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August 24, 2001
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Baum, Hedlund, Aristei, Guilford & Schiavo
12100 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 950
Los Angeles, CA 90025
Contact: Robin McCall, Media Relations
Day: (800) 827-0087 or (310) 207-3233
Email: RMcCall@BaumHedlundLaw.com
Web: www.baumhedlundlaw.com
Victims File Lawsuit over Severe Withdrawal Reactions from the Antidepressant, Paxil — First Class Action of its Kind Against an Antidepressant MakerLos Angeles, August 24, 2001 - - 35 people who have suffered from severe withdrawal reactions as a result of taking the antidepressant Paxil, filed a class action complaint today in California Superior Court, LA County, against Glaxo Smithkline Corporation (GSK), formerly known as SmithKline Beecham. This group represents thousands of Paxil users who have allegedly suffered from withdrawal reactions and dependency/withdrawal syndrome. They come from all walks of life (e.g., Lt. Col in the U.S. Air Force; former star athlete; web-designer; children; bank fraud investigator and many more) and reside throughout the United States. Each has experienced similar withdrawal reactions and problems such as:
jolting electric "zaps," dizziness, light-headedness, vertigo, in-coordination, gait disturbances, sweating, extreme nausea, vomiting, high fever, abdominal discomfort, flu symptoms, anorexia, diarrhea, agitation, tremulousness, irritability, aggression, sleep disturbance, nightmares, tremor, confusion, memory and concentration difficulties, lethargy, malaise, weakness, fatigue, paraesthesias, ataxia, and/or myalgia.
Paxil was introduced into the U.S. market on December 29, 1992, and is a well known antidepressant medication in the same class as Zoloft and Prozac (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or "SSRI's"). Paxil is approved for marketing in the United States for conditions such as depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, and "social anxiety disorder."Complaint Allegations:
1) The complaint alleges Paxil can cause some people who take it to experience serious and unexpected withdrawal reactions. Neither the patients nor the physicians expect these withdrawal reactions because, according to the complaint, the manufacturer has deliberately failed to warn of their potential occurrence. Both physician and patient unwittingly commit to Paxil without knowing the drug's addictive traits. None of the named plaintiffs were ever informed before starting Paxil that it was addictive, induced dependency, or created withdrawal reactions when dosage was reduced or terminated.
2) Paxil creates both physical and psychological dependency because GSK has suppressed the information about the severe withdrawal reactions of its drug, many patients and their physicians are fooled into thinking that the withdrawal reactions are caused by another condition (such as relapse), thus prompting further incorrect and unnecessary medical treatment, including increased dosages of Paxil.
3) GSK has known for years the distinct characteristics of Paxil which make it prone to cause withdrawal reactions when discontinued. While the medical community has acknowledged the potential for all SSRI's to cause dependency/withdrawal syndrome, Paxil is, by far, the worst. According to World Health Organization ("WHO") data obtained by the plaintiff class members, Paxil has the highest incidence rate of withdrawal adverse experiences of any antidepressant drug in the world. "Even despite our clients' extreme difficulties caused by this drug, some remain on Paxil today because they are "hooked" and fear they cannot get off the drug," says attorney Mary Schiavo.
The complaint charges include fraud and deceit, negligence, strict liability, breach of warranty and implied warranty which can be seen on the complaint.
The lawsuit was filed by Karen Barth (in association with Mary Schiavo) of Baum, Hedlund, Aristei, Guilford & Schiavo in Los Angeles and Donald Farber of San Rafael, California.
The attorneys have stated, "The scariest part about this is that there are people out there trying to get off this drug who are experiencing these horrible withdrawal reactions. They think its because of something wrong with them, when it's really the Paxil - - and then they take even more and further exacerbate the problem!"
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