# Anyone with paxil side effects



## Lisa_NZ (Apr 4, 2003)

Hi everyone,I've been on paxil since December, for depression and anxiety. Thankfully my ibs has completely disappeared, which was great!!Although the paxil has worked wonders for me I have had a few side effects. While these I consider fairly minor, I wondered if anyone else has had these and tried something that may help.- Night sweats- Inability to orgasm- Inability to sleep a full nightI seem to wake at odd hours drenched in sweat, and sometimes I cannot go back to sleep and become restless. My libido seems to be normal, but its damn near impossible to finish the deed!!Its a small price to pay I feel for having my normality back, and I would rather have these minor issues than the depression/anxiety/ibs anyday, however it would be great to hear from anyone who's suffered side effects and if you have found anything to help with them.Thanks!!


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## 3fans8 (May 3, 2002)

Hi, I've been on paxil since Oct. And I get the night sweats to, but I dont have much trouble sleeping. Some nights but not often. I sleep great. I have the sexual effect also. The weight gain.


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## CitySlicker (Sep 12, 2002)

I've been on Paxil for about a month now, and I have the same results and side effects that you're experiencing. For the most part, I think that Paxil has eliminated my syptoms, especially the anxiety (which I think caused my problems).I wouldn't say that I have bad night sweats, but I do have trouble sleeping. I often find myself waking up randomly in the middle of the night, usually feeling restless and as if I cannot get comfortable. I'm also having the same difficulty having orgasms (I'm a male). I'd probably estimate that it takes four to five times as long for it to happen. I think that my sex drive has weened somewhat.The effects aren't completely pleasant, but I'd gladly take them over the IBS symptoms any day!


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## Meg04 (Mar 9, 2003)

hi lisa,i do get cold night sweats sometimes. but generally am almost unconscious at night, if i take my dose early enough. i tend to get a bit wired for a couple of hours, so i take it around 8pm, if i'm aiming to sleep around 11pm.as for my libido, it seems up ironically, i think that's because of earlier depression, which made me do.. not much!but you're right, its a choice between the best of two evils, so to speak.


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## NZChick (Nov 19, 2001)

Hi Lisa! Another kiwi! Are you on Paxil or Aropax? I thought that Aropax was our name in NZ for Paxil, they're the same thing, both paroxetine? I've been on it for 4 weeks now and feel no different except for really bad drowsiness. So I guess I have the opposite problem to you, I can't stay awake! It make me feel like a zombie, I keep dropping things and I've lost my short-term memory somewhat, makes it a bit crazy to drive! What dosage are you taking? I'm on 20mg in the mornings, it says to take it with breakfast. I cut it down to helf that and had no side-effects but also no change in mood. I see my doc tomorrow and I'll ask if I'm on the right drug, it's made no change at all to the ibs.


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## Lisa_NZ (Apr 4, 2003)

Hi Flowergirl,Yes I'm on Aropax, just called it Paxil since thats what most people know it by.I'm on 20mg but depending on whats happening in my life I occasionally take 10mg or 30mg, for example if I have PMS I up the dose slightly, if I'm feeling great I drop it down etc. I always take it in the morning with a little food.I've had another broken nights sleep, its 2am and I'm wide awake again. No night sweats tonight but thats probably because its VERY cold here!! The broken sleep doesn't make any difference to the next day thankfully, I'm still bright as a button so at least I use the time and catch up on my emails when the net traffic is low!!I had fairly chronic ibs-d for 10 years, and now I'm completely free of it. What a godsend aropax has been!!I am due for a new prescription this week so thought about asking the doctor if there is anything she can suggest about the other side effects I've been experiencing. Although if not, then I'll battle on!!As Meg04 has said, its a choice between the best of two evils, so to speak. Thanks for all your replies, good to know others are in the same boat and I'm not alone!!


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## Meg04 (Mar 9, 2003)

flowergirl, what are your main symptoms?? pain? because 20mg/day didn't do enough for me pain wise. plus, i take 10mg in the morning, and 20mg early in the evening (reduces drowsiness). but i here you with the short term memory!! -meg


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## CitySlicker (Sep 12, 2002)

Yes, I'm with you guys. I'm having a little trouble with my short-term memory. Usually I'm really sharp in remembering things, regardless of if they are important or not. Also, I have the same sleeping problems. I usually wake up about three or four times sporatically , feeling as if I am wide awake.


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## NZChick (Nov 19, 2001)

Hi Meg,I was on it for gassy symptoms, incomplete evacuation and the odd bout of D. And of course the anxiety and depression that came form the embarrasing noisy tummy I have to live with. She didn't want me to up the dose so has now put me on Cipramil 20mg (I think it contains citalopram as hydrobromide. It's a newer one to Paxil, I'm not sure if it would have the same name in the States though. She was surprised that the Paxil didn't work but due to my small body knew I wouldn't be able to handle any extra dosage. I hope this one works without the side effects otherwise I have to resort to tricyclics.


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## ronr (Apr 3, 2003)

i take paxil 20mg.im glad your ibs is gone due to the paxil wish mine was.i wake up lots of times at night too.i wonder if i get my dose up to 30 or 40 if the ibs would stop?..anyway did you know one of the side affects of paxil is diarrhea.glad your feeling better.


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## zayaka26 (Jul 5, 2001)

Hi. I have been on Paxil since November I think. In the beginning I had some episodes of short memory and delayed orgasm, but now that is over. I have a little bit of diarrhea though which is controlled by the zyprexa (very low dose). I guess sleeping better is another sidee effect; I never had problems sleeping but now oncee I put my head on the pillow, I'm gone. Paxil has been a miracle drug for me.


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## LotronexLover (Jan 10, 2001)

My sister took this drug before switching to Remeron.She had the worse night sweats. She looked like she came out of the shower every morning and had to wash her sheets daily.


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## Lisa_NZ (Apr 4, 2003)

Thankfully my night sweats have stopped just in the past few days, it could be due to the fact that the temperature has dropped considerably with winter coming here!! I've been keeping a towel close by to my bed just in case the sweats return!!With this strange broken sleep I'm having I've been trying to go back to sleep, but find I'm becoming more restless the more I try so here I am at 3.30am (again!!) wide awake and bored silly. Thankfully if I get up for a couple of hours and watch tv or play on the computer I can go back to sleep no problems. But its still rather annoying though.I thought about trying a herbal sleep remedy... anyone have ideas??


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## Meg04 (Mar 9, 2003)

i had to start taking my meds early in the evening, around 6-7pm. when are you taking them? i notice a bit of a "rushy" feeling and then i quiet down.-meg


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## donnacardascio (Mar 13, 2003)

Hi, I know this is a fairly old post, but I thought I would share. I was on paxil for almost 2 years. Early on, I experienced the sexual side effects. With time those side effects passed. I gained 30 lbs and I was lethargic all the time. I was on 20mg daily and took it at night. Once I went off it, I had so much more energy. It did seem to help the IBS some, however I still suffered from periodic attacks....I decided to go off it, I was unable to get the weight off. I had pretty good luck with it considering, I would recommend you give it a try. Anything is worth trying with IBS!DC DC


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## Lisa_NZ (Apr 4, 2003)

Meg,I take mine at 8am each morning. A couple of days ago I had a depressive attack out of the blue, wondered if maybe the Aropax isn't as effective now and have just switched to Prozac. Haven't noticed a change in sleeping patterns just yet, but my libido has improved slightly.Ho hum..... guess time will tell if I can sleep some more!!


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## CitySlicker (Sep 12, 2002)

cardascio,How did you decide when you were ready to get off of the Paxil?


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## Ashwoman (Jun 18, 2000)

I was on Paxil for 18 mos., but I gained 25 lbs. while I was on it. Having always been thin, this was a rude awakening although the Paxil did wonders for my IBS symptoms. I also suffered occasional heartburn while on Paxil, which was very unpleasant considering I rarely, if ever, had heartburn prior to being on Paxil.Since stopping it in December, I have lost 1/2 the weight I've gained. It's an evil trade-off -- to either deal with the sexual side effects and weight gain, or to nto have the weight gain, but the elevated levels of anxiety.I'm still torn as to what to do, but I think I made the right choice. I'm going to talk to my GI about my options on May 1 at my next appointment because the IBS symptoms, although not as prevalent as they were pre-Paxil, are still very annoying.Ashley


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## Vicky19 (Mar 17, 2003)

what ibs symptoms does paxil help with?


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## Ashwoman (Jun 18, 2000)

For me, the Paxil helped with a number of things including:*Fleeting gas pains/mild stomach cramps that would in turn trigger an all out IBS attack*The feeling of incomplete evacuation*It allowed me to experience normal, formed stools*Took the edge off of the anxiety that would trigger attacksI felt pretty good when I was on it, but now I feel I have more energy (maybe it's a result of some of the anxiety returning?) and am able to get the weight off and back into my normal body. My IBS attacks are sporadic, and I'm able to better deal with situations that may cause an anxiety-related attack. Ashley


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## Lisa_NZ (Apr 4, 2003)

> quote: what ibs symptoms does paxil help with?


I had chronic d every day, mainly after dinner so that prevented me going out anywhere!Would have the worst pain and bloating, very gassy too.I couldn't put on weight for 10 years.Since taking paxil I've had normal bm's every day, no pain at all, and have my life back completely!!


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