Hi, I'm PoppyAbby

Hi, I started taking Paxil about 7 months ago because I was dealing with some health anxiety after being in the hospital for a month with newly diagnosed crohns disease and because of heavy bleeding I also suffered bilateral pulmonary embolisms. I was initially put on a beta blocker to help with my heart and getting out of breath after the PEs were surgically removed. It made almost all of my hair fall out so I went back to my doctor and he prescribed carvedilol. I felt awful on it and it seemed to cause a weird panic attack feeling that landed me back in the hospital. The doctor there upped my carvedilol dose and didn't believe that was causing me to feel this way. Fast forward a few months and some research on my part and come to find out that yes, carvedilol can cause the panic attacks and weird hot flashes. My primary doctor did not believe me either that carvedilol was causing this.That's when he prescribed paxil and xanax for my panic and anxiety. I was desperate and decided to try it. I basically felt sedated from the xanax, and weird feeling from paxil. I still had "breakthrough panic attacks" at least once a week that came with hot flashes and impending doom feeling. I also felt i might pass out during these times too. Thankfully I never did. I decided on my own after googling my symptoms to taper off carvedilol. I felt a lot better afterwards but still had a weird hot flash feeling and anxiety once a week or so but not as strong as before. I decided to taper off paxil when I had some weight gain and some sexual side effects. Plus I just didn't feel well on it. Before I started tapering paxil I did ask my doctor how I should taper off xanax .05 extended release. (I had been taking it everyday for 2 months) and his nurse had told me just to stop taking it. I was reluctant to do that since I had heard to always taper it so I asked my pharmacist who gave me a taper schedule which I followed and got off xanax before I started tapering paxil. I started taking 10mg of paxil for a total of 5 months before I started to taper. I went down to 7.5mg for 4 weeks and then 5mg for 5 weeks I am now just started taking 2.5mg hopefully for another 4 weeks or so and then stop. I am here to get support and be a support to the community.