Patient leaflets and SmPCs, drug interaction checker, official dosages and NHS pharmacy opening hours — all in one place.
Patient leaflets and SmPCs, drug interaction checker, official dosages and NHS pharmacy opening hours — all in one place.
The electronic medicines compendium (emc) no longer publishes a Summary of Product Characteristics for this product, which usually means it is no longer marketed in the UK. The patient leaflet below is kept for reference, but the product may not be available.
If you were prescribed this medicine, other products containing Paroxetine hydrochloride hemihydrate may still be available. Do not stop your treatment — ask your pharmacist or GP what to use instead.
for Seroxat is a treatment for adults with depression and/or anxiety disorders. The anxiety disorders that Seroxat is used to treat are: obsessive compulsive disorder (repetitive, obsessive thoughts with uncontrollable behaviour); panic disorder (panic attacks, including those caused by agoraphobia, which is a fear of open spaces); social anxiety disorder (fear or avoidance of social situations); post-traumatic stress disorder (anxiety caused by a traumatic event); and generalised anxiety disorder (generally feeling very anxious or nervous). Seroxat is one of a group of medicines called SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors). It is not fully understood how Seroxat and other SSRIs work but they may help by increasing the level of serotonin in the brain. Treating depression or anxiety disorders properly is important to help you get better.
e Seroxat Do not take Seroxat •
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If you are taking medicines called monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs, including moclobemide and methylthioninium chloride (methylene blue)) or have taken them at any time within the last two weeks. Your doctor will advise you how you should begin taking Seroxat once you have stopped taking the MAOI If you are taking an anti-psychotic called thioridazine or an anti-psychotic called pimozide If you are allergic to paroxetine or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6). If any of these apply to you, tell your doctor without taking Seroxat
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Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Seroxat
Children and adolescents under 18
Seroxat should not be used for children and adolescents under 18 years. Also, patients under 18 have an increased risk of side effects such as suicide attempt, suicidal thoughts and hostility (predominantly aggression, oppositional behaviour and anger) when they take Seroxat. If your doctor has prescribed Seroxat for you (or your child) and you want to discuss this, please go back to your doctor. You should inform your doctor if any of the symptoms listed above develop or worsen when you (or your child) are taking Seroxat. Also, the long-term safety effects, concerning growth, maturation and cognitive and behavioural development, of Seroxat in this age group have not yet been demonstrated. In studies of Seroxat in under 18s, common side effects that affected less than 1 in 10 children/adolescents were: an increase in suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts; deliberately harming themselves; being hostile; aggressive or unfriendly; lack of appetite; shaking; abnormal sweating; hyperactivity (having too much energy); agitation; changing emotions (including crying and changes in mood); and unusual bruising or bleeding (such as nose bleeds). These studies also showed that the same symptoms affected children and adolescents taking sugar pills (placebo) instead of Seroxat, although these were seen less often. Some patients in these studies of under 18s had withdrawal effects when they stopped taking Seroxat. These effects were mostly similar to those seen in adults after stopping Seroxat (see section 3). In addition, patients under 18 also commonly (affecting less than 1 in 10) experienced stomach ache, feeling nervous and changing emotions (including crying, changes in mood, trying to hurt themselves, thoughts of suicide and attempting suicide).
Thoughts of suicide and worsening of your depression or anxiety disorder
If you are depressed and/or have anxiety disorders you can sometimes have thoughts of harming or killing yourself. These may be increased when first starting antidepressants, since these medicines all take time to work, usually about two weeks but sometimes longer. You may be more likely to think like this:
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If you are a young adult. Information from clinical trials has shown an increased risk of suicidal behaviour in adults aged less than 25 years with psychiatric conditions who were treated with an antidepressant. If you have thoughts of harming or killing yourself at any time, contact your doctor or go to a hospital straight away.
You may find it helpful to tell a relative or close friend that you are depressed or have an anxiety disorder, and ask them to read this leaflet. You might ask them to tell you if they think your depression or anxiety is getting worse, or if they are worried about changes in your behaviour.
Important side effects seen with Seroxat
Some patients who take Seroxat develop something called akathisia, where they feel restless and feel like they can't sit or stand still. Other patients develop something called serotonin syndrome, or neuroleptic malignant syndrome, where they have some or all of the following symptoms: feeling very agitated or irritable, feeling confused, feeling restless, feeling hot, sweating, shaking, shivering, hallucinations (strange visions or sounds), muscle stiffness, sudden jerks of the muscles or a fast heartbeat. The severity can increase, leading to loss of consciousness. If you notice any of these symptoms, contact your doctor. For more information on these or other side effects of Seroxat, see section 4. Medicines like 'Seroxat' (so called SSRIs) may cause symptoms of sexual dysfunction (see section 4). In some cases, these symptoms have continued after stopping treatment.
Other medicines and Seroxat
Some medicines can affect the way Seroxat works or make it more likely that you will have side effects. Seroxat can also affect the way some other medicines work. These include:
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If you are taking or have recently taken any of the medicines in this list, and you have not already discussed these with your doctor, go back to your doctor and ask what to do. The dose may need to be changed or you may need to be given another medicine.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines, including medicines obtained without a prescription.
Seroxat with food, drink and alcohol
Do not drink alcohol while you are taking Seroxat. Alcohol may make your symptoms or side effects worse. Taking Seroxat in the morning with food will reduce the likelihood of you feeling sick (nausea).
Pregnancy, breast-feeding and fertility
If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine. In babies whose mothers took Seroxat during the first few months of pregnancy, there have been some reports showing an increased risk of birth defects, in particular those affecting the heart. In the general population, about 1 in 100 babies are born with a heart defect. This increased to up to 2 in 100 babies in mothers who took Seroxat. You and your doctor may decide that it is better for you to change to another treatment or to gradually stop taking Seroxat while you are pregnant. However, depending on your circumstances, your doctor may suggest that it is better for you to keep taking Seroxat. Make sure your midwife or doctor knows you're taking Seroxat. If you take SEROXAT near the end of your pregnancy there may be an increased risk of heavy vaginal bleeding shortly after birth, especially if you have a history of bleeding disorders. Your doctor or midwife should be aware that you are taking SEROXAT so they can advise you. When taken during pregnancy, particularly late pregnancy, medicines like Seroxat may increase the risk of a serious condition in babies, called persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN). In PPHN, the blood pressure in the blood vessels between the baby's heart and the lungs is too high. If you take Seroxat during the last 3 months of pregnancy, your newborn baby might also have other conditions, which usually begin during the first 24 hours after birth. Symptoms include:
Driving and using machines
Possible side effects of Seroxat include dizziness, confusion, feeling sleepy or blurred vision. If you do get these side effects, do not drive or use machinery.
Seroxat contains sodium
This medicine contains less than 1 mmol sodium (23 mg) per tablet, that is to say essentially 'sodium-free'.
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Seroxat Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure. Seroxat tablets come in three strengths: 10 mg: White to pinkish-white tablets, marked with "FC1" on one side and "GS" on the other 20 mg: White tablets, marked with "20" 30 mg: Blue tablets, marked with "30" Sometimes you may need to take more than one tablet or half a tablet. This table will show you how many tablets to take. Dose Number of tablets to take 10 mg One white to pinkish-white tablet 20 mg One white tablet 30 mg One blue tablet 40 mg Two white tablets 50 mg One blue tablet + One white tablet or Two-and-a-half white tablets 60 mg Two blue tablets or Three white tablets The usual doses for different conditions are set out in the table below. Starting Recommended dose daily dose Depression 20 mg 20 mg Obsessive Compulsive Disorder 20 mg 40 mg (obsessions and compulsions) Panic Disorder (panic attacks) 10 mg 40 mg Social Anxiety Disorder (fear or 20 mg 20 mg avoidance of social situations) Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder 20 mg 20 mg Generalised Anxiety Disorder 20 mg 20 mg
Maximum daily dose 50 mg 60 mg 60 mg 50 mg 50 mg 50 mg
Your doctor will advise you what dose to take when you first start taking Seroxat. Most people start to feel better after a couple of weeks. If you don't start to feel better after this time, talk to your doctor, who will advise you. He or she may decide to increase the dose gradually, 10 mg at a time, up to a maximum daily dose. Take your tablets in the morning with food. Swallow them with a drink of water. Do not chew. Your doctor will talk to you about how long you will need to keep taking your tablets. This may be for many months or even longer.
Older people
The maximum dose for people over 65 is 40 mg per day.
Patients with liver or kidney disease
If you have trouble with your liver or kidneys your doctor may decide that you should have a lower dose of Seroxat than usual. If you have severe liver or kidney disease the maximum dose is 20 mg per day. 5
If you take more Seroxat than you should
Never take more tablets than your doctor recommends. If you take too many Seroxat tablets (or someone else does), tell your doctor or a hospital straight away. Show them the pack of tablets. Someone who has taken an overdose of Seroxat may have any one of the symptoms listed in section 4, Possible side effects, or the following symptoms: fever; uncontrollable tightening of the muscles.
If you forget to take Seroxat
Take your medicine at the same time every day. If you do forget a dose, and you remember before you go to bed, take it straight away. Carry on as usual the next day. If you only remember during the night, or the next day leave out the missed dose. You may possibly get withdrawal effects, but these should go away after you take your next dose at the usual time. Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.
What to do if you're feeling no better
Seroxat will not relieve your symptoms straight away – all antidepressants take time to work. Some people will start to feel better within a couple of weeks, but for others it may take a little longer. Some people taking antidepressants feel worse before feeling better. If you don't start to feel better after a couple of weeks, go back to your doctor who will advise you. Your doctor should ask to see you again a couple of weeks after you first start treatment. Tell your doctor if you haven't started to feel better.
If you stop taking Seroxat
Do not stop taking Seroxat until your doctor tells you to. When stopping Seroxat, your doctor will help you to reduce your dose slowly over a number of weeks or months – this should help reduce the chance of withdrawal effects. One way of doing this is to gradually reduce the dose of Seroxat you take by 10 mg a week. Most people find that any symptoms on stopping Seroxat are mild and go away on their own within two weeks. For some people, these symptoms may be more severe, or go on for longer. If you get withdrawal effects when you are coming off your tablets your doctor may decide that you should come off them more slowly. If you get severe withdrawal effects when you stop taking Seroxat, please see your doctor. He or she may ask you to start taking your tablets again and come off them more slowly. It may be easier for you to take Seroxat oral suspension during the time that you are coming off your medicine. If you do get withdrawal effects, you will still be able to stop Seroxat.
Possible withdrawal effects when stopping treatment
Studies show that 3 in 10 patients notice one or more symptoms on stopping Seroxat. Some withdrawal effects on stopping occur more frequently than others. Common side effects These may affect up to 1 in 10 people
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Headaches.
Uncommon side effects These may affect up to 1 in 100 people
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. Side effects are more likely to happen in the first few weeks of taking Seroxat.
See the doctor if you get any of the following side effects during treatment You may need to contact your doctor or go to a hospital straight away.
Uncommon side effects These may affect up to 1 in 100 people • If you have unusual bruising or bleeding, including vomiting blood or passing blood in your stools, contact your doctor or go to a hospital straight away. • If you find that you are not able to pass water, contact your doctor or go to a hospital straight away. Rare side effects These may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people • If you experience seizures (fits), contact your doctor or go to a hospital straight away. • If you feel restless and feel like you can't sit or stand still, you may have something called akathisia. Increasing your dose of Seroxat may make these feelings worse. If you feel like this, contact your doctor. • If you feel tired, weak or confused and have achy, stiff or uncoordinated muscles this may be because your blood is low in sodium. If you have these symptoms, contact your doctor. Very rare side effects These may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people
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Some people have had thoughts of harming or killing themselves while taking Seroxat or soon after stopping treatment (see Thoughts of suicide and worsening of your depression or anxiety disorder in section 2)
Other possible side effects during treatment
Very common side effects These may affect more than 1 in 10 people
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Overactive behaviour or thoughts (mania) Feeling detached from yourself (depersonalisation) Feeling anxious Irresistible urge to move the legs (Restless Legs Syndrome) Pain in the joints or muscles Increase in a hormone called prolactin in the blood Menstrual period disorders (including heavy or irregular periods, bleeding between periods and absence or delay of periods
Very rare side effects These may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people
Reporting of side effects
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme at: Website: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store. By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
Seroxat • • • • • •
Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children. Do not use this medicine after the expiry date (EXP) which is stated on the blister and the carton. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month. Do not store your tablets above 30oC. Store in the original package in order to protect from light. If you are using half tablets, be careful to keep them safely in the pack. Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help protect the environment.
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What Seroxat contains
10 mg film-coated tablet The active substance is paroxetine (10 mg), as the hydrochloride hemihydrate. 20 mg film-coated tablet The active substance is paroxetine (20 mg), as the hydrochloride hemihydrate. 30 mg film-coated tablet The active substance is paroxetine (30 mg), as the hydrochloride hemihydrate. The other ingredients are 10 mg film-coated tablet in the tablet core: dibasic calcium phosphate dihydrate (E341), magnesium stearate (E470b) and sodium starch glycolate (Type A). in the tablet coat: hypromellose (E464), titanium dioxide (E171), macrogol 400, polysorbate 80 (E433) and iron oxide red (E172). 20 mg film-coated tablet in the tablet core: dibasic calcium phosphate dihydrate (E341), magnesium stearate (E470b) and sodium starch glycolate (Type A). in the tablet coat: hypromellose (E464), titanium dixoide (E171), macrogol 400 and polysorbate 80 (E433). 30 mg film-coated tablet in the tablet core: dibasic calcium phosphate dihydrate (E341), magnesium stearate (E470b) and sodium starch glycolate (Type A). in the tablet coat: hypromellose (E464), titanium dioxide (E171), macrogol 400, polysorbate 80 (E433) and indigo carmine (E132).
What Seroxat looks like and contents of the pack •
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Seroxat 10 mg film-coated tablets are white to pinkish-white, oval-shaped tablets, marked 'FC1' on one side and 'GS' on the other side. The tablets have a break bar on both sides. Each pack of Seroxat contains child-resistant blisters of 28 tablets Seroxat 20 mg film-coated tablets are white, oval-shaped tablets, marked '20' on one side, and with a break bar on the other side. Each pack of Seroxat contains child-resistant blisters of 30 tablets Seroxat 30 mg film-coated tablets are blue, oval-shaped tablets, marked '30' on one side, and with a break bar on the other side. The break bar is only to facilitate breaking for ease of swallowing and not to divide into equal doses. Each pack of Seroxat contains child-resistant blisters of 30 tablets.
Marketing Authorisation Holder and Manufacturer
Marketing Authorisation Holder: SmithKline Beecham Limited, 79 New Oxford Street, London, WC1A 1DG, United Kingdom Manufacturer: Delpharm Poznań Spółka Akcyjna, ul. Grunwaldzka 189, 60-322 Poznań, Poland You may also find it helpful to contact a self-help group or patient organisation to find out more about your condition. Your doctor will be able to give you details.
Other formats
To listen to or request a copy of this leaflet in Braille, large print or audio please call, free of charge:
0800 198 5000 (UK only) Please be ready to give the following information: Product name
Seroxat 10 mg tablets Seroxat 20 mg tablets
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Reference number
Seroxat 30 mg tablets 10592/0218
This is a service provided by the Royal National Institute of Blind People. This leaflet was last revised in: October 2024 Trademarks are owned by or licensed to the GSK group of companies © 2024 GSK group of companies or its licensor
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Seroxat 10mg tablets comes as tablet containing 10mg. Always follow the dose your doctor or pharmacist has given you, and read the leaflet that comes with the medicine.
The active substance in Seroxat 10mg tablets is paroxetine hydrochloride hemihydrate.
Medicines with the same active substance, strength and form include: Paroxetine 10 mg Tablets. They are interchangeable only if your prescriber or pharmacist says so.
This leaflet reproduces the patient information leaflet approved for Seroxat 10mg tablets, as published on the electronic medicines compendium (emc). The version printed inside your medicine’s packaging is the one that applies to you.
Whether a medicine is available over the counter or on prescription only depends on its licence. Check the leaflet, or ask your pharmacist — they can tell you straight away.
The text above reproduces the patient information leaflet approved for this medicine, restructured for easier reading.
Ask anything about Seroxat 10mg tablets. The assistant answers only from this leaflet — if the leaflet does not cover it, it will say so. It does not give medical advice.
Answers come from the patient leaflet published on the electronic medicines compendium (emc). They are not medical advice. Ask a pharmacist or your GP if you are unsure. For urgent help call NHS 111, or 999 in an emergency.
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