From Joe:

I took 20mg of Paxil for three years for panic anxiety disorder. I only had a few weeks of side effects at first (nausea, vivid dreams, and then of course the sexual side effects), but then it was great. Not obsessing about things, everything was brought into a healthy perspective. However, as time went on I started not to care about anything. It went too far — a real flat effect, chronically fatigued and, of course, the worst for me, I gained 45 pounds.

I had no idea about the withdrawal. The drug company, GlaxoSmithKline, does not warn you about that. If I would miss a pill, I noticed I couldn’t even turn my head, my eyes wouldn’t follow — it was awful. I couldn’t wait until my next “hit” of the drug, and then guess what? — all the symptoms would disappear. (I should have known my body was addicted then, but on Paxil you just go through life not giving a damn about anything, so who cared?)

I think the longer you are on it, the worst these symptoms are. Coming off has been very rough. It has taken me since September to get to 3mg a day. I usually tell people who visit paxilprogress.org that at least you know somewhat ahead of time what to expect. I knew nothing but what my MD and pharmacist told me: “It’s a safe, nonaddictive drug. You won’t gain weight. It won’t effect your blood pressure.” (I’m hypertensive.) All proved not to be true.

Having said all that, however, if you are having trouble with depression, anxiety, panic etc., and it’s acute right now, paroxetine can help you to get relief from those symptoms and to lead a normal life for a time. And when it’s time to go off, just wean slowly. This gives the poor brain a better chance to adjust to “life without Paxil.” Good luck.

If you’re down to 5mg and feeling really good, you may be experiencing the mysterious “Paxil window” where one’s vitality and overall sense of well-being feels about as good as it gets. It seems that for some people the window never closer; they get off the Paxil completely and things only get better. But for others it really is a window and it eventually closes.

That’s what happened to me. When I was at the dose you’ve got yourself down to (around 5mg), I was feeling really good. Specifically, I experienced a sexual rejuvenation that made me feel like I was in my teens again. No complaints there. But eventually the window closed (it was open for about two weeks) and I became completely impotent. I got worried about that, but luckily it didn’t last too long. It’s been about two weeks since things became… limp? (Whatever adjective suits you.) But within the past three or four days things have returned to normal. I don’t think they’ll ever reach the peak I experienced during my “Paxil window,” but I can at least step up to the plate again. While I was at the stage you are right now, though, I was hitting a home-run every single time. Nice.

Perhaps your window will stay open forever. Perhaps it’ll gradually close and then return to normal, as it did with me, as you continue to wean yourself off the Paxil. Whichever way the wind blows, if you got it good right now, I’d say make the most of it.

You might want to stay at 5mg until you’re ready to continue with the weaning. If you’re feeling really good right now, maybe hold on to that until after the holidays.

When I decided to go down to zero, I think I took 5mg every other day for awhile. Then I stopped altogether. Things got a little rough again at this point. On really bad days I took another 5mg, maybe once or twice. Then, still more or less at zero, I took an occasional sliver of a Paxil pill to ease my sensitivity to light and the electrical heaviness in my eyes, but I only did that once or twice over a period of a few weeks. I can’t remember how long I’ve been Paxil-free, but it’s been at least three or four weeks now, and although things still aren’t the way I’d like them, things have been getting slowly but progressively better.

I think when you decide to go down to zero, you just have to wing it. See what works for you.

I’ve been Paxil-free for a few weeks now, but certain symptoms have not completely gone away, namely the short-circuiting electrical disturbances connected to my eyes. Last week I was went through a dull stage where my emotions were almost non-existent. A week or so before that, for about two weeks, I went through the Paxil window, or a peak period of increased all-around vitality. This included sexual vitality as well. I’m 30 years old, but it was like I was in my teens again. No complaints there. That peak period passed, then I had my dull week, and now I’m having a week where things seem to be normalising. At least my emotions seem to be normalizing. The paresthesia and the brain zaps, although still lingering in my eyes a bit, are subsiding. Or at least I hope so. As a result, emotionally I seem to be more stable. I’m still not ready to jump up and take on the world full force, but I’m better (this is an extremely slow process).

So I guess I’m getting better. But what I don’t like is the sexual condition I’m in right now. When I was on Paxil, like many people who take Paxil, I experienced some sexual dysfunction. I had difficulty getting it up and keeping it up, and it took a lot of work to have an orgasm (the female equivalent seems to be exactly the same). Eventually I managed to work around this to where it wasn’t a major problem. Then, like I said, I hit that peak period for about two weeks when I was close to being completely off the Paxil. And now, going through this period where I feel like my emotions are beginning to normalize themselves (e.g., none of the weepiness that I experienced earlier in the withdrawal), my sexual function has disappeared again. Oh joy oh bliss.

I seem to be having the same sexual side effects (the dysfunction) that I had when I first took the Paxil, but what I’m experiencing now seems to be even worse. I’m not in an intimate relationship with anyone now, so it’s not a major problem, but still, it does kind of worry me.

So I’m wondering if anyone has experienced this while going through withdrawal (or post-withdrawal), and if you have, do things get better, or will I have to take Viagra for the rest of my life?

This is one thing I could definitely do without.

First response:

Speaking from a female perspective, the sexual thing did not get better with time for me. I’ve tried everything — it ain’t working. It’s as though the part of my brain that is involved in this process was damaged… and I think that’s just what happened.

Second response:

I have been off Paxil for about two months now and I feel very good, just an occasional brain creep here and there. The sex stuff I was embarrassed to talk about at first and I normally don’t post about it. Someone who visits paxilprogress.org once said that when his libido came back, it came back with a vengeance, and that is what happened to me. As I was reducing, it would come back like that for a week and then subside. When I was off completely it was bad for a couple of weeks. I could not even think straight half the time. Then it subsided way back. But now I am normal again, just right. So I think maybe you will be normal again it just may take you a little longer.

Postscript – February 7th, 2001: There were peaks and valleys (I preferred the peaks), but my sexual vitality eventually returned to normal. It took about a month or so. Right now I wouldn’t say I’m flying off the charts, but for a 30-year-old male, I’m probably right where I should be. (Sure enjoyed those peaks though.)

I just got back from my seeing my doctor. Today is my 82nd day of weaning off the Paxil. I don’t know how long I’ve been down to zero; two or three weeks, I suppose. I’ve been seeing this psychiatrist because I needed someone who supposedly knew what they were doing to supervise my weaning off of the Paxil. So far he’s done a good enough job. But as far as therapy is concerned, my sessions with him have never been a catharsis of healing. Occasionally, though, I manage to have a conversation with him, like I did today, that does provides some insight, or maybe it’s hope. In the midst of all this, hope can go a long way. So anyhoo…

I mentioned to him today how my libido went through the roof a few weeks ago and stayed that way for about two weeks, but how that peak period of vitality has since come and gone. This was around the period in the weaning when I was almost off the Paxil completely. It might have kicked in during the last few days I was on 5mg. That peak period lasted about two weeks after that and now it’s gone.

This is when my doctor mentioned that there seems to be a “window” for people coming off Paxil, a window of time in which the blood level of Paxil is just right and everything clicks. Observing this window of peak effectiveness, doctors have attempted to “freeze” the patient’s medication at whatever the dose is during the window. But… it is a window. Which means it eventually closes regardless of what actions are taken to keep it open. (This reminds me of Oliver Sacks’s Awakenings.) Doctors have yet to find a way to keep the window open.

He told me that patients coming off Paxil often report this “window” of peak effectiveness. During the past 82 days, I think I experienced minor peaks that eventually came together in this full peak a few weeks ago. Things have since levelled off. To be honest with you, I’m feeling kind of dull. Not much interest in sex, etc. (There’s more to it than that, but that’s all I care to say at the moment.) He said eventually, if I don’t experience any major traumas any time soon, I should return to a more realistic state of well being, a middle ground between that peak period and where I am now.

My eyes still often feel like they’re soaking in electrified saline, but as soon as that goes away (I am so sick of it), things should begin to return to normal. I look forward to that middle ground.

Anyhow, I just wanted to inform everyone that there is a window of vitality in the midst of the Paxil withdrawal. Eventually it levels off, but until then, for those of you who haven’t had it yet, it’s something to look forward to.

Response:

I experienced this “window” that you are talking about. It was the strangest thing and happened about three weeks after taking my last 2.5mg dose. I had one whole glorious week of normalcy. I felt better physically and mentally than since I was 15 years old (I’m 39 now). No anxiety, no depression at all! I was normal.

Now that I have seen what it can be like I want it all the more for myself.

Something interesting about this… I visited Dr. Shipko’s PDI site and he said this “window” is pretty common and that he has patients who use SSRIs PRN to try to achieve this state.

I am going to discuss this with my “new” doctor on Thursday during my first appointment with him and get his take on it.

I just wanted to affirm this phenomenon to any other withdrawing people. Also, you guys and gals hang tough.

Sarah wrote:

I have been off Paxil for 10 months now, and I still get very upset for no reason. I would assume most people don’t after getting off Paxil, but I do! I had a very, very hard time getting off Paxil, and I never wish to go through that again.

Paxil changed my whole personality when I was taking it, but when I got off Paxil, I found it very hard to find the personality that I once had.

Through reports and research that I have done on Paxil, this seems to be a common factor. They don’t know why or how. But I will tell you, and you probably already know, Glaxo SmithKline has yet to accept any responsibility. Through reading and studying about Paxil, there seems to be many changes in personality that do take place. Read Medscape on the internet for any update information. It is a very informative database.

They have definitely proved that it is addictive, and it is like Dr. Breggins says,”You don’t know what these types of drugs are doing to your brain,” and it does not look very promising.

To this day, I still think Paxil affects me. After I went through withdrawal from Paxil, and I mean the withdrawal from hell, I felt quite good, but as time went on, I starting feeling weird, and different, like the problems associated with Paxil are forever here to stay.

I could say maybe I just need a little bit longer, but to be quite honest, I’m not convinced that Paxil did not do anything to my brain. I do believe it at least partially destroyed the serotonin site of the brain. I really think I lost the ability to release the serotonin I need, which plays a big part in your emotions.

The things I could tell you about Paxil would blow your mind. This drug is not magical. It is really a destructive drug! I would tell everybody not to take it, and of course I have studied so much about it, that now people are starting to ask me about the drug, and what problems it causes.

Paxil can get you to the point that you just can’t think right.

If only I could emphasize how bad it really was, I would do everything in my power to do so.

My doctor now, who took me off Paxil, knew the dangers of Paxil when it first came out, and I think it was 1992. He noticed a pattern among his clients that were taking Paxil, was not pleased with the results, and he stopped prescribing it. He tried to tell doctors, but they thought they knew it all.

Now though, since I came back, I got off Paxil successfully with my doctor’s help. Thank goodness for doctors who pay attention! My doctor has asked me to explain to other doctors, PhDs and counsellors with their Masters, about the dangers of Paxil, and why it should not be prescribed, and you would be amazed at what these so-called educated people don’t know. When I talk to them, I honestly have to explain what I mean, regarding Paxil. I was totally amazed! They have no idea of what Paxil can do.

Well, sorry about the long explanation, but yes, with Paxil, and after Paxil, I can get very angry. I am just not myself anymore.

In response, I wrote:

I can definitely relate to the anger situation. It didn’t kick in for me until I got down to around 5mg, but when it did I felt like I was about to kill anyone who tried to have a conversation with me. This lasted for about a week, and during that week I stayed away from people completely. Though most of that anger has passed, my tolerance for listening to certain opinions seems to be zero. I’m not as patient as I used to be.

I’ve been completely off the Paxil for about two weeks now (approximately two weeks; could be more, could be less; my sense of time is a bit out of whack). The closer I got to being completely off the Paxil, the more positive reactions I had. My sex drive (and endurance) suddenly reappeared — it was like I was in my teens again; intellectually I became more alive, reading and writing and with great bursts of energy; I began to feel more relaxed, more myself. All kinds of good stuff like that. I was still experiencing pretty bad withdrawal, but the moments of clarity were amazing and rejuvenating.

Since I’ve been off the Paxil completely, my withdrawal symptoms have not disappeared (digestive problems, sleeping problems, electrical sensations connected to my eyes, etc.), but they have gradually dissipated. I haven’t had a brain zap for two days now, although I am still a little wary of them.

I’ve heard other people talk about how they return to normal and feel ten times better once they get off the Paxil. I certainly had a few glimpses of that, but right now I wouldn’t say that’s how I’m feeling. Sex drive, intellectual vitality — all that stuff seems to have taken a back seat to what I’m going through now.

The last few weeks have been extremely emotional for me. And now, instead of experiencing some sort of rapture from having gotten through all this, if you asked me what I’m feeling, I would say I’m feeling nothing. The only thing I can think of is that I’m emotionally spent; I’m all used up, and I just don’t have the energy to feel emotional about anything. (Or maybe I’ve got one last motherload of anger and grief to let loose, and I just don’t want to be around for it.)

That, or I’m afraid to let myself feel… relaxed again. Like I can’t believe it’s over. It’s as if I’m afraid to let my guard down, to really let myself say, “It’s over.”

The other conclusion could be that I’m depressed again, but I don’t think so. I think I’ve been through a prolonged traumatic experience in trying to get off the Paxil, and even with the Paxil out of my system, psychologically, it’s left a mark on me. I’d like to say it hasn’t, but it has. I would like to jump up and down with joy, yelling out, “I made it!” But I can’t seem to let myself do that.

I’m not sure about any of this though.

I would like to hear from others who, even if your experience isn’t the same as mine, have gotten through this stage of withdrawal, or post-withdrawal…

Second response:

Boy, I couldn’t agree with you more. I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that I will never be the same after taking this drug. Thank you for telling it like it is. The more research I do, the more freaked out I get about what this shit may have done to my brain. Don’t expect GlaxoSmithKline to own up to any of this; after all, they’re the ones who said it was not addictive. I know one person who took Paxil shortly after it came out. She was a zombie while on it, and went completely ballistic trying to get off. Years later, I realized that this person had changed dramatically, and not for the better. Getting off this drug is only half the battle. The other half is reclaiming the lives we had before Paxil.

Doug said to a previous message:

This is an excellent response. I agree. However, I must state that I took Paxil for almost 3 years and it seemingly worked wonders for me… for a while.

The people I know personally (not through email or through paxilprogress.org) who took Paxil for extreme anxiety and panic attacks — every single one of them ended up taking on that “sedated” look I mentioned before. And there’s no way that can be good. All of them say they couldn’t live without Paxil, regardless of the weight gain and the sexual dysfunction it causes them. But neither have any of them done anything else except take Paxil to take care of themselves. They’re still living off coffee and cigarettes like they’ve always done. So, in a way, they got what they deserved. Nothing gets better in the absence of a willingness to change. Taking a little pink pill only delays the inevitable.

The calm that Paxil may provide can offer one the opportunity to work on the anxiety, but the anxiety will come back if one doesn’t actually work on it. This is something I see happening with many people, as well as having lived through it myself. It doesn’t take much to figure this one out.

I agree with you that Paxil can and often does make a difference at first. I have no doubt about it that Paxil did help me at one point; it helped me get through an extreme crisis situation, extreme stress, extreme anxiety, all during a time when my coping skills were not so good. For the duration I was on Paxil, I did everything I could to get my act together — and now, except for the anxiety related to the withdrawal, I do have it together (I hope). When I think of how I was, say two years ago, I am amazed at how far I’ve come, how effectively I deal with anxiety and stressful situations when they come up. I’m not 100% all the time, but who the hell is? (Nobody.)

I haven’t a single doubt that the makers of Paxil deliberately perpetuated a fraud by not fully informing the FDA, doctors and the public of the withdrawal effects of Paxil — to this day they clearly misinform doctors (the ones prescribing the medication) by telling them that Paxil is not an addictive drug, that there is no risk of physical and psychological dependency. Bullshit. And everyone who’s experienced Paxil withdrawal knows it. Like you said, “[It] has been an absolute nightmare getting off it (and there were side effects).”

You said:

I spent a good portion of my life avoiding most social situations, and am finding myself back there again. Only now there is the withdrawal and all of its symptoms on top of that. And I did a lot of work to get over all that when I was on Paxil. So, I’m very disappointed in the overall usefulness of the drug.

The same thing has happened to me. I find that I do experience some anxiety in social situations, or in anticipation of social situations. Not all the time, but when I do, there’s no doubt about it, it’s there. But I don’t relate this entirely to any previous condition. I think it’s due in large part to my Paxil withdrawal.

At the moment I am weaning myself off the Paxil and am down to 10mg (alternating between 5mg and 10mg). At least half of this past month I’ve been a walking zombie. Talk about being out of it; my brain has felt like mash potatoes. The last few days have been surprisingly smooth, but I’m only down to 10mg right now — that’s halfway there. My body is going through an extreme physiological adaptation now. Everything is out of whack. Experiencing some of the old anxiety doesn’t surprise me.

It’s my feeling that when I finally get the Paxil out of my system, and I’m exercising, taking my vitamin supplements and doing all kinds of other good things to keep myself healthy, the anxiety that I occasionally experience now from the Paxil withdrawal won’t be as common; it certainly won’t be debilitating. And the same may be the case for you.

Also, having taken Paxil for three years, even after you’ve taken the last pill, I’m inclined to think that it could take several more months before your body and your brain have flushed all the Paxil out of your system and have readjusted to living without it. Three years is a long time to be on Paxil (any more than 6 months is a long time if you ask me). I think the longer a person is on Paxil, the longer it will take to get over it.

Paxil can play a positive role in dealing with certain types of anxiety, but, again, it should always be a last resort. I can’t see what the good is if trying to get off the drug is worse than the problem you took the Paxil for in the first place. What a scam, ah?

Postscript – February 6th, 2001: In this post, I said, “I think the longer a person is on Paxil, the longer it will take to get over it.” This isn’t necessarily true. Everyone is different.

P.S. (Sept. 2006): Wikipedia has an entry for social anxiety. It may not be a simply a marketing slogan. However, treating social anxiety with Paxil or other SSRIs should be a last resort. Paxil is the easy fix; it requires absolutely no work or will power. So it’s very attractive. But from my experience, the risks aren’t worth it. It’s been almost 6 years since I stopped taking Paxil, and I can still feel the effects of the withdrawal. Here’s a quote from the Wikipedia article:

Research has shown cognitive behavior therapy, whether individually or in a group, to be effective in treating social phobics. The cognitve and behvioral components seek to change thinking patterns and physical reactions to anxious situations. This may be done through a technique called role playing. Prescribed medications consists of a class of antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Such treatment has a high response rate and low risk of dependency [sure it does] but has been criticized for its adverse side-effects and possible increase in suicide risk.

Attention given to social anxiety disorder has significantly increased since 1999 with the approval of drugs for its treatment. Marketing campaigns by pharmaceutical companies may be largely responsible for driving this.

Paxil should be an absolute last resort. Communicative therapy (a.k.a. talking) should be tried first. Then there are dietary changes that can make a difference to all kinds of anxiety. You can take vitamin supplements like B-complex to begin with. If you drink caffeine, stop now. Alcohol and cigarettes don’t help with anxiety either (but if you smoke, don’t try quitting while you’re trying to quit something else; trying to quit two things at once will wreck anyone). Making sure to get daily moderate exercise can make a difference. Try a herbal remedy. Listen to good music. Breathe fresh air. Get out in the sunshine.

Speaking from experience, these are basic things that can make a huge difference.

But it’s easier to pop a little pink pill than it is to actually make any real effort to take care of oneself (hence, we have close to two billion dollars in sales of Paxil last year).

It’s easier to take a pill than it is to actually face the fears underlying the social anxiety.

No offense to anyone suffering from panic disorder, but “social anxiety” sound like another made-up term by drug companies. I’ve been shy my whole life. I know what it’s like to be anxious around people and or large crowds. But that doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with me. I consider it a natural reaction to the madness of crowds.

Working to ease my shyness took some time, and although today I am aware that I do have this tendency to become anxious in social situation, it doesn’t bring everything I want to do with my life to a halt. I value all of my relationships and I am glad to be around the people I choose to be friends with, but I also know when I could use some time alone. I may have a certain shyness to my personality (although most people who know me socially would probably find that hard to believe), but there is nothing wrong with being this way as long as it doesn’t control my life. “Social anxiety” is a marketing slogan, a stigma that deliberately shames people into thinking they need these medications. It helps sell Paxil and other SSRIs.

If you experience “social anxiety,” it doesn’t mean you’re sick. All it means is that you’re sensitive. Big whoop. There is nothing wrong with being a sensitive person. Screw it — I’ll go as far to say it’s a good thing. My sensitivity has caused some anxiety at times, but it’s also given me a sensitivity to the feelings of other people in my friendships and close relationships which has enriched my life in ways that Paxil never has. I’m more of a one-on-one person; I’m not a group person. So what?

If Paxil is the last resort for you — I am in no way recommending Paxil — but if you decide to take the Paxil, remember that the more you take and the longer you take it, the harder it will be to get off it. If your doctor tells you something different, then your doctor can join the thousands of other doctors who are completely uninformed and misinformed as to the withdrawal effects of Paxil, and you’ll want to go see another doctor immediately. Paxil withdrawal is hell. For a substantial number of people who take it, Paxil is not an easy drug to get off of. That’s the first thing you should know.

The second thing is, if you do take the Paxil, don’t just rely on the Paxil. If it provides you with some kind of calm, take advantage of that calm and work on your anxiety. (I know plenty of people who take Paxil and then sit on their butts the whole time, never taking any action to actually deal with the anxiety or depression they had in the first place. All they do is take Paxil, and within months they begin to take on the look of a person who is medically sedated.) If you decide to take the Paxil, it would be beneficial to put yourself in situations where you can develop the coping skills (sometimes known as social skills) to ease the anxiety so that you can be relaxed and be yourself where before you used to feel anxious. If you don’t do this, and eventually you want to get off the Paxil (and seeing how hair loss and sexual dysfunction are common side effects of Paxil, you may not want to live with it forever) — when you try to get off the Paxil, all of the anxiety will come back, and on top of the effects of Paxil withdrawal, it’ll probably come back with a vengeance.

So if you do take the Paxil, do it right. And be informed.

Hope that helps.

Response:

I would like to tell a story which I think some may find more informative than your message.

While this drug may or may not help people, it does fall under a new classification of “life enhancing” drugs that has only really been around for the last 30 or so years. The aggressive marketing of this drug towards the general public is at best circumspect and possibly heinous in its design and implementation. In reading some of the legal documentation of the lawsuits currently in the courts, I noticed that Glaxo SmithKline refuses to accept the term “withdrawa” and instead uses only the term “relapse” in their dealings with plaintiffs. I know what I went through (and what most EVERYONE on this board is either going through or has been through) was a “withdrawa” from a drug.

Now the ethical question: Does the fact that a drug company knowingly refuses to use a proper term in order to protect themselves legally outweigh the use of a term of demeaning tone and inference, especially when it is used to describe the said product whose usage, after stopping, made me feel like “crap” (there are worse terms) for several months afterwards and most importantly: which use of language is more justified?

You see, it isn’t the situation that is the problem, but the language (and the fear of the language) that hides the problem.

P.S. (Sept. 2006): I seemed to have no problem giving advice in this post. I’ll be making some cuts if I find too much of that going on in future posts. I question how qualifed I am to give certain advice. Some people do have serious social disorders that require medication; otherwise, they couldn’t function. I wouldn’t want to be dismissive of that. My life is still affected by my so-called social anxiety. It does hold me back at times, and I’m not happy about it. But I’ve managed to live with it. It’s a part of who I am.

Okay, here we go.

I’ve talked to several men and women who have been on Paxil and know exactly what the sexual side effects are (including myself) — and there’s one basic side effect:

Delayed orgasm or inability to have an orgasm, and/or: it takes a lot more work to have an orgasm.

That means — for both men and woman — “it” pretty much requires constant stimulation. Stop for more than five seconds and you’re going to lose it.

For women, it takes longer to get aroused “down there,” and for men it takes longer (and constant stimulation remember) to “get it up.” Sexual function is possible, but it just takes a lot more work (and some practice).

If you have an understanding partner, you can work through it (noting that, regardless, you don’t want to be on Paxil for the rest of your life).

And if you’re alone, you got all the time in the world to figure it out. In a way, being alone is an ideal situation in which to work out the kinks, if you know what I mean. Hope that helps.

This list keeps getting better and better, doesn’t it?

The sexual dysfunction and weight gain are almost-guaranteed side effects of taking Paxil. The weight gain may be particularly worse for women, but the sexual dysfunction seems to happen with everyone right across the board. The sexual dysfunction can gradually be dealt with (details are given in several postings throughout this site), but the weight gain, or I should say losing the weight, seems to be the most trouble even after getting off Paxil; it just takes time. As for the hair loss, or thinning of the hair, this may be a result of extreme stress or it may be because of the Paxil, but it’s something I experienced myself and have read other accounts of, from women as well as men.

The good news: 1) My hair seemed to return to its normal thickness a few months after I stopped taking the Paxil. 2) For many people, their sexual function and libido also return to normal soon after they stop taking the Paxil. (Again, more details are given on this in several postings throughout this site.)

P.S. (Sept. 2006): This may not be the most informative post. I suggest going to paxilprogress.org and doing a search for “sexual side effects.” For instance, I just found this discussion thread that began with a guy asking about sexual side effects while taking Paxil. Here’s an excerpt from one of the responses:

I hear that.