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Ask HN: For those who have stopped taking SSRIs, what tips do you have?

by boredemployee on 2/5/25, 6:55 PM with 15 comments

I'm entering in my sixth year taking "Paroxetine" 5mg, aka Paxil, because of anxiety and panic attacks. But since I have changed a lot of my routine, doing gym, eating better, I'm not sure it is helping me anymore. I mean, it definitely helps me control my anxiety, and I've never had a panic attack again (maybe I don’t even feel the effects of what it was like to be an extremely anxious person anymore), but the fact is that I’ve been feeling extremely lazy in my daily life, sometimes completely apathetic, bored.

I'm going to the doctor, but I just wanted to know how did it worked out to other ppl.

I’m curious to hear from you guys, who have discontinued selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). What strategies helped you manage the transition? How did you deal with withdrawal symptoms, mood changes, or other challenges?

Any advice for someone will navigate this process would be greatly appreciated!

  • by yawpitch on 2/5/25, 8:29 PM

    As others have said, ask your doctor, but also 5mg/day is a really low dose… 20mg/day is around the bottom of the usual dosage range; your doctor may just tell you to cut your pill in half for a few weeks to a month and then discontinue, and at that dosage you may have no noticeable change at all.

    Whenever I’ve come off SSRIs the there have been no withdrawal symptoms, but that’s always been with very slow reduction of dosage over 1-2 months. The one time I came off without a doctor I doubled that reduction time, just to be safe.

    In my experience it’s not mood changes or obvious withdrawal symptoms to look out for, it’s side effects you’ve gotten used to going away (dry mouth, sexual issues, appetite changes).

  • by khelavastr on 2/5/25, 9:47 PM

    Take 5-HTP/eat lots of tryptophan, and get lots of sunlight, when you are getting off of it.

    Also, check out the legal brief in the Paxil withdrawal lawsuits. GSK structured Paxil approval trials to record withdrawal symptoms as depression relapse. They knew Paxil is even more physically addictive than other SSRIs.

  • by pmdulaney on 2/5/25, 8:06 PM

    For detailed guidance, yes, talk to a doctor. But as a layman I will say this is a noble aspiration of yours that could well end up advancing your well-being in the long term.

  • by basementcat on 2/5/25, 9:35 PM

    For those of us that didn’t know, Selective Seratonin Reuptake Inhibitor appear to a class of antidepressants used for, among other purposes, treatment of anxiety disorders.

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selective_serotonin_reuptake...

  • by p_ing on 2/5/25, 7:04 PM

    Discuss with your doctor before discontinuing. HN is not qualified to provide medical advice.

  • by jareds on 2/5/25, 7:04 PM

    Why are you asking on HN? Have you already discussed this with a Doctor? If so what advice have they given you and why do you need to get extra advice from people who are not medical professionals? If you haven't talked to a Doctor why not?

  • by checker659 on 2/5/25, 7:14 PM

    Discontinuing Paxil gives brain-zaps. Please talk to your doctor and taper it slowly.