Paroxetine

Pronounced pah-ROX-e-teen

Brand names: Paxil

Type: SSRI antidepressant · All Mental Health Medicines

What Paroxetine is used for

• Depression
• Panic disorder
• Social anxiety disorder
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder
• Post-traumatic stress disorder

Common side effects

• Nausea
• Drowsiness
• Sexual problems
• Weight gain
• Dry mouth

Important cautions

• Notoriously hard to stop suddenly — discontinuation symptoms are common, so it is tapered slowly with medical guidance
• Generally avoided in pregnancy, particularly early pregnancy, because of a heart defect signal in babies
• Combined with other serotonin-raising medicines it can cause serotonin syndrome

How it comes

Tablets, extended-release tablets, liquid. This guide lists forms only — it never lists strengths or doses.