. I know everyone tells you there is no difference in generic and brand name but there is. | In reading a lot of the ratings and explanations of issues, I notice the milligrams noted don't all correspond with Paxil CR. I'm wondering if some people are rating Paxil and not Paxil CR. There is a difference. When I took the regular Paxil, it didn't help me much and I did gain weight . . . | F | 33 | 5 years | 6/5/2009 | 5 | anxiety | very few, slight weight gain,delayed ejaculation :) ocassional tiredness ... | it works ! was on zoloft which landed me in jail made me freak'n psycotic unable to back down from any confrontation actually hit someone for first time in my life ! but Paxil works great relaxed and happy , but not numb .. FEEL NORMAL ! | M | 45 | 6 months | 5/28/2009 | 4 | panic attacks,depression | Weight gain...And always sleepy. | I felt great the first 7 years.I had my life back.however starting to have a few more attacks when out.dr wants to up med.but I am afarid I won't be able to stay awake at work. | F | 50 | 7 years | 5/26/2009 | 3 | concentration | At first I had a crushing head ache. That went away when I lowered the dose. Now I feel extremely tired. | I am wondering if I can take a stimulant with it? I really like how I am able to concentrate, but now I fall asleep constantly...so how helpful is it? | F | 42 | 1 months | 5/17/2009 | 1 | ptsd, anxiety | Didn't help me. After 2 years I would say I was definately in a fog, no bad emotions, but no good, and I think a healthy level of ups and downs is what makes us learn and grow as human beings. So, I stopped taking it and, WOW, UNCONTROLABLE RAGE at any tiny random thing, severe headaches and best of all, hallucinations so bad I was terrified to drive bc if I reacted poorly to a hallucination I might endanger someone else's life. I had to take doxepin hcl every other night for 2 weeks to come down off this drug without hurting people, either from being a gigantic jackass or from smaking them upside the head after seeing a 'giant spider' where their bangs used to be. I've been on doxepin for 2 months now and I don't know why I wasted so much time in a fog on Paxil. | F | 26 | 2 years | 5/17/2009 | 3 | Stress-related anxiety/depression | For a couple of days I've had nausea, but overwhelmingly it's the GROGGINESS! The first day, my coworker said I looked like a zombie. This is the 5th day, and I'm going to switch to taking this at night and see if that makes a difference. | I'm typically a pretty well-balanced person, although I have a terrible temper and lately, I've been juggling a number of high-stress situations. I asked for Paxil in order to control depression and anxiety at work (praying not to get laid off), but this first week has been rough. My sister has taken it for a long time, and she said for 2 weeks she was very sleepy, but then woke up feeling "normal", which I take to mean good. I'm going to give it another week or two. | F | 47 | 5 days | 5/14/2009 | 3 | Depression | The usual SSRI side effects, but sore knees...to the point where I had to get an MRI as my knees were so swollen. I'm going to have to have surgery now to take the fluid off them! | It works for the anxiety. Generally nothing seems to bother me, but at a price - my knees. I mean, I'm limping to the mail box now. Can't walk without a limp. And can't ride my motorcycle anymore. | M | 40 | 5 months | 5/9/2009 | 4 | anxiety | Paxil did cause me to gain weight and loose interest in sex-BUT it worked. At the time, my anxiety was so bad the side effects were worth it. | you will experience weight gain and loose interest in sex with this drug, but this drug works. Also taper off of this medication-stopping abruptly can cause dizziness etc. | F | 37 | 2 years | 4/20/2009 | 4 | anger outbursts | paxil 25mg had me sleeping 8 to 9 hrs a day when I was only sleeping 4to 5 hrs prior. There is a long delay or I should say it takes a lot longer to orgasm but 10 mg of cialis keeps the blood flow steady and actually sets me back to younger years. I relate it to ballplayers using steroids to hit home runs. It doesn't matter as long as the fans are satisfied. | M | 43 | 7 months | 4/10/2009 | 4 | Anxiety, Panic Disorder | no libido, unable to achieve orgasm, very tired, no appetite, napping regularly, stiff muscles | I am void of panic or anxiety but have lost all other feeling as well. | F | 36 | 15 days | 4/9/2009 | 4 | Social Anxiety/ Depression | diahreeah , loss of sex drive, long time to orgasm | I have been on this medicine for probably about 5 months i started off taking paxil cr 12.5 mg and it worked great for about 2 months i stopped taking it and upt the dose to 20 mg but the dr perscribed me tabs so it wasnt a constant release and i became very agitated and really a psycho, he then switched me to 25 mg but CR and it is wonderful has done great things for me, still a lack of sex drive but i can tell it has been coming back ot me more and more over time at first i had complete loss of sex drive so be prepared but it works itself out GOOD LUCK! feel better | M | 19 | 5 months | 4/2/2009 | 4 | ANXIETY / ANGER | VERY FEW SIDE EFFECTS SLIGHT HEADACHE FOR ABOUT HOUR AFTER TAKING EVERYDAY?SLIGHT WEIGHT GAIN. | GREAT DRUG UNTIL YOU TRY AND QUIT IT !!! HORRIBLE WITHDRWL !!! EVEN TAPERING DOWN SUCKS !!! | M | 45 | 1 years | 3/6/2009 | 3 | Panic atttacks | Inability to achieve erection,orgasm; weight gain | My doctor did not mention either the side effects or the issues with withdrawal at the time she started me on it. It has made me unable to achieve a full erection and I am unable to ejaculate. It has actually ended my sex life since I cannot achieve penetration and am no longer able to even masturbate. Be sure you ask your doctor about potential side effects before taking ANY drug. Use the net and do your homework!! My panic attacks were horrible, but now I worry that if I stop the Paxil, the withdrawal will be just as bad, and the attacks might return. Either way, losing your sex life is a high price to pay if there is another way. | M | 56 | 4 years | 2/9/2009 | 4 | anxiety | none | coming off paxil is a little rough but i did it cold turkey which is probably not recommended. i may start another cycle in a few weeks because i only gave it about 5 months and my doctor recommended a year. | M | 35 | 5 months | 2/8/2009 | 3 | Anxiety, Depression | Constipation. No libido. Took away the lows but also took away the highs. Lack of concentration. | Started on 25mg for about 4 months then 37.5 mg for 2 months. It did a great job at taking away my anxiety. It got rid of the lows from depression but it also took away any highs I had. Couldn't laugh or get excited about anything anymore. Just flew along middle of the road all the time. My wife said it was like talking to a zombie when she talked to me. I'd hear people's voices but couldn't remember anything they said later. I've heard others have great results with Paxil. Just wasn't the drug for me. Trying Zoloft 50mg now. We'll see. | M | 40 | 6 months | 2/5/2009 | 4 | Panic Attacks | Very difficult at first but once in your system works like a charm. First few weeks bad panic attacks and needed Lorazepam to calm me down. Makes you very tired at first until you get used to it. It does make you gain weight but didn't mind cause I needed to gain weight anyhow. | Been on Paxil cr for about a year and love it. I do get panic attacks once in a while but learned to talk myself out of it. I'm going to get off paxil in about 5 months from now. Heard detox was not so good. | M | 32 | 1 years | 2/3/2009 | 5 | Panic, Anxiety, Depression Insomnia | Weight gain, some lethargy after having recovered | It saved my life. At one point I was switched to the generic and I had a hard time adjusting to it. Was switched back to name brand. | F | 32 | 2 years | 2/1/2009 | 3 | Anxiety | Serious weight gain. I have been a slender person all of my life, but ballooned by 40 pounds on Paxil. The weight gain is slow so I didn't associate it with the Paxil until I came off of it and the weight started to drop. Exercise, diet had no effect on the weight gain. Detox was HORRIBLE -- major brain zaps, night sweats, and upset stomach for the first two weeks, and then joint pain for months. | It worked very well for anxiety and irratibility. Be careful if you miss even one dose because the side effects from withdrawal will set in. Once you go off of it, be prepared for some intense withdrawal sypmtoms. Doctors should warn people about the withdrawal before anyone starts taking it. Also, buy some bigger clothes because you are going to get fat. For all the good it did in relieving my other mood symptoms, my image of myself took a huge dive because of the weight gain. I won't even show anyone my wedding pictures because of the weight gain. | F | 38 | 2 years | 12/29/2008 | 5 | Anxiety and alcoholism | A little weird at first, but after a week, nothing. | I feel a strange euphoria. I don't actuallyb remember feeling this happy. I find myself smiling for no reason. It's wonderful. I don't know if it's a symptom or not, but I like it. I have not stopped drinking in the evenings. | M | 38 | 12 days | 12/20/2008 | 4 | anxiety caused from vasovagal | dry mouth, first few weeks no energy very tired, unmotivated, few times while out got burning feeling in arms, and sweats but went away but caused loss of appetite, vivid dreams | its been a little overa a month feeling much better, no anxiety or fear, motivation back, not tired so far no weight gain!!! so far so good | F | 31 | 2 months | 11/21/2008 | 4 | panic disorder | extreme tiredness up until about a month ago...hungry all the time, especially for sugary, carb-loaded food--it's been 6 months and i've gained a good 10-15 lbs. major problem with achieving orgasm until recently (this had never been a problem before) spacey, difficulty remembering things, lethargic, unmotivated...blah | Paxil CR has almost completely taken away my panic issues--every now and then i feel that quite possibly i could have one but instead of dwelling on it like i did pre-medication (therefore turning into a full-blown attack), it's a fleeting thought that clears almost immediately. i can't stand the weight gain but i'll suffer with it and hope that daily exercise will help negate it. i no longer have to nap every day like i did when initially starting the med but i do find that i am still tired a lot and certainly will take a nap if i have the time--it's no longer necessary like before though (felt like i was going to pass out if i didn't lay down). the pros outweigh the cons for me regarding this med...i've tried a few others (Zoloft was ok--i didn't gain much weight with it but it left me completely exhausted and miserable although i had no sexual dysfunction.......Prozac was awful, i was a raging lunatic--scared the crap out of me) i'll continue with this for at least another 6 mont | F | 37 | 6 months | 11/19/2008 | 2 | Social Anxiety | All was well except I would experience hypoglycemia after a night of drinking (not suppossed to take this with alcohol, I know). Also, my behavior was erratic and uncontrollable, often violent, and I have always been chill. I have been off of it for 6 months and my libido has been diminishing to a point where I can't achieve erection. I can achieve orgasim but not a full erection but half of the time. I feel this drug has the same effect as taking cocaine for some time. After a while, your body does not know how to deal without it. Never start this substance. I can't stress it enough. If you are depressed, change your diet and work out like an olympic athelete; with this you can avoid post-drug side effects. We are all led to believe by pharmeceutical companies that we need something for every ailment of discontent. It's natural to feel crappy for some time in life. Ride it out. Work out, it is the best medicine. | M | 26 | 6 years | 11/17/2008 | 4 | PTSD, Depression & Anxiety | I have been taking paxil for a little over 2 years and it made it possible for me to finally feel stable for the first time in my life but also had some crazy side effects. I know I needed this medication at the time in order to regain control of my emotions but now after 2 years of taking the drug and gaining 100 lbs to my petite frame I have chosen to come off the drug in an attempt to regain control over my body as well. I have been off of it for 6 days now and I cant remember ever feeling so sick. Headaches daily, nausea, anger, rage, anxiety, feelings of panic, crying spells, etc. | I guess choosing the lesser of two evils (being thin and unhappy or fat and happy) is the key. My only question now is how much longer will I feel the withdrawl effects and when can I start feeling good again? | F | 22 | 2 years | 10/26/2008 | 5 | Panic/Generalized anxiety disorder | During the first few days I experienced some lightheadedness when first getting up in the morning. And..my sexual desire is nothing like it was before taking this medicine. | It helped me tremendously after about 3 weeks of starting it. It's been years now, and I'm still taking the same dosage. So I really wonder if, at this point, it's still effective or if it's just in my head. Either way, I guess it's working! Also, my Dr. doubles my prescription and I cut them in half. That way, even though I have insurance, I pay for one month and it lasts two. I have also gained weight while taking Paxil. My Dr. has mentioned changing med. but I'm a little leary of it. | F | 50 | 6 years | 10/5/2008 | 5 | severe panic attacks | sweating and nausea for the first few weeks, low libido for the first 6 months, after that... only tiredness. | We all have to remember that most people leaving comments on sites like this, are ones that are frustrated with their product. The people who are happy with the drugs results, usually dont search the web for the drugs ratings. I have had a positive experience with paxil cr. I had to drop out of college, and even totalled my car because of panic attacks. I have not had an attack since the first day on the drug. Yes, there are side effects, like with any drug...but it is worth it. Besides being a little more tired than usual throughout the day, I can not even tell I am on any medication anymore. | F | 22 | 2 years | 9/28/2008 | 1 | Post Traumatic Stress Disorder | 12.5 mg daytime sleepyness, nightmares intensified, suicidal thoughts and actions, loss of libido, weight gain, sweats, nausea, increase in appetite, constipation with alternating diarrhea, shock sensation in legs, unstable moods, emotional numbness just sort of "blah" and blank. | This stuff is horrible there is no way I'd ever do this again. I was on zoloft for 2 years with some nightmare problems so the doctor switched me to Paxil CR and it's just been a nightmare. I can't seem to pull myself out of this depression. | F | 31 | 45 days | 9/26/2008 | 4 | Anxiety | In the beginning I had dry mouth, felt tired all the time, yawning constantly, and had constipation. About after a month I had problems sleeping and all my side effects I had before where gone. Dr. gave me 10mg of Elavil to help me sleep. Sleep is good versus where I'd have a hard time falling and staying asleep. I have weird and vivid dreams no nightmares. One thing I hate is that it's been about 4-5 months and I've gained about 20lbs!!! | I don't know if my weight gain is because of this drug or is in anyway related. Since I've been on it I have found myself over indulging in a lot of things. I smoke more, I drink more, and obviously eat more. I don't feel like pulling my hair out anymore but I'm starting to think if I should consider an alternative prescription. Being over weight in "My" eyes really makes me feel like crap and just nasty and disgusted with "Myself". | F | 26 | 5 months | 9/8/2008 | 1 | it messed me up - warn others | If you think sitting in a closet with your head messed up is a great way to spend your life go ahead take this drug....look out for withdrawal you will be very FAT | sexless raving lunatic at least I was | F | 48 | 10 months | 9/3/2008 | 1 | anxiety | I have been on opaxil for a couple years now and I HATE it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Makes me feel crazy and very very angry. I am currently coming down from it and the side effects are absolutely CRAZY. Rage(at anything small cant control), Nightmares, Nausea, Vomiting,Paranoia, Depression, very very very sleepy the whole time i've been on it | M | 36 | 2 years | 8/20/2008 | 3 | anxiety and depression | Dizziness while driving and operating machinery, really helped stabilize if you can always make sure to get prescriptions ahead of time from the pharmacy. Withdrawl symptoms start within 48-72 hours and is a complete downward spiral, especially violent and uncontrolled rage in my situation. Been on the medication off and on for 3 years. | Seems to really help with the anxiety. I have bills I can barely pay at times and I don't care and just get on with life. When I don't take it for a few days I start freaking out (OCD), tense up including back pain, sleeplessness, and start thinking about how to end my life at times. | M | 30 | 700 days | 8/10/2008 | 3 | socail anxiety and GAD and BPD | dizzyness thats really all iv had, but beware of getting off this medicien it will make you feel like your being shocked in the brain. | im also taking THORAZINE 600mg its works great with the paxil. Im really liking it. Notice big difference in Socail Anxiety and GAD. Been on thorazine for about a month. | M | 4 months | 8/7/2008 | 5 | OCD, dysthymic disorder | Tightness in the jaw, yawning, helped me to sleep, decreased appetite, slight loss of libido | Ive only been taking this for 8 days but the difference is already huge. From the comments in here it seems that this drug is especially good for OCD. If these are the only side effects then bring it on! I am hoping the loss in libido will improve but only time will tell.I feel so much more positive and the obsessive thoughts have reduced dramatically. I'm combining this with regular CBT sessions with a psychologist for the best effect possible and for the first time in a long while I feel excited and positive about the future! Good luck everyone. | F | 25 | 8 days | 8/4/2008 | 1 | Anxiety | I was FINE, 10 mg per day a touch over three years, having NO bothersome side effects until after three years, then slight side effects. Last fall I fell apart, and I found out the CAUSE, Caremark changed the generic I was using. The last change caused my body to react HORRIBLY, and I have spent two grand on doctor bills trying to figure out what was wrong with me. I am done with Paxil and any generic form of it. | Vivid dreams, heart palpitations, horrid night sweats, swelling, joint PAIN, headaches, HAIR LOSS BY THE HAND FULLS, gastric upset and bloating, vertigo, dizziness and FALLING with injury. DO NOT believe your mail order prescription providers nonsense about "monitoring" for drug interactions. Caremark changed my generic WHILE I was taking THREE other medications that were prescribed due to side effects of Paxil. All three meds were on the "watch" list with Paxil. Still yet, they changed my generic AGAIN, and this time my negative side effects went full blown to all the "haywire" listed. They changed generics to save THEM money. Prescription Companies should NOT be allowed to up and change change a generic because it is cheaper for them, especially an SSRI med being taken with "watch list" meds. Caviet Emptor, if Paxil or your generic works, do NOT let your provider change it without your Doctors permission. | F | 49 | 3.5 years | 8/2/2008 | 5 | severe panic disorder + depression | only sporadic electric shock sensations through entire body | Switched to paxil cr after 5 years on xanax & alcohol for my panic attacks (did not leave the house for over a year panic was so bad). Switched to paxil cr after seizure trying to come off xanax (xanax stopped working at 4mg a day). Xanax gave me disinhibition and basically ruined my life. Wish my first doc started me on paxil cr instead of xanax -- which you can't stay on!! ..unless you want to become a zombie. STAY AWAY FROM DAILY USE OF XANAX! OK, ONLY as an occasional PRN. If u let your body develop a physical dependence on xanax, u are basically screwed -- seek help from a GOOD doc or HOSPITAL ER to get off xanax. I was in the hospital to get off it and they still messed up my detox!!!!! Had to do 28 day in-patient to get off it safely.... | F | 27 | 10 months | 7/5/2008 | 3 | Social Anxiety,Depression | Diarrhea was about the only side effect. | Didnt help to much I didnt think. Then I went off of it and its been about 6 months now and Im getting very depressed. My doctor says I have a mild bipolar disorder. | M | 24 | 5 days | 6/25/2008 | 3 | Anxiety | So far, very tired throughout the day. Want to sleep all the time, swelling of hands and feet, joint pain in knees hands and ankles, weight gain | Im still trying to figure out if this medication is going to work for me. It has helped with my anxiety and nervousness that I usually have everyday but the swelling in my hands and feet are starting to worry me along with the joint pain. Has anyone else experienced this?? | F | 28 | 2 weeks | 5/23/2008 | 1 | Depression | Seratonin Syndrome, severe depression and suicidal thoughts leading to a suicide attempt. Most recently when I tried to titrate off of Paxil, I experienced the most excruciating withdrawal symptoms, such as nasea, vommiting, depression, suicidal thoughts, bizzarre behavior, and rage. | If I could go back in time, I would NEVER allow myself to be on any anti-depression medication. Most certainly not an SSRI. I have suffered irrevocable trauma and injury from Paxil. I will never be the same. I can't think, concentrate, verbalize, or otherwise act like I was able to prior to my taking this medication. | F | 37 | 7 years | 5/8/2008 | 4 | Depression, Anxiety | Just an overall effect of being tired or dizzy i suppose i could say. Keep in mind ive only been takin it for a week and was wondering if anyone else experienced extreme drowsiness or if i should be lookin at the host of other prescriptions I take.Any response or help would be greatly appreciated. Thank You Jake | within the last two months ive been seeking treatment and the first meds they gave me was Effexor XR and i had tremendously bad side effects with it. was then transfered to paxil which so far is better but im not totally sold on the idea that this is the perfect drug for me. My main problem is sever anxiety and i mean severe in the stongest sense. My depression i can't i cant actuallly feel it so its harder for me to except it. Basicly if youve read these who can figure out that im lott and looking for answers. Any responders i would like to talk more about my situation cause just like in most cases there are a lot more underlying problems that contribute to my problems. Thanks for anyone who listens this is my first time ive wrote in one of these forums and im looking forward to see what can come of them. | M | 27 | 3 weeks | 5/5/2008 | 3 | anxiety, depression | Okay, like, this really worked well in the beginning. I felt high and giddy, but, hey, it improved my mood, so that was good, right? Not so with the swelling and stiffness of my hands, ankles, feet. No way. But it did help with my mood, alot! | F | 34 | 3 months | 4/30/2008 | 4 | Bipolar | The only side effect while taking the med was weight gain which eventually caused me to have to stop taking the med. The side effects from withdrawal were HORRIBLE - vertigo, nausea, vomiting | Great med if you don't experience any severe side effects. Was definitelly disappointed that I had to discontinue the drug. | F | 37 | 2 years | 4/24/2008 | 4 | depression | mild sexual, overeating | F | 42 | 3 years | 4/18/2008 | 4 | General Anxiety | None of which I am aware. | While I had severe issues with Lexapro, Paxil CR has been very effective. I've been on it for basically three years. I can identify no side effects, except for the fact that my pocketbook is a little lighter...once a month when I purchase the medication. | M | 54 | 3 years | 4/12/2008 | 5 | Anxiety | Decreased sex drive, decreased ability to orgasm | It's interesting to see so many different responses to this drug. For me, it has been very, very helpful. I was suffering from extreme anxiety and fear to the point I had trouble working, exercising, going anywhere,etc... I originally started on 30mg for roughly 8 months, then down to 20mg for about 1.5 years, then to 15mg for about 1.5 years, and have just started on 12.5mg. Trying to taper down VERY slowly as I have read the horror stories about coming off of it. | M | 28 | 3 years | 4/8/2008 | 1 | Depression | Drug induced psychosis | Dangerous drug. My daughter experienced a drug induced psychosis and was in the hospital for two weeks. She hallucinated and had delusions. Psychiatrist said it was serotonin poisoning caused by the Paxil. It took several weeks for her to return to normal. | F | 20 | 2 months | 3/28/2008 | 5 | social anixeity; panic attacks | The first couple of weeks i experieced some insomina and headaches, the next couple of weeks side effects gradually disappeared | Heres the deal with all of these people slamming this drug! They say the side effects were too much, they say it was hell getting off it. Listen alot of these people in this room have taken this drug for years and then slammed it. It must have been effective for a quite a while? Theres not alot of positive feedback in here but I personally have experienced great results and have tried numerous meds until i found Paxil. If your anxiety is not that severe then you will not benefit from this med. If you do not work on congitive therapy then you will not benefit. If your anxiety is such a burden too were you cannot function and are paralyzed by fear thoughout the day from social interactions or just simply driving your car then I think your in need of Paxil. If your anxiety is not severe enough to cripple your life then dont even think about taking any kind of anxiety drug. You dont go though the trouble of finding a serious mind altering drug because you want to be a little more calmer th | M | 24 | 1 days | 3/24/2008 | 5 | saved my life | for the first 4 months sexually i couldnt have a orgazm.. that was the only bad thing. was worth it tho | paxil saved my life.. I had awfull panic attacts and OCD .. stay with it.. it gets better! If Paxil isnt working 4 u talk to ur Dr. everyone is different help is there for all of us.. im lucky paxil helped me... but im sure something else can help u if paxil isnt doing the job... everyone reacts different | F | 37 | 3/6/2008 | 1 | Anxiety, Stomach Problems | Extreme anxiety, restlessness | This drug was awful! After one dose I felt ten times more anxiety. I was extremely restless. I had to take time off of work because of my reaction. | F | 28 | 1 days | 3/3/2008 | 1 | Depression | Weight gain and joint pain. I had even more trouble sleeping no matter what time of day I took it. After taking it for 3 montbs I began to have cold night sweats, severe anxiety attacks and thoughts of suicide. When I started to come off of it things got way worse. The thoughts of suicide and depression worsened along with my anxiety. I feel oblivious to anything or anyone and had no want to do anything, extreme fatigue, irritability, muscle tightening in my neck and back, nasueas headaches everday for a month now, and electric shock waves from my brain to entire body. | I wish I would have done my research before taking this medicine. It has made me extremely miserable to the point of psychiatric counseling. I learned that this and Wellbutrin are the 2 worst when it comes to weening off. | F | 34 | 6 months | 2/26/2008 | 4 | Depression and anxiety | None that I can specifically attribute to Paxil CR | Helps me control my display of emotions. Has a calming effect that I like. Gives me some extra energy, or at least sometimes seems to. I wish I could find something that was more effective in boosting my energy and helping me control my emotions. I think I am going to try a Vitamin B12/Vitamin B6/Folic Acid supplement and hope it helps too, because generally speaking, my understanding of psychotropic drugs in general is that they frequently have unpredictable side effects, sometimes do more harm than good, and some can be addictive. When I was taking 25 mg per day, I had no withdrawal symptoms when I stopped taking it. I am now taking 50 mg per day, and am wondering if another antidepressant might help me more than Paxil, but it is definitely hard to know. | F | 24 | 3 years | 2/23/2008 | 1 | Anxiety | Tired all the time! Loss of ability to orgasm. Very weird, often frightening dreams. Night sweats. So chilled out that I didn't care about anything! When I stopped taking it, I was sick for weeks. Nauseated to the point that I couldn't eat. Brain shocks. Inability to focus...dizzy feeling..... | I wonder if anyone out there has experienced memory loss due to taking this drug? I took Paxil CR 25mg. There are events that happened while I was taking it that I can't recall, and now, 2 years off the drug, I still have memory struggles...almost like dementia, and I am only 36. | F | 36 | 2 years | 2/20/2008 | 1 | Anxiety | I felt extremely tired and oblivious to the world. I could careless about anything going on around me. If I didn't take the medicine at the same time everyday, I would began experiencing withdrawl symptoms. After quitting, it took nearly 2 months to get rid of the "electric shocks" that were torturing my brain. I also became depressed after quitting, even though it was prescribed for anxiety. | F | 25 | 3 months | 2/4/2008 | 2 | Social Anxiety | Weight gain, decreased libido, making mistakes at work. When I was weaned off the drug, I experienced horrible electric shocks going through my head. | This drug did not help at all with my social anxiety. The only thing it did do effectively was make me gain unwanted pounds. | F | 34 | 10 months | 2/2/2008 | 1 | Anxiety | Tiredness | Didn't do anything for my anxiety. | M | 22 | 1 months | 2/1/2008 | 3 | Post Traumatic Stress Disorder | Weight gain, excessive daytime sleepiness, muscle twitches (especially in lower extremities), loss of creativity, uncharacteristic mood swings (irritability). | This drug does help me cope with PTSD, but I have gained 70 Lbs while taking this drug. I have never had problems with my weight before. Watch out. Your mileage may vary. | M | 33 | 3 years | 1/29/2008 | 4 | GAD & Panic Attacks | Most bothersome, was what I call Electric Head. Painless electrical shocks in my head and occasionally chest. Extreme Fatigue. Vertigo, Ringing in ears, Muscle cramps, Loss of sexual libido. Dry mouth. | It worked when I took it, it was just getting off of it which was tough. I knew about the 'Electric Head' prior ... I just didn't think it would be that bad. I have been off of it for about a year and still occasionally get the 'Shocks'. | F | 28 | 8 years | 1/28/2008 | 2 | To counter-act Focalin. | Increase in sex drive but unable to orgasm. Loss of interest. Insomnia. | I've been taking Paxil for a month to counter-act the downer effects of my ADD med, Focalin. However, the side effects are extremely annoying. My sex drive is greater, so I feel I need to achieve an orgasm, but it's impossible! After masturbating for 7 hours, nothing. Like I said, I feel I NEED to achieve an orgasm. I can't while having sex, either. | M | 19 | 1 months | 1/23/2008 | 4 | Panic Disorder | Weight Loss, Loss of appetit, Sleeplessness,mild anxiety, slight depression,nervousness | I read a lot of comments made about the awful use of Paxil CR but so far my experience with Paxil has been positive. Maybe the people who have commented on the drug are not getting the therapy that I have to understand the "underlying" problems that are causing their anxiety/depression. I am now on my 3rd year of being on this medication & it has helped me to get better. Please stick with it and GIVE IT TIME TO WORK!!!! I feel as though a lot of the people have not had the great pyshiatrist that I have had along with the great counseling. Although I do understand EVERYTHING you are going through I hope you all give it a chance.. | F | 32 | 3 years | 1/20/2008 | 5 | severe depression | Paxil CR fits me like a glove. The CR helps with premenstrual insomnia better then the non-CR Paxil. | F | 45 | 5 years | 1/9/2008 | 4 | anxiety/depression | increased appetite(food tastes better), dry/stingy eyes, yawning(at odd times), occasional tiredness, deep deep sleeps sometimes with awesome/wierd dreams | This was my first experience with any anti-depressants. I tried lexapro for a few weeks prior to taking this, but got nasty side effects with zero improvement. I changed to paxil 20mg and feel great/better than normal in the 3 weeks since i started taking it. This drug seems to work for me therefore i will continue to take it, but as we all know these drugs affect each person in a different way. Find what works for you best, and just use these websites as a a rough guide as to what might be best for you before consulting you doc. | M | 33 | 28 days | 12/30/2007 | 2 | Depression, Social Anxiety | Severe Insomnia for the first month. Severe Nightmares, Uncontrollable Eye movements, Yawning Every 5 minutes all day. Severe Withdrawal when stopped such as Severe Depression, Weird Eye Movements. | I took 50 mg of Paxil for about 6 months for depression, and severe social anxiety. It helped very little and had severe withdrawal when I stopped it. I was almost suicidal and I tapered it off very very slowly! This was obviously not the right med for me. | M | 27 | 6 months | 12/27/2007 | 2 | OCD, abnormally high sex drive | no improvment, even worse! | I am on 30mg , OCD has not improved. The side effects are sweating, persistent erections which is the most bothersome to me. I masturbate even more but could not reach orgasm! As uncircumcised male I feel prepuse swollen and extremly iritable...should I take 40 or 50 mg? | M | 18 | 1 weeks | 12/19/2007 | 1 | anxiety | I became manic/hypomanic while taking Paxil CR. Was not able to see how bad I was while on it. After quitting, I see the horrible person Paxil CR made me. | I would not recommend this drug to anyone. You never know what your reaction will be to this and it could lead to a manic state. Being on Paxil has potentially cost me my marriage and no drug is worth that. I was prescribed this by my Internal Med. Only go on SSRI's if prescribed by a Psychiatrist. Paxil withdrawal is awful. This is a nasty and evil drug. I have nothing positive to say about it at all. | F | 37 | 5 years | 11/27/2007 | 1 | Depression | debilitating paranoia, euphoria and laughing at times, Increased weight gain, fear, insensitivity, bothersome changes in sex drive, long and short term memory problems, an inability to concentrate. | Ive been on this med for about a year during which time my depression seemed to suddenly resolve itself for a short time. But now Im not even myself anymore emotionally, this medication has caused an increase in my already existing paranoia to the point of it becoming debilitating. I have to get off of this medication as I own a business and can not let this get in the way. I am not under the care of a psychologist/psychiatrist I pretty well treat myself and the meds are prescribed through a PCP. After reading through the withdraw side effects I have decided to use a CNS (Central Nervous Suppressant) that I am already prescribed for pain which is Norco and Diazepam (Valium)to lessen these side effects. I am not addicted to these meds nor will I missuse them in any way in this process of DC'ing the paxil I have NEVER used or tried an illegal drug or been addicted to any prescription drug. I am actually pretty frightend after seeing what others have been through but I remain optimistic a | M | 27 | 365 days | 11/26/2007 | 5 | severe panic attacks | sweating the first few weeks, yawning, increased tiredness during the day no matter how much i sleep i got, crazy vivid dreams | side effects are completely worth it... completely stopped the panic attacks from day one on the pill. Changed my life...would recommend it to anyone. | F | 21 | 2 months | 11/25/2007 | 4 | Panic disorder/ Anxiety | slight weight-gain, lack of orgasm (but not lack of sex drive...ugh!!), really vivid dreams. Felt pretty out of it and zombie-like for the first month or two. | I take 20mg of paxil for panic disorder/ anxiety and works really well. I feel completely normal aside from the fact I don't have panic attacks anymore. My only issues with it are the weight gain (very gradual 15 lbs. ouch), and sometimes I feel a little too nonchalant. But hey, can't have everything. | F | 23 | 1 years | 11/21/2007 | 4 | mild anxiety disorders | Yawnings, tiredness at times. Some scary feelings when the effects are dissipating.(like rec. drugs) | This is really powerful stuff. Anyone who can't get out of their house will change his/her life with that. That's really not my case, I wanted it just to "take the edge off" and be calmer instead the drug totally took the driver seat of my mind. Sure I was calm, sociable, smiling(even at wrong times), not a care in the world but somehow I didn't like this "baked" feeling at all. I also felt zombie, almost braindead when the drug was taking in and flushing out. I recommand this stuff only for highly anxious and/or depressed people with absolutely no life/job/activities, etc... I had more modest but much more comfortable results with 5-HTP supplement and occasionnal Klonopin, I'll stay that way. FYI: I only took one 5mg dose! and that will be my last. | M | 26 | 1 times | 11/13/2007 | 2 | Depression/Anxiety | insomnia, weight gain, body/joint aches, withdrawl is HORRIBLE | I have been on Paxil CR for a total of 3 years at a variety of different strengths most recent being 75mg. After much research I started to tie in my inability to sleep for the past two years without being medicated and my sporadic bone/body pain for the past year and a half with the Paxil CR. During the course of taking this medication I also gained approx 20 lbs. After keeping a log of how I felt when ON the drug versus being OFF the drug I've decided to wean from it completely. I can say that the weaning process has been slow and really makes you feel horrible. I honestly in good faith say that it does help with the anxiety but only if you can handle the side effects. | F | 31 | 3 years | 11/8/2007 | 3 | depression, OCD, anxiety | sweating,dry mouth | I have been taking Lexapro 30mg for 4 years. It worked really well. But it didn't help with my OCD and I get tired. So I'm taking Paxil CR 25 mg. It work great with my depression.I'm not tired anymore. But it still not helping with my OCD.I have not noticed my weight changes. | F | 26 | 2 months | 11/4/2007 | 5 | Dysthymia, social anxiety | For the first 2 weeks, I had an unconcious urge to clench my fists and curl my toes. Weird. Those went away. Now the only side-effect is some difficulty achieving orgasm. While weaning off Paxil CR, I experience dizziness/light-headedness when shifting my eyes left and right (whether they're open or closed). Again, weird. | I've suffered from chronic depression my whole life (Dysthymia). In my early twenties, it started getting much more severe. After starting Paxil CR (25 mg), I went from being so depressed that I was basically incapacitated to feeling great. It was like waking up from a 26-year nightmare. | M | 30 | 5 years | 10/26/2007 | 5 | social phobia | M | 21 | 2 years | 10/19/2007 | 5 | anxiety attacks | M | 9/24/2007 | 4 | 9/16/2007 | 3 | Depression/Anxiety | I've only been taking Paxil for 4 days now. I think its difficult to determine if the shakiness,clammy skin,minor heart palpitations, etc are caused from the paxil or my anxiety still. I have noticed that I wake up during the night whereas i rarely did that before paxil. Last night I woke up with the worst stomach ache that lasted all night and I still feel a little nauseas. A big concern that I had was the weight gain. I lost A LOT of weight due to my depression and was hoping to gain some back while on paxil. It's only been 4 days so I dont expect that to change right away. | F | 20 | 4 days | 9/14/2007 | 1 | Anxiety/depression | Complete loss of rational judgement, loss of libido, increased desired for alcohol. | Be VERY careful when choosing this drug. The user will feel better and more functional. So will a cocaine user. In my case, I felt so functional I was driven to do things "right", I relentlessly attacked my management at work and took on my wife at home. The end result is a dead end job and a divorce. Until I stopped, I didn't realize how self-destructive my decision-making process had become. My co-workers now say they considered my behavior while on Paxil borderline insanity. I quit Paxil cold-turkey and the results have been horrifying. During the six months of withdrawal, I experienced similar symptoms that other people have described, but I seem to have PERMANENTLY contracted vision impairment (needed new glasses very suddenly), high blood pressure, enlarged prostate (need medication which I can't afford, but without it, I have wet the bed), narcolepsy (at times I am incapable of staying awake another minute). Please don't rate whether this drug is working f | M | 42 | 4 years | 8/28/2007 | 3 | depression, anxiety | INcreased libido, increased energy, out-of-body feeling, decreased pain response, low if any impulse control, lowered creativity | I took this drug a couple years ago. On the bad side, it gave me a very weird feeling like I wasn't the one in control of my actions. However, though I'm not sure this drug is healthy, part of me would really like to get back on it again, because I did feel a lot better in general, and a lot better about myself. I had increased confidence and an increased desire to be around other people. I basically had no shyness anymore whatsoever. I did not experience problems with weight gain, although food seemed to taste better. Withdrawal symptoms: increased irritability, increased agression, sudden desire to chain smoke, DO NOT QUIT THIS MED COLD TURKEY | F | 21 | 2 months | 8/21/2007 | 3 | depression | Immediate (within a few days) side effects were extreme sweating, dry mouth and unable to pass urine. Those soon subsided, but then my appetite increased, especially at night. After about 2 weeks, my appetite became huge and I started to gain a lot of weight quickly, so I stopped it. It did not help my depression, although it did just seem to dull everything-- it's not like I WASN'T depressed anymore, it was just that I DIDN'T CARE that I was depressed... | I have had a problem with weight-gain on other antidepressants as well, but at least with some others (Lexapro) I felt immediately felt great when I was on it. WIth Paxil I didn't really feel all that different, just dulled. But I believe you have to try anything you can, as each medication has different effects on everyone. | F | 35 | 1.5 months | 8/18/2007 | 2 | panic attacks | weight gain, unable to achieve orgasim | After 4 years on Paxcil CR...the panic attacks have come back. My doctor is going to change my medication to Cymbalta. | F | 44 | 4 years | 8/18/2007 | 5 | Anxiety,OCD,Panic Attacks | i have been diagnosed with really bad anxiety. I have been on every drug known to man..After recently getting out of the hospital for anxiety in february, i went on paxil and it has helped me live life..i love it. No weight gain..PEOPLE WORK OUT. | I love it ;D | F | 20 | 6 days | 8/16/2007 | 4 | Anxiety | It made me sleepy, extremely hungry at times. | Paxil worked great on my anxiety issues, however, I gained about 15 lbs in 3 months towards the end. I have never had any problems with weight gain, in fact people always comment on how skinney I was. I am off of Paxill now (1 1/2 months) and still trying to loose the weight. | F | 40 | 1 years | 8/10/2007 | 5 | Severe panic attacks, depression | Lack of emotion, weight gain, need more sleep | So glad I'm taking it. Have had illness since I was 12 yrs. old, nothing else worked. Unable to come off meds though. | F | 42 | 7 years | 8/2/2007 | 1 | Anxiety/depression. | Nothing at all. I would've at least preferred a slight NEGATIVE affect, just to prove that it was, indeed, flowing through my bloodstream. | Complete waste of time & money. | F | 18 | 7/29/2007 | 5 | Anxiety | For the first couple weeks, I felt extra shaky and had night sweats. Decreased libido and minor weight gain (5-7 lbs). | I had fairly severe panic attacks that seemed to come out of nowhere and was pretty shaky overall. After taking Paxil, I feel great, although I am going to start weaning off the drug because I want to start a family soon and am nervous about the effects of Paxil on the baby (I've seen a bunch of commercials on TV about Paxil causing heart probs in infants). | F | 28 | 11 months | 7/20/2007 | 3 | Panic attacks; OCD | weight gain; loss of libido; unable to orgasm; profuse and continuous sweating. | Paxil was extremely effective as far as my panic attacks. They were debilitating. OCD has not improved. The side effects have been an equal trade for the panic attacks. The sweating is the most bothersome to me. | M | 50 | 4 years | 7/19/2007 | 4 | Anxiety/Depression | One panic attack at night, and one manic episode, but not again after the one time. Inability to have orgasm. I became a bit spacy. | I felt like I was on a cloud of bliss...not anxious at all...and was able to handle socializing with ease. I stopped because of the sexual side effects. | F | 34 | 3 months | 7/13/2007 | 4 | depression | weight gain sexual side effects numbness | F | 18 months | 7/4/2007 | 5 | depression | I'm only on 10 mg, the minimum dose, sometimes less. I'm sleepy a lot more. Need a lot of naps. Get very bad hangovers if I'm not careful. Sexual function lower, but that's ok. | This drug has saved my life. | F | 30 | 2 years | 7/2/2007 | 3 | Panic Attacks | Loss of libido | I'm on 40mg of paxil, not paxil CR. I have found paxil CR to be horrible. It didn't help my anxiety whatsoever. Paxil was a wonder drug for me, i had had to quit high school and became agoraphobic because my anxiety was so bad. Someone suggested i take Paxil and it worked wonders for me. There are some bad parts though, i have very little libido and the withdrawal is HORRIBLE. If i ever had to go without it i would become very lightheaded, nauseous, and experience the most uncomfortable feeling i've ever experienced. Great drug for anxiety but be prepared, it can be tough to come off of it. | F | 24 | 6 years | 6/26/2007 | 4 | Slight OCD, depression | slightly thirsty, decreased libido but it is not a problem. | It has helped a lot, I am enjoying my life a little more. Probably decrease in emotion, which may be good for me. | F | 51 | 3 weeks | 6/21/2007 | 2 | Depresssion | severe headaches, difficulty concentrating, problems with word association and short-term memory, extreme fatigue and yawning | Was on 75 mg of Effexor for 2 months and developed severe headaches. Doctor thought it was due to the Effexcor so switched me to 20 mg of Paxil. Headaches went away for a few weeks, but after about 5 weeks of taking Paxil, I had daily severe headaches that lasted for 3.5 months. Had CTscan and MRI to rule out other causes, since doctor did not think it was due to the Paxil. Was prescribed Topamax for the headaches, but Topamax actually made headaches worse. Am tapering off Paxil now and am experiencing vivid dreams, night sweats, nauseous - but thankfully no more headaches. For me, these withdrawal symptoms are minor compared to the dibilating headaches I was getting. Both Effexor and Paxil did help with my depression, but unfortunately for me, the side effects outweighed the benefits. | F | 30 | 5 months | 6/19/2007 |
| Key to
ratings: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine. |