Furious Seasons

February 09, 2010

Paxil Interferes With Breast Cancer Drug

This alarming bit of news hit yesterday:

"Women who took GlaxoSmithKline's Paxil while taking tamoxifen at the same time were more likely to die of their breast cancer, the researchers found. The longer the overlap between Paxil and tamoxifen, the more likely the patients were to die, they reported in the British Medical Journal.
"It is likely because Paxil, sold generically as paroxetine, interferes with the compound the body uses to process tamoxifen, the researchers said."

A separate study last year reached a similar conclusion about SSRIs as a class.

At this point, you've got to wonder if there's nothing Paxil cannot do. It increases suicidality, is linked to some birth defects, has all kinds of dependence and withdrawal problems and even damages male sperm. Awesome little pill, Glaxo.

Posted by Philip Dawdy at February 9, 2010 12:03 AM

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Comments

Don't forget Phil, The benefits outweigh the risks!

Any wonder Glaxo are not putting any more money into future research of these type of drugs?

Hats off to the MHRA and FDA for allowing this teratogenic on to the market.

Benefits outweigh the risks, my arse!

Fid

Posted by: Fid at February 9, 2010 01:00 AM

All SSRIs are marvelous drugs in promoting all these harms.

I ask people to join this event at Bloggers Unite:

http://www.bloggersunite.org/event/international-day-in-memory-of-ssri-fatalities

Nine people have joined and nineteen joined the cause that is at facebook.
Please join at Bloggers Unite (the link above) because people believe in numbers.
The more people the better.
The events are listed by number of members and it only takes 60 people to be at the front page.
This is an attempt to make those who have not a clue about SSRI harms be aware.
If blogs that have nothing to do with mental health join it it would be great but first there must be a certain number of people and only people who are aware can do it.
The badge is not beautiful but others will be soon available. You don't need to put the ugly badge :) just join!
It takes half a minute.
Thank you very much.
Ana

Posted by: Ana at February 9, 2010 01:02 AM

I wonder if Charlie Nemeroff, Glaxo's Paxil apologist, will hold a news conference today and claim that this study "really" showed that Paxil cures breast cancer!

Posted by: Tom at February 9, 2010 05:47 AM

It seems so obvious that all the complications with SSRIs have something to do with the fact that the neurotransmitter serotonin affects all different systems of the body, NOT just the brain/emotions. So they may cause birth defects, interfere with cancer therapy, you name it. How can MD's overlook this in their prescribing?

It's the reason for side effects as well, which apparently patients are supposed to ignore.

Posted by: Miranda at February 9, 2010 03:50 PM

I am one of those people who have had very good results from antidepressants and would hate to try to live w/out them. Before I lose it, could anyone tell me if there have been studies showing this effect when taking SSRIs in conjunction with Arimidex? Hopefully Paxil is somehow worse than other forms of this med, but this article is really kind of scary.

Posted by: dprosenthal at February 9, 2010 06:00 PM

Biological psychiatry is on its way out. Thomas Szasz was right -- E. Fuller Torrey is an idiot.

Posted by: Francesca Allan at February 9, 2010 06:55 PM

Does Paxil have abnormal effects on liver cytochromes? Why would this happen as opposed to the typical SSRIs? I'm very curious...

Posted by: David at February 10, 2010 03:20 PM

Paxil interferes with cytochrome P450 2D6

Freud was an idiot.

Posted by: Blackeneth at February 11, 2010 08:24 PM