How long does paroxetine take to work

Do not drive a car, ride a bike or operate machines until you see how this affects you. Use good contraception while you are taking paroxetine.

If you take paroxetine while you are pregnant, it may affect the developing baby. It can also cause symptoms in newborn babies if you take it at the end of pregnancy.

Talk to your doctor or midwife about this and get their help. Take your medicine with you to show to the doctors. Tell them how much you have taken. Get a friend or family member to go with you in case you feel ill on the way.

You are also at risk of getting serotonin syndrome. Symptoms of this include a high fever, agitation, confusion, trembling, or weird movements of your muscles.

This is rare, but you should watch out for it. If you have any thoughts of taking your own life, or of other ways of hurting yourself, go straight to a hospital with your medicine. This may be a side effect and is especially common in people who are under You must tell the doctor that you are taking paroxetine.

There are other medicines you can take instead. Stop taking paroxetine and go to a doctor or hospital straight away if you get any of the following symptoms:. Go to a doctor or hospital straight away, but do not stop your paroxetine, if you get any of the following symptoms:. You should have your weight, height, waist circumference and blood pressure checked regularly while you are taking aripiprazole. Your doctor should also do blood tests to check your liver, blood sugar, and some hormones before and regularly during your treatment.

You may also have a heart test called an electrocardiogram ECG before you start treatment - and periodically while taking aripiprazole - if you are at risk of heart disease.

Some side effects that appear should get better after a few days. If they do not, you should go back to your doctor. If you get any side effects not listed here please look at the patient leaflet in the medicine pack.

Do not stop taking the tablets until you talk to your doctor, or you may get withdrawal symptoms as well. There are other side effects that you can get when taking this medicine — we have only included the most common ones here.

Please look at the leaflet inside your medicine box, or ask a doctor or pharmacist, if you want to know whether you are getting a side effect from your medicine. We use cookies We use cookies on this website to store user preferences, aid in accessibility and analyse our traffic.

Read our cookie policy. Accept all cookie usage. Update cookie preferences. Open guide menu Skip to guide menu. I am a young person I am a parent I work with young people. Open site search Open main navigation. View shareable links View Basket : 0 items. Guide Menu for Paroxetine. Hide Show guide menu. Guide contents jump to section About paroxetine Paroxetine and everyday life Uses, warnings, safety and side effects About this information More information and advice. About paroxetine.

Please note. Always talk to your doctor about your situation and whether this medication is for you. Thinking about trying medication? Read our guide. How paroxetine works. Paroxetine is a type of antidepressant called a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor SSRI.

Paroxetine is often prescribed alongside a talking therapy. Paroxetine and everyday life. Frequently asked questions. How long does it take to start working? What effects will it have on my body? It is also possible to have a side effect of weight gain. It is very difficult to know how it will affect each person who takes it. Talk to your doctor about this if it worries you. Should I tell my family and friends I am taking it?

Will it affect my sleep? You can feel sleepy in the first few days of taking paroxetine. These should, however, get better after the first week or two. Can I drink alcohol and take street drugs while taking it? Alcohol You can continue to drink some alcohol while taking paroxetine.

This could be dangerous if you drive or use machines or do anything that needs a lot of focus. Street drugs We do not know how paroxetine mixes with street drugs, but it is likely to be similar to other SSRIs. Cannabis can make drowsiness worse with paroxetine and give you a fast heartbeat. Can I take it with other medications? Paroxetine does not mix well with some other medicines and drugs.

I have allergies and food intolerances. Is there anything I need to know? Some manufacturers include lactose and Sunset Yellow in their tablets. Talk to your pharmacist if you have any concerns about the ingredients. Can I drive while taking it? Do not drive or ride a bike just after you start taking paroxetine. Do not worry - most people drive as normal while taking paroxetine. Can I take it if I am pregnant or breastfeeding?

Pregnancy There may be a slightly higher risk of heart problems in the baby if you take paroxetine during the early stages of pregnancy. Paxil has helped millions of Americans feel better when suffering from depression , anxiety , panic attacks , obsessive compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, social anxiety disorder , and premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

Paxil belongs to the class of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors SSRIs and affects chemicals in the brain that may be unbalanced in people with depression, anxiety, or other mood disorders. Paxil is a brand name for the generic drug called paroxetine hydrochloride HCl or paroxetine for short.

Paroxetine is also sold under another brand name called Brisdelle. The well-known international biopharmaceutical company, GlaxoSmithKline developed Paxil and obtained approval from the U. Food and Drug Administration FDA in for its use in the treatment of depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders. Since , Paxil has been available as a cheaper generic drug, paroxetine, in the United States.

You lose interest in activities you once enjoyed and you are unable or find it hard to carry out your day-to-day tasks. Apart from these emotional problems, you may also have physical symptoms such as chronic pain or digestive issues.

If you have MDD you will have had these symptoms persistently almost every day for a minimum of two weeks :. Depression most often occurs in young adults between the ages of Paxil was approved for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder GAD in GAD is a condition in which you have excessive anxiety and worry that is difficult to control.

This anxiety and worry can be about various activities in your life, reducing your ability to cope with everyday tasks and causing you a lot of distress. GAD occurs on more days than not for at least six months. Paxil was approved for the treatment of social anxiety disorder in Social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia, is the feeling of intense anxiety or fear of being judged, negatively evaluated or rejected in a social or performance situation.

You may be worried about acting or appearing visibly anxious, or being viewed as stupid, awkward, or boring. This may lead you to avoid such situations whenever possible. In such social situations, as well as suffering from extreme anxiety and distress, you may also feel physical symptoms , such as a rapid heart rate, nausea, sweating, and even full-blown anxiety attacks.

Although you know rationally that your anxiety and fear is excessive, you may feel powerless to prevent it and it can negatively affect your life and prevent you from forming social and romantic relationships, finishing your studies, and getting a job.

It is important you seek professional medical help if you think you may have social anxiety disorder since there are effective treatments, such as paroxetine, that can help you live a less anxious life. Panic disorder is classified as an anxiety disorder in the DSM To be diagnosed with panic disorder, you need to:. According to the DSM-5, there are two categories of panic attacks: expected and unexpected.

Expected panic attacks are typically linked to a specific fear such as being afraid of heights, whereas unexpected panic attacks have no known triggers and appear to occur out of the blue. According to DSM-5 , a panic attack is characterized by four or more of the following symptoms :. If you have fewer than four of the above symptoms, it is considered a limited-symptom panic attack.

Obsessive compulsive disorder OCD is when you get caught up in a cycle of obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions seen with OCD include obsessions related to contamination, losing control, fear of harm, perfectionism, religion, unwanted sexual thoughts, and more.

Compulsions are defined as behaviors you engage in to attempt to get rid of or escape the obsessions and reduce your distress. Common compulsions include excessive washing and cleaning, checking, and repeating, as well as mental compulsions including mental reviewing, counting, praying, and others.

To be diagnosed with OCD, this cycle of obsessions and compulsions becomes so extreme that it takes up much of your time and prevents you from carrying out other activities you value and would like to do. Such a trauma may have led you to feel intense fear, pain, or sorrow to the extent that you are fearful of serious harm or death. You continue to feel helpless after the event and altogether these feelings affect your daily activities and relationships.

Signs and symptoms of PTSD include:. According to the DSM-5 criteria , you can be diagnosed with PTSD if you have had all of the following for at least one month that cause you distress and the inability to function normally at work and socially and are not due to a medication side-effect or other illness :. Premenstrual dysphoric disorder PMDD is a condition in which a woman has serious depression, irritability, and tension before menstruation.

Unlike premenstrual syndrome PMS , PMDD is much more severe to the extent that it can affect a woman from carrying out her normal daily activities and relationships. In both conditions, about days before menstruation, a woman will have a wide range of physical or emotional symptoms that will then usually stop once her period starts.

To be diagnosed with PMDD, according to the DSM-5, you will need to have at least five of the following 11 symptoms, including at least one of the first four listed:.

If you are planning to become pregnant, are currently pregnant, or are nursing, talk to your doctor about the potential risks of Paxil. Consuming alcohol with Paxil can potentially increase its toxicity or reduce its effectiveness. When taking Paxil, older adults may be more susceptible to side effects. The information provided here is meant to be an overview of the use of Paxil for panic disorder. The general information here does not cover all possible scenarios, such as potential adverse side effects, precautions, and contraindications.

For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database. Learn the best ways to manage stress and negativity in your life. Updated June Pharmacological management of anxiety disorders in the elderly. Curr Treat Options Psychiatry. Serotonin and mental disorders: a concise review on molecular neuroimaging evidence. Clin Psychopharmacol Neurosci.

Front Psychiatry. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for VerywellMind. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page. These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data. We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification. I Accept Show Purposes. Table of Contents View All. Table of Contents. Background Information.

How It Helps With Panic. Side Effects. Missing a Dose. Ending Your Prescription.