Paxil is the trade name for paroxetine HCl (hydrochloride), a member of the
SSRI (
selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) class of
antidepressants. It's been shown in clinical trials to be effective in treating
depression,
OCD (
obsessive compulsive disorder),
panic disorder,
social anxiety disorder, and
GAD (
generalized anxiety disorder). It is currently (2001) the only drug in the US approved for the treatment of GAD.
Paxil is available in tablets or as an orange flavoured oral suspension. The starting dose is typically 20mg/day, which can be increased as needed up to 40mg/day for elderly patients, 50mg for most adults or 60mg for OCD. (I'm told some higher doses - 80mg - are occasionally prescribed, however the Paxil monograph recommends 60 as a maximum and this has been the maximum dose tested in clinical trials.) The tablets are coated, but aren't long-acting, so they are safe to crush. (It took my doctor and a pharmacist a bit of research to determine this, since Paxil hasn't been tested on pediatric patients who are usually the folks who can't swallow pills, so I thought I'd share. Always check with your pharmacist before crushing any pills, though.) You may hear Paxil described as little pink pills - this is because the recommended starting dose, the 20mg pills, are pink. Other tablet strengths are different colours.
Paxil, like other SSRIs, is presumed to work by inhibiting the reuptake of serotonin - basically thereby increasing the amount of serotonin production in the brain. Serotonin is an important neurotransmitter.
Paxil has the same side effect profile as other SSRIs - the most common side effects are nausea, weight gain or loss, problems with ejaculation, insomnia or somnolence, and asthenia. There are a raft of much less common side effects, but most people won't experience them. Some side effects, such as nausea, may go away after a few weeks as the body adapts to them; others, such as sleep interruptions, tend not to.
The majority of patients in clinical trials benefitted at least a bit from Paxil, and the majority didn't find the side effects bothersome enough to discontinue treatment. Don't listen to random anecdotes on the internet. The plural of anecdote is not data. Listen to your doctor.