If you have been prescribed an antidepressant like Paxil, side effects are a common occurrence. While many are mild and may be preferable to the symptoms of depression, some Paxil side effects can be quite serious.
General Paxil Side Effects
Some Paxil users had insomnia and nearly that many report nausea. Paxil patients experienced weakness and headaches, while others had diarrhea, weight loss and anxiety. On rare occasions, patients using Paxil developed arthritis, acne, diabetes, asthma and heart problems. Although these problems may affect the general population, some specific side effects seemed to target certain groups of users.
Paxil is a type of drug called a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor, or SSRI. SSRIs like Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft, work in the brain to balance the brain chemicals affecting mood. However, studies have shown that SSRIs, including Paxil, may increase the occurrence of suicidal thoughts and behaviors, particularly in young adults.
Pregnant Women and Paxil Side Effects
One of the most serious side effects of Paxil side effects are the ramifications it can have when a women takes the drug while she is pregnant.
Many women have conditions that require them to take medicine even after they become pregnant. In the case of depression, it is often very beneficial to continue taking medicine in order to regulate moods. Studies have shown that babies who are born to mothers with untreated depression often have a lower birth weight and size than babies whose mothers are not depressed. In addition, an untreated depressed mother-to-be may engage in other behaviors—i.e. smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol—that are risky for the unborn baby.
However, when women take Paxil during the pregnancy, they are more likely to deliver a baby with a birth defect. Although scientists are not certain of the cause, babies whose mothers took Paxil in the first trimester are at a higher risk for heart defects. When Paxil is taken in the third trimester, babies are at a higher risk of being born with a serious breathing condition called Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN).
Use of Paxil during pregnancy is also linked to omphalocele and craniosynostosis; birth defects in which the baby’s abdomen and skull do not develop properly. Numerous lawsuits have been filed against Paxil manufacturer, Glaxo Smith Kline, asserting that the company did not do enough to inform patients and doctors of the dangers of the Paxil side effects. If you have taken Paxil during your pregnancy, and your baby had a birth defect, contact us today for a free consultation to explore your legal options.
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