3rd Paxil Update - Feeling Poor

April 8, 2026

Feeling poor. I hate waking up with terrible anxiety at 4am every morning. My brain doesn't shut up. I am tired all day, and wish I could snuggle in bed and sleep. I tried a whole Dexamfetamine on waking and within 30minutes the anxiety went away a lot. Might try taking it when I wake at 4am to stop the ruminating thoughts

Lost summer’s taper progress

Paxil

Mirtazapine

Mood (/10)

Paxil — 2.5 — 24 years — reinstated | Mirtazapine — 15mg — 3 — reinstated | Valium — 2.5 — 7 months — actively tapering | without clinician
Also tapering Tapentadol and dexamphetamine

3 Replies

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CatinaApr 8

Community AnchorEffexor

Hi Lost Summer, I feel terrible that you're feeling so badly. What you're dealing with sounds very challenging. I wasn't familiar with Dexamfetamine, so I had to look it up. Evidently it's habit-forming and is a stimulant. It's good that your anxiety went away, but I would be very careful with using other drugs to fix your issues. I know you're desperate for relief, and it's natural to reach for something to "help," but I'm concerned that it's going to perpetuate your physical dependence on drugs. Have you tried something like EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) to help with your anxiety and insomnia? What about meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, or deep breathing exercises? Even if you can't sleep, could you just focus on relaxing and not pressuring yourself to sleep?

Venlafaxine (tapering) - Current dose 16.64 mg
Trazodone - 50 mg
Synthroid - 25 mcg

“Your brain and body know how to heal. Trust the process and keep going.”

Please Note: I am not a healthcare professional. Any advice given is based on personal experience and that of others in the lay withdrawal community.

Lost summerApr 11

LighthousePaxil · reinstated

I am afraid my level of "unwellness" is not something that can be treated with any therapy. I already tried everything, other than ECT. I also have a 4year degree in Psychology, which is completely useless to me now, because I no longer believe that GAD, MDD and any depressive disorders exist. Don't panic...I am not self-medicating. I was diagnosed with ADHD 3 months ago. Dexamfetamine is the only things that has worked in the last 4 years. I never had MDD or GAD, and was incorrectly medicated for 24 years on heaps of antidepressants, leading to kindling, and looking for help forums like this one.

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CatinaApr 11

Community AnchorEffexor

"Dexamfetamine is the only things that has worked in the last 4 years" — @Lost summer

I'm glad you've found something that helps. It sounds like you have a good pulse on things

"I never had MDD or GAD, and was incorrectly medicated for 24 years on heaps of antidepressants" — @Lost summer

It seems like the majority of people who end up in these drugs really didn't need them in the first place. They're handed out much too quickly.

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