FYI -
I’ve discontinued daily dosing as of last Sunday (10/22), the weight gain and fatigue were getting to me.
This past weekend, I tried on-demand dosing. Took 30 mgs 5 hrs prior to game time, having not done daily dosing for the week prior. Depressingly, my time to orgasm was back to my pre-paxil time.
Talked with my pharmacist about weight gain and Paroxetine (Paxil), and he said it does cause it with many, if not most people, and it’s not dosage related (I had asked if I backed down the dosage would it stop -No). His advice, if it’s causing wgt gain, then as long as your taking it, you will gain wgt. With some people, it causes wgt loss, so it’s unpredictable.
So now I’m not sure what to do. I really like the sex while doing paroxetine, it’s unreal, like becoming a sexual Tyrannosaurus Rex. But the fatigue, loss of concentration, the added inch or two on the waist, and general loss of drive to do anything kind of nix it.
My last week on paroxetine was at 5 mg a day. Maybe I could go lower and dose pre-game, but from what I’ve read even that low a dose may not help with the wgt.
Any insights appreciated.
More on wgt gain for those interested:
I’ve read with most people they don’t gain the first couple of months, and then all of a sudden the pounds start to pile on. While that hasnt exactly happened with me, I have gained over an inch on my waist despite my best efforts to stop it. One account I read a woman stated at one point she was eating nothing but salads and SlimFast and still gaining wgt. Paxil is referred to sometimes as "Pack-it-on Paxil".
This article states "weight gain is a reported side effect of nearly all antidepressant medications currently available." and "long-term use of paroxetine (Paxil) — an SSRI that is more likely to cause weight gain than are other SSRIs."
Also, this article states "Paxil appears to have the most significant impact on weight gain of all of the SSRIs." and also "Many people are not aware that weight gain is one of the most common side effects associated with many antidepressants prescribed today."
I’ve read on a couple forums many accounts of weight gain which steadily increases even with good diet and exercise, and we’re talking over 20lbs. Here’s one such forum.
Other things noticed when daily dosing that King_G also noted:
Fatigue: Man, I could lay down and fall asleep within 5 mins, anywhere, anytime.
Working-out/Exercise: I really had to push my ass to workout hard. While doing the daily dosing, I never worked out as hard and long as I did pre-Paxil. Just didnt have the drive.
Concentration: or lack of - is a bit hard to get my brain to bite down and stay on station with work. Started drinking more coffee, seems to help.
One thing I recently read was : SSRI’s do not, in and of themselves, promote the gain of fat mass. They instead induce either the retention of water or the retention of "wet mass" in the lean tissue.
Some reading about wgt gain and SSRIs
[url=http://www.webmd.com/content/article/50/40502.htm]Another.[/url