Seven years ago I took an Oxycut wieght loss pill. It set off a panic attack that lasted from February to June. And I mean it was a full fledged attack, racing heart, crying, etc. for five solid motnhs, I lost 30lbs, I could bearly function. I couldn't leave the house and breath at the same time. The paxil got it under control. Paxil was a very good choice at the time. I had tried Buspar with worse effects,the paxil made me feel normal again. Now after seven years, my husband and son comment on how much my personality has changed,I have gained back the weight I lost plus another 40lbs. I have sexual dysfunction and still have a few break through anxiety attacks. I decided to wean off with out telling my doctor. I did it pretty well, as you can see in the above post. Today is day 8. What I didn't realize is that no one was talking about how long it takes to get off. I weaned the way I was supposed to. The withdrawls didn't come until a few days being completely off. I have now found some obscure websites that say it takes 10-25 days/ 2-6 weeks to get rid of all of the withdrawls. Every day gets better,so I don't think I'll be on the longer side, but boy does this suck. The electrical surges, food aversions, stomach problems,dizziness, exhaustion, etc. The side effects are managable. I have not taken anything to ease them. I am making it to work, although I am so exhausted I can't wait to get home. My husband, son and co-workers have been wonderfully supportive. My anxiety has been fine. I can't believe that with today's technology, they have not found medications that do what they are supposed to with out this very addictive quality. I have heard that Paxil is non addictive. I have not read the actual definition of addictive,but if I need to wean off for this amount of time and have withdrawls as long and as intense as I do, I would call it addictive. I have had a decent amount of medical experience, so I think I weanned off well. If you are planing on coming off, talk to your doctor and do it under thier care. Unless something horrible happens, I plan never to go back on this med. If I need more anxiety help, which I probably will (I already do counseling, meditation and healthy eating), I will ask my doctor for a short lived med. Good luck everyone. It is too bad more people do not look at this post, or have a good active blog for Paxil and other meds. The support of smart people who have been through what you have been is priceless. Thank you for everyone who posted here over the past years, I hope my posts help others.

I read somewhere that Actonel can contribute to some kind of loss of bone in your JAW! Yes, loss of bone. Actonel is supposed to be good for osteoporosis/penia... but can affect the jaw. I took Actonel for quite sometime and had lots of trouble with acid reflux (or might have had anyway, but blamed it on Actonel)... I stopped and my bone loss did not continue, but I also get lots of sun everyday (Vitamin D) and came off Nexium (which can deplete you of calcium)... Anyway, that's my experience - I am sure Actonel affects everyone differently - but that jaw possible problem seemed scary Carrie

i am on the fence as to whether it is good to have the H1N1 shot or not. BTW my background is a BS in biology w/ a specialization in both plant sciences and medical microbiology (taught at IU med school). i have a special interest in unusual viruses. i do not even read information about medical things until i look at credentials and personal opinions mean nothing to my scientifically trained mind. i am interested only in verifiable info thru proven scientific routes (CDC, AMSRID, WHO, some universities w/ elite medical schools only etc..) there is soooooo much incorrect non-scientific info out there it's sad what people think and know on issues like this. it truly doesn't matter for most people since they are only making a limited # of doses (enough for 10% of the population i believe) and the ranking for getting it starts w/ pregnant women, then children, adults under 40 then anyone over 40 w/ pre-existing lung/heart conditions making them susceptible to it. that is the order of risk for death also. it will also be interesting to see how much this shot costs, i'm gonna guess more than most would pay out of pocket, i understand it will not be covered by most insurances. would i get it given i have asthma and am 40? i will wait and see...DH & i have had several flu's this yr (more than any previous yr infact) and believe we may have already had it, so i'm willing to wait it out. i have had flu shots in the past after getting a B version of Hong Kong flu and getting extremely sick in my 20's but i don't get it every yr. this is too new of a vacccine for me, now next yr after i see how things go this fall/winter i might. ~ liz

Repeating... "Should I defer Shingrix vaccination because such a reaction might be confused with COVID-19? NO. If you have an opportunity to vaccinate a patient age 50 years or older who is due for dose 1 or dose 2 of Shingrix, proceed with vaccination as usual. It is important to counsel the patient about the risk of self-limited side effects, including local reactions, such as redness, pain, or swelling at the injection site, and systemic reactions, which include fever, chills, headache, and body aches. If they occur, such side effects normally resolve within 72 hours after vaccination. Because of concerns about COVID-19, if a vaccine recipient develops fever after vaccination, they should stay home until it resolves. Shingrix vaccination does NOT cause respiratory symptoms common in COVID-19, such as cough or shortness of breath. If the vaccine recipient develops new symptoms of cough or shortness of breath, or if fever does not resolve within 72 hours of vaccination, the recipient should contact their healthcare provider."