Paxil

Paxil. The new study.

2007-08-17T02:33:00.001-07:00

Teenagers and young adults who use anti-depressant Paxil face a lower risk of suicide attempt than depressed patients who are not undergoing drug treatment.

The findings contradict previous research that led the US government's Food and Drug Administration to warn that Paxil drugs increase the risk of suicidal behavior in young people.

The study focused on selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) medications, including Lexapro, Paxil, Zoloft and Prozac, a newer class of anti-depressants which regulate mood by adjusting the brain chemical serotonin.

The risk of suicide attempt among depressed patients treated with Paxil was about one-third that of patients who were not treated with an SSRI, said study author.

The study tracked 226,866 patients who were newly diagnosed with depression between 2003 and 2004 and compared the risk of suicide among four age groups before and after SSRI treatment.

All groups who were treated with SSRI medications showed a lower risk of suicide attempt, said the study which appears in the July issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.

In 2004, the FDA linked teen suicide and the use of Paxil after the results of clinical trials conducted by pharmaceutical laboratories showed a relationship between the anti-depressant and an increase in suicidal behavior among children.

Paxil makers failed to disclose information

2007-08-02T03:25:00.000-07:00

GlaxoSmithKline, the maker of the antidepressant Paxil, failed to disclose information about the possibility of a risk of suicidal behavior in children taking the drug, as well as withdrawal symptoms when some patients stop taking Paxil.Earlier this year, the Food and Drug Administration ordered manufacturers to place a warning on antidepressants, pointing that the drugs can cause suicidal tendencies in children.Internal studies of GlaxoSmithKline reports, that some children showed the some types of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. The studies concluded that Paxil had little or no effect in treating depression in children and adolescents.Additionally, the internal report reveals that Paxil could cause mild to severe withdrawal symptoms in some patients when they stopped taking the drug. The documents suggest GlaxoSmithKline's sales strategy was to downplay this information.

Paxil and pregnancy

2007-08-02T03:22:00.000-07:00

Pregnant women and those planning to become pregnant should avoid taking Paxil and other antidepressants if possible. There is opinion that the drug poses a risk to the fetus.Several studies have shown that babies have heart defects at a rate that is as much as twice the norm (when pregnant women were taking Paxil during first trimester). The decision whether to treat pregnant women with antidepressants that includes Prozac, Zoloft, Lexapro and Paxil, should be made on an individual basis.Reproductive-age women have the highest prevalence of major depressive disorders and the benefit of the treatment with any of the antidepressants may outweigh the risk to the fetus.According the above information GlaxoSmithKline Inc. (Manufacturer of Paxil) has issued a warning to physicians, as it may put women at an added risk for birth defects.