Paxil Lawsuit - Drug Attorneys | Side Effect Lawsuit

Published by on January 18, 2011

What is Paxil?

Paxil (Generic: paroxetine) is grouped with other antidepressants as a Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitor (SSRI) which works by raising serotonin levels in the brain, regulating mood, sleep and appetite. Paxil (paroxetine) affects chemical levels in the brain which may become unbalanced and create symptoms. Paxil (paroxetine) is used to treat depression, bulimia nervosa, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh estimated in May 2005 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, that in any given year at over 80,000 pregnant women in the U.S. are prescribed SSRIs.

Paxil and other SSRIs have been linked to serious side effects, including increased risk of congenital heart defects, Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN) and documented serious withdrawal symptoms.

Health Canada advised of potential adverse effects of SSRIs and other anti-depressants on newborns, including paroxetine (brand name: Paxil) in 2004. This report was intended to increase awareness among mothers and physicians of possible symptoms and side effects occurring in newborns, so that symptoms could be recognized and addressed quickly.

When the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Paxil (paroxetine), it became one of the most widely prescribed drugs for depression on the market. A 1996 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine revealed that women taking SSRIs like Paxil during pregnancy were two times as likely to deliver a baby with three or more abnormalities and poorer than average neonatal adaptation.

Paxil Heart Defects

SSRI antidepressants like Paxil, Prozac, Celexa and Zoloft have been linked to cases of serious congenital heart defects, which may include atrial septal defects (ASD – Hole in the Heart), ventricular septal defects (VSD – Hole in the Heart), tetrology of fallot (ToF), hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), transposition of the great arteries (TGA or TOGA), patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), total anomalous pulmonary venous return (TAPVR), double outlet right ventricle (DORV), double outlet right ventricle (DORV), and coarctation of the aorta (CoA). In many cases, surgery is required when a child is an infant or toddler and then again, potentially multiple times, as the child grows to maturity. Many congenital heart defects are treatable when they are diagnosed and addressed early. Children may be able to lead mostly normal and productive lives following medical attention. However, in some cases the only viable option to preserve the child’s life and correct these severe heart defects involves a heart transplant.

A Danish study in 2005 indicated that pregnant women prescribed SSRI antidepressant medicines like Paxil in early pregnancy may have an increased risk of giving birth to infants with congenital heart problems. Based on this study, newborns exposed to SSRI antidepressants like Paxil, Prozac, Celexa and Zoloft during the first 3 months of pregnancy had a 60 percent higher probability of developing congenital heart defects when compared with infants whose pregnant mothers did not take Paxil or other SSRI antidepressants during pregnancy.

There is also a strong link between SSRI antidepressants like Paxil and other congenital birth defects and malformations, including lung, cranio-facial, limb (arm, hand, leg, foot) and abdominal wall defects. A study conducted at Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark, revealed that the risk of pregnant women giving birth to babies with congenital defects, including heart and other defects, was higher among women who had been prescribed and taken SSRIs such as Paxil in the month prior to conception through the end of their first trimester when compared with those who had no SSRI prescriptions filled during the same period.

Women who are taking SSRI antidepressants, including Paxil, who are pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant should speak with their doctor about the risks associated with taking Paxil or any other SSRI antidepressant while pregnant. There are risks associated with taking Paxil while pregnant. There may also be concerns about discontinuing this medication. All Birth Defect risks should be discussed with a physician and balanced against any possible benefits of taking this medication.

Paxil Class Action Lawsuit vs. Individual Paxil Lawsuit

There are distinct differences between a Paxil (paroxetine) class action lawsuit and a more typical individual Paxil lawsuit. A Paxil class action lawsuit would be a form of Paxil lawsuit in which a large group of people (plaintiffs) collectively bring a lawsuit to court in the form of a “class action” against the manufacturers of Paxil (defendant). In a class action lawsuit involving personal injury, resulting from defective products such as antidepressant SSRI drugs like Paxil (paroxetine), Zoloft (sertraline), Prozac (fluoxetine) and Celexa (citalopram), all Paxil lawsuit plaintiffs would typically be grouped together into a single Paxil class action lawsuit, regardless of the degree or severity of their birth defect injuries. In this type of Paxil class action lawsuit, plaintiffs with injuries ranging from minor heart murmurs not requiring surgery, all the way to the most severe congenital heart defects, requiring multiple surgeries or a complete heart transplant, would be grouped into one single Paxil class action lawsuit. All plaintiffs in the class would equally share any award or settlement resulting from the Paxil class action lawsuit.

In Paxil lawsuits involving catastrophic injury or death, an individual lawsuit, in most cases, is more appropriate and in the plaintiff’s best interest. SSRI antidepressants like Paxil, Prozac, Celexa and Zoloft have been linked to severe congenital heart defects, including: atrial septal defects (ASD – hole in the heart), ventricular septal defects (VSD – hole in the heart), tetrology of fallot (ToF), hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), transposition of the great arteries (TGA or TOGA), patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), total anomalous pulmonary venous return (TAPVR), double outlet right ventricle (DORV), and coarctation of the aorta (CoA). Paxil cases such as these are better suited to an individual Paxil lawsuit because of the severity and degree of injury to the plaintiff. In an individual Paxil Lawsuit, each plaintiff’s case is filed, presented and considered individually, based on its own strength and degree of injury.

In many cases involving SSRI antidepressants like Paxil, Prozac, Celexa, and Zoloft and the serious congenital heart defects related to these SSRI antidepressants, surgery is required. Heart surgery will typically be required when a child is an infant or toddler and then again, potentially multiple times, as the child grows to maturity. In many cases, with surgery and medical care, children may be able to lead mostly normal and productive lives. An individual Paxil lawsuit allows each Paxil victim, their injuries and their future needs to be considered on an individual basis when determining damages, awards and settlement amounts, and not as part of a class action lawsuit.

SSRI Lawsuits

Speak to a Paxil Lawsuit Lawyer about Filing a Paxil Lawsuit

Call and speak to a Paxil lawsuit attorney if you took Paxil or generic paroxetine during pregnancy and your child was born with a birth defect. We encourage you to contact a Paxil lawsuit attorney at our law firm immediately. It may be too late to avoid the debilitating effects of Paxil, but an experienced Paxil lawsuit products liability attorney at the Willis Law Firm can assist you in filing a Paxil lawsuit and taking legal action against the manufacturer of Paxil. You are not alone. Join other Paxil birth defect victims and their families in speaking up for and fighting for your legal rights with a Paxil lawsuit.

Please fill out our free online legal evaluation form and we will contact you within 24 hours. Please keep in mind that certain states have statutes of limitation that limit the amount of time you have to file a Paxil lawsuit or seek legal action. Contact our law firm immediately so that we may explain the rights and options available to you and your family in filing a Paxil lawsuit.