Paxil May Cause Suicidal Thoughts

Drug manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline recently concluded that its antidepressant Paxil may cause adults with major depression to become more suicidal. The report was based on 57 trials of Paxil for different psychiatric illnesses, involving a total of nearly 15,000 patients.

A spokesperson for GlaxoSmithKline said that scientific evidence does not prove that the key ingredient in Paxil, paroxetine, causes suicide, suicide attempts, self-harm or suicidal thinking. However, she stressed that the new study may cause reason for concern: “Nonetheless, all patients who are started on antidepressant therapy should be monitored appropriately and observed closely for clinical worsening, suicidality, or unusual changes in behavior.”

The rate of suicide attempts was low, at 0.34 percent for people on Paxil and 0.05 percent for people who were treated with a placebo pill in clinical trials. The original report, published in the journal of Clinical Psychiatry, suggested it couldn’t entirely be ruled out that the findings were due to chance. In a study group of 18- to 24-years-olds, 2.58 percent of Paxil users thought about or attempted suicide, compared to 1.29 percent of study participants on placebo treatment.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has previously issued a warning that children and adolescents taking antidepressants may be at increased risk for suicidal thought and behaviors. In 2006, the FDA extended its warning to include young adults up to age 25. All antidepressant labels must now carry a “black box” warning stating that they can increase a person’s likelihood of suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

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