What are the advantages of Paxil over other antidepressants?
Paxil is as effective in relieving depression as TCAs such as imipramine. However, Paxil causes fewer adverse cardiovascular and anticholinergic effects (dry mouth, constipation, blurred vision, urinary retention) than the older TCAs. It does not usually cause drowsiness, low blood pressure, or weight changes. Paxil has no active metabolites and leaves one’s system 24 hours after it enters. SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals, which makes Paxil, states that Paxil is the most selective of the SSRI antidepressants. This selectivity causes serotonin levels in the brain to normalize quickly, relieving depression with relatively few side effects. Who can benefit from taking Paxil? Paxil is equally effective in elderly depressed patients as it is in younger. Elderly people may turn to Paxil for relief because it does not cause significant changes in blood pressure, unlike Effexor and some other antidepressants. Paxil is effective in the treatment of anxiety which accompanies depression in som
