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Paroxetine—The Antidepressant from Hell? Probably Not, But Caution Required

When Paxil (paroxetine) first was approved, it was hailed as a much needed and welcomed addition to the antidepressant/antianxiety arsenal. In addition to being a serotonin reuptake inhibitor, it also had mild to moderate noradrenergic effects through inhibiting reuptake of norepinephrine (NRI or NARI) and could be activating, which often helped depressed patients with lethargy. Additionally, paroxetine is efficacious in the treatment of generalized anxiety, panic, posttraumatic stress, social phobia, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders. After a few years in Phase IV post-marketing clinical reporting, paroxetine exhibited a higher than average number…

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 Paxil: Same data, opposite conclusion

Contrary to the original, ghostwritten published report that concluded that Paxil was safe and effective for depression in adolescents, this meticulous reanalysis of the same data led to the conclusion that Paxil is actually ineffective and harmful.

Articles of Interest

Drug Maker Charged With Fraud Over Paxil Marketing

The consequences of GSK's marketing decision, the suit concludes, is that physicians were “misled and deceived” and thus unable to evaluate the prescribing information they need to provide optimal care for their patients.

Long-Term Effects of Paxil

A broad set of data has accumulated over the last 30 years on the most common long-term effects of Paxil. Not everyone reacts in the same way. There can also arise more serious, rare long-term effects that can, unfortunately, become chronic and debilitating, A common outcome is for a depressed person to become manic or some other undesirable manifestation after medication, and their diagnosis may be changed to Bipolar, for example.

Paroxetine Pathway, Pharmacokinetics

Paroxetine is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) used for the treatment of depression, panic, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorders (OCD) and other related disorders. The SSRIs fluoxetine, fluoxamine, paroxetine, sertraline, and citalopram vary in their pharmacological profile resulting in differential efficacy and side-effect profile for particular patients.

Paxil (paroxetine) for anxiety: What you need to know

Paxil is an SSRI medication that is FDA-approved to treat both depression and anxiety as well as other conditions like premature ejaculation.

Paxil For Depression: Is It Effective?

A 2008 meta-analysis looked at the results of paroxetine over placebo in 40 clinical trials and more than 3,000 patients, and paroxetine was found to be “significantly superior than placebo” in terms of treatment of symptoms. The researchers did note, however, that a statistically significant amount of people left their respective studies because of side effects, including suicidality — which is a rare but known side effect of some antidepressant drugs, and SSRIs are no exception.

Paxil – SSRI for the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorders

Paxil (paroxetine hydrochloride) was first developed in 1975 by a Danish company called Ferrosan. During 1980 Ferrosan sold paroxetine to Beecham Pharmaceuticals which later merged with SmithKline & French to become SmithKline Beecham. During 2000 the company merged with Glaxo to form GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).

Paxil® vs. Prozac®: Which Is Better For Me?

Paxil and Prozac function similarly and both are in a class of antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Increasing serotonin levels in the brain can improve symptoms of depression such as appetite, sleep issues, and loss of interest.

Thinking of starting Paxil, anybody have good news

I have been on paxil 30 mg for 16 years . I know what you are going through it is miserable. You can start at a small dose of 10mg and go up if you need too. It takes a few weeks to start changing your depression and anxiety.

Resources

NAMI

Paroxetine is an antidepressant medication that works in the brain. It is approved for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder (social phobia), panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), and for vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes, night sweats, flushes, etc.) associated with menopause (Brisdelle®).

StatPearls

Paroxetine is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and, as such, is identified as an antidepressant. It is FDA approved for major depressive disorder (MDD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), social anxiety disorder (SAD), panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause.