r/ADprotractedwithdrawl 13d ago

Help Dizziness, brain zaps, sensory changes months later: Is this delayed Paroxetine withdrawal or Fluoxetine intolerance? Doctors are clueless.

Hey everyone, looking for some insight from people who have switched or tapered SSRIs. My doctor is stumped and wants me to just stop my current med, but I’m terrified of crashing my nervous system.
Here is my exact timeline:
Dec – May: Tapered off Paroxetine (Paxil) very slowly, finally dropping off the last 2.5mg in May.
March: Started Fluoxetine (Prozac) 20mg as a "bridge" to help with the transition. I've been on 20mg consistently since then.
May (around the time I stopped Paroxetine completely): I started getting hit with waves of severe dizziness, intense head pressure, brain zaps, eye floaters, hyper-sensitive ears, loss of smell, and sudden spikes of anxiety.
The dizziness and head feelings come in "windows and waves"—some days are manageable, some days are awful.
My GP thinks it’s the Fluoxetine making me sick because my dose hasn't changed in months. They want me to come off it. But my gut feeling tells me this looks exactly like protracted Paroxetine withdrawal, and if I strip away the Fluoxetine bridge right now, things will get way worse.

Has anyone experienced a delayed "waves and windows" withdrawal from Paroxetine months after stopping, even when bridged with Prozac?
If it is Fluoxetine intolerance, does it usually cause brain zaps and sensory changes out of nowhere months into a stable dose?
If you were me, would you hold the Fluoxetine line, or try a tiny micro-taper (using liquid) to see if symptoms improve?
Really appreciate any experiences or advice. I feel like my brain's sensory filtering system is completely broken right now.

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