•  Paxil (paroxetine HCI)

What exactly is Paxil? Paxil (paroxetine HCI) is part of a family of drugs called selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Paxil is sold as Seroxat outside of the United States . With too little serotonin, people tend to harbor negative feelings about themselves and everyone around them. SSRIs such as Paxil keep serotonin circulating in the body longer and help to alleviate the symptoms of clinical depression, anxiety and other manifestations of low serotonin levels.

Paxil is prescribed for a variety of illnesses including generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and depression. Recently, GlaxoSmithKline PLC applied to the Food & Drug Administration for permission to market Paxil as an effective treatment for acute social phobia, an extreme form of shyness.

•  Paxil Withdrawal Cases

The Law Office of Kevin O'Connor represents class representatives, members of class action lawsuits and individuals in mass joinder and individual cases across the country claiming that the antidepressant drug, Paxil, causes withdrawal symptoms and dependence in a significant percentage of patients who attempt to stop taking the drug. The firm also represents families who have lost loved ones due to Paxil and individuals who have suffered serious withdrawal symptoms and/or suicide attempts caused by Paxil. Some of the side effects suffered by Paxil users include dizziness, spinning sensations, swaying or difficulty walking, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, lethargy, muscle pain, chills, tingling, electric shock sensations, feelings of intense agitation or anxiety, nervousness or trouble concentrating, changes in taste, insomnia and vivid dreams, sadness, impotence and even suicidal feelings. Call your doctor immediately if you are taking Paxil and are experiencing any of these symptoms.

The Law Office of Kevin O'Connor has, in conjunction with co-counsel, filed, and are continuing to file lawsuits related to Paxil withdrawal/dependency in Florida and a number of states throughout the United States .

•  Paxil's Dangerous Propensities

The medical literature points out that Paxil has the highest incidence of being linked to extreme acts of violent behavior in the United States as well as withdrawal reactions, “significantly more frequent than with other similar prescription drugs.” According to one study involving four prescription drugs (Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft, and Celexa), wherein Paxil was by far the worst in causing withdrawal effects, the authors stated that the withdrawal effects seen with Paxil were "not evident in patients receiving (Prozac), (Zoloft), and (Celexa).

More astonishing is that a review of the literature shows that, on average, over one-third of people taking Paxil for any extended period of time experience withdrawal symptoms, and of those, 21% experience severe withdrawal symptoms. In the clinical trials of Paxil, a significant percentage of patients (up to 50% according to some studies) experienced withdrawal, despite the fact that a tapering regimen was utilized in those trials. Notwithstanding these alarming figures, according to a survey conducted in 1997 and published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, the vast majority of physicians are not aware of this problem. According to the authors, “education about discontinuation reactions … is needed for both psychiatrists and family practice physicians." These concerns were echoed in an article published in December 2000, wherein the author stated that there is widespread "misdiagnosis of antidepressant discontinuation symptoms" and "increased professional awareness of discontinuation symptoms is necessary to prevent misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment." Just last year, the Harvard Mental Health Letter disclosed that as many as 75% of non-psychiatric physicians were unaware that Paxil can cause withdrawal reactions or how to properly diagnose the associated symptoms.

Despite the abundance of data pointing to a problem, Glaxo Smith Kline has never prospectively studied the issue of Paxil withdrawal. This is particularly disconcerting given Paxil's remarkably short half life.

•  Paxil Litigation

The Law Office of Kevin O'Connor and its co-counsel are committed to doing all they can through whatever procedural tools the legal system permits to achieve the fairest and most efficient adjudication of the claims of the thousands of individuals who have suffered from Paxil withdrawal.

We are proud to say that we have concentrated a lot of our time and resources in the area of dangerous drug litigation. We have partnered with some of the country's best drug litigation specialists to create a legal team we feel is second to none. Our team has successfully handled cases involving the prescription drugs Paxil, Rezulin™, Propulsid, Zyprexa and Serzone.

If you or a loved one has suffered an injury as a result of Paxil or any other prescription drug listed above, call The Law Office of Kevin O'Connor at (786) 235-6000 to speak with Kevin O'Connor or Francisco Calvo or click here and submit your questions. The initial lawyer consultation is free of charge, and if we agree to handle your case, we will work on a contingency fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if there is a monetary recovery of funds. In many cases a lawsuit must be filed before an applicable expiration date, known as a statute of limitations, so please call right away to ensure that you do not waive your right to possible compensation.