Posted by Shawn. T. on October 16, 2002, at 16:31:48
In reply to Re: American Journal of Psychiatry: Paxil not an SSRI, posted by djmmm on October 16, 2002, at 14:47:07
I think that the big difference between Paxil and SNRI's is that Paxil combines a moderate SNRI component with the most potent serotonin reuptake capability available. The strong potency is likely a big part of the withdrawal issue, but my thinking is that the addition of the noradrenaline reuptake component makes Paxil truly unique. As far as the semantics issue is concerned, I believe that it is important for health care consumers and doctors to be aware of the differences that exist among a class of seemingly similar medications. Having this knowledge available makes it easier to avoid complications that a patient might be concerned about. Someone that has had serious problems with Effexor might not want to make Paxil his or her next choice of treatment.
With regards to tricyclic antidepressants and a relative lack of withdrawal symptoms, this could be a result of a longer half-life of either the parent compound or an active metabolite. I'm not a TCA expert, so I can't really say for sure.
Really the big issue with regards to all of this is what constitutes acceptable advertising for psychoactive drugs. Deciding to take an SSRI or a related drug is a serious choice. Misleading advertising should not be allowed to convince a person to make such an important decision that they might not otherwise make. If a company were to advertise that a benzodiazepine with a short half-life is nonaddictive, I don't believe that many health experts would find that acceptable.
Shawn
poster:Shawn. T.
thread:123399
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021012/msgs/123910.html