03/01/2008 - A Surrey woman and her infant daughter are launching a class-action lawsuit against the manufacturer of a commonly-used anti-depressant medication. More ::

10/15/2004 - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today issued a Public Health Advisory announcing a multi-pronged strategy to warn the public about the increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior ("suicidality") in children and adolescents being treated with antidepressant medications. More ::

08/20/2004 - A top government scientist who concluded last year that most antidepessants are too dangerous for children because of a suicide risk wrote in a memo this week a new study that confirms his findings. More ::

More News ::

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 Side Effects:
Frequent - Paxil - Seroxat (Paroxetine) Side Effects include
body as a Whole: Malaise (a vague feeling of bodily discomfort), pain. Cardiovascular: Hypertension, syncope (a sudden loss of strength, a temporary suspension of consciousness due to cerebral anemia), tachycardia (excessive rapidity in the action of the heart). Dermatological: Pruritus (Intense itching) Gastrointestinal: Nausea and vomiting. Metabolic and Nutritional: Weight gain, weight loss. Nervous System: Central Nervous System stimulation, concentration impaired, depression, emotional liability (emotional instability), vertigo (a hallucination of movement; a sensation as if the external world were revolving around the patient or as if he himself were revolving in space). Respiratory: Cough increased, rhinitis (inflammation of the mucus membrane of the nose).

Infrequent - Paxil - Seroxat ( Paroxetine ) Side Effects include body as a Whole: Allergic reaction, chills, face edema (abnormal amount of fluid in the facial tissue), infection, moniliasis (infection caused by Candida (yeast like fungi), neck pain, overdose. Cardiovascular: Bradycardia (abnormal slowness of the heartbeat), conduction abnormalities (abnormal transfer of sound waves, heat, nerve influences, or electricity), ECG abnormal, hypotension (lowered blood pressure), migraine, ventricular extrasystoles (a premature contraction of the heart). Dermatological: Acne, alopecia (absence of hair from the body where it is normally present), dry skin, ecchymosis (blood under the skin, usually looks or appears like a bruise), eczema (an inflammatory skin disease characterized by lesions varying greatly in character, at times watery discharge and the development of scales and crust), furunculosis (a number of painful nodules formed in the skin, caused by bacteria, which enter through the hair follicles or glands, its formation is favored by digestive derangement and local irritation), herpes simplex, urticaria (reaction of the skin to certain drugs, marked by the appearance of smooth, slightly elevated patches, which are redder or paler than the surrounding skin and often includes severe itching). Gastrointestinal: Bruxism (grinding of the teeth especially during sleep), buccal cavity disorders (cavity running from the cheeks to the lips), dysphagia (inflammation of the esophagus), eructation (the act of belching or casting up wind from the stomach), gastroentertitis (inflammation of the stomach or intestines), gastrointestinal flu, glossitis (inflammation of the tongue), increased salivation, liver function test abnormal, mouth ulceration, vomiting and diarrhea, rectal hemorrhage. Hematologic and Lymphatic: Anemia, leukopenia (reduction in the number of leukocytes in the blood), lymphadenopathy (disease of the lymphnodes), purpura (condition charactized by the presence of blood just under the skin, can appear any where over the body), WBC abnormality (white blood cell abnormality). Musculoskeletal: Arthralgia (pain in the joint), arthritis, traumatic fracture. Nervous System: Akinesia (the temporary paralysis of a muscle, can include intense pain), alcohol abuse, amnesia, ataxia (failure of muscular coordination or irregularity of muscle action), convulsion, depersonalization, hallucinations, hyperkinesia (abnormally increased mobility, abnormally increased motor function or activity), hypertonia (a condition of excessive tone, tension or activity, can include increased blood pressure), incoordination, lack of emotion, manic reaction, paranoid reaction, thinking abnormal. Respiratory: Asthma, bronchitis, dyspnea (difficult or labored breathing), epistaxis (hemorrhage from the nose), hyperventilation, pneumonia, respiratory flu, sinusitis. Special Senses: Abnormality of accommodation, conjunctivitis, ear pain, eye pain, mydriasis (extreme or morbid dilation of the pupil), otitis media (inflammation of the ear which may be marked by pain, fever, abnormalities of hearing, deafness, tinnitus, and vertigo), tinnitus (a noise in the ear, as ringing, buzzing, roaring clicking etc). Urogenital: Abortion*, amenorrhea* (absence or abnormal stoppage of menses), breast pain*, cystitis (inflammation of the urinary bladder), dysmenorrhea* (painful menstruation), dysuria (painful or difficult urination), menorrhagia* (excessive uterine bleeding occurring at regular intervals), nocturia (excessive urination at night), polyuria (the passage of a large volume of urine in a given period), urinary incontinence, urinary retention, urinary tract infection, urinary urgency, vaginitis* (inflammation of the vagina). * Gender specific

Paxil - Seroxat side effects, as well as other SSRI side effects, are not just for one day or one hour. They are generally with you the entire time you take the medication.

Paxil CR Side Effects:
Body as a Whole: Infrequent were anaphylactoid reaction, chills, flu syndrome, malaise; also observed were adrenergic syndrome, face edema, neck rigidity, sepsis.

Cardiovascular System: Frequent were hypertension, hypotension; infrequent were angina pectoris, bradycardia, bundle branch block, palpitation, postural hypotension, syncope; also observed were arrhythmia nodal, atrial fibrillation, cerebrovascular accident, congestive heart failure, hematoma, low cardiac output, myocardial infarct, myocardial ischemia, pallor, phlebitis, pulmonary embolus, supraventricular extrasystoles, thrombophlebitis, thrombosis, vascular headache, ventricular extrasystoles.

Digestive System: Infrequent were bruxism, dysphagia, eructation, gastroenteritis, gastroesophageal reflux, gingivitis, glossitis, gum hyperplasia, hemorrhoids, hepatosplenomegaly, increased salivation, intestinal obstruction, melena, pancreatitis, peptic ulcer, rectal hemorrhage, stomach ulcer, toothache, ulcerative stomatitis; also observed were aphthous stomatitis, bloody diarrhea, bulimia, car-diospasm, cholelithiasis, colitis, duodenitis, enteritis, esophagitis, fecal impactions, fecal incontinence, gastritis, gum hemorrhage, hematemesis, hepatitis, ileitis, ileus, jaundice, mouth ulceration, salivary gland enlargement, sialadenitis, stomatitis, throat tightness, tongue discoloration, tongue edema.

Endocrine System: Infrequent were hyperthyroidism, ovarian cyst, testes pain; also observed were diabetes mellitus, goiter, hypothyroidism, thyroiditis.

Hemic and Lymphatic System: Infrequent were anemia, eosinophilia, leukocytosis, leukopenia, lymphadenopathy, thrombocytope-nia; also observed were anisocytosis, basophilia, bleeding time increased, hypochromic anemia, lymphedema, lymphocytosis, lym-phopenia, microcytic anemia, monocytosis, normocytic anemia, thrombocythemia.

Metabolic and Nutritional Disorders: Infrequent were bilirubinemia, dehydration, generalized edema, hyperglycemia, hyperkale-mia, hypokalemia, peripheral edema, SGOT increased, SGPT increased, thirst; also observed were alkaline phosphatase increased, BUN increased, creatinine phosphokinase increased, gamma globulins increased, gout, hypercalcemia, hypercholesteremia, hyper-phosphatemia, hypocalcemia, hypoglycemia, hyponatremia, ketosis, lactic dehydrogenase increased, non-protein nitrogen (NPN) increased.

Musculoskeletal System: Infrequent were arthritis, bursitis, myasthenia, myopathy, myositis, tendonitis; also observed were generalized spasm, osteoporosis, tenosynovitis, tetany.

Nervous System: Infrequent were amnesia, ataxia, convulsion, diplopia, dystonia, emotional liability, hallucinations, hypesthesia, hypokinesia, incoordination, neuralgia, neuropathy, nystagmus, paralysis, paranoid reaction, vertigo, withdrawal syndrome; also observed were abnormal gait, akathisis, akinesia, aphasia, choreoathetosis, circumoral paresthesia, delirium, delusions, dysarthria, dyskinesia, euphoria, extrapyramidal syndrome, fasciculations, grand mal convulsion, hostility, hyperalgesia, irritability, libido increased, manic reaction, manic-depressive reaction, meningitis, myelitis, peripheral neuritis, psychosis, psychotic depression, reflexes decreased, reflexes increased, stupor, torticollis, trismus.

Respiratory System: Infrequent were asthma, dyspnea, epistaxis, laryngitis, pneumonia, stridor; also observed were dysphonia, emphysema, hemoptysis, hiccups, hyperventilation, lung fibrosis, pulmonary edema, respiratory flu, sputum increased.

Skin and Appendages: Infrequent were acne, alopecia, dry skin, eczema, exfoliative dermatitis, furunculosis, pruritus, seborrhea, urticaria; also observed were angioedema, ecchymosis, erythema multiforme, erythema nodosum, hirsutism, maculopapular rash, skin discoloration, skin hypertrophy, skin ulcer, sweating decreased, vesiculobullous rash.

Special Senses: Infrequent were abnormality of accommodation, conjunctivitis, earache, keratoconjunctivitis, mydriasis, photophobia, retinal hemorrhage, tinnitus, visual field defect; also observed were amblyopia, anisocoria, blepharitis, blurred vision, cataract, conjunctival edema, corneal ulcer, deafness, exophthalmos, glaucoma, hyperacusis, night blindness, parosmia, ptosis, taste loss.

Urogenital System: Infrequent were albuminuria, amenorrhea*, breast enlargement*, breast pain*, cystitis, dysuria, hematuria, kidney calculus, menorrhagia*, nocturia, prostatitis*, urinary incontinence, urinary retention; also observed were breast atrophy, ejaculatory disturbance, endometrial disorder, epididymitis, female lactation, fibrocystic breast, leukorrhea, mastitis, metrorrhagia, nephritis, oliguria, polyuria, pyuria, salpingitis, urethritis, urinary casts, urinary urgency, urolith, uterine spasm, vaginal hemorrhage. *Based on the number of men and women as appropriate.

Postmarketing Reports:
Voluntary reports of adverse events in patients taking immediate-release paroxetine hydrochloride that have been received since market introduction and not listed above that may have no causal relationship with the drug include acute pancreatitis, elevated liver function tests (the most severe cases were deaths due to liver necrosis, and grossly elevated transaminases associated with severe liver dysfunction), Guillain-Barre syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, priapism, syndrome of inappropriate ADH secretion, symptoms suggestive of prolactinemia and galactorrhea, neuroleptic malignant syndrome-like events; extrapyramidal symptoms which have included akathisia, bradykinesia, cogwheel rigidity, dystonia, hypertonia, oculogyric crisis which has been associated with concomitant use of pimozide, tremor and trismus; serotonin syndrome, associated in some cases with concomitant use of serotonergic drugs and with drugs which may have impaired paroxetine metabolism (symptoms have included agitation, confusion, diaphoresis, hallucinations, hyperreflexia, myoclonus, shivering, tachycardia and tremor); status epilepticus, acute renal failure, pulmonary hypertension, allergic alveolitis, anaphylaxis, eclampsia, laryngismus, optic neuritis, porphyria, ventricular fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia (including torsade de pointes), thrombocytopenia, hemolytic anemia, and events related to impaired hematopoiesis (including aplastic anemia, pancytopenia, bone marrow aplasia, and agranulocytosis) and vasculitic syndromes (such as Henoch-Schonlein purpura). There has been a case report of an elevated phenytoin level after 4 weeks of immediate-release paroxetine and phenytoin co-administration. There has been a case report of severe hypotension when immediate-release paroxetine was added to chronic metoprolol treatment.

Paxil Warning
The FDA has recently issued a warning for Paxil, stating that the drug can cause suicide and violence in children and teenagers. This follows a report issued by Britain's Department of Health which said that evidence provided by the drug company, from nine studies based on more than 1,000 youngsters, shows there is an increase in the rate of self harm and potentially suicidal behavior in those under 18 taking Paxil.

The British regulators wrote in a statement "It has become clear that the benefits of Seroxat in children for the treatment of depressive illness do not outweigh these risks." Paxil is known as Seroxat in Great Britan. Additionally, Paxil has long been associated with difficult withdrawal side effects, leaving patients virtually addicted to the drug.

Recently, The British drug agency required Glaxo to remove a statement on its patient label saying that the drug was not addictive. Two years ago, a Wyoming jury awarded $6.4 million to the family of a patient taking the pill who killed his wife, daughter and granddaughter. It is estimated that almost 17 million people worldwide have been treated with Paxil.

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.  FDA is currently gathering additional data and waiting for the final results of the recent studies in order to better understand the higher risk for birth defects that has been seen with Paxil.

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.