Side effects of mixing Paxil and Prozac?

I’m curious if anyone here has actually dealt with these specific medications and what kind of side effects you ran into. I’ve noticed some significant weight gain, which is frustrating since my doctor insists the scale should be moving in the opposite direction.
Thanks in advance for any insight you can share!

So I tried Paxil. I was on it for two weeks before I was supposed to have my follow-up, but since I was basically in a mental fog of my own making, I missed the appointment. I called the next day, only to have my psychiatrist—let’s call her Dr. Bear—tell me to just go find someone else. 👍

Then I stumbled upon some corner of the internet linking Paxil to breast cancer, which, honestly, felt like a relief at the time. Not that you can trust everything you read online—especially when those "studies" are pushed by some religious group that thinks taking psychiatric meds is somehow against God's will.

Those two weeks were brutal, though. The side effects were intense—this weird psycho-physiological mess. It felt like a manic episode that you just can't release. Just this constant tension in your head, like you're about to explode in a cramped room. That eventually turned into these massive headaches.

I finally realized I'm just overly sensitive to psychotropic drugs.

As for the weight gain—well, it had only been two weeks.

But from what I gather about psychopharmacology, higher serotonin levels are actually supposed to suppress appetite.

Did you actually put on weight because your appetite spiked, or does it just feel like you're eating the same amount but your metabolism has hit a wall?

I’ve been on Paxil for about two years now. In that timeframe, I’ve packed on roughly 45 pounds. It’s difficult to pin down the exact catalyst for the weight gain, but I have this nagging sensation that my metabolism has developed an insatiable, almost frantic craving for anything sweet.
While it isn't my primary reason for taking it—since that’s what the drug is actually designed for—it serves a much more vital purpose for me. I deal with low serotonin levels that manifest as chronic pain, and since starting the Paxil, that pain has vanished entirely. I’ve tried to taper off twice before, but both times were failures; the moment I stopped, the pain rushed back with terrifying intensity.
I honestly feel lucky that I finally identified the source of my suffering, because doctors were practically ready to commit me to a psychiatric ward. They couldn't wrap their heads around the idea that something was actually wrong with my legs, despite my clean test results—everything from MRIs and EMG tests to spinal fluid analysis and evoked potentials came back normal. Now, however, I find myself dreading the side effects. I stumbled upon an article discussing a documentary where a woman described her own inability to quit Paxil because she was constantly plagued by suicidal ideation...
And now you bring up breast cancer into the conversation...
It seems we’re always stuck in this cycle of treating one ailment only to poison ourselves with the cure...

Maria Reed44 said:I’ve been on Paxil for about two years now. In those two years, I’ve packed on about 45 pounds. I can’t pinpoint the exact reason for the weight gain, but it feels like my body has just gone absolutely haywire for sugar.
I don’t even use it for its primary purpose, though that's what it's designed for. I deal with low serotonin levels that show up as chronic pain. Since I started the Paxil, that pain has vanished completely. I’ve tried tapering off twice before—total failures—because every single time, the pain comes roaring back with terrifying intensity.
Honestly, I’m just relieved I finally found the source of the pain. Most doctors were practically ready to ship me off to a psych ward because nobody believed there was anything wrong with my legs, despite my clean tests—MRIs, EMG, spinal fluid, evoked potentials, you name it. Now, I’m just terrified of all the side effects. I stumbled upon an article about a BBC documentary featuring a woman who couldn't stop taking her meds because she was plagued by constant suicidal ideation...
And now you’re bringing up breast cancer into this...
One thing fixes one problem, while another thing poisons the rest of you...

Hey there, are you still taking the Paxil?
I was on it for a year, and eventually, my doctor helped me go through a formal tapering protocol to get off it. It’s been about a month since my last dose, but I’m starting to worry—I’m becoming tearful again, argumentative, and my mind feels like it's racing a thousand miles an hour.

It worked for me, but man, it made me gain a ton of weight.

Maria Reed44 said:I’ve been on Paxil for about two years now. In those two years, I’ve put on nearly 45 pounds. I can't pin down the exact reason for the weight gain, but I have this nagging feeling my body is just constantly screaming for sugar.
I don't even take it for its primary indication, though that's what it's meant for. I deal with low serotonin levels that show up as chronic pain. Ever since I started the Paxil, that pain has completely vanished. Up until now, I've tried to taper off it twice—total failures—because every single time, the pain comes roaring back with terrifying intensity.
Honestly, I'm just relieved I finally found the cause of my pain. Doctors almost sent me straight to a psych ward because nobody would believe something was wrong with my legs despite perfectly normal test results—MRIs, EMGs, spinal fluid tests, evoked potentials, you name it. Now, I'm just terrified of all the side effects. I stumbled upon an article about a BBC documentary featuring a woman who also couldn't stop taking her Paxil because she was plagued by constant suicidal ideation...
And now you bring up breast cancer into the mix...
You fix one thing and end up poisoning another...

Hey there, are you still taking the Paxil?
I was on it for a year before I finally tapered off following my doctor's protocol. It's been about a month since I stopped, but what's really starting to worry me is how much more emotional I've become—I'm tearful, irritable, and my head feels like it's running a thousand miles an hour with intrusive thoughts.

It worked for me, but man, the weight gain was brutal.

Jessica Moore23 said:Hey, are you still taking Paxil?
I was on it for about a year before my doctor helped me taper off following a specific protocol. It’s been a month since I stopped, but honestly, what's worrying me is that I'm starting to get all tearful and argumentative again... just a million thoughts racing through my head at once.

It worked for me, but man, it put on some serious weight.

Question: You mentioned being taken off via a "protocol" (what kind of protocol?). I feel like I've been hearing that term a lot more lately.

Jessica Moore23 said:Ma'am, are you still taking Paxil?
I was on it for a full year before my doctor helped me taper off following their specific protocol. It’s been about a month since I quit, but what’s really getting to me is this return of the emotional volatility—I’m becoming tearful again, picking fights constantly, and my brain feels like it's running a thousand different thoughts all at once.

It worked for me, honestly, but the weight gain was just brutal.

Hey, Patrick, hang in there.
Just so you don't feel like you're wandering through this fog alone after coming off an antidepressant,
believe me, I've been in those exact trenches myself. I only managed to hold out for four days before the withdrawal hit so hard I had to crawl back to my meds. Right now, I'm on a combo of Cymbalta and Lyrica, and man, I went through the exact same withdrawal symptoms you're describing. And look—no matter what some psychiatrist tells you about how antidepressants aren't "addictive," they are lying about how grueling the process is. In my experience, it was actually easier to get off benzodiazepines—you know, things like Xanax and the rest of that crew—than it was to kick the ADs.

Kimberly Ward said:Question: You claim you were taken off your meds following "protocol"—but what kind of protocol are we actually talking about? I feel like I'm hearing that excuse more and more lately.

Hey Azalea—look, if those mental health specialists decide they’ve drawn up a "protocol" to taper you off, you might want to think twice before blindly following their lead. Their endgame isn't really getting you off the stuff; it's keeping you hooked on the prescriptions... because that's how they stay in business. If you're going to do this—and I mean really do it—take it slow. We're talking a gradual reduction of maybe 10-15% of your current dose every two or three weeks. If you can, just break those pills into quarters. It's all about that steady, cautious descent.👍