Paxil is an incredible successful antidepressant. It is estimated that about 17 million people worldwide have been treated with Paxil. It was released onto the market in 1992 by GlaxoSmithKline and has become one of the most prescribed antidepressants on the market. The reason Paxil is so popular is that it can treat a range of issues from anxiety disorders like panic attacks, social anxiety and phobias to the treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and even Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Paxil has, however, been linked with some negative side effects including suicide and violence in children and adolescents. This has been underscored by warnings from the FDA and both Ireland and Britain’s Department of Health who have noted that Paxil, although successful in so many people, may not be the most appropriate medication for adolescents. There report stated “…the benefits of Seriate [Paxil] in children for the treatment of depressive illness do not outweigh these risks."
The FDA has also recently increased the level of its warning against taking Paxil while pregnant. In some cases, unborn fetuses have been developing heart abnormalities due to their exposure to Paxil in the womb. Paxil has now been classified as a "Category D" drug for pregnant women which indicates a strong risk to the baby. Two studies of pregnant women taking Paxil, primarily during their three months of pregnancy showed that the babies 1.5 to 2 times more likely to develop heart abnormalities. The FDA is therefore advising doctors not to prescribe Paxil to women in their first trimester or to women who are planning to become pregnant in the near future.
There have also been some links discovered between SSRI (serotonin reuptake inhibitors) antidepressants, of which Paxil is one, and persistent pulmonary hypertension or PPH in infants. This is a rare disorder when an infant’s circulatory system reverts back to that of a fetus making breathing incredibly difficult and often leading to oxygen deprivation, neurological damage and sometimes death.
Paxil is also difficult to stop taking because it has some withdrawal symptoms. These withdrawal symptoms include:
· "Flu-like" syndrome, including continuous indigestion and nausea
· Anxiety, including sound, colors & stressors, de-realization and panic attacks
· Dizziness and tremors, tinnitus and a vertiginous-like experience
· Fatigue and insomnia and restlessness
· Headache or migraine-like feelings including hyper-sensitivity of the nervous system to light, ringing in ears and throbbing in head
· Neck and back pain
· Psychotic features including hallucinations, homicidal thoughts, extreme anger, severe agitation, paranoia, aggressive behavior
· "Electrical shock" phenomena – which is when electrical surges or shocks run through the head and/or body
· Depressive thoughts, suicidal thoughts, extreme irritability, "over-reacting", manic emotions, out of character behavior, severe malaise
In addition a newer study has linked these antidepressant drugs to an increased risk of death in coronary artery disease sufferers who also take Paxil. This study, conducted at Duke University, looked at the survival rate of heart disease patients using antidepressants. Although researchers can’t identify why antidepressants increase the risk of death in these heart disease patients, their findings show that some antidepressants like Paxil do increase the risk of death in heart disease patients.