The generic drug Paroxetine is an antidepressant drug under the classification of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI). In the year 1992, the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline released Paxil, trade name for Paroxetine. The drug is used to treat major depression, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Tricyclic antidepressants and the SSRI drug Paroxetine (Paxil) has similar attributes in treating the aforementioned disorders. Just like any SSRI drugs, though, Paxil (Paroxetine) has been found to have the tendency to cause nausea, somnolence and some sexual side effects but unlike the tricyclic antidepressants, this drug has fewer side effects and has been found to have lower likelihood to cause toxicity. However, Paxil cleft palate birth defect was reported by some women who took the antidepressant drug during their pregnancy.

Every drugs has their individual side effects and adverse effects. You need to know about the different side effects of the drugs you take and inform your doctor if any of these are observed.

There are many factors influencing the likelihood of acquiring the drug's side effects and this includes the drug dosage used. Those who has lower Paxil dosage reported fewer and less serious side effects while patients who has a higher dosage consequently has greater tendency to experience severe forms of the drug's side effect. SSRI drugs like Paroxetine (Paxil) has the tendency to cause Post SSRI Sexual dysfunction which includes lowered sexual appetite, difficulty in achieving orgasm (anorgasmia), trouble becoming aroused, loss or decreased sexual stimuli and ejaculatory anhedonia. These side effects are found to be reversible which can last for months or years until the drug is completely withdrawn from the person's system. There are other side effects of Paxil such as nausea, sweating, dizziness, dry mouth, insomnia, asthenia, ejaculatory disturbance, tremor, constipation, high blood pressure, agitation, headache, impaired memory, paresthesia and weight gain.

During the first few weeks of Paxil treatment (approximately 1-4 weeks), the general side effects tapers off as the body becomes accustomed to the drugs' effects. But the birth defect that is cleft palate is another level of grave complication for the affected baby as well as to the parents, especially to the mother. Reports about the drug's tendency to cause cleft lip and/or cleft palate birth defect on babies born by women who took the drug during their first trimester are gathered. This, perhaps, is the gravest form of complication from the drug that is not easily forgotten.