More Paxil Posts

Not Myself (April 13, 2004): After one more bizarre night out, I decided to look for information on Paxil CR and alcohol. Glad to find this site.

I have been taking Paxil CR for several months. Previously took Zoloft; should NEVER have switched! I'm going back-- but, here's what I've noticed!

1. Paxil leaves me feeling anxious... on the verge of depression and irrational thought, but not so much that I don't recognize that it's happening. I feel like crying every day, but I cannot cry.

2. I have insane and crazily vivid dreams. Last night, I woke with a scream and totally freaked out my pets! What's more, there is a finer line between my reality and dream states... it's very confusing. Too, my memory is awful.

3. I have gone out on the town a few times; I have been out of control! Just this weekend, I was wasted after one cocktail... but, I didn't stop... went rapidly on to a 2nd and 3rd cocktail... moving into something of a dream state. I was detached, wildly aggressive and truly out-of-control! I was fortunate to have friends with me, so I suffered only embarrassment. I slept entirely through the next day... I've never, ever done that before. Three days later, I still feel abnormal.

There is DEFINITELY something wrong with my reactions to Paxil CR! For me, it's confirmed!

Anna (April 16, 2004): Hi I have been on Seroxat for 5 1/2 years i have tryed coming off before and had the side effects such as feeling down anxious head zaps which i didn't know then where actually side effects the Doctor told me it was my anxiety coming back and i was to up my dose I know realise that to get off seroxat you have to go through the withdrawal i am now using the liquid for and have gone from 30mg to 4mg it has taken 1 + 1/2 months the side effects are not that bad I will beat this. If you really want to get off this Drug get the liquid for its much easier to cut down with.

Chris (May 9, 2004): My wife takes Paxil CR for OCD, undiagnosed before we got married, and I loved her before starting the medication, but REALLY like it that she can now go kill her own ants, spiders, and cockroaches without me rushing home from work to do it for her. There are a lot of the same side-effects involved with her that were listed in the other stories- increased tolerance/ craving for alcohol and other carbohydrates, diarrhea after eating, etc... but with the hope of eventually getting off it and keeping the OCD in check post-Paxil CR, we're all-in-all happy with the drug. It's not for everybody. I work in medicine and know some of those doctors talked about in the other stories- "medication is the solution to everything". It will seriously help anyone having trouble with this medication to have a really good friend there to help, like my wife says that I am for her. Good luck to you all!

G (May 17, 2004):  I have been on Seroxat for about 6 years, and found it fixed my problems, except that my craving for alcohol increased a great deal  (normally drink very little). It doesn't give you a hangover in the morning either. I have managed to keep the drinking to the evenings, but spirits taste like water, and has very little effect until I fall asleep about 11:00 pm. I started on 20mg and I am now on 10mg. Trouble is I don't want to get of it all together, only to have my symptoms come back, which were very unpleasant. The other articles are very interesting re drinking, think they all have a common cause.

Cathy (June 5, 2004):  I am about to be getting a possible Article 15 in the US Army for 2 counts of assault and drunk and disorderly behavior.

- I have NEVER gotten violent while drinking; I'm what you would call a "happy, goofy" drunk.

- Sure, I've gotten drunk, but I've never drank to where I don't even remember drinking and become so incapacitated. In other words- I can tell you how much I drank and know that I was getting drunk!

- My blood alcohol was a .29! I only remember drinking 3 beers! My friend said I was buying one stein of beer after another- I don't even remember this - this is for the person who said they had 19 drinks and didn't even realize it!!!

- Maybe those of us whose lives/careers/families are being ruined because of this can support one another and assist each other in a defense. 

Herein lies the problems I'm trying to deal with:

1.) Personal Responsibility-
On my prescription bottle of medication it does have a label that says "Do not drink alcohol while taking this medication" - therefore I have no defense in this matter

but pleez!!!! Are you telling me that people that take Paxil do not drink AT ALL????

It was my understanding that the main reason you shouldn't drink alcohol is mostly that it intensifies the drowsiness and reduces the effectiveness of the drug?

I was also told that a beer or 2 is okay - but geez, if there's a way to prove that it can cause the craving for alcohol, then maybe I can help with my defense?

I'm so frustrated. Some people say I'm trying to make up excuses and blame it on the medication. I'm struggling with this -
how do I accept personal responsibility?

I need to find medical journals/studies - is there currently research being done on SSRI's/increasing levels of serotonin in brain and link to craving alcohol?

Also- I've seen where Paxil has been used to TREAT ALCOHOLISM! Could it be that for some small percentage of the population- it actually does the OPPOSITE?

Yeah, I know what you mean- the guy who said he's labeled the "town drunk". It's like it's not bad enough that we've done something so out of character that we've shocked ourselves- but that people label us. People look at me with these disapproving looks. You can't explain that this is not normal behavior for you! It's so devastating the humiliation.  I just want to scream YOU DON'T KNOW ME, YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!!!! But they don't.

They're so quick to judge you negatively.

Jill (June 18, 2004):  Well thank goodness !  I thought I was the only one with these symptoms.  I used to have a couple of glasses on wine on the weekends, but after being on Paxil, I can drink wine like water.  One to two bottles is not unusual for me at all. And I can get up the next day feeling normal, without even a headache.  Why is that ? I have the strange dreams too and sometimes feel like I haven't slept.  To make matters worse, I have gained 10 lbs (most likely because of all the wine). I really am not happy with the way this pill is working at all.

Rick (June 20, 2004):  I've been taking Paxil for over 5 years now. I'am bipolar and have had a fair amount of success with this drug. I am 44 years of age and have been fighting this wicked disease since I was 14.Back then Doctors knew very little about this disease and how to treat it. I've been on just about every medication out there. Paxil is the only drug to really help me although I'm not doing very well as I write this. Drinking over the years is something I have enjoyed and for the most part was able to control it. There are plenty of times when I drank more than I should have-but I usually knew when to call it a night and always got home safely. Drinking on Paxil is a different story. I never know when to stop because you don't feel like your getting drunk until it's way to late and I end up blacking out.
What is so amazing is I can drink more then I ever have and wake up like nothing happened-no hangover what so ever. I also know I should not be drinking while taking Paxil but I crave it more then I ever have before. I could never understand this and now that I have discovered this web site I know i'ts not just me. As I write this I find myself in the depression stage of bipolar and although I've been through this so many times before I'm not sure I will be around to see what comes of this. My life has been a roller coaster and I don't know how much more I can take.

Luz (June 25, 2004):  Re. my September '03 post on alcohol cravings. Since that post, I have finally managed to come off Paxil completely, and have been off the drug for 6 months now. I noticed a definite 'switch point' in the withdrawal process where my alcohol cravings disappeared entirely, and they have never returned - I am overjoyed. I wonder whether the effect some of us report is a distortion of the carbohydrate cravings the drug is said to produce (hence the weight gain), but I think there is more to it than that; I could drink and drink and drink, as if I was seeking oblivion. I am back to being an occasional drinker with normal hangovers - Hurrah! I am afraid I don't have any good advice to offer those still suffering these cravings, but I am thinking of you.

Lisa (July 16, 2004):  I was wondering if anyone else was misdiagnosed with Bi-Polar disorder while on Paxil?

I have been taking it on, and off for 11 years. Last year my ex-Dr doubled my dosage from 20 to 40mgs of Paxil, and that is when I started having bi polar signs. Not sleeping, and going like the Duracell bunny followed by being exhausted with major thoughts of suicide. My life was a living hell. I finally found a Dr that listened, and told me I was being poisoned by the Paxil, and slowly I am getting my life back.

Another thing the Paxil did was mimic Auto Immune diseases, Anyone else have this problem. Thanks!

McMan (July 16):  Hi, Lisa. Eveready must have at least 100 million on that stupid bunny campaign over the years and what have they got to show for it? (Drum roll.)  The Duracell bunny! (Rimshot.) Gotta love it. To answer your first question, antidepressants can send people into agitated states not unlike mania, making a true diagnosis difficult. It can also send people into manic states, making a bipolar diagnosis a no-brainer.

Karen (Oct 7, 2004):  Following the recent Panaroma programme on the BBC, I am absolutely disgusted at the lack of integrity by  Alastair Benbow & his organisation - many people have suffered and died at the hands of these people just for the sheer end of generating profit.  My faith in the medical profession at large is at an all time low.  In my capacity as an advertising executive, I will NEVER work with a pharmaceutical company.  They are scum. 

David (Oct 12, 2004):  I have been very desperate lately and it seems that everything is falling into place after reading about Paxil and alcohol. I took Paxil for 3 years and had a number of episodes like what is mentioned here,i just figured it was me and my mental decline from a 45 day coma and my brain just giving up. I have since being on Paxil become suicidal, i have mutilated myself, I have sporadic violent outbursts (at 6'3 220lbs,its not pretty), I even smell alcohol I have an uncontrollable urge to just get wasted. I to like many got a dui and I consider it to me a godsend. My demeanor is not what I mentioned above but i just assumed it was my failure to cope. I have stopped taking the Paxil cr(37.5) and realize the good it did. I don't remember things very well like were i set my keys, money, wallet. I "space out" a lot more and almost feel as if at any time i could be sleeping but awake like on that movie Looker. My point being Paxil is an evil drug that should be limited maybe to short term use. Open your eyes see the light and get off the Paxil. Thank you for your forum, it may have well saved my life or someone else's for that matter. If you have any advise get back to me please. Thank You again McMan

PPP (Nov 5, 2004):  I TAKE PAXIL CR I WENT TO A DINNER PARTY WITH MY HUSBAND DRINKING WINE BLACK OUT ALL I CAN REMEMBER IS WAKING THE NEXT MORNING HE SAID I EMBARRASSED SO BAD THAT HE DIDN'T  SHOW HIS FACE AT WORK

Kathy (Nov 11, 2004):  Thank you for this website & the luck of finding it! I am finally not alone. I have been taking 20mg Paxil daily for 3 years. FOr the last 6 months I have CRAVED white wine daily & drink approximately a bottle a day every night. In the last 3 months I have had watery stool after EVERY meal, and I have gained 20 lbs. I never thought it was Paxil related, I\'ve been on it so long without these side effects I figured it was a GI problem. So I finally went to a new MD. Her suggestion was to get a colonoscopy & increase the Paxil to 30mg a day. After reading all of the above, how can I get off this horrible drug without the terrible side effecs? Please help me.

MIndy (Nov 12, 2004): Paxil side effects I too want to report an increased craving for alcohol while on Paxil. I would take the medication and a few hours later just be dying to have a drink. I was always one that drank some but never to this extent. It got to the point where I was unable to get my work done. I went to my medical DR with this and he just laughed and looked at me like I was crazy. I then went to a psychiatrist with this and she was much more receptive. I am now switching to Effexor. Today is the first day so I am hoping that it will go well. I will keep you all posted on my progress but it is so nice to know that it was not just me.

Lynda (Nov 19, 2004) My husband was put on Paxil June 2004. He ran out and didn't refill his prescription. I found out on the 3rd day and we got it refilled on the 4th day. He planned on starting back on it the following morning. It was too late, he flipped out that night and I found him the next morning - he hung himself September 30th.

IF YOU'RE NOT TAKING PAXIL, DON'T START. IF YOU'RE ON IT, BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL ABOUT GETTING OFF IT - DON'T GO COLD TURKEY.

I would like to help get this drug off the market. Please feel free to email me at LyndaLu99999@yahoo.com

McMan (Nov 19):  My deepest condolences, Lynda. If I could afford a lawyer, he would advise me to issue the following disclaimer: "There may have been causes we don't know about for this tragedy other than the Paxil."

(Note to readers, if I didn't put up these disclaimers GSK could squash me like a bug.)

Angie (Dec 4, 2004):  This site is a god send. I started taking 20mg Seroxat approximately 3years ago. Before this I rarely drank and couldn't tolerate alcohol, my friends would tease me about my pathetic intolerance to booze, and how I could get drunk after one can of lager. I was prescribed seroxat for depression, which I have suffered with for most of my life. I never took Ad's before and didn't self medicate with other drugs or alcohol. Following a very stressful time in my personal life and with work, my depression worsened, and after seeing my gp, I agreed to give them a go, following many consultations over previous years where I had refused. I found they worked instantly, and for the first six months I felt fantastic, then I began to crave alcohol, and found myself coming home from work, drinking until bedtime and going to work, next day without hangover. Weekends I just wanted to stay home and drink, and i drink until I physically could take no more, but mentally still wanted more. I didn't want to see people, didn't want to go out, I just wanted to be at home and drink. My life stopped, and whilst functioning at work, but desperate for the end of the day, to drink I felt empty and began to think about suicide all the time. Prior to taking seroxat, whilst feeling depressed, I did sometimes wonder about suicide but always had a strong feeling that I could never ever really do it, because of loved ones. However whilst on Seroxat I lost those reasons to live. I used to sit overwhelmed by compulsions to swallow tablets and take an overdose. Sometimes I could almost taste the tablets, and had to force myself to go to sleep, to get suicide out of my head. Over the past three years I have gone through cycles. I took the tablets, felt better, then would get increased suicidal thoughts and numbness and be drinking heavily. I would stop the tablets, feel severe withdrawal symptoms, dizziness, brain shudders, sweats, emotional outbursts, feel frightened start the tablets again, feel better for a bit then go down again, and repeat the cycle. I tried withdrawing from them slowly, as recommended by GP, but I still got the side effects. In despair, I have now decided to stop them instantly and suffer the withdrawls, and just hope they don't last, because being depressed as i was before seroxat and the brief periods of feeling better when restarting them, after a couple of days being off them, is really not worth the feelings of wanting to end my life and becoming an alcoholic.

Jim (Dec 22, 2004):  Hi, I have been on paxil on and off for the last 5 years or so. I have experienced all the same horrible side affects while trying to come off the drug as well. What I was wondering is if anyone has went out and drank too much in one night while taking the paxil. I overindulged in alcohol with my buddies which i know i shouldn't have, and now it seems like the drug just stopped working. It has been a week now since my night out drinking, and i am as anxious as ever, dizzy, and feel like the drug just stopped working. Has anyone experienced anything like this? Thanks.

Kat (Jan 11, 2005):  Reading others histories and tragedies has been eye opening. After being diagnosed by by GP, three years ago, I first started a small dosage of Paxil. My child was just two, and I had a situation where I should have seen a psychiatrist immediately. My husband and I went to a counselor instead and he recommended a family doctor. The Paxil helped me to sleep, stopped my anxiety attacks, nightmares, and angry outbursts, and thoughts of death. I felt happy and relaxed for a time. The drawbacks were a fuzzy numb headed feeling, electric zaps, and the overwhelming urge to smoke cigarettes, which I had only done occasionally before. Also I let the bills go unpaid without worrying about due dates. After being on the smallest dosage for awhile, I started to feel the anxious, dark feelings again, and my GP told me to try 20mgs. I was on and off, because of my conflicting feelings about taking medication. I then became pregnant and completely stopped for some months. Until my depression was back to the point where I could not function well, I read up on paxil and side effects on the baby in womb. I stayed on through the end of my pregnancy and through nursing my daughter until she was 11 months. I have recently been very low and not able to deal with day to day life. My doctor again prescribed taking Paxil, its been 7 months since I took myself off abruptly, experiencing headaches , vivid nightmares and nausea, but I think I will not return to the comfortable numbness. It has caused memory loss, and I feel like I have empathy, affection and other good emotions erased. I am going to try herbal medicine and try to get the old me back. May God bless the families of those that have lost their lives or been killed by mental illness and perhaps these medications.

Michael (Jan 14, 2005): I don't know about all this reaction to Paxil. I'm Bipolar and been on it 5 years at about 40 mgs. I actually quit drinking. But I have had the electic Zap thing happen once and I didn't connect it to the Paxil.

All I know is Paxil has allowed me to live a normal life that and mood stabilizing drugs. I'm glad its there because if you knew what my life was before six years ago, well I'll tell you.

Jon (Feb 6, 2005):  I knew I wasn't the only one! I tried doing a search on Paxil and Alcohol and only found articles about how Paxil is used to treat Alcoholism. PLEASE! That\'s like giving crackers to a thirsty person. Maybe it could work, if your drinking is due solely to depression, but my experience is that Paxil hits the "drink alcohol instead of water\" button. Why is there so little written on this subject? Besides the alcohol, my short term memory is not reduced, its gone. Not to mention that I\'m tired of women telling me how sore I make them (laugh if you want, it really sucks). Sure would be nice to have a good orgasm again without shredding her in the process.

I'm stable enough now that I've gotten a good job (thanks Paxil) but I don\'t get my work done, get in trouble for forgetting assignments and not completing tasks (thanks Paxil). I guess it's time to quit this poison pill and hope the zaps aren't too bad. I've tried a couple times before cold turkey and couldn't get past the nausea and brain shutdown.

Karen (Feb 10, 2005): The comments by people on Paxil who crave alcohol are interesting, especially those who drink a great deal including all day on weekends.

(1) I wonder if the lack of hangover provides an \"incentive\" to drink more. (2) Does the obliteration of alcohol do something for the individual that the drug should be doing? ( 3)If Paxil reduces anxiety, panic, depression, etc., does that leave the individual with no alternative behavior patterns? That is, healthy interesting things to do that people who are not suffering can do? Does the alcohol cover up the possible realization that you just don\'t know how to occupy yourself?

(4)Does drinking relieve the side effect of fatigue?

(5)Have you told your doctor about the drinking?!?!? If you\'re not seeing a psychiatrist, you should be. Either the psychiatrist should be a good therapist for you or should work in concert with a good therapist. If # 3 might be the right answer for you, some good behavioral/cognitive therapy might be good to help you develop new habits.

Good luck and get control of this!

I was a successful trial lawyer, married with two kids, Then I became subject to bone crushing depressions and high flying manias and it didn't take long for me to lose everything. Thanks in part to Paxil I'm able to live a stable sane life again. I can't be the only one.

Jessie  2/11 Pax-ills  I, too, developed cravings for and high tolerance of alcohol when I began Paxil. And I was somehow able to wean myself from those cravings after a few years, remaining on Paxil.

Recently I quit Paxil cold turkey. I know, I know - bad idea. But I 'd been on the stuff since 1994 and quit twice before. Once gradually, once abruptly. And I made the conscious decision to go abrupt this time (from 20mg to 0) to avoid the long drawn-out withdrawals in favor of the more extreme but sooner done symptoms.

I regret this decision. After 4-1/2 months I am still quite sick. And my withdrawal symptoms seem to ebb and flow with hormonal fluxes, so that Day 5-Day 14 is usually pretty good. Day 14 (ovulation) brings on burning in stomach, throat and mouth, some nausea, heightened sense of smell, blurry vision, restless sleep. That lasts through menstruation. Then 5 days off until it all starts up again.

Of course, I 'm returning to a fairly severe chronic depression and though I loathe to return to the medicine that can produce these effects, I may have to simply to survive. When I think about trying a different SSRI or another of the newer anti-depressants, I tend to think that would just add a different set of potential longterm damages.

So its not just a physiological or psychological dependency, but a depressed person 's reasoned choice to return to the evil you know, rather than the one you don 't.

Is there a good argument for trying a different medication. Paxil did after all work wonders - it only made me hypo-manic, killed my sex drive, and slight twitches but it did give me a chance to live life.

JY 2/17:  Effexor / Paxil were key players in my cessation of alcohol / drug use.  In other words -- they helped me get sober!  I 've been taking paxil for about 2 years, and am more productive / happy / efficient / generally pleasant than ever before.  Although, i 've noticed that I am prone to extreme violent outbursts (mainly verbal) which is totally not my style, and it even seems that my anxiety is worse than ever.  But my depression is all gravy, which is honestly the only thing that matters to me.

Yeah, there 's some weird side effects.  I tour a lot out of the country, DJing in clubs, and after a late night, i often feel hungover (even though i don 't drink alcohol).  I also get giant red spots on my neck and face during interpersonal interaction (especially phone calls).

Sooooo, switched to Effexor XR today, cold-turkey.  Took it a few years ago and it worked like a charm.  we 'll see what happens. 

Please do not discount the fact that anti-depressants improve and even SAVE peoples ' lives.  I for one am not sure i 'd be alive today if it weren 't for them.

Also don 't feel guilty about taking them.  I know sometimes it plays with your head, realizing that you 're taking a pill everyday.  Sometimes society tells you that 's weird, or not okay.  But if you 're taking an anti-depressant, there 's probably a good reason for that.  And for some of us, we need to come to terms with the fact that we have a chemical imbalance and might need to take medication for that for the rest of our lives.  And that 's okay.  If the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, it 's probably good that you are taking it.

Stu  2/20  i also did a search looking for links about alcohol problems and paxil. i only know of three people including myself who have taken this drug, all three have had their lives destroyed due to the above mentioned alcohol cravings/tolerance. i came off cold turkey in 2001 and i,m lucky to be here. i tried reducing the dose under doctors orders but it was to painful, i wish i could have coped with the pain and done it slowly but i needed to break the addiction fast.

ArkansasChick 3/10 Being victim to the legal poison Paxil my symptoms are the same as others I've read about with the exception of feelings of being poisoned and losing my hair. That's right! I looked like the crypt keeper on TV. I wonder how many years paxil can effect people. Surely the side effects aren't forever.

Eric 3/11  Paxil and wanting to drink   I took paxil for almost 2 years. In that time i became someone i didn't even know anymore. I started drinking and even tried other drugs which i never would have even thought about untill the Paxil opened up my insides and made me aggressive and care free. I was starting to get into fights and i even got in trouble with the law fighting with them which unfortunately has cost me 16 thousand dollars. All i can say is...i was never violent or care free until i started Paxil. It was like the Paxil made me want to drink, something i hated to be around. I have been Paxil free now for 6 months and i am back to my old self. No more drinking and no more getting into trouble.

Jay 3/11:   Thank goodness for all the side effects my wife and son experienced on these hellish SSRI antidepressants. After my son\'s arrest after experiencing a Effexor induced psychotic break and also while in Paxil withdrawal, we found out that their depression and anxiety were simply caused by Hypoglycemia. Thank goodness for sites like www.alternativementalhealth.com. No more drugs of any kind in our lives. It's all natural from here.

Pitufo 3/25:   Paxil has increased my drinking as well... No Hangovers!!!  It's f@#$'d up!  Now I can drink every night, ignoring my alcoholism because i have no hangover.  I've been doing it for about 10 months and now, because of personal social problems, I am exhibiting a lot of subtle anger (towards myself and others) and it all comes out when I drink.  Which is every night because I can now without the repercussions of the hangover and associated symptoms....  I would mention suicidal thoughts but that only happens when I'm really angry (livid) and besides that I am aware that it is just my current living situation....  But those thoughts (and actions) are definitely new.

Shellie 4/26:  OK...I happen to LOVE Paxil.  I have had social anxiety disorder for most of my life.  I can honestly say that I never had a happy life until after taking the medication.  I could think clearer.  I was just a happier person in general.  My life started to make sense in more ways that I could possibly tell you.  What I believe is happening...is doctors..medical doctors..are prescribing Paxil, and do not have any knowledge of the mental disorder they are prescribing it for, or the side effects of the medications.  So I believe the people who are having these problems that are so "horrible" are because they should have never taken the medication to begin with.  They didn't need it.  Paxil is for people with extreme mental disorders like myself. 

Dee 5/15:  I started taking Paxil CR for Social Anxiety about 1 year ago.  I had previously tried some other anti-anxiety and anti-depressants but my new doctor recommended Paxil CR.  I have never been much or a drinker, and I have never had alcohol cravings.  In fact I never tried alcohol on this med.  As for me, I feel that Paxil does seem to work in treating some aspects of my social anxiety but I also am more aware of my anxiety and I don't know if it is because I am aware of it or if I am experiencing more (whether or not Paxil related).  However, I have tried to stop taking the med because I've felt at times a lack of motivation and loss of memory or perhaps just the ability to focus.  I am 27 yrs old and I have been studying for fairly technical financial certifications and have been having trouble having the motivation or the energy to study.  I've not had this problem before. 

Julie 6/16:  Wow.  It isn't "just me".  I am in the process of getting off Paxil.  I had no idea that it would be so hard.

I, too, craved alcohol while taking Paxil.  I would have a glass of wine and then I would not stop until the bottle was gone.  I usually could care less about drinking.

And, instead of being "warm & fuzzy", I became a violent, angry, out of control person.  I would do horrible things and not remember the next morning.  My husband accused me of being an alcoholic and having a personality disorder.  We almost divorced and are still feeling the repercussions.  I got "pushy" with my psychiatrist to switch me off of Paxil to another SSRI.  Now, after doing searches on "Paxil Withdrawal", I can understand why he was so hesitant.

My medical Dr. informed me that she does not like Paxil as the "crash" getting off it is so severe.

Where is the FDA?  Peoples lives are being torn apart, ended, ruined, destroyed by this drug.

Amber 6/20:  I have been on Paxil for about three years and then slowly weaned myself off of it. The withdrawal was hard but having your doctor work with you and understand the symptoms can help.I stayed Paxil free until My panic attacks started to come back last fall. My doctor asked  me if I wanted to go back on Paxil and now I am doing great. I am not angry anymore  and I can go anywhere without having an anxiety attack. As for drinking, I just don't do it anymore. Drinking is said to decrease the effects of Paxil, which would be blocking the same reason I'm on it.

Rudy 6/21:  I have been taking Paxil for four months.  I started taking it after a difficult and surprising break up with my then fiancée. I have to say that my experience has been mixed. Before starting Paxil I was a social drinker and casual pot smoker.  I have noticed that while I do not crave alcohol once I start drinking I binge and drink excessive amounts. 

 Marijuana, however, has been a different story.  I would smoke a bowl three to four times a week.  Now, I am smoking four large joints a day by myself and essentially crave pot every two hours.

 I have never been a compulsive person, but now recognize that in myself.  The worst is sexual non-performance and an inability to climax.  I have been taking between 10 and 20 m per day.  At 10 mg sexual performance ok, but definitely reduced ability to ejaculate, which is good sometimes.  Doctor arbitrarily told me to go to 40 mg but that gave me a headache, even 20 mg is giving me a headache.  I have felt very good and in a Zen like state.  My confidence has returned but my motivation was lacking with paxill alone.  Motivation returned after I started smoking pot with the paxill.  Kind of an odd juxtaposition for Marijuana isn't it?

There are many instances where I feel that Paxil is teaching me how to deal with situations that cause stress, anxiety or depression.  Recognizing that I should not attribute my ill feelings to events or people etc. 

I have had heart palpitations, and a dull ache, like a stress pain that has manifested itself in a vague area of my abdomen.  This feels as if it is my emotions letting me know that they are there in spite of Paxil's effective neutralization.  I recently have had thoughts that they will one day soon come back in an overwhelming torrent completely devastating me.  This is the only fear I have experienced in the past 4 months but I am very frightened that when it comes I will be completely unprepared for it and may do something very irrational.

Jean 6/29:  Been off Seroxat nearly 3 weeks now and still having symptoms dizziness, not eating etc. does it ever end

Sherrie H. 7/10:  I have been on Paxil for about 8 or 9 years. i sought it out for depression. i thought it was helping me but over the years i have slipped back into the depression PLUS i used to be a shy, nice, quiet, normal person. the Paxil has made me a loud, obnoxious, mean, irritable person. i drink alcohol about once or twice a year. i thought i was having fun and seemed to have NO FEARS when drinking on Paxil. i can drink all night long and never want the party to end. before Paxil i was not like that. it has caused problems with the people i have drank with and the next day they tell me i have done and said violent things. i was mortified that THEY thought i acted like that! i remember the entire night and speaking to my family members. i remember getting mad at them BUT i do not remember the MEAN, VIOLENT, things they say i did. i have lost several family members respect and love because of Paxil. it has effected my normal every day life to the point that i feel like i am going crazy. i  have had thoughts of severe anger at every thing around me to the point that i have been to the doctor having all kinds of blood work drawn up because i thought my thyroid meds where out of whack but i stumbled onto some of the many sites on the internet like this one and now know what and WHY i am so out of control and the many effects paxil has had on people just like me. i take 30 mg of Paxil and today i am going to start weaning myself off of this horrible mind altering drug. i have been taking it soooo long that i am not sure how long it will take to get out of my system. i know i can not change the things i have said and done that have hurt the people closest to me but at least i am finding out these horrible stories of anger and rage that had deadly consequences BEFORE i have gone that far. wish me luck and power on my struggle to become Paxil free and anger free again.

Skeeweeaka 7/15:  I believe that the long-term affects of antidepressants are really not fully known.  I also believe that our psychiatrists understate the side affects and how they drastically change the context of our lives as we are trying to fight off depression and anxiety.  For me, it has meant weight gain, loss of libido, increased anxiety, social isolation, psychotic episodes, paranoia, etc.  All of these hings have increased as a result of the drugs, in addition to seizures and the fact that they are only controlled with meds of which I do not want to take...

New Life 7/16:  Paxil gave me my life back. I had severe panic attacks throughout my teen years but those were blamed on "being a teenager". After my father died (whom I performed CPR on and had to inform the rest of my family that he had passed) I just shut everything out. I wasn't sleeping for days. I would drive from point A to point B and not even remember doing it. I was beginning to lose days at a time. When I finally did sleep and could not get out the bed because I just did not want to deal, I knew I needed help. They put me on Paxil. I did so well. I did put on some weight, but I would rather be chubby than crazy! Going off of Paxil, I have tried 3 times and I was worse than before I went on it! I would lose my balance, fall down stairs, not sleep, not be able to drive, and go back on it. My doctor has given me the option to switch to Effexor, but I am afraid to go off of the Paxil. I even had to take Paxil during my pregnancy because my doctor said that electro-shock therapy would be my  only recourse. When I told my OB about the ES therapy, she freaked! She said that Paxil is the only drug for depression that she gives her patients and then promptly called my doctor "a nutty quack". As for the alcohol, one drink and I'm loopy. My husband calls me the "cheap date". Anyway, I would love to hear from anyone who has taken both Paxil and Effexor at the same time in order to go from one to the other. I am hoping that I may get the courage to switch.

Bobby 7/17:  Regarding increased alcohol consumption - I recently read this in the book "Under the Influence" (Bantam Books, 1983, page 38):

 "Preference for alcohol is undoubtedly regulated by complicated activities in the brain. In a 1968 experiment, rats dramatically reduced or completely stopped drinking alcohol when given a chemical substance which depleted the brain's supply of serotonin. (R.D. Myers and W.L. Veale,"Alcohol Preference in the Rat: Reduction Following Depletion of Brain Serotonin", Science, Vol.160 (1968), pp.1469-71.)Serotonon, a brain amine resonsible for relaying brain messages from one brain cell to another, appears to increase the animal's preference for alcohol. The brains of alcohol seeking mice and rats, for example, contain higher levels of serotonin than the brains of alcohol-avoiding animals. Further, drinking serotonin increases serotonin concentrations in the brains of the animals that show a preference for alcohol but not in those that avoid it."

Lana 7/20:  Yet another one - i thought i was mad.  i actually have been a binge drinker for many years but could not believe the effect Paxil had on my drinking.  i was a weekend drinker and have become an every day heavy drinker.  and no hangover.  i have tried taking up other things, but the fatigue that Paxil induces does make that difficult.  I'm quite a proficient knitter now and thoroughly enjoy it.  despite the knitting.  i too have lost my driving license.  I've only been on the drug for about 8 months. 

I'm saving all your comments for my partner who I'm sure doesn't believe what I have for some time, that the drug has had this effect.  i've been much too embarrassed to say to my doctor that I've increased drinking - cos of the warning on the packet.  but I will now - i think that there needs to be more information about this - there may only be a few of us who suffer this bizarre side effect. 

We may not win a law suit and glaxo whatsit may not take responsibility, but i am convinced now that it really just one more thing that needs to be recognised as a side effect and written into the warnings. 

MK 7/20:  I have been on Paxil for about 2 years. Approximately a year ago, I started drinking heavily. Prior to this, I only drank once in awhile and never really enjoyed it. FOr the past year, I have been drinking almost every night. Luckily it has not destroyed my life and I am trying to get a hold on things. Last month I decided to try and quit Paxil as I didn't feel that is was needed. When I am not on Paxil, I don't get depressed. I am tapering myself off. I have used alcohol to help taper myself off (as sad as that sounds). Again, prior to paxil, I was a light drinker. When I did get drunk, I would get very drunk off of little alcohol. With Paxil it seems I can drink like crazy. 15 or sixteen drinks can't put me down. Then, as I have been tapering off the Paxil, I had an experience where just two glasses of wine get me wasted to the point of almost passing out. The cravings for alcohol have suddenly subsided. Regardless of what an attorney would say about this, I believe a correlation  exists for me and I would agree that the volume of postings and the amount of people that found this post by searching for "alcohol and Paxil" is pretty interesting.

Debbie 7/23:  My nephew had the same thing happen to him as with PRP, except he was convicted and now is doing 40 yrs. for 1st Degree Attempted Murder.

Anthony 8/6:  With regard to the various comments about Paxil and alcohol.  Believe me, it's true.  Perhaps not fore everyone but I have been on Paxil for three years and I've had a problem with drinking, drugs and cravings the whole time.  I heard whispers about there being a problem with this a few years ago but I prefer to take responsibility for my own issues.  However I have seen two other people in my life go completely off the rails with substance abuse within a few months of starting on Paxil.. coincidence, perhaps.  However I will leave you with this thought, I am currently weaning myself off Paxil through very gradual reduction.  Bad dreams, bad moods and depression are back.. but guess what?  I don't feel like drinking.

MR 9/12:  Son was on it, he tried suicide three times. Last time was a gun to his head. He was 13. He had vivid dreams, nighmares and what he reffered to as daymares (having nightmares while you are awake). He was put on Paxil because he had been bullied in school for 5 years. The school wanted him treated not rather than deal with their problems. He was not suicidal just lonly, and these drugs almost took him from us. He took to cutting himself, just to feel something, his doctor upped his dose. This was all before the FDA warnings. Stll my son was prosecuted on a gun charge, at the time he was just 5' and 199lb. He was in one hospital center who took him off all meds, and they found out that in a safe enviroment he was a well balanced child, no need for medication, and no suicide ideation. He has been off these drugs fo 2 years now. He still has flashbacks, but deals with them with them explaining "it is just his brain rewiring itself". He is a happy average teenage boy. He has been to the FDA hearings, and has protested against the Drug companies and FDA. He will not sit back and let someone else be harmed by these drugs.