What is Paxil prescribed for?

What is Paxil prescribed for?

Paroxetine is used to treat depression, panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder. It works by helping to restore the balance of a certain natural substance (serotonin) in the brain. Paroxetine is known as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI).

What is the generic name for Paxil?

Paxil is an antidepressant in the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor class. Doctors prescribe Paxil to treat major depressive disorder. Paxil is the brand name of a generic drug paroxetine.

Is Paxil good for generalized anxiety disorder?

Paxil for Generalized Anxiety Disorder

If you have generalized anxiety disorder, you may feel restless, always on edge, easily fatigued, have difficulty concentrating, sleep disturbances, irritability, and muscle tension. Studies have shown that Paxil effectively treats general anxiety disorder in adults.

How much Paxil should I take?

Adults—At first, 20 milligrams (mg) once a day, usually taken in the morning. Your doctor may adjust your dose as needed. However, the dose usually is not more than 60 mg per day. Older adults—At first, 10 mg once a day, usually taken in the morning.

Is Paxil a safe drug?

To date, there are no known problems associated with long term use of paroxetine. It is a safe and effective medication when used as directed.

Who Cannot take Paxil?

Do not use paroxetine with buspirone (Buspar®), fentanyl (Abstral®, Duragesic®), lithium (Eskalith®, Lithobid®), tryptophan, St. John’s wort, amphetamines, or some pain or migraine medicines (eg, rizatriptan, sumatriptan, tramadol, Frova®, Imitrex®, Maxalt®, Relpax®, Ultram®, Zomig®).

Does Paxil work immediately?

Paxil will not work immediately to help reduce your symptoms of panic disorder. Improvements are typically noticed within several days to weeks of starting your prescription, but it can be several months before you experience the full benefits of Paxil.

What is better than Paxil for anxiety?

Lexapro offers similar efficacy to Paxil with a better tolerability profile. Another class of drugs may also be preferable in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder, selective norepinephrine inhibitors (SNRIs). These include Effexor XR (venlafaxine) and Cymbalta (duloxetine).

Can Paxil cause liver damage?

Paroxetine therapy can be associated with transient asymptomatic elevations in serum aminotransferase levels and has been linked to rare instances of clinically apparent acute liver injury.

Is Paxil safe for long term use?

How long can you stay on Paxil?

Under American Psychiatric Association guidelines, if you are taking an antidepressant for your first depressive episode, you should stay on it for at least 4 or 5 months after your symptoms of depression stop.

Is Paxil safe?

What are the long term side effects of Paxil?

Serious conditions caused or exacerbated by Paxil use may include:

• Bleeding or clotting disorder.
• Liver or kidney disease.
• Heart disease, high blood pressure, or stroke.
• Seizures or epilepsy.
• Bipolar disorder.
• Low sodium levels in the blood.
• Sexual problems.

What is the safest antidepressant for anxiety?

As of this writing, some of the anxiety medications with the fewest reported side effects and least risk of side effects include:

• Most Benzodiazepines (Xanax, Valium)
• Bupropion (Wellbutrin)
• Citalopram (Celexa – SSRI)
• Paroxetine (Paxil – SSRI)

What is a good replacement for Paxil?

How long can I take Paxil?

If you’ve been feeling better for 6 months or more, your doctor may suggest coming off paroxetine. Before you stop taking paroxetine, your doctor will recommend reducing your dose gradually over several weeks, or longer if you have been taking it for a long time.

When should I stop taking Paxil?

A doctor will likely suggest that a person gradually tapers their dosage of Paxil. Tapering typically lasts for 4 weeks, but for Paxil, a doctor may suggest tapering the medication over 6–8 weeks to reduce the risk of symptoms.

What are long-term side effects of Paxil?

Is Paxil a good choice?

Paxil has an average rating of 7.2 out of 10 from a total of 243 ratings for the treatment of Anxiety. 63% of reviewers reported a positive experience, while 18% reported a negative experience.

What is the Number 1 drug for anxiety?

The most prominent of anti-anxiety drugs for the purpose of immediate relief are those known as benzodiazepines; among them are alprazolam (Xanax), clonazepam (Klonopin), chlordiazepoxide (Librium), diazepam (Valium), and lorazepam (Ativan).

What does Paxil do to the brain?

Paxil works to balance a person’s level of serotonin by preventing brain cells from quickly absorbing it. Through balancing serotonin levels, Paxil can help enhance mood and reduce anxiety. Paxil can also help alleviate the symptoms of some common co-occurring conditions, such as depression or sometimes headaches.

What is the best SSRI for generalized anxiety disorder?

Medical researchers have performed head-to-head comparison studies of escitalopram (Lexapro) and venlafaxine (Effexor XR) for the treatment of GAD. The study results concluded that overall, escitalopram and venlafaxine are equally effective treatments for GAD.

What are the long-term side effects of Paxil?

What is the strongest antidepressant for anxiety?

Readers rate antidepressants

What is the drug of choice for generalized anxiety disorder?

Examples of antidepressants used to treat generalized anxiety disorder include escitalopram (Lexapro), duloxetine (Cymbalta), venlafaxine (Effexor XR) and paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva). Your doctor also may recommend other antidepressants.