The clause even extends the internet specifically in that plaintiffs and attorneys “will not maintain and instead will discontinue any website references to Paxil discontinuation or withdrawal.”
And, it says, they “agree to refrain from any future internet postings regarding Paxil discontinuation or withdrawal.”
Paragraph 5 of the lawsuit’s complaint says that over a 2 years period, “plaintiffs' attorneys have been individually contacted by approximately 500 Paxil withdrawal victims.”
And, the pain and suffering experienced by each individual is the direct result of Glaxo’s “failure to warn users of Paxil’s addictive nature, the drug's inducement of physical or psychologic dependency, and its infliction of dependency/withdrawal syndrome when the patient's Paxil dosage is reduced or terminated,” the complaint states.
Paragraph 16, lists withdrawal reactions that “can summed up as one or more of the following complaints: jolting electric "zaps," dizziness, light headedness, vertigo, incoordination, gait disturbances, sweating, extreme nausea, vomiting, high fever, abdominal discomfort, flu symptoms, anorexia, diarrhea, agitation, tremulousness, irritability, aggression, sleep disturbance, nightmares, tremor, confusion, memory and concentration difficulties, lethargy, malaise, weakness, fatigue, paraesthesias, ataxia, and/or myalgia.”
Paragraph 7, says: “These reactions are "unexpected" to the victims and even their physicians because the manufacturer has deliberately failed to properly warn of this.”
“Both physician and patient unwittingly use Paxil without knowing the drug's addictive traits,” the complaint says.
Paragraph 8, charges that because Glaxo has suppressed the information, patients and physicians are fooled into thinking that the reactions are caused by another condition, such as relapse into depression, thus prompting incorrect and unnecessary medical treatment, including increased dosages of Paxil.
While researchers have acknowledged the potential for withdrawal reactions with all SSRIs, Paxil is by far the worst. Citing data from the World Health Organization, the lawsuit’s complaint states: “Paxil has the highest incidence rate of withdrawal adverse experiences of any antidepressant drug in the world.”
Starting in December 2001, Glaxo finally added a minimizing precaution to Paxil’s label of some possible "discontinuation" side effects affecting "2 percent or greater" of patients based on studies.
However, documents reveal that Glaxo has always known about the withdrawal syndrome. For instance, in 1993, in a report that occurred 5 months after Paxil arrived on the market, Stoker and Eric noted Paxil withdrawal at the American Psychiatric Association's annual meeting in San Francisco, May 22-27, 1993.
The authors of the study conducted 2 week tapering off periods for 186 patients in 6 to 12 week doubled blinded comparative studies. Low dose and high dose groups were studied. Paxil's low dose group actually did worse than the high dose group, suffering 42% withdrawal rate, compared to 38% in the high dose group. And, both occurred even though the tapering off regime was initiated during dosage reduction.
The lawsuit’s complaint specifically describes close to 10 studies that reveal a high rate of withdrawal symptoms since Paxil came on the market that Glaxo was fully aware of.
A fact well-evidenced in internal company documents. A previously suppressed, May 1, 1997, Glaxo memo to, “Paxil Selling Team,” on the “discontinuation syndrome,” defines the withdrawal syndrome as, "a class effect that can occur when an SSRI is stopped abruptly. Symptoms may include asthenia, flu-like symptoms, fatigue, dizziness, nausea, and sleep disturbances (insomnia, vivid dreams or nightmares)."
However, the memo instructs Glaxo sales representatives to avoid using the term and says: "instead of 'withdrawal syndrome,' which implies addictive properties, try to refer to this phenomenon as 'discontinuation symptoms.'"
Eight months later, in a December 1, 1997, "Business Plan Guide," sales representatives were instructed to "minimize concerns surrounding discontinuation symptoms," and told to explain to doctors that the "discontinuation incident rate is two in 1,000 patients."
To relate my own experiences with SSRIs, which I've been taking for almost 6 years: I will say that Dr's have not warned me up front that there could be 'withdrawal symptoms' however it has ALWAYS been stated profusely that one should never quit cold turkey, as adverse effects could occur. Having to pay for the meds (zoloft at the time) myself, I at times ran out before I could get more and therefore experienced these symptoms. I went to the dr to get myself checked out. They then told me that what i was experiencing was 'withdrawal'-and no they don't call it that by name. The symptoms were quite odd and out of the norm for me, but never was it thought or suggested that i was 'relapsing' or that my meds should be increased, they knew from the get-go what the problem was. I got back on the zoloft, no more problems.
After taking the original for a few months, I am now on generic paxil which, in the literature, states that it has a 17-21 hour time period, as oppose to Zoloft's, which is closer to 22-28. Perhaps this is why more people feel the symptoms to a greater degree.
These medications change the chemical balance within your brain and body. Anyone on them should know this and therefore know that stopping them w/o proper supervision and too suddenly will no doubt make your body feel and react oddly. It is of course, the doctor's responsibility to inform the patient, but it is also the patient's responsibility to know what they are putting in their body and how it could affect them.
I am not saying that Glaxo and other companies like them are free from blame, hiding documented facts is knowingly harming the public and should not be tolerated. But to place sole blame the manufacturer is not going to fix anything. Even with information being suppressed, it is still possible to know what to expect from most any drug you're taking. Read the inserts, talk to your pharmicist, look up info online, read 'The Pill Book'. You'll get the gist of what could happen to you with the drugs you're on, learn what symptoms to look for, when to consult your doctor, etc.
It can take up a month or maybe longer for these drugs to fully affect you. The individuals that take these drugs are already unstable (remember I'm speaking of myself as well,so don't take offense), so it is possible that severe shifts in mood and mental capicity have already been occurring, whether anyone, even the individual knows it. If you have severe mood swings or become suicidal or homicidal while on SSRIs for only a very small period of time, it is possible that these behaviors were already possible, before you took these drugs and that the drugs are not solely to blame.
Just something to think about.
by
RH (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 1 comments)
on Thursday, April 27, 2006 at 10:12:38 AM
I do not agree, some of us were put on paxil for a single anxiety attack. I became suicidal coming off the drug and its been 5 yrs. My life has never been the same, No I don't just blame GSK, I blame the doctors for not knowing more about this drug, I blame the FDA for not making it harder to patent a drug this dangerous. Paxil has what is called a half life, which means it doesn't stay in your system but 23 hours unlike other ssri's which stay in your system alot longer. I don't advocate any antidepressants because I am scared of them. But I also blame myself for trusting doctors. I have heard and talked to alot of people who went through H--- on this drug. You would not believe the reasons for it was prescribed.
I wasn't suicidal before, I had a good life. But its nothing like it used to be.
Donna
by
dlem39 (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 2 comments)
on Thursday, September 28, 2006 at 5:17:11 PM
I was given Paxil a number of years ago for depression associated with my mother's death. Within 48 hours, I was a shaking, nervous wreck, so riddled with anxiety, I couldn't perform ordinary tasks. Luckily, my doctor immediately told me to discontinue it and prescribed something else. My friend was not as fortunate. Her cousin was put on Paxil for depression. After two weeks, he repeatedly told his doctor that it was making him so anxious, he felt worse. His doctor told him to keep taking it. Two days later, he took a rifle into the woods and killed himself.
This is a bad drug, yet so many doctors still prescribe it. Must be all the perks they get from Glaxo.
by
Lynn Beckman (0 articles, 1 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 27 comments)
on Thursday, April 27, 2006 at 11:31:49 PM
