Paxil is the brand name for paroxetine hydrochloride, a prescription medication manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline. Doctors prescribe it for patients with issues ranging from obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder to major depressive disorder. Side effects vary depending on dosage and the condition requiring treatment. While most side effects of Paxil are rare, some of the most common afflict one-fourth or more of the patients.
Nausea
Prescribing information from GlaxoSmithKline says that patients in placebo-controlled clinical trials experienced nausea up to four times as often when taking Paxil as when taking placebo. Symptoms occurred most in patients with seasonal affective disorder or major depressive disorder, with 25 percent and 26 percent, respectively, experiencing nausea as opposed to only 7 percent and 9 percent given placebo. For patients taking a 40mg dose, the rate was 36 percent.
Abnormal Ejaculation
When taking placebo, patients in Paxil clinical trials experienced abnormal ejaculation two percent of the time or less. Up to 28 percent of patients given Paxil experienced this problem, depending on the dosage and condition for which they sought treatment. This is the greatest difference in incidence of side effects for the treatment group versus the placebo group of all the adverse events reported in GlaxoSmithKline's prescribing information. The increase in incidence with dosage was not as steep as for some other side effects.
Asthenia
Asthenia is a condition of weakness or low energy and strength. Up to 22 percent of patients given Paxil in GlaxoSmithKline's clinical trials reported asthenia, with the highest incidence seen in those with seasonal affective disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Patients with those disorders who were given a placebo experienced asthenia only 14 percent of the time, indicating that the symptoms are to some extent a result of the condition itself.
Sleepiness
Somnolence or sleepiness affected patients taking Paxil at rates of nearly double to more than quadruple the incidence in those taking placebo. The highest incidence occurred for patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder and major depressive disorder, with nearly one-fourth of patients in each category reporting this effect. Insomnia also affected up to one-fourth of patients, and the Mayo Clinic lists sleep-related problems as common side effects.
Dry Mouth
Between 9 percent and 18 percent of patients experienced dry mouth, depending on condition. The rate was highest for patients with major depressive disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Placebo rates in those groups were 12 percent and 9 percent, respectively. Incidence in dose-comparison trials did increase as the dosage increased.
Weight Gain
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, many people taking selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as Paxil experience weight gain. Also, iGuard.org includes weight gain in their list of most common complaints by patients taking Paxil and generic paroxetine. However, the Paxil prescribing information states that on average, weight changes are minimal.
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