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Tapering: Paxil

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4 posts

Europe France

Paroxetine taper — very sensitive to small reductions

September 14, 2026··
Hi, I’m from France and currently tapering paroxetine (Paxil/Seroxat). I use tablets plus liquid paroxetine (2 mg/mL) so I can make very small reductions. My last reduction was only 0.1 mL = 0.2 mg, about 1.2% of my total dose, but I still developed significant symptoms, particularly increased migraine/head and upper-neck tension, dizziness, fatigue and other withdrawal-type symptoms. I would be very interested to hear from people tapering paroxetine: what kind of tapering plan works for you? Do you use percentage reductions, a daily micro-taper, liquid medication, or another method? Has anyone who was very sensitive to reductions switched to another medication/formulation before continuing the taper, and if so, how did it go? I’m trying to find the slowest and most tolerable way forward. Thank you for sharing your experience.🙏🏼

Paxil — 16.8 — 1-3years — actively tapering | without clinician

40 Replies

Catina
Catina3d ago
Community AnchorEffexor
"Are you on trazadone for sleep? Does it help you?" — @Masha
I was put on Trazodone many years ago when Cymbalta gave me horrific insomnia. Yes, it did help me to sleep but looking back I don't like the fact I was polydrugged. I guess it still helps me to sleep, but I've been on it for so long and am not sure if the effects have worn off a bit. I was on 150 at one point but managed to get down to just 50 mg, which I've been taking for quite a while now.

Venlafaxine (tapering) - Current dose 17.92 mg
Trazodone - 50 mg
Levothyroxine - 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.

Catina
Catina3d ago
Community AnchorEffexor
"Thank you to whoever started this site" — @Masha
@Based and his friend @Domagoj Jureta started Taper Community. Both their grandmothers suffered from the effects of benzos. Also, Dom himself went through benzo withdrawal and didn't even know what was happening to him. @Based is a clinician and saw the need to created this site to help people safely taper off these drugs. I'm grateful as well that this community exists! 💜

Venlafaxine (tapering) - Current dose 17.92 mg
Trazodone - 50 mg
Levothyroxine - 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.

M
Masha3d ago
LighthousePaxil · holding
I was put on Trazodone many years ago when Cymbalta gave me horrific insomnia. Yes, it did help me to sleep but looking back I don't like the fact I was polydrugged"
@Catina
I also had insomnia from Paxil reinstatement. And yes I don’t like feeling polydrugged either!

Paxil — 20 mg — 20 years. Went off now back on — holding
Trazadone 37.5 mg
Buspar 5 mg two times a day

Catina
Catina3d ago
Community AnchorEffexor
"I also had insomnia from Paxil reinstatement" — @Masha
It's hard because when you can't sleep you're desperate for relief! It's just that adding another drug can sometimes complicate matters.

Venlafaxine (tapering) - Current dose 17.92 mg
Trazodone - 50 mg
Levothyroxine - 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.

M
Masha3d ago
LighthousePaxil · holding
Yes of course! But you can’t recover if you don’t sleep! It’s a vicious cycle!

Paxil — 20 mg — 20 years. Went off now back on — holding
Trazadone 37.5 mg
Buspar 5 mg two times a day

Catina
Catina3d ago
Community AnchorEffexor
"you can’t recover if you don’t sleep" — @Masha
Yes, sleep definitely helps with recovery and healing. The safest thing is to implement non-drug coping skills to help with insomnia. It can take some time for sleep to return to its natural state, but it eventually does.

Venlafaxine (tapering) - Current dose 17.92 mg
Trazodone - 50 mg
Levothyroxine - 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.

M
Masha3d ago
LighthousePaxil · holding
Yes I’m hoping we both can do that!

Paxil — 20 mg — 20 years. Went off now back on — holding
Trazadone 37.5 mg
Buspar 5 mg two times a day

Catina
Catina3d ago
Community AnchorEffexor
"Yes I’m hoping we both can do that!" — @Masha
Of course we will! I can't wait until I'm off Effexor so I can start getting rid of Trazodone. I want my body to work naturally without these drugs. Have you tried to implement any coping skills to help with your sleep? We have lots of tips and advice here.

Venlafaxine (tapering) - Current dose 17.92 mg
Trazodone - 50 mg
Levothyroxine - 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.

M
Masha3d ago
LighthousePaxil · holding
Can you direct me there? How far along are you in your tapering? How has it gone?

Paxil — 20 mg — 20 years. Went off now back on — holding
Trazadone 37.5 mg
Buspar 5 mg two times a day

Catina
Catina3d ago
Community AnchorEffexor
"Can you direct me there?" — @Masha
Scroll through the Symptoms and Self-Care section. You can also use the search bar at the top. https://taper.community/forums/symptoms-self-care

Venlafaxine (tapering) - Current dose 17.92 mg
Trazodone - 50 mg
Levothyroxine - 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.

Catina
Catina3d ago
Community AnchorEffexor
"How far along are you in your tapering? How has it gone?" — @Masha
I started at 75 mg and am down to about 17.92 mg. It's been a very long and difficult journey. I'm doing better now though and am reducing extremely slowly. I'm in no rush and will take as long as I need to. I tapered too fast before and refuse to go through that again.

Venlafaxine (tapering) - Current dose 17.92 mg
Trazodone - 50 mg
Levothyroxine - 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.

M
Masha3d ago
LighthousePaxil · holding
I hear you! The fast taper is brutal. And I had no idea it was the withdrawal. I was trying a taper and switch and everyone told me it was the new med that I just had to take time adjusting to. So now I’m recovering from that! When you did the “too fast taper” how long was that and did you reinstate fully or just slow down?

Paxil — 20 mg — 20 years. Went off now back on — holding
Trazadone 37.5 mg
Buspar 5 mg two times a day

M
MLfree3d ago
WelcomerPaxil · active
Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences. To clarify, I am currently taking 16.8 mg of paroxetine, and even a 0.2 mg reduction — about 1.2% — caused significant symptoms: painful tightness around my diaphragm and upper abdomen, intense tension and pain in my head and upper neck, worsening migraines, dizziness, fatigue & brain fog ! I would especially like to hear from people tapering paroxetine who need reductions smaller than 1%. Have you used a lower-concentration compounded liquid, diluted liquid, or tapering strips to make these very small reductions? Thank you.

Paxil — 16.8 — 1-3years — actively tapering | without clinician

Catina
Catina3d ago
Community AnchorEffexor
"When you did the “too fast taper” how long was that and did you reinstate fully or just slow down?" — @Masha
I started tapering in March of 2020. In September of 2021 I had gotten down to 12 mg and had a horrific crash that landed me in the psych ward for a week. I won't go into all the details but it was very traumatic. I updosed back up to 37.5 mg and held for two years. I began tapering again after that, but I've been doing it very slowly this time. As I said, I'm doing much better now (thank goodness!).

Venlafaxine (tapering) - Current dose 17.92 mg
Trazodone - 50 mg
Levothyroxine - 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.

M
Masha3d ago
LighthousePaxil · holding
Wow I am so sorry to hear that! During Covid too!

Paxil — 20 mg — 20 years. Went off now back on — holding
Trazadone 37.5 mg
Buspar 5 mg two times a day

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