Paroxetine is an antidepressant medical substance that belongs to the group of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. The substance is used to treat mental disorders such as anxiety disorders, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder. The active ingredient was developed by the English pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline, based in London.
What is paroxetine?
Paroxetine is a highly effective drug from the group of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). The substance was developed by the English pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline, based in London. In Germany and many other member states of the European Union, paroxetine is subject to prescription and pharmacy requirements. It is therefore not freely available and can only be taken after prior prescription by a doctor. Due to its specific mode of action, paroxetine belongs to the antidepressant class of active ingredients. However, depression is not the only area of application for the drug. Paroxetine is also used to combat other mental disorders such as anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as fibromyalgia. The white to whitish-yellow substance has a moral mass of 329.37 g/mol and is described in chemistry by the molecular formula C 19 – H 20 – F – N – O 3.
Pharmacological action
Paroxetine is one of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRRIs). Accordingly, the effect is due to the influence of the serotonin system in the human brain. Serotonin is an important neurotransmitter that transports certain information across the dynamical cleft in the brain. Among other things, serotonin is responsible for controlling mood and emotion. According to numerous studies, a high serotonin content provides a feeling of serenity, contentment and happiness. At the same time, the potential for aggression is reduced and negative emotions such as grief are suppressed. People with depression often have particularly low serotonin levels, which is thought to be a (contributory) cause of their upset. SSRIs such as paroxetine cause an increased release of serotonin in the brain after ingestion. This leads to an increased concentration of the neurotransmitter in the synaptic cleft. At the same time, due to paroxetine, a down-regulation of those substances responsible for the degradation of serotonin takes place. Serotonin degradation is thus also inhibited. Further information explaining the exact pharmacological effect of the substance on the body is not yet known. However, clinical studies have shown that there may be an increased risk of congenital malformations (especially in the cardiovascular system) during the first three months of pregnancy. Because small amounts of the active ingredient pass into breast milk, breastfeeding should not occur during and shortly after treatment with paroxetine.
Medicinal use and application
Paroxetine is usually prescribed in tablet form. These are taken orally to combat mental illness or to relieve its effects. One indication, in particular, is for major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social phobias, panic disorder (eg, fear of leaving the house or entering stores), and posttraumatic stress disorder (often called PTSD or PTSD). The increased concentration of serotonin in the brain caused by parexotine is thought to eliminate or at least lessen the symptoms of these disorders. The exact amount of paroxetine a patient needs to take for their treatment varies depending on the disease being treated. However, it usually ranges between 20 and 50 mg of the active ingredient. Paroxetine and other SRRIs are generally not used in children or adolescents under the age of 18, but only in adults. However, in explosive exceptional cases, prescriptions are also given to minors.
Risks and side effects
Paroxetine can also lead to unwanted side effects.Thus, in extensive tests, one to ten treated persons out of a total of 100 (frequently) were known to experience loss of appetite, drowsiness, sleeplessness, tenseness, dizziness, general feelings of weakness, weight gain, sensory disturbances, profuse sweating, sleep disturbances, headaches, and gastrointestinal disorders (including diarrhea, dry mouth, vomiting, and constipation). Occasionally (in one to ten people per 1,000), abnormal bleeding on the skin and mucous membranes, hallucinations, dilation of the pupils, motor agitation, emotional fluctuations, palpitations, a drop or increase in blood pressure, skin rash and itching have also occurred. In rare cases (one to ten people per 10,000), manic reactions, depersonalization, panic attacks, and elevation of liver enzyme levels may also occur. Furthermore, light sensitivity, severe skin rashes, a slowed pulse or the development of a serotonin syndrome (symptom complex of motor restlessness, confusion, sweating and possibly hallucinations) may also occur. In individual cases, a contraindication may exist. This is the case when a medical contraindication makes treatment with the drug appear to be imperatively unfeasible. A contraindication exists in case of hypersensitivity to the active substance paroxetine. There is also a contraindication if MAO inhibitors (drugs that inhibit the body’s own enzyme monoamine oxidase) or thioridazine are taken at the same time. This is because unpredictable interactions can occur in these cases. So the attending physician must be informed about the intake of other drugs.
