The drug, Paxil is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor medication (also called SSRI) and is generally prescribed for patients who are suffering from depression, anxiety, or other mental disorders. It was released in 1992 by the GlaxoSmithKline pharmaceutical company. As of December 2006, it is the most prescribed antidepressant medication by a variety of different doctors; because it is one of the most efficient medications available on the pharmaceutical market for the treatment of depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders.

Paxil is an antidepressant that is generally used to treat depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, anxiety, premenstrual dysphonic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and social phobia. In 2002, it became the first medication that was prescribed to treat social anxiety. Therefore, it gained the nickname, "the Anti-Shyness" drug.

There are several known side-effects of taking Paxil. These side-effects include nausea, drowsiness, headache, weight gain/loss, changes in behavior, aggressive behavior, rash, itching, sweating, muscle weakness, sexual dysfunction, joint pain, fever, chills, flu-like symptom, and suicidal behavior. Because of the severity of these side-effects, Paxil antidepressant medication is not recommended for children under the age of eighteen or for senor citizens. There are other antidepressants available for children and senior citizens.

Recently, there have been many lawsuits filed against the GlaxoSmithKline pharmaceutical company. Paxil was never approved by the FDA and doctors were prescribing Paxil to children under the age of eighteen based solely on their professional knowledge and judgment. The lawsuit states that the pharmaceutical company knowingly hid or misrepresented information relating to the pediatric use of Paxil as an antidepressant. This lawsuit affected nearly five thousand people in the United States and thousands more world-wide. Many of the people who have sued the GlaxoSmithKline pharmaceutical company claim that they were never properly advised in advance of the possible side-effects and addictive properties of Paxil.

If you or a loved one has taken Paxil for any condition, you should contact a legal representative as soon as possible to discuss the possibility of a claim. You may have taken Paxil as an antidepressant to treat any type of mental condition. Rather you were harmed or not while taking the antidepressant, you still could be entitled to a claim and benefits of the pending Paxil lawsuit. There are many lawyers who are trained in the Paxil lawsuits and are willing to answer any questions or concerns that you may have in regards to taking Paxil and the effects it had on you as you took the antidepressant medication.