Before hearing of Paxil, I had tried Buspar, Haldol, Thorzine, valium and Prozac. None of these even compared to Paxil, though I did not give all of them a chance because of their tiring side effects. While on Paxil I have had no side effects (weight gain, lethargy or diminished libido). However, I have recently decided that I have gained the confidence I need to live drug free. Of course, initially I tried quitting cold turkey. Well, this is literally impossible. The headaches, ringing in the ears, nausea, blurred vision, and insomnia were too much to bear. I reduced my dose by half for one week and this worked well. Then I proceeded to take this half dose (10mg) only every other day for another week. Now that I have run out of Paxil, the side effects are not too bad and I think I can break the addiction.

P.S. Dramamine (available at any drug store, an H1 antagonist/antiemetic) helps a ton in reducing side effects. Of course, this (just as any other antihistaminic) causes drowsiness, so don't take too much. But following my regimen, I hope you too can get off Paxil. My final comments. Was Paxil worth it to me? Hell YES, but this is my subjective opinion and realize that my anxiety was worse than the side effects for me.