FDA says Paxil linked to birth defects
 

New Warning Issued on Paxil

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FDA says company study found higher number of birth defects if used in first trimester

By Amanda Gardner, HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 28 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. health officials have issued a warning about possible birth defects in infants born to women who take the antidepressant Paxil during the first trimester of pregnancy.

A study sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline, the drug's maker, suggested that infants born to women taking Paxil were at about double the risk of birth defects compared with women taking other antidepressants. The most common defects were cardiovascular. The risks were about 50 percent higher than they were in the general population.

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Just an FYI for those that take this anti-depressant.

FWIW, valium is one of the major causes of cleft palates in newborns - even if the mother had gone a month without it prior to becoming pregnant!

And didn't I hear that Thalidomide is trying to make a comeback, as part of the HIV cocktail? I can't even begin to imagine the insanity of allowing that!! Have these people never seen or spoken to a Thalidomide victim? I have, and it's something that I'll never, ever forget!!

I'm not really up on what causes birth defects, but don't MOST psychotropic medications cause them? As I understand Paxil, it's pretty intense stuff that has crazy side effects.

Thalidomide was being used to treat leprosy about 5-7 years ago. Whether or not it is now, I don't know.

Maybe they're not using thalidomide in the HIV cocktail if the person is considering getting pregnant (not so likely in most AIDS patients, I guess)?

Paxil has one of the worst withdrawals of the commonly prescribed anti-depressants. I've had friends go through (doctor-monitored) ramp downs, and it sounds downright terrible.

Yeah, I've heard Paxil is horrible. What about other similar drugs like Celexa, though? It's supposed to be "better," but it made me feel like I was stoned 24/7 and going off it was even worse...it made me depressed when I'd never been that way before.

I had taken Celexa at one time (20mg) and experienced no bad side effects. I will say that the first week I was on it, I did feel "extra giddy". When I stopped, I didn't notice anything.

At the time when I took it, Celexa has relatively few side effects. I worked at a hospital at the time so I researched the heck out it before popping one in my mouth.

My doctor told me Celexa had no side effects, too. But after a few years of being on it, it was like I had no emotions anymore. It was great at first--it got rid of my anxiety attacks--but when I started to feel really "flat" I quit taking it. I know, bad, bad...you're not supposed to quit cold-turkey. I found out why, too--I got soooo depressed, which was scary because I'd never been depressed before in my life, so I went back on it for another year or so. I managed to wean myself off of it eventually but I got depressed again, although not as bad as the first time. Maybe my body just doesn't like that drug.