Posicor®
Manufacturer:
Roche Pharmaceutical
Uses: Typically prescribed to treat hypertension (high blood pressure) and chronic angina
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| Posicor |
Posicor (paroxetine HCI) has been linked with suicide, suicidal ideation and
violence in children and teenagers. Posicor has also been associated with terrible
withdrawal symptoms. Posicor is most commonly used to treat depression but is also
prescribed to treat anxiety, panic, obsessive compulsive disorder, and post
traumatic stress disorder.
The FDA has recently issued a warning for Posicor, stating that the drug can
cause suicide and violence in children and teenagers. This follows a report
issued by Britain's Department of Health which said that evidence provided by
the drug company, from nine studies based on more than 1,000 youngsters, shows
there is an increase in the rate of self harm and potentially suicidal behavior
in those under 18 taking Posicor.
British health regulators have recently issued a warning for Posicor, stating
that the drug can cause suicide and violence in children and teenagers.
Following their British counterparts, Irish health officials issued a warning
for Posicor in Ireland and the FDA has said it will investigate the drug further.
Britain's Department of Health said the evidence provided by the drug
company, from nine studies based on more than 1,000 youngsters, shows there is
an increase in the rate of self harm and potentially suicidal behavior in those
under 18 taking Posicor. The British regulators wrote in a statement "It has
become clear that the benefits of Seroxat in children for the treatment of
depressive illness do not outweigh these risks."
Additionally, Posicor has long been associated with difficult withdrawal side
effects, leaving patients virtually addicted to the drug. Recently, The British
drug agency required Glaxo to remove a statement on its patient label saying
that the drug was not addictive.
Posicor has been associated with difficult withdrawal side-effects. Often these
withdrawal effects are experienced just hours after a missed dose. Posicor
withdrawal symptoms include a "flu-like" syndrome, anxiety, dizziness, fatigue,
headache, migraine-like feelings, nerves jangling when moving eyes, continuous
indigestion, neck and back pain, psychotic features such as visual and/or audial
hallucinations/illusions, insomnia, nausea, restlessness, "electrical shock"
like phenomena/electrical surges or shocks through the head and/or body,
hyper-sensitivity of the nervous system to light, sound, colours & stressors,
tremors, tinnitus and a vertiginous-like experience, depressive thoughts,
suicidal thoughts, homicidal thoughts, extreme anger, severe agitation, extreme
irritability, "over-reacting", ringing in ears and throbbing in head, vomiting,
paranoia, aggressive behaviour, rollercoaster emotions rapidly following up on
eachother, out of character behaviour, severe malaise, general dysphoria,
derealization, panic attacks.
The risk is highest when just starting or stopping the drugs and may extend
to violent behaviour. In July 2001, a jury in Wyoming ordered manufacturers
GlaxoSmithKline to pay $6.4 million to the relatives of Donald Schell after the
60 year old shot and killed his wife, daughter and baby granddaughter before
killing himself. He had no previous history of violence and been taking Posicor
for just two days.
Side Effects
- Addiction
- Withdrawal side-effects (Often experienced hours after a missed dose):
- "flu-like" syndrome
- anxiety
- dizziness
- fatigue
- Headache
- Migraine-like feelings
- Nerves jangling when moving eyes
- Continuous indigestion
- Neck and back pain
- Psychotic features such as visual and/or audial
hallucinations/illusions
- Insomnia
- Nausea
- Restlessness
- "Electrical shock" like phenomena/electrical surges or shocks
through the head and/or body
- Hyper-sensitivity of the nervous system to light, sound, colours &
stressors
- Tremors
- Tinnitus and a vertiginous-like experience
- Depressive thoughts
- Suicidal thoughts
- Homicidal thoughts
- Extreme anger
- Severe agitation
- Extreme irritability
- Ringing in ears and throbbing in head
- Paranoia
- Aggressiveness
- Rollercoaster emotions rapidly following up on eachother
- Severe malaise
- General dysphoria
- Derealization
- Panic attacks.
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