Baum, Hedlund, Aristei, Guilford & Schiavo vs. Glaxo Smithkline Corporation
Victims File Lawsuit over Severe Withdrawal Reactions from the Antidepressant–PaxilFirst Class Action of its Kind Against an Antidepressant Maker
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 Night: (818) 558-5964 Email: RMcCall@BaumHedlundLaw.com
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.
Baum, Hedlund, Aristei, Guilford & Schiavo vs. Glaxo Smithkline Corporation
8/24/2001
Victims File Lawsuit over Severe Withdrawal Reactions from the Antidepressant–PaxilFirst Class Action of its Kind Against an Antidepressant Maker
http://www.baumhedlundlaw.com
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 Night: (818) 558-5964 Email: RMcCall@BaumHedlundLaw.com
The lawsuit against the makers of Paxil for the potentially disabling and deadly withdrawal effects associated with Paxil has now been officially filed. This is clearly a suit that should be filed against the makers of all of these serotonergic antidepressants and DEFINITELY one that should have been filed against the makers of the serotonergic diet pills, Fen-Phen and Redux. What a crime it was to drop all of those Fen-Phen and Redux users off “cold turkey” when they were withdrawn forcing so many onto the serotonergic antidepressants creating additional damage and leading them into an additional serotonin nightmare. Why were patients not allowed to withdraw gradually?
All of these companies who put these extremely addictive drugs on the market with no warning of the addictive properties should be held accountable for the results of that lack of warning. The withdrawal from these serotonergic antidepressants, according to the World Health Organization, appears to be even worse than the benzodiazaphines – which already have one of the worst reputations for serious withdrawal. [Use the search engine to find our report on the World Health Organization’s statement that came out this spring.]
When we know that Ecstasy withdrawal can plunge users into the depths of depression we should not be the least bit surprised to learn that any of its chemical cohorts can do the same in withdrawal. All are serotonergic agents -Ecstasy, Prozac, LSD, Zoloft, PCP, Paxil, etc. – with similar effects due to the increase of serotonin and decrease of serotonin metabolism that they produce.
When one understands the steroid effect brought on by an increase in serotonin [one 30mg dose of Prozac DOUBLES cortisol levels!], it is not difficult to see that the initiation of use of these drugs should be very gradual as should the discontinuation be a very gradual process.
Contact information for the attorneys and links to additional information on the lawsuit is all listed in the press release that follows.
Dr. Ann Blake TracyExecutive Director, International Coalition For Drug AwarenessAuthor of Prozac: Panacea or Pandora? – Our Serotonin Nightmare (800-280-0730)
To learn more, go to http://www.baumhedlundlaw.com.
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!”
Fact Sheet is available on the web along with the complaint at www.baumhedlundlaw.com
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