Paroxetine
Paroxetine (paroxetine hydrochloride; trade names Paxil® (United States), Seroxat® (UK), Aropax® (Australia)) is an antidepressant of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) type. It was released onto the market in 1992 by the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline and has since become one of the most successful antidepressants on the market. It is the second most prescribed anti-depressant in the UK.
Like some other antidepressants, it can also be used in the treatment of anxiety disorders. It was the first (and as of 2002, the only) antidepressant formally approved in the United States for the treatment of social phobia, causing it to be sometimes referred to (although inaccurately) as an anti-shyness drug.
Compared to other SSRIs, Paxil has a very short "half-life" and leaves the body quickly. This can lead to extreme side effects if the drug is stopped suddenly.
Addiction Potential
The manufacturers claim it is impossible to get addicted. Other campaigners disagree. The medical community generally considers that withdrawal symptoms are not enough to regard a drug as addictive; it has to leave the user needing more and more in order to gain the same desired effect. That's not the case with Paroxetine, as the body does not become tolerant to Parexotine's positive effects. Note, however, that addiction is generally also an extremely debated issue, although no drug is generally considered to be addictive that does not have both withdrawal symptoms and tolerance.
Recent studies have found that the drug is relatively ineffective in children, and that they are prone to becoming suicidal when first given it.
Side Effects
Although the drug has proved to be extremely helpful in the majority of cases in which it is used, there is a growing body of anecdotal evidence that has raised concerns about some of its side effects.
Although the manufacturers say there is no reliable clinical evidence that the drug can cause violence or aggression, the company was sued in the US after Donald Schell killed his wife, daughter and grandchild after two days on the drug. During the investigation of the clinical records, it was reported that although paroxetine is safe and effective most of the time, in a minority of cases the drug can cause unpredictable side effects, such as wild mood swings or suicidal thoughts.
Common side effects include:
- drowsiness
- sleepiness
- nausea
- upset stomach
- dry mouth
- constipation
- diarrhea
- decrease of sexual desire
- delayed orgasm or anorgasmia
- rash
- itch
- changes in urination
If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:
- jaw, neck, and back muscle spasms
- fever, chills, sore throat, or flu-like symptoms
- yellowing of the skin or eyes
Chemistry
Paroxetine is chemically identified as (Immediate-Release Tablets / Oral Suspension:) (-)-trans-4R-(4'-fluorophenyl)-3S-[(3',4'-methylenedioxyphenoxy) methyl] piperidine hydrochloride hemihydrate, or (Controlled-Release Tablets:) (-)-(3S,4R)-4-[(p-fluorophenyl)-3-[(3,4-methylenedioxy) phenoxy] methyl] piperidine hydrochloride hemihydrate. Its empirical formula is C19H20FNO3, with a molecular weight of 374.8 (329.3703 as free base).