Paxil and birth defects?

Question

Does anybody know what birth defects are being caused by women who take paxil while pregnant?

I take Paxil and I am of child bearing age, and hope to have a child soon. I've been wanting to get off this drug for a while, but it's going to be a hassle since you have to wean off of it because a lot of people who stop taking it without weaning have committed suicide.

The articles I've read regarding Paxil and birth defects just vaguely allude to birth defects and don't go into detail about what these birth defects actually are.

Hey, BeefyPete, Paxil is an anti-depressant/anti-anxiety drug.

And Queendebadow, I can't NOT take an anti-depressant/anti anxiety drug because I have a hereditary chemical imbalance, everybody in my family has it. I'm not just "sad". I'm not an idiot, I know life isn't always great. I need to be on an anti-anxiety drug to keep me from having a nervous breakdown whenever I go out in public. I wouldn't even be able to grocery shop without some kind of anti-anxiety medication. Not everybody can think happy thoughts and have it be so.

Answer 1

Alright. I was on paxil for a while. It's Hell to get off of. It's really bad...and well Paxil is a form of speed. So if you become pregnant your baby will be on that speed as well. When they come out of you they will have withdrawals just as an adult would have when they get off of Paxil. If you are thinking about having a child you really need to work on weaning off of it slowly. Talk to you doctor first. It's a lot more powerful than you think. You do have to wean off of it. Some people who quit cold turkey have seizures. Good luck...and if you need any more info go to www.quitpaxil.org. There's a message board there that helped me a lot.

Answer 2

Hi.

I take paxil, and two things you should know off the bat, is that:
1) chemical imbalances are only theory. They aren't provable, and there are no tests available to test for a chemical imbalance.
2) Paxil will stop working. It is not a lifetime drug. It is horrific, honestly. It is the number one top hardest prescription drug to stop if you have a predilection to withdrawal, including all the benzos and pain meds as well. There is no way to know who will experience bad withdrawal problems, and no way to stop the withdrawal without further drugging yourself and ending up in the same boat. SSRIs and SNRIs are very bad drugs. Paxil was only tested for 8 weeks - anything over that is speculation.

Okay, enough about that part.
Paxil causes heart defects and lung underdevelopment. Some children have been born without certain arteries leading to the heart. There is 2x the risk of heart and lung defects in a fetus, for a mother on paxil at any stage of the pregnancy. Miscarriages are not uncommon from the malformation of the fetus. A child born to a mother on paxil should breastfeed, or the child will have severe withdrawal from birth. Though some doctors say this is a bad idea, forcing an infant - much less a newborn - to withdrawal immediately from paxil at birth is known as cold turkey withdrawal, which can be fatal. Paxil withdrawal can last months or, in other cases (of which I know personally), years.

Come to paxilprogress.org and find out more. Or you can read these threads below on dangers during pregnancy while taking paxil.

I wish you luck.

Answer 3

The best bet would be to consult with your Doctor, although excuse the ignorance but what is the Paxil for and by the way if you check my Discworld question again you'll get the answers to your questions.

Answer 4

If you're afraid of what paxil can do to you, try to find natural remedies for your situation. Why even take it in the first place.remember life is not always happy, it's ok to be sad sometimes. But go to your Doctor to get off it.