Paxil Overdose: An Introduction
Paxil® (
paroxetine hydrochloride) is a medication that is used to treat a number of conditions within the brain. As with all medicines, it is possible for a person to overdose on Paxil. The effects of a Paxil overdose will vary depending on a number of factors, including how much Paxil was taken and whether it was taken with any other drugs.
If a person overdoses on Paxil, the symptoms can vary. Paxil overdose symptoms include:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Shakiness (tremor)
- Rapid heart rate (tachycardia) or slow heart rate (bradycardia)
- Confusion
- Dizziness
- Seizures
- Irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia)
- High blood pressure (hypertension) or low blood pressure (hypotension)
- Aggressiveness
- Fainting
- Muscle pain or muscle stiffness
- Liver problems, including hepatitis
- Kidney failure
- Coma
- Loss of life.
Treatment for a Paxil Overdose
The treatment for a Paxil overdose will vary.
If the overdose was recent, the healthcare provider may give certain medicines or place a tube into the stomach to "pump the stomach." Treatment may also involve supportive care. This type of care consists of treating the symptoms that occur as a result of the overdose. For example, supportive treatment options for a Paxil overdose may include:
- Fluids through an intravenous line (IV)
- Medicines to increase blood pressure, control an irregular heart rhythm, or control seizures
- Close monitoring of the heart and lungs
- A breathing tube to help with breathing
- Other treatments based on complications that occur.
It is important that you seek medical attention immediately if you believe that you may have overdosed on Paxil.
