My side effects while on Paxil include: weight gain, lack of a sex drive and an inability to achieve orgasm most of the time, excessive sweating, bizarre and disturbing dreams, face edema, racing heart, and blurred vision. I am once again withdrawing from Paxil, but this time at an extremely slow rate. I am now taking 1/2 of a 20 mg tablet each day. I will do this for one month, then reduce to 1/2 tablet every other day, finally tapering off to zero. I hope the withdrawal will be much less difficult to endure. I work out almost every day and feel better mentally, so I hope this will allow me to stay off anti-depressants for good. The weight gain has been the most disturbing part of this experience--nothing I do will allow me to lose weight.

My physician recommends discontinuing this drug forever and he hopes that if I do experience a recurrence, another class of anti-depressants will work better. He acknowledges that these side effects are legitimate and are associated with this drug.