The Doctors Lounge - Information about very long term use of paroxetine

Can anyone answer the age-old question about the very long term use of paroxetine?

Glaxo can't

The MHRA can't

Is there anyone that can or were we merely all lab rats whilst GSK earned millions?

This from the Doctors Lounge:

Currently there doesn't seem to be enough information on the effects of long term use of paroxetine (Seroxat).

There have been reports of some abnormal movements resulting from SSRIs; e. g., muscle twitches or stiffness. In theory, long-term use of these agents might--I emphasize might--predispose some individuals to such abnormal movements. But this theoretical risk, in my opinion, must be weighed against the debilitating effects of severe (major) Depression--which has a 15% mortality rate. Of course, there are other classes of Antidepressants that have been around much longer, and which do not seem to pose these theoretical risks--I. e., tricyclic Antidepressants. But these are also much more potentially toxic than the SSRIs, and have their own side effects.

Having said that, it must be conceded that we do not yet know the long-term effects of Paxil or related agents (called SSRIs, and include Prozac and Zoloft), if by long-term, you mean, "after 10 or more years of use." These agents are still too "new" to generate that kind of data. So far as I am aware, there are no convincing studies showing any serious long-term effects from the chronic use of Prozac, which is a closely related medication used since about 1988. So, all in all, I think the risks of taking Paxil indefinitely are probably quite small, but the jury is still out.

Dr. Tamer Fouad.


How reassuring. I like his opinion on risks: "I think the risks of taking Paxil indefinitely are probably quite small" - quite an opinion considering Dr Tamer Fouad said earlier in the same paragraph, "...we do not yet know the long-term effects of Paxil or related agents."

So, who do we get the answer from, Benbow, Andrew Witty, Martin Keller?

Fid

Read the new book, The Evidence, However, Is Clear...The Seroxat Scandal

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