Paroxetine 20 mg Tablet, Film Coated, 30-count — NDC 63187-105-30 (Billing 63187-0105-30)

WARNINGS Clinical Worsening and Suicide Risk: Patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), both adult and pediatric, may experience worsening of their depression and/or the emergence of suicidal ideation and behavior (suicidality) or unusual changes in behavior, whether or not they are taking antidepressant medications, and this risk may persist until significant remission occurs. Suicide is a known risk of depression and certain other psychiatric disorders, and these disorders themselves are the strongest predictors of suicide.

There has been a long-standing concern, however, that antidepressants may have a role in inducing worsening of depression and the emergence of suicidality in certain patients during the early phases of treatment. Pooled analyses of short-term placebo-controlled trials of antidepressant drugs (SSRIs and others) showed that these drugs increase the risk of suicidal thinking and behavior (suicidality) in children,adolescents, and young adults (ages 18-24) with major depressive disorder (MDD) and other psychiatric disorders.

Short-term studies did not show an increase in the risk of suicidality with antidepressants compared to placebo in adults beyond age 24; there was a reduction with antidepressants compared to placebo in adults aged 65 and older. The pooled analyses of placebo-controlled trials in children and adolescents with MDD, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), or other psychiatric disorders included a total of 24 short-term trials of 9 antidepressant drugs in over 4,400 patients. The pooled analyses of placebo-controlled trials in adults with MDD or other psychiatric disorders included a total of 295 short-term trials (median duration of 2 months) of 11 antidepressant drugs in over 77,000 patients.

There was considerable variation in risk of suicidality among drugs, but a tendency toward an increase in the younger patients for almost all drugs studied. There were differences in absolute risk of suicidality across the different indications, with the highest incidence in MDD. The risk differences (drug vs placebo), however, were relatively stable within age strata and across indications.

These risk differences (drug-placebo difference in the number of cases of suicidality per 1,000 patients treated) are provided in Table 1. Table 1 Age Range Drug-Placebo Difference in Number of Cases of Suicidality per 1,000 Patients Treated Increases Compared to Placebo <18 14 additional cases 18-24 5 additional cases Decreases Compared to Placebo 25-64 1 fewer case ≥65 6 fewer cases No suicides occurred in any of the pediatric trials. There were suicides in the adult trials, but the number was not sufficient to reach any conclusion about drug effect on suicide.

It is unknown whether the suicidality risk extends to longer-term use, i.e., beyond several months. However, there is substantial evidence from placebo-controlled maintenance trials in adults with depression that the use of antidepressants can delay the recurrence of depression. All patients being treated with antidepressants for any indication should be monitored appropriately and observed closely for clinical worsening, suicidality, and unusual changes in behavior, especially during the initial few months of a course of drug therapy, or at times of dose changes, either increases or decreases.

The following symptoms, anxiety, agitation, panic attacks, insomnia, irritability, hostility, aggressiveness, impulsivity, akathisia (psychomotor restlessness), hypomania, and mania, have been reported in adult and pediatric patients being treated with antidepressants for major depressive disorder as well as for other indications, both psychiatric and nonpsychiatric. Although a causal link between the emergence of such symptoms and either the worsening of depression and/or the emergence of suicidal impulses has not been established, there is concern that such symptoms may represent precursors to emerging suicidality.

Consideration should be given to changing the… [Excerpted — this section continues on DailyMed.]

ADVERSE REACTIONS Associated with Discontinuation of Treatment: Twenty percent (1,199/6,145) of patients treated with paroxetine tablets in worldwide clinical trials in major depressive disorder and 16.1% (84/522), 11.8% (64/542), 9.4% (44/469), and 10.7% (79/735), and 11.7% (79/676) of patients treated with paroxetine tablets in worldwide trials in social anxiety disorder, OCD, panic disorder, and GAD, respectively, discontinued treatment due to an adverse event. The most common events (≥1%) associated with discontinuation and considered to be drug related (i.e., those events associated with dropout at a rate approximately twice or greater for paroxetine tablets compared to placebo) included the following: Major Depressive Disorder OCD Panic Disorder Social Anxiety Disorder Generalized Anxiety Disorder Paroxetine Tablets Placebo Paroxetine Tablets Placebo Paroxetine Tablets Placebo Paroxetine Tablets Placebo Paroxetine Tablets Placebo Where numbers are not provided the incidence of the adverse events in patients treated with paroxetine tablets were not >1% or were not greater than or equal to 2 times the incidence of placebo.

CNS Somnolence 2.3% 0.7% — 1.9% 0.3% 3.4% 0.3% 2.0% 0.2% Insomnia — — 1.7% 0% 1.3% 0.3% 3.1% 0% Agitation 1.1% 0.5% — Tremor 1.1% 0.3% — 1.7% 0% Anxiety — — — 1.1% 0% Dizziness — — 1.5% 0% 1.9% 0% 1.0% 0.2% Gastrointestinal Constipation — 1.1% 0% Nausea 3.2% 1.1% 1.9% 0% 3.2% 1.2% 4.0% 0.3% 2.0% 0.2% Diarrhea 1.0% 0.3% — Dry Mouth 1.0% 0.3% — Vomiting 1.0% 0.3% — 1.0% 0% Flatulence 1.0% 0.3% Other Asthenia 1.6% 0.4% 1.9% 0.4% 2.5% 0.6% 1.8% 0.2% Abnormal ejaculation Incidence corrected for gender. 1.6% 0% 2.1% 0% 4.9% 0.6% 2.5% 0.5% Sweating 1.0% 0.3% — 1.1% 0% 1.1% 0.2% Impotence — 1.5% 0% Libido Decreased 1.0% 0% Commonly Observed Adverse Events: Major Depressive Disorder: The most commonly observed adverse events associated with the use of paroxetine (incidence of 5% or greater and incidence for paroxetine tablets at least twice that for placebo, derived from Table 2 ) were: Asthenia, sweating, nausea, decreased appetite, somnolence, dizziness, insomnia, tremor, nervousness, ejaculatory disturbance, and other male genital disorders.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: The most commonly observed adverse events associated with the use of paroxetine (incidence of 5% or greater and incidence for paroxetine tablets at least twice that of placebo, derived from Table 3 ) were: Nausea, dry mouth, decreased appetite, constipation, dizziness, somnolence, tremor, sweating, impotence, and abnormal ejaculation. Panic Disorder: The most commonly observed adverse events associated with the use of paroxetine (incidence of 5% or greater and incidence for paroxetine tablets at least twice that for placebo, derived from Table 3 ) were: Asthenia, sweating, decreased appetite, libido decreased, tremor, abnormal ejaculation, female genital disorders, and impotence.

Social Anxiety Disorder: The most commonly observed adverse events associated with the use of paroxetine (incidence of 5% or greater and incidence for paroxetine tablets at least twice that for placebo, derived from Table 3 ) were: Sweating, nausea, dry mouth, constipation, decreased appetite, somnolence, tremor, libido decreased, yawn, abnormal ejaculation, female genital disorders, and impotence. Generalized Anxiety Disorder: The most commonly observed adverse events associated with the use of paroxetine (incidence of 5% or greater and incidence for paroxetine tablets at least twice that for placebo, derived from Table 4 ) were: Asthenia, infection, constipation, decreased appetite, dry mouth, nausea, libido decreased, somnolence, tremor, sweating, and abnormal ejaculation.

Incidence in Controlled Clinical Trials: The prescriber should be aware that the figures in the tables following cannot be used to predict the incidence of side effects in the course of usual medical practice where patient characteristics and other factors differ from those that prevailed in the… [Excerpted — this section continues on DailyMed.]

Drug Interactions:

PRECAUTIONS General: Activation of Mania Hypomania During premarketing testing, hypomania or mania occurred in approximately 1.0% of unipolar patients treated with paroxetine tablets compared to 1.1% of active-control and 0.3% of placebo-treated unipolar patients. In a subset of patients classified as bipolar, the rate of manic episodes was 2.2% for paroxetine tablets and 11.6% for the combined active-control groups. As with all drugs effective in the treatment of major depressive disorder, paroxetine tablets should be used cautiously in patients with a history of mania.

Seizures: During premarketing testing, seizures occurred in 0.1% of patients treated with paroxetine tablets, a rate similar to that associated with other drugs effective in the treatment of major depressive disorder. Paroxetine tablets should be used cautiously in patients with a history of seizures. It should be discontinued in any patient who develops seizures.

Discontinuation of Treatment with Paroxetine Tablets: Recent clinical trials supporting the various approved indications for paroxetine tablets employed a taper-phase regimen, rather than an abrupt discontinuation of treatment. The taper-phase regimen used in GAD clinical trials involved an incremental decrease in the daily dose by 10 mg/day at weekly intervals. When a daily dose of 20 mg/day was reached, patients were continued on this dose for 1 week before treatment was stopped.

With this regimen in those studies, the following adverse events were reported at an incidence of 2% or greater for paroxetine tablets and were at least twice that reported for placebo: Abnormal dreams, paresthesia, and dizziness. In the majority of patients, these events were mild to moderate and were self limiting and did not require medical intervention. During marketing of paroxetine tablets and other SSRIs and SNRIs, there have been spontaneous reports of adverse events occurring upon the discontinuation of these drugs (particularly when abrupt), including the following: Dysphoric mood, irritability, agitation, dizziness, sensory disturbances (e.g., paresthesias such as electric shock sensations and tinnitus), anxiety, confusion, headache, lethargy, emotional lability, insomnia, and hypomania.

While these events are generally selflimiting, there have been reports of serious discontinuation symptoms. Patients should be monitored for these symptoms when discontinuing treatment with paroxetine tablets. A gradual reduction in the dose rather than abrupt cessation is recommended whenever possible.

If intolerable symptoms occur following a decrease in the dose or upon discontinuation of treatment, then resuming the previously prescribed dose may be considered. Subsequently, the physician may continue decreasing the dose but at a more gradual rate (see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION ). See also PRECAUTIONS— Pediatric Use , for adverse events reported upon discontinuation of treatment with paroxetine tablets in pediatric patients.

Tamoxifen: Some studies have shown that the efficacy of tamoxifen, as measured by the risk of breast cancer relapse/mortality, may be reduced when co-prescribed with paroxetine as a result of paroxetine’s irreversible inhibition of CYP2D6 (see DRUG INTERACTIONS ). However, other studies have failed to demonstrate such a risk. It is uncertain whether the coadministration of paroxetine and tamoxifen has a significant adverse effect on the efficacy of tamoxifen.

One study suggests that the risk may increase with longer duration of coadministration. When tamoxifen is used for the treatment or prevention of breast cancer, prescribers should consider using an alternative antidepressant with little or no CYP2D6 inhibition. Akathisia: The use of paroxetine or other SSRIs has been associated with the development of akathisia, which is characterized by an inner sense of restlessness and psychomotor agitation such as an inability to sit or stand still usually associated with subjective distress.

This is most likely… [Excerpted — this section continues on DailyMed.]

DRUG ABUSE AND DEPENDENCE Controlled Substance Class: Paroxetine tablets are not controlled substance. Physical and Psychologic Dependence: Paroxetine tablets have not been systematically studied in animals or humans for its potential for abuse, tolerance or physical dependence. While the clinical trials did not reveal any tendency for any drug-seeking behavior, these observations were not systematic and it is not possible to predict on the basis of this limited experience the extent to which a CNS-active drug will be misused, diverted, and/or abused once marketed.

Consequently, patients should be evaluated carefully for history of drug abuse, and such patients should be observed closely for signs of misuse or abuse of paroxetine tablets (e.g., development of tolerance, incrementations of dose, drug-seeking behavior).