Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are a class of antidepressants considered the current standard of drug treatment. A possible cause of depression is an inadequate amount of serotonin, a chemical used in the brain to transmit signals between neurons. SSRIs are said to work by preventing the reuptake of serotonin (also known as 5-hydroxytryptamine, or 5-HT) by the presynaptic neuron, thus maintaining higher levels of 5-HT in the synapse. Chemists Klaus Schmiegel and Bryan Molloy of Eli Lilly discovered the first SSRI, fluoxetine. This class of …

Suicide Warnings Raise Bigger Fears On Testing Process
Warnings that drugs such as Prozac, Paxil and Effexor can increase suicidal behavior in some children have resulted in a nearly 20 percent drop in U.S. pediatric prescriptions of the widely used antidepressants and have triggered deep concerns about the quality of current data on psychiatric drugs, doctors and regulators said.
The unprecedented fall of what were once considered wonder drugs comes as a series of taxpayer-funded analyses have systematically undermined the claims of industry-funded drug trials, raising thorny questions about the ways …

Popular antidepressants including Prozac and Paxil have little impact on most patients, according to a comprehensive review of newly released data from trials that were conducted before the drugs were approved in the U.S.
Researchers from the U.K., U.S. and Canada analyzed results for fluoxetine (better known by the brand name Prozac), venlafaxine (Effexor), nefazodone (Serzone) and paroxetine (Paxil or Seroxat) — all members of a class of drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). The researchers’ paper, published this week in the journal PLoS Medicine, claims that only patients …

Paroxetine – Brand Name: Paxil
Overview
Paxil is the brand name for Paroxetine, a phenylpiperidine derivative. Paxil is an SSRI – Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor, which is a type of antidepressant. SSRIs work by increasing levels of serotonin (a neurotransmitter) to normal.
Paxil’s effects can usually be felt within one to four weeks.
Why is this drug prescribed?
Paxil is used primarily to treat Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD.)
Paxil is also used to treat:
depression
panic disorder / panic attacks
diabetic nerve pain (neuropathy)
chronic tension headaches
social anxiety disorder (social phobia)
premature ejaculation
premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
Warnings
The safety and effectiveness of Paxil in children …