Is it safe to take Paxil during pregnancy?

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<sup>"Paxil has the potential to influence fetal development, resulting in congenital birth defects in newborns, and withdrawal symptoms that torment babies for days, weeks, or years after birth."

"In 2005, the Food & Drug Administration warned that the antidepressant Paxil had been linked to an increased risk of birth defects in expectant mothers that were taking the drug.

Since Paxil was approved in 1992, it has become one of the world's most popular antidepressants, taken by tens of millions of patients. According to GSK, about 25 percent of Paxil users are women of childbearing age, between 18 and 45."</sup>

 

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Paxil is listed as a class c drug which means Animal reproduction studies have shown an adverse effect on the fetus and there are no adequate /well-controlled studies in humans. However, the benefits may warrant use of the drug in pregnant women despite potential risk.
 

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Absolutely not. Paxil has been prohibited to teenagers 18 and under in Canada. Paxil is not the drug of choice in this area and there are other safer medications that you should discuss with your doctor. If you are on them, please do not go off them "cold turkey" and wean off them along with your doctors help.  

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To whomever asked the question: be sure to take a look around at the other 100+ website hits you will get for this question. While of course their are objections to ANY drug use during pregnancy, there are other factors to be considered as well.
It is a risk-vs-benefit situation. If you are on Paxil, chances are there's a good reason for it. Women who go off it, weaned or cold turkey, during pregnancy, are way more likely to experience a dehabilitating post-partum depression. Paxil has been proven NOT to cause physical deformities or problems and will not turn your newborn into a monster.
However. There is a risk of infant discontinuation syndrome, wherein your newborn reacts to not having the drug in his or her system any more once they are born. The symptoms of this include increased crying, jitteriness, sleeplessness, and difficulty eating. All of these symptoms resolve within 1 - 2 weeks, with absolutely no lasting effects.
So the choice is pretty much yours. (Although I'd consider asking a doctor instead of Marcy next time.) For myself, I'd rather take a jittery, angry infant for a week than go off meds that were keeping me from killing myself. Of course, that's just me ;)  

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While taking or not taking a medication is ultimately your own decision, its best to consult a medical professional about these sorts of things and understand so that you can make an informed decision.  

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Paxil has pretty much saved my life. I suffer from Panic Disorder and have tried other meds such as Celexa, which was a complete nightmare. Paxil works for me very well. I have been on it for 11 years and am on the lowest dosage of twenty mg per day.

I continued it during my last pregnancy with no problems but of course, was very worried during pregnancy.

Paxil increases the risk for heart defects from 1 percent to 2 percent. Only you and your doctor can decide what is best for you and your situation.