Is Paxil a mood stabilizer?

Paxil is an antidepressant medication that works by adjusting the level of the chemical serotonin in the brain. One function of serotonin is to help regulate mood, and raising the level of serotonin in the brain can bring feelings of well-being.

Does Paxil help with mood swings?

Paxil is used to reduce stress, mood swings, and low energy. Paxil is a drug made for anxiety and panic disorders. Paxil has also been used for menopause hot flashes and night sweats. Paxil is a branded form of paroxetine, which was released in 1992.

Why is Paxil rarely prescribed?

Paxil is rarely prescribed now, because of concerns about side effects and withdrawal, says Tang, but other SSRIs (such as Prozac and Zoloft) are likely to have the same effect on personality. The notion that antidepressant drugs -- and SSRIs in particular -- can cause personality changes is not new.

Is Paxil a stimulant or depressant?

What is Paxil? Paxil is an antidepressant that belongs to group of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Paroxetine affects chemicals in the brain that may be unbalanced in people with depression, anxiety, or other disorders.

Is Paxil good for bipolar depression?

This study suggests that, like fluoxetine, the SSRI paroxetine is an effective antidepressant for the treatment of bipolar depression. Its short half-life and lack of propensity to cause a switch into mania could make it a leading candidate in the management of bipolar depression.

Do antidepressants increase risk of mania and bipolar disorder in people with depression?

What is the difference between a mood stabilizer and an antidepressant?

Mood stabilizers are specifically antimanic drugs, meaning they treat mania and mood cycling, as seen in bipolar disorder. They are not generally effective in the treatment of depression, though. Antidepressants treat conditions that make you sad or feel “down,” especially if it is not chronic.

What is the best mood stabilizer for anxiety?

Lamotrigine is the only mood stabilizer that calms mood swings by lifting the depression rather than suppressing the mania, says Dr. Aiken. “That makes it a great choice for the bipolar spectrum, where the depressive symptoms usually outweigh the manic ones. Its greatest benefit is in prevention.

Does Paxil make you angry?

Prozac (fluoxetine) was most commonly linked to aggression, increasing violent behavior 10.9 times. Paxil (paroxetine), Luvox (fluvoxamine), Effexor (venlafaxine) and Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) were 10.3, 8.4, 8.3 and 7.9 times, respectively, more likely to be linked with violence.

Does Paxil give you energy?

Paroxetine is known as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). This medication may improve your mood, sleep, appetite, and energy level and may help restore your interest in daily living. It may decrease fear, anxiety, unwanted thoughts, and the number of panic attacks.

Which is worse Prozac or Paxil?

Prozac may cause more negative changes in eating resulting in anorexia. Paxil, on the other hand, may be more likely to cause weight gain out of the two. Paxil may cause some muscle pain whereas Prozac rarely causes this side effect. Prozac is a more stimulating SSRI and may be more likely to cause insomnia.

Which is better Zoloft or Paxil?

Is Paxil or Zoloft more effective? In a randomized, double-blind study comparing the two drugs for the treatment of panic disorder, Paxil and Zoloft were found to be equally effective; however, Zoloft was slightly better tolerated, and patients did better when discontinuing the drug.

What is better than Paxil for anxiety?

Lexapro offers similar efficacy to Paxil with a better tolerability profile. Another class of drugs may also be preferable in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder, selective norepinephrine inhibitors (SNRIs). These include Effexor XR (venlafaxine) and Cymbalta (duloxetine).

Is Paxil hard to get off of?

For most people who take paroxetine, the drug, at some point, becomes ineffective. Getting off of an SSRI like Paxil isn't nearly as challenging as recovering from recreational drug use. Symptoms are usually mild and are easily managed by gradually decreasing the dose.

Can Paxil change your personality?

The researchers write that patients taking Paxil “reported 6.8 times as much change on neuroticism and 3.5 times as much change on extraversion as placebo patients matched for depression improvement.” Patients taking Paxil became “less shy, more vivacious ...

How does Paxil make you feel?

SSRIs work by increasing the amount of a chemical called serotonin that's available to your brain. By doing so, Paxil helps to improve mood and reduces symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions.

Does everyone gain weight on Paxil?

Experts say that for up to 25% of people, most antidepressant medications -- including the popular SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) drugs like Lexapro, Paxil, Prozac, and Zoloft -- can cause a weight gain of 10 pounds or more.

Should I take Paxil in the morning or at night?

The capsules are usually taken once a day at bedtime with or without food. You may want to take paroxetine with food to prevent stomach upset. Take paroxetine at around the same time every day.

Does Paxil suppress appetite?

Decreased appetite and weight loss have been reported in children and adolescents taking SSRIs, including Paxil. When beginning Paxil therapy, children and adolescents should have their weight and growth regularly monitored.

Are Wellbutrin and Paxil the same?

Paxil (paroxetine hydrochloride) and Wellbutrin (bupropion) are antidepressants used to treat depression. Paxil is also used to treat panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and a severe form of premenstrual syndrome (premenstrual dysphoric disorder).

Is Paxil and Xanax the same thing?

Paxil and Xanax belong to different drug classes. Paxil is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant and Xanax is a benzodiazepine.

What are the long term side effects of Paxil?

To date, there are no known problems associated with long term use of paroxetine. It is a safe and effective medication when used as directed.

What medications should not be taken with Paxil?

Do not use paroxetine with buspirone (Buspar®), fentanyl (Abstral®, Duragesic®), lithium (Eskalith®, Lithobid®), tryptophan, St. John's wort, amphetamines, or some pain or migraine medicines (eg, rizatriptan, sumatriptan, tramadol, Frova®, Imitrex®, Maxalt®, Relpax®, Ultram®, Zomig®).

What is the strongest mood stabilizer?

Lamotrigine. Lamotrigine (Lamictal) may be the most effective mood stabilizer for depression in bipolar disorder, but is not as helpful for mania. The starting dose of lamotrigine should be very low and increased very slowly over four weeks or more.

What is the safest mood stabilizer?

The safest and most efficacious mood stabilizer combinations appear to be the mixtures of anticonvulsants and lithium, particularly valproate plus lithium.

What are the most common mood stabilizers?