Doctor: Paxil "Especially Notorious" for Causing Withdrawal

Atlanta, GAThere are a number of Paxil side effects associated with the antidepressant, and some patients continue to experience these effects even after discontinuing use of the drug.

span itemprop="image" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/ImageObject" style="display:block">Dr. Charles Raison, an associate professor at Emory University, wrote in response to a reader's question on CNN that about 20 percent of patients experience withdrawal symptoms when they stop taking antidepressants.

Raison says that the common symptoms of antidepressant withdrawal include dizziness, anxiety, sensory disturbances and flu-like symptoms.

According to Raison, coming off the medication slowly is important.

"The trick to lowering your chances of having these symptoms is to reduce the dose of the antidepressant as slowly as possible," he writes. "For people who are really sensitive it can take months to get off an antidepressant slowly enough to avoid withdrawal symptoms."

Raison also said that Paxil is "especially notorious for causing withdrawal problems" because of its short half-life in the body.

Paxil is also associated with a number of side effects for those currently taking the medication, including birth defects and depression.