Withdrawal can refer to any sort of separation, but is most commonly used to describe the group of symptoms that occurs upon the abrupt discontinuation/separation or a decrease in dosage of the intake of medications, recreational drugs, and alcohol. In order to experience the symptoms of withdrawal, one must have first developed a physical/mental dependence. In Drugs that are in the Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) group such as Paxil, withdrawal symptoms can show even though the patient is not in the strict sense addicted to the drug. The can be caused by the fact that according to the consensus definition by the American Academy of Pain Medicine; withdrawal is a symptom of "Physical Dependence", not of "Addiction". Also several studies show that
Fetal Exposure to SSRIs Alters Neurobehavioral Development which could lead to the Physical Dependence on SSRIs like Paxil.
Just like sever other drugs that are in the SSRI group, Paxil has been known to cause withdrawal symptoms in patients wanting to stop use of the drug. Those users who would like to actually stop taking Paxil, would be advised not to stop the drug abruptly, but instead begin taking smaller amounts gradually as to wean him or her off Paxil. Common withdrawal symptoms for Paxil have been known to include: nausea, dizziness, lightheadedness and vertigo; insomnia, nightmares and vivid dreams; feelings of electricity in the body, as well as crying and anxiety.
Several reports say that Paxil is one of the most difficult drugs to stop using. In a note published by the World Health Organization (WHO) Paxil was stated as among "Three SSRIs that are among the 30 highest-ranking drugs in the list of drugs for which drug dependence has ever been reported to the Uppsala Monitoring Centre database; a total of 269 reports had been received as of June 2002 (109 reports for fluoxetine, 91 for Paxil and 69 for sertraline).
There have been several studies that show Paxil and the other drugs in the SSRI group have been known to cause withdrawal symptoms in those patients who wish to discontinue them. These studies have also shown that Paxil has also been known to potentially cause Paxil Birth Defects. It would be best advised that you have a consult your doctor first if you would like to stop being clothes or win with any other SSRI drug.
