Study Says Paxil is Useless
A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association has revealed that most of the antidepressant drugs in the same class as Paxil that contain paroxetine and imipramine actually do nothing more than a placebo does when it comes to assisting patients with mild, moderate and even severe depression.
According to Robert DeRubeis, a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania who was part of the team that performed the meta-analysis, patients taking Paxil would have done just as well if they were taking placebos instead of the antidepressants. The meta-analysis was taken from data that was comprised of six studies with more than 800 participants.
The patients that had an initial depression score of 23 or lower dropped an average of 8 points when they were given antidepressants like Paxil in comparison to a 7-point drop in people that were given a placebo. According to DeRubeis, this information should help doctors and patients take a moment to see what else they can do to combat their depression besides taking drugs like Paxil. He suggested using tools like exercise and psychotherapy.
Paxil, made by GlaxoSmithKline, currently is one of the most popular SSRI drugs on the market, even with the current controversy surrounding its safety risks. This study is just another piece of bad news to sideswipe Paxil recently. Since Paxil first hit the market in 1993, many claims have been made against the risks in taking the drug. There have been numerous complaints that Paxil increases suicide risk, heart attacks, strokes and even causes death.
The makers of Paxil also have gone under the microscope for shady dealings in the making and marketing of other drugs, as well. With so many claims against Glaxo's drugs, this study may present a serious backlash. However, it must be noted that for the time being Paxil in its brand names and generic forms remains one of the more popular antidepressants on the market.
