QUESTION:
Dear Dr. Heller,
Hi, I just found your site. I have been taking Paxil for almost a year through the
mental health clinic for low-income people. I just went through divorce #3. I am currently
working full-time as well as attending a junior college in order to recuperate from the
financial strain my marriage left me in.
The clinic requires me to see three different personnel: A counselor, a nurse, and a
doctor, each month. My schedule is already grueling. When I go, I cannot get the
medication that day because "the doctor is in with someone else and he needs to
approve it first". These visits just add to my stress.
Other than being over-booked, my life is now acceptable, thanks to good companionship.
(But I know I really need the medication.) The doctor has me on 40 mg. I have forgotten it
lately because of car trouble added to my list of responsibilities. I decided to just wean
off of it because of the hassle of trying to get it. I cannot afford it through other
means because I work as a temporary at low wages and I have no insurance.
Over the last couple of days weird things seem to be going on in my head. I feel dizzy
sometimes. When I move my head it feels like it is "trailing" like the setting
of a mouse pointer. When I wake up it seems like I can hear the electro-pulses running
through my nervous system with brief breaks. I have waves of some sort of feeling running
through my head like the waves of pain in a toothache.
Could you give me some insight on these symptoms?
Thank you!
ANSWER:
You're likely going through a withdrawal symptom from the Paxil, similar to what people experience from quitting caffeine or tobacco. Many authorities recommend temporarily switching to Prozac when stopping other SSRI's like Paxil to prevent this side effect. You may also be experiencing the depression returning also. I encourage you to contact your providers and get this taken care of!