DOSE:

oral

Pharms - Paroxetine

(daily)

BODY WEIGHT:

78 kg

I have always suffered with depression and anxiety because of my growing years, but in the last two years, I have had a nightmare of a time. My job, a relationship, and being treated terribly (read: illegally) by a social group led to a nervous breakdown and suicide attempt. I've been diagnosed with PTSD. Don't worry, I'm suing all of them.

I had been on 20mg Paroxetine (taken in the mornings) before all the troubles started, and was getting along quite happily. After the breakdown, it was increased to 50mg, and I needed it. The suicide attempt would have come much sooner. It managed to keep me on the level 90% of the time, with the Clonazepam to knock me out if the panic attacks (which are a symptom of PTSD – never, ever had them on the maintenance dose of Paroxetine) kicked off. It allowed me time to breathe and get settled down, keep me level enough to manage my finances and deal with the problems of relocating, and kept me functional. It kept the worst of the anxiety at bay. I recently started weaning the dosages down, and am on 30mg at the moment.

However, my aunt (who I now live with) has noticed that I look less 'dosed'. I look brighter, my skin and hair look less dull, and my behaviour has brightened up. I do feel more connected with myself than I did at 50mg. I decided to start weaning back the dosages once I started to come to terms with the PTSD, and my doctor agreed to keep an eye on me. I still get problems relating to the PTSD, but I can't deal with them when dosed to the gills.

I do experience the 'zaps' if I forget to take my pill, but it usually takes at least a day before they start. They are known to be signs of withdrawal from SSRIs, and do disappear (at least in my case) after a few days, and they didn't happen to me when weaning the dosages down. One thing I have noticed, that I'm finding that I'm drinking alcohol less now than when I was on 50mg. I don't find alcohol as appealing.

Like any antidepressant, Paroxetine needs time to get into, and out of, your brain tissue and start blocking the serotonin uptake at the synapse, and start DOING WHAT IT WAS PRESCRIBED TO YOU TO DO. And not taking time to wean onto it and off it will freak your brain out in unpleasant ways, as you'll be affecting how the brain chemistry maintains homeostasis in a big way. That's why it's really not a party drug. Paroxetine is for anxiety, depression, and some mood/personality disorders. And it won't give you an exciting high or a mellowing low. It will just keep you from being crippled by your symptoms, so that you can get on with life.

Exp Year: 2012	ExpID: 96483
Gender: Female
Age at time of experience: 29
Published: Feb 7, 2016	Views: 2,948
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Pharms - Paroxetine (148) : Health Benefits (32), Not Applicable (38)