What We Do > Dangerous Drugs > Paxil
Paxil is part of a family of drugs known as selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors or SSRI's. The purpose of Paxil is to keep serotonin circulating in the body longer and help to alleviate the symptoms of clinical depression, anxiety and other manifestations of low serotonin levels. Paxil is prescribed for illnesses such as generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression. It has also been used to treat post traumatic stress disorder and panic disorders.
Paxil has been linked recently to extreme acts of violent behavior after use and extreme withdrawal complications after use is discontinued. Often these withdrawal effects are experienced just hours after a missed dose.
Paxil withdrawal symptoms include:
a "flu-like" syndrome, anxiety, dizziness, fatigue, headache, migraine-like feelingsnerves jangling when moving eyescontinuous indigestionneck and back painpsychotic features such as visual and/or audial hallucinations/illusions, insomnia, restlessnessnausea"electrical shock" like phenomena/electrical surges or shocks through the head and/or body, hyper-sensitivity of the nervous system to light, sound, colors & stressorstremors, tinnitus and a vertiginous-like experiencedepressive thoughts, suicidal thoughtshomicidal thoughts, extreme anger, severe agitation, extreme irritability, "over-reacting"ringing in ears and throbbing in head, vomiting, paranoia, aggressive behavior, rollercoaster emotions rapidly following up on each other, out of character behaviorsevere malaise, general dysphoria, derealization, panic attacksbirth defects
In March 2004, the Food and Drug Administration issued a Public Health Advisory that provides further cautions to physicians, their patients, and families and caregivers of patients about the need to closely monitor both adults and children with depression, especially at the beginning of treatment, or when the doses are changed with either an increase or decrease in the dose.
In September 2005, the FDA issued a warning detailing the results of a study that linked Paxil to birth defects. An increased number of women taking Paxil during the first trimester of pregnancy, compared with women using other antidepressants, reportedly had babies born with birth defects, including heart problems. The FDA has determined that exposure to paroxetine in the first trimester of pregnancy may increase the risk for congenital malformations, particularly cardiac malformations. The FDA is strengthening its warning for the antidepressant Paxil because it may be associated with birth defects, citing a new study that found increased risk of fetuses developing heart defects. The FDA asked manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline to reclassify the drug, which goes by the generic name paroxetine, as a "Category D" drug for pregnant women. The classification means that studies in pregnant women have shown a risk to the fetus. Two studies of pregnant women taking Paxil during their first trimester have shown their babies have heart defects one and a half to two times a greater rate than the norm, the FDA said. The FDA is advising doctors not to prescribe Paxil to women in their first three months of pregnancy or people who are planning to become pregnant, unless there are no other options.
If you or a loved one has suffered as a result of the ingestion of Paxil there is a legal deadline for filing these lawsuits, so call NOW toll free 1-888-888-3773. The consultation and call are FREE.