Paxil®

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Paxil®

Paxil® is one of the most popular antidepressants on the market. As the number of people diagnosed with depression continues to increase, with figures tripling since the 1980s, the competition between drug companies trying to capitalize on the growing market has also increased. Since Paxil®’s approval in 1992, the drug has been used by millions of Americans.

Despite its popularity, Paxil® has been linked to a number of serious side effects—including suicidal behavior in adults and children and various birth defects in babies whose mothers took the drug during pregnancy.

Paxil® & the Risk of Suicide

In the summer of 2003, British regulators issued a warning to doctors to avoid prescribing Paxil® to children based on new data linking the antidepressant to suicide attempts. According to a statement released by the British equivalent of the FDA, the benefits of Paxil® for treating depression in children did not outweigh the risks.

However, it wasn’t until 2004 that the FDA ordered the makers of Paxil® and other antidepressants to heighten the warning on the drugs’ labeling to reflect the risk of suicidal behavior in children. In 2005, the black box suicide warning was expanded to include adults.

Paxil®, PPHN & Heart Defects

In addition to suicide, Paxil® has also been associated with an increased risk of birth defects in babies born to women who use the drug while pregnant. In September 2005, the FDA warned that Paxil® nearly doubled the risk of heart defects—particularly atrial septal and ventricular septal defects—when taken during the first trimester.

Then, in 2006, a study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine linking maternal Paxil® use to persistent pulmonary hypertension, or PPHN. According to the study findings, pregnant women who used Paxil® at 20 weeks or later were six times more likely to give birth to a baby with PPHN than women who took no antidepressant at all.

PPHN is a rare condition and its effects are devastating—and sometimes deadly. Babies born with this birth defect may suffer heart failure, seizures, kidney failure, bleeding in the brain, and death. Those who survive often face lifelong challenges due to mental deficiencies, developmental delays, and speech and hearing problems, among other things.

Legal Help

If your baby was born with PPHN or other Paxil® birth defect, or if you suffered a serious Paxil® side effect, you should consult with an attorney as soon as possible to learn more about your rights. Contact us today to arrange a free consultation with an experienced Paxil® attorney.