What is the difference between effexor and paxil

But they may not work for every person. Newer ones may help meet…. Living with depression can be overwhelming, but there may be positive aspects of the condition. When you constantly prioritize the needs of others above your own, it's not uncommon to experience feelings of depression. But there are ways to…. Is it true that the world looks gray when you are depressed?

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A therapy change may be necessary if symptoms suddenly arise or get worse. Patients with MDD may experience a worsening of depression or suicidal thoughts whether or not they are taking antidepressant medications. This is a condition related to abnormally high levels of serotonin and can result in the patient feeling agitated, dizzy, and having an increased heart rate. This can be brought on by the use of two serotonergic drugs together. Refer to the information provided above as well as manufacturers labeling to help avoid these drug interactions.

SSRIs, including Paxil and Lexapro, should not be discontinued suddenly as patients may experience withdrawal symptoms. If discontinuing therapy is deemed necessary by your provider, you should be slowly tapered off these drugs. Paxil is a prescription antidepressant medication used in the treatment of major depression and generalized anxiety disorder, among other conditions.

Lexapro is available as an oral tablet in 10 mg, 20 mg, 30 mg, and 40 mg strengths. It is also available as an oral solution. Lexapro is a prescription antidepressant medication used in the treatment of major depression and generalized anxiety disorder. Lexapro is available as an oral tablet in 5 mg, 10 mg, and 20 mg strengths.

Paxil and Lexapro are both antidepressants classified as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, but they are not the same. They are both used in the treatment of major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, but Paxil carries additional approved indications. Data suggests that Lexapro may be preferred over Paxil due to having better clinical outcomes and having a more tolerable side effect profile in treating depression.

Paxil is a category D drug in pregnancy, meaning it is known to cause fetal harm and should not be used in pregnancy. Lexapro is pregnancy category C, meaning there have not been adequate human studies to determine safety. Lexapro should only be used when the risk of untreated depression in the mother outweighs the risk of fetal harm. Alcohol can increase the toxic effects of both Paxil and Lexapro.

Drinking alcohol while taking these drugs can cause significant psychomotor impairment, and for this reason, patients are advised to avoid alcohol if taking Paxil or Lexapro.

Paxil causes a much higher incidence of some bothersome side effects and does not necessarily offer higher efficacy. 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.

Alternatively, paroxetine may have a clinically relevant noradrenergic effect at the dose tested. Abstract Background: We assessed the therapeutic effects of venlafaxine XR and paroxetine on mood and anxiety symptoms derived from the tripartite model of mood. Gov't Research Support, U. Conclusion Venlafaxine ER is effective in the short-term treatment of generalized social anxiety disorder, with efficacy and tolerability comparable to paroxetine.

Social anxiety disorder SAD is a common and frequently disabling illness, characterized by excessive and persistent fear and avoidance of social situations, according to the DSM-IV. With month and lifetime prevalence estimates of 7. In contrast to many other psychiatric disorders, SAD begins early in life.

The mean age of onset is approximately 15 years, and the illness infrequently occurs past the age of 25 years. Social anxiety disorder tends to follow a long-term and unremitting course, 12 , 13 and is rarely resolved without treatment. A greater understanding of the neurobiological underpinnings of SAD may be the key to optimizing treatment strategies. Several lines of evidence support serotonergic 15 - 18 and dopaminergic 19 , 20 dysfunction in patients with SAD compared with control subjects.

Data on noradrenergic function in patients with SAD are inconsistent. An early study that included a mixed population of patients with either specific or generalized SAD found significantly elevated plasma norepinephrine levels in the patients with SAD compared with controls. Further investigation is needed to determine the role of the noradrenergic system in those with generalized SAD.

Consistent with what is known about the pathophysiological features of the disorder, a growing body of evidence suggests that antidepressants, in particular those that affect serotonergic or dopaminergic neurotransmission, 24 , 25 are efficacious in the treatment of generalized SAD. Randomized double-blind investigations of treatment with the monoamine oxidase inhibitor phenelzine sulfate established its efficacy in patients with generalized SAD, and results suggest it was superior not only to placebo but also to atenolol and psychotherapy.

While selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors principally act via serotonergic mechanisms, they do have indirect effects on dopamine, 43 , 44 which may be relevant to SAD. It is clear from this extensive body of evidence that serotonergic drugs are effective for reducing anxiety in patients with SAD. Evidence has shown that the serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor venlafaxine hydrochloride extended release ER is also effective for ameliorating symptoms of anxiety, including generalized anxiety disorder, 47 - 50 symptoms of anxiety in patients with major depressive disorder, 51 - 53 and comorbid major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder.

Specifically, the study was undertaken to compare venlafaxine ER with placebo and an established treatment option ie, paroxetine in adult outpatients with generalized SAD. This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group comparison of flexible doses of venlafaxine ER and paroxetine in outpatients with DSM-IV generalized SAD conducted at 26 centers in the United States. The protocol was approved by an institutional review board for each site, and patients provided written informed consent to participate.

As part of the DSM-IV criteria, patients had to have a marked and persistent fear of one or more social or performance situations in which the person is exposed to unfamiliar people or to possible scrutiny by others, and the fears had to include at least 4 social situations. Evaluations for SAD and other Axis I diagnoses were made using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview, 55 which was modified by replacing the social phobia module module G with the more rigorous social phobia module from the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview—Plus.

Outpatients 18 years and older who fulfilled the DSM-IV criteria for SAD for 6 months or longer at screening were eligible to participate in the study. Patients with a clinically important Axis I or Axis II disorder other than SAD or avoidant personality disorder were excluded, as were those with a history or current diagnosis of any psychotic illness, patients who were suicidal, and those with a history of drug or alcohol dependence as defined in DSM-IV within 1 year of study start.

In addition, patients were ineligible if they had used any psychopharmacologic medications within 7 days before study day 1; used antidepressants other than fluoxetine , anxiolytics, or herbal products intended to treat anxiety or depression within 14 days of the study; received electroconvulsive therapy within 6 months of the study; or used antipsychotic medications or fluoxetine or received treatment with formal psychotherapy within 30 days of the study.

Patients with clinically significant abnormal findings on laboratory tests, electrocardiograms, or physical examinations; those with abnormal vital signs; those with a history or presence of clinically important medical conditions including head trauma and seizure disorders ; and women of childbearing potential who were pregnant, breastfeeding, or not using a medically acceptable form of contraception were prohibited from participating.

Safety assessments included reports of adverse events and measurements of vital signs, recorded at each visit, and routine physical examinations, laboratory determinations, and electrocardiograms, assessed at the prestudy or baseline visit and on the last day on which the patient took a full dose of study medication ie, before taper.

Statistical analyses were performed using last-observation-carried-forward values for the intent-to-treat population, which was defined as all patients who had taken at least 1 dose of study medication and had a baseline observation and at least 1 on-therapy observation.

The week 12 last-observation-carried-forward values were the final on-therapy observations. Changes from baseline scores on the CGI-S were analyzed using an analysis of covariance, with treatment, investigator, and baseline CGI-S score as main effects. The primary comparison was between the venlafaxine ER—treated group and the placebo-treated group.

Comparisons between the paroxetine group and the venlafaxine ER group and between the paroxetine group and the placebo group were considered secondary. Of these patients, 11 failed to return after the baseline visit; thus, patients are included in the safety analyses. Baseline clinical and demographic characteristics for the intent-to-treat population are shown in Table 1.

There were no statistically significant differences between the treatment groups for any of the demographic or baseline characteristics. Of the patients included in the safety population, 16 3. Three hundred eighteen patients The reasons for discontinuation are listed in Table 2.

No significant differences were noted between the venlafaxine and paroxetine groups.