Last Updated on June 12, 2021 by
Alternative to Meds Editorial Team
Written by Diane Ridaeus Published Feb 13, 2021
Medically Reviewed by Dr John Motl MD
Table of Contents:
- Learning About Paxil Withdrawal
- Paxil Withdrawal Symptoms
- Discontinuing/Quitting Paxil (paroxetine)
- Seeking Natural Paxil Withdrawal Treatments
- Testimonial Paxil Withdrawal Success
- What Is Paxil (paroxetine) Used For?
- Depressive Diagnoses Typically Lack Medical Investigations
- Paxil (paroxetine) Alternative Names and Slang
- Paxil Side Effects
- Paxil Alternative Therapies
- Paxil (paroxetine) FAQs
A significant percentage, over 50%, of Paxil users will experience Paxil withdrawal symptoms. Of these, half report their withdrawals as severe.7,43
Antidepressants like Paxil can inflict an extraordinarily harsh backbite that is too often dismissed or minimized by those unfamiliar with the phenomenon. Alternative to Meds Center has been focused on Paxil withdrawal for over 15 years, offering programs to help a person safely get off Paxil.
Do Your Symptoms
Require Paxil?
Our published evidence clearly demonstrates the success of our participants. Many ATMC staff have personal experience with antidepressant withdrawal. This is why we feel genuinely called to assist others. We have found that each person needs individualized methods of support. Testing is invaluable, as it reveals neurotoxicity and deficiencies. Assessments demonstrate where lifestyle or other changes may benefit, as well as specific dietary and supplementation programs. There are even genetic factors that act as contributors to symptoms.
This video details the story of a woman who has lost the ability to function entirely. She explains how she got her life back from not only antidepressants but benzodiazepines as well. Many people say “no one can be as bad as me.” We are not the typical spin-dry rehab. You will easily see that ATMC takes on the worst of the worst, and is truly creating miracles.
The most common reason people give for wanting Paxil withdrawal treatment is overwhelming side effects.25 At the beginning of a treatment phase, certain side effects might be temporarily acceptable, such as sexual side effects or headaches. But there often comes a time when it becomes decidedly untenable to continue taking Paxil, as the negative effects may begin to outweigh any benefits.
Post-traumatic stress disorder is usually diagnosed after exposure to traumatic events has left lingering after-effects such as hypersensitivity to external stimuli, recurring vivid nightmares, flashbacks, fears, etc. While PTSD has trauma as a component, research suggests that there may also be physiological contributors such as depleted endorphin levels. A 2011 article published in Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience found that PTSD patients have demonstrated heightened CSF p-endorphin levels.15 This suggests that there is increased activation of the endogenous opioid system, which may lead to endorphin depletion. We have certainly observed PTSD patients highly benefit from endorphin boosting amino acid protocols, especially in conjunction with psychotherapeutic interventions.
Seasonal affective disorder is described as a low mood or sadness that begins and ends with a particular season. Some linking factors have been established, such as lack of outdoor activity or decreased hours of sunshine, lack of vitamin D,20 reduced exercise, certain eating behaviors,21 and other environmental factors. The condition appears to be most prevalent in geographic areas that are far north or south of the equator, according to a compilation of research on the subject by Melrose in 2015.23 Light therapy is considered one of the most effective treatments for this set of symptoms.22 Despite the known contributors of seasonal affective disorder, sometimes aggressive and invasive treatments such as electric shock to induce seizures, or antidepressant medications such as Paxil that may have damaging side-effects are prescribed but the APA recommends such treatment be temporary.3,6
Not every person experiences exactly the same set of side effects, nor does each person experience the same intensity of symptoms. However, a significant percentage of those taking Paxil do come to the decision to stop taking Paxil due to, at least in part, the side effects that become problematic.25 Before beginning a prescription of Paxil (paroxetine) it would be advisable to discuss the most common and other Paxil side effects with your prescribing physician. Here are some important points to consider in regards to Paxil side effects that could be encountered:
Alternative to Meds Center has developed an arsenal of 
Brain zaps are reportedly a problem that is not uncommon when a person is stopping Paxil,40 especially if done too abruptly and without nutritional and other support. Brain zaps feel like a jolt of electricity, resulting in a feeling of electric shock through the head and sometimes neck.5 The phenomena can be painful and distressing in the extreme, especially if it goes on for a long time or repeatedly. This startling phenomenon can produce a level of anxiety and discomfort that can be hard to tolerate, and sometimes even occurs during a Paxil taper, at what seems like a slow pace. Our methods of building up the natural neurochemistry, at the same time the Paxil withdrawal is occurring, strongly alleviates Paxil brain zaps. We feel that if brain zaps occur, that the most likely sign is that the tapering is going too fast for the body to adjust and it needs to slow down. Serotonin is a neuromodulator that makes nerve de-polarization LESS likely.41 One theory that we have advanced is that the abrupt removal of the drug may be leading to nerve depolarization in an unsynchronized way which may be manifesting as brain zaps. But at the time of this writing, the medical community does not exactly know what causes brain zaps other than attributing it to withdrawal.42
