12/31/2009 - As NaturalNews previously reported the U.S. is a nation on mind altering antidepressant drugs. An astounding number of Americans, some 27 million, are now taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like Prozac, Zoloft and Paxil. As a handful of doctors and researchers tried to warn the medical community and the public over a decade ago when these drugs began to soar in popularity, SSRIs can affect the brain and body in a host of detrimental ways. More>>>

12/16/2009 - Bloomberg news reported yesterday that GlaxoSmithKline, the manufacturer of Paxil has paid almost $1 billion to resolve lawsuits over Paxil since it came on the market in 1993. GlaxoSmithKline, the largest U.K. drug maker has paid approximately $390 million for suicides and attempted suicides and another $200 million for birth defect and Addiction cases. Ennis & Ennis, P.A. will continue to investigate and offer free nationwide consultations for users of Paxil who have committed Suicide, Attempted Suicide, Addiction issues and women who have taken Paxil during the first trimester of pregnancy who have given birth to children with Birth Defects. More>>>

12/15/2009 - British drug company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has paid $1 billion to settle lawsuits related to Paxil. The fact that it was disclosed by Bloomberg and not the company itself illustrates how lousy financial disclosure rules are in Europe and why drug companies based there cannot be trusted to tell the truth about what is going on with their litigation liabilities and, by extension, the safety of their drugs. More>>>

12/14/2009 - GlaxoSmithKline Plc has paid almost $1 billion to resolve lawsuits over Paxil since it introduced the antidepressant in 1993, including about $390 million for suicides or attempted suicides said to be linked to the drug, according to court records and people familiar with the cases. More>>>

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What is Paxil?
Paxil is an antidepressant commonly used for the treatment of depression and anxiety. Paxil is a newer type of antidepressant known as an selective serotonin re uptake inhibitor (SSRI). Selective serotonin re uptake inhibitors (SSRI's) are a class of antidepressants. They act within the brain to increase the amount of the neurotransmitter, serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine or 5-HT), in the synaptic gap by inhibiting its re-uptake. SSRI's are frequently prescribed for anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and eating disorders. Though not specifically indicated by the manufacturers, they are also sometimes prescribed to treat Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Paxil Birth Defects
The Food and Drug Administration recently alerted health care professionals and patients about early results of new studies for Paxil (paroxetine) suggesting that the drug increases the risk for birth defects, particularly heart defects, when women take it during the first three months of pregnancy.  Paxil is approved for the treatment of depression and several other psychiatric disorders. 

Paxil Birth Defects may include:
Heart Birth Defects: The FDA issued a Public Health Advisory for Paxil on December 8, 2005 based on U.S. and Swedish studies showing that exposure to Paxil in the first trimester of pregnancy may be associated with an increased risk of heart birth defects. Most of the cardiac defects observed in these studies were atrial or ventricular septal defects, conditions in which the wall between the right and left sides of the heart is not completely developed. In general, septal defects are one of the most common type of congenital malformations.

PPHN: Persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN) is a serious and life-threatening lung condition that occurs soon after birth of the newborn. Babies with PPHN have high pressure in their lung blood vessels and are not able to get enough oxygen into their bloodstream. About 1 to 2 babies per 1000 babies born in the U.S. develop PPHN shortly after birth, and often they need intensive medical care.

On July 19, 2006 the FDA issued another Public Health Advisory for Celexa (citalopram), Fluvoxamine, Lexapro (escitalopram), Paxil (paroxetine), Prozac (fluoxetine, Symbyax (olanzapine and fluoxetine) and Zoloft (sertraline) based on a study that suggests there may be additional risks of SSRI medications during pregnancy. In this study PPHN was six times more common in babies whose mothers took an SSRI antidepressant after the 20th week of the pregnancy compared to babies whose mothers did not take an antidepressant.

Abdominal Birth Defects: GSK - GlaxoSmithKline, maker of Paxil, sent a letter to doctors and healthcare professionals in September, 2005 advising them of a Paxil label change that, according to data obtained from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study of infants, women who took an SSRI-antidepressant were more likely than those who were not exposed to have an infant with omphalocele (an abnormality in newborns in which the infant's intestine or other abdominal organs protrude from the navel. The strongest effect was reported to be with Paxil, paroxetine, which accounted for 36% of all SSRI exposures.

Cranial Birth Defects: GSK - GlaxoSmithKline included in the September, 2005 "Dear Doctor" letter that the authors of the above study also found an association of exposure to any SSRI-antidepressant and giving birth to an infant with craniosynostosis (a congenital defect-present at birth. The connections between sutures-skull bones, prematurely close during the first year of life, which causes an abnormally shaped skull.)

Other Birth Defects

Club Foot: A recent study conducted by the Institute of Reproductive Toxicology at the University of Ulm, Germany and a recent study from the Slone Epidemiology Center at Boston University found that some women who took SSRIs throughout their pregnancy had children born with club feet. True Club foot is a malformation. The bones, joints, muscles, and blood vessels of the limb are abnormal. An infant with club foot has a foot that is inturned, stiff and cannot be brought to a normal position.

Neural Tube Defects: Neural tube defects (or NTDs) are birth defects of the brain and spinal cord. The two most common neural tube defects are spina bifida and anencephaly. In spina bifida, the fetal spinal column doesn't close completely during the first month of pregnancy. There is usually nerve damage that causes at least some paralysis of the legs. In anencephaly, much of the brain does not develop. Babies with anencephaly are either stillborn or die shortly after birth. Source: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

If you are currently taking Paxil and have concerns about its safetly, you should consult with your doctor regarding your treatment options. Under no circumstances should you discontinue taking any medication, including Paxil, without first consulting with your doctor. For Paxil legal information contact the Paxil Attorneys of Ennis & Ennis, P.A. by filling out our free Paxil case evaluation form or by calling the toll-free number listed below.