Paxil is prescription anti-depressant manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline that has been closely linked to birth defects. It is part of a family of drugs called “selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors” designed to treat depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive compulsive disorder, and anxiety. Taking this medicine during pregnancy can cause: brain and spinal cord injury, heart injury, lung injury, abnormally shaped head/skull, abdominal wall injury, club foot and closure of the anus.
There is a growing concern that Paxil is extremely dangerous when taken by pregnant women due to the potential birth defects that can be caused from just a 20 mg prescription dosage. For parents who have a newborn baby with a diagnosed birth defect, a Paxil birth defect claim may be lurking if the natural mother ingested the drug shortly before or during pregnancy.
In addition to causing birth defects, Paxil is known to carry some very serious side effects, including:
- Loss of hair
- Grinding of the teeth
- Chronic coughing
- Increased alcohol use
- Suicidal tendencies
Paxil can be potentially lethal if taken with other prescription medications such as antidepressants and thioriadazine. If you are taking Paxil and experience any of these serious side effects, victims should discontinue use and seek medical care immediately.
A report in the British Medical Journal has found that pharmaceutical companies such as British drug giant GlaxoSmithKline underreported findings from studies of their drugs. The report cited studies of the antidepressant Paxil, which contained important side effect information that largely went unreported.
A New York Supreme Court found GSK guilty of misrepresenting the data from clinical trials of Paxil and withholding information about the drug. The BMD study alleges that outcome reporting bias prevents medical associations like the Food and Drug Administration from being able to fully assess a drug’s risks.
Paxil is a top-selling drug in a class of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI). Recent studies of SSRIs have found an increased risk of serious birth defects such as congenital heart defects and spinal bifida in women who use the drugs during pregnancy.