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Paxil Class Action Lawsuit Settlement
By Kimberly Mirando
GlaxoSmithKline has proposed a class action lawsuit settlement to resolve allegations it falsely and deceptively advertised that its prescription antidepressant Paxil is non-addictive. If approved, the Paxil class action settlement will provide cash refunds to California residents who purchased Paxil between 1999 and 2003.
The Paxil settlement will resolve a class action lawsuit, Grair v. GlaxoSmithKline, alleging GlaxoSmithKline (“GSK”) falsely advertised and promoted Paxil as being non-habit forming or non-addictive, and that GSK’s advertisements and promotional materials failed to disclose the risk of symptoms users may experience if they stopped using Paxil.
GSK denies these allegations, but has offered to pay an $8.5 million class action lawsuit settlement to resolve the litigation.
Class Members of the Paxil class action lawsuit settlement include all California residents who were 18 years old or older and who paid for any portion of the price of Paxil while living in California from January 14, 1999 through January 1, 2003.
Class Members of the Paxil class action settlement who can provide Proof of Purchase can receive a full refund of the out-of-pocket expenses they paid for Paxil during the Class Period, provided the total amount of claims does not exceed $8.5 million.
Class Members without Proof of Purchase can still file a claim to receive up to $80 of out-of-pocket expenses, provided the total amount of these claims does not exceed $500,000.
Only out-of-pocket expenses incurred for Paxil will be refunded, including copayments and deductibles. For example, if you paid a $20 copay for a Paxil prescription, you would receive $20. You would not be entitled to receive the amount your insurance company or employer paid as part of your insurance plan.
To receive a refund from the Paxil class action settlement, you must submit a claim form and any supporting documents to the Paxil Settlement Administrator postmarked by October 10, 2012.
Claim forms and more information on your rights in the GlaxoSmithKline Paxil Class Action Lawsuit Settlement can be found at www.CAPaxilClassAction.com. Detailed instructions on how to file a claim for the Paxil settlement can be found in our Open Lawsuit Settlements section.
Updated July 20th, 2012
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30 thoughts onPaxil Class Action Lawsuit Settlement
I took Paxil religiously everyday from 1997-2004. It did help with my social phobia/agoraphobia very much. It was also support to help with my panic attacks but I didn’t notice much help there. In 2004 my doctor moved. I had the worst withdraw symptoms. I had the paxil flu for a little over a month. I could not control my emotions and thoughts. I believe I was losing my mind. I felt as though my mind was going crazy and my emotions were all over the place. I actually cut myself very deep on my leg because I needed to feel something real.
My doctor prescribed Paxil in 2001 in Florida. We moved to OK where my doctor there continued to prescribe Paxil. Approximately 2009 I became very very ill. I had terrible chills, confusion, hallucinations, could not get up without assistance because my muscles were so weak and so sore. My husband had to move me. When he got me out of bed in the morning, I was unable to stand up long enough to brush my teeth. By the time I made my way to the living room, I went to sleep because I was that weak. I could not eat, I could do nothing for myself. Went to my doctor who sent me to the hospital. Had many tests including an MRI. Was sent to a neurologist who did several tests He told me to never take another Paxil. I was afraid of the withdrawal but he assured me that I should not ever take another. There was no withdrawal. I asked him why I was so sore and he assured me that Paxil breaks your muscles down. I went through hell and I am as afraid of Paxil as I could be a bear.
my mother died in 15 hours from brain anyurism – had been on paxil for many years — otherwise totally healthy she was 63…
I was on on 20 mg paxil 1996-1997 my son was born with a heart defect tetrology of fallot, it has been difficult proving it because records are only kept for so long before lost or destroyed
@ C’s Mom wrote: “My son took paxil during this time period. Why can’t I as his parent who paid for his medications file as part of the class action suit?”
Are you sure this is true (i.e. are you sure you can’t still qualify as a member of the class action)? The information above says “California residents who were 18 years old or older and who paid for any portion of the price of Paxil.” It doesn’t say you have to have been the patient, just that you paid for any portion of the price of Paxil.
In my opinion, this would include a parent who paid for the adolescent’s medication. I could be wrong on this, but it might be worth checking this out further. Good luck! You certainly deserve to receive the same compensation as everyone else.
It’s only in California right now because that’s where the law firm is located (the firm that filed the suit). A lawyer can’t file a suit in another state unless they’re licensed in that state. If a law firm in another state would file a class action suit, then people in that state could potentially qualify as a member of the “class”.
Another way this can happen is, for example, if a California law firm files a joint class action suit by partnering up with firms in other states. This would expand the list of states you can live in to qualify as a member of the class. That’s what they did in a lawsuit several years ago, regarding adolescents who became suicidal when they started taking Paxil.
If you live in another state, and you’d like to participate in a class action suit in your state, you need to find/hire a lawyer to initiate the class action suit on your behalf. Another option is to hope that someone else hires a lawyer (or find out if a suit is already in progress) and files a class-action suit. If they win the law suit, then you could potentially qualify as a member of the class if you meet all the other requirements.
refunds are cheap. GKS should be made to pay for all medications one will have to take for the rest of their lives if they can’t withdrawl completely and have to pay someone all costs of those coming off it, i.e. if they have to use ativan or lorazapeam to ease of the anxiety.
This should also be extended to Canada !
Paxil is addictive that is I have been on it since 1998 and have tried many times to get off of it. It is addictive and the withdrawals are horrible. This should be a class action lawsuit in itself b/c my doctor tried to wean me off and it failed…..It’s almost impossible to get off. There are hundreds if not thousands who state they can’t get off and if they do , IT TAKES YEARS!. WE NEED A LAWSUIT ON THIS….
Absolutely agree. This drug has destroyed my life. Taking since 1995. Can not get off it. Have tried many times to taper. Tried changing over to longer half life sister drug Prozac, suppose to be easier to wean off a longer acting drug, but ended up hospitalized and then the Paxil stopped working all on its own, here in Aus we call it poop out. Another side effect the company didn’t disclose. So I was in hell on earth for 19 months. They tried so many other ADs. Nothing worked, I was suicidal because of the physically torture my body was in. My own personal last choice was to try the Paxil again because I’d been off it for all that time. And miraculously it worked to stop withdrawal. But the side effects of the drug are so bad now because I’ve taken it so long, with the exception of those 19 months, life is not worth living. And of course my dosage has to just keep going up and up to get anything to work. I’ve learned that if I stop cold turkey, for 4 to 6 days, depends on how long I can stand it, and i detox my liver with milk thistle , when I restart I try at lower dose and I get some time on tgat dose but eventually I have to up doses gradually until it’s not working anymore again and side effects are atrocious. This is my life. Controlled by this poison, hardly out of bed, and know now it also causes dementia. At 57 I already feel I’m heading there with short term memory loss. Thankyou Glaxo Smith Kline. I HATE BIG PHARMA. Oh and no one will do a class action in Australia.
Why doesn’t everyone stop taking every drug on the market if these drug makers are doing more harm than good?
My son took paxil during this time period. Why can’t I as his parent who paid for his medications file as part of the class action suit? It does not seem fair. Was he any less impacted because of his age? We did not have insurance and had to pay full price for this drug, Then we had to watch him go through withdrawal when we switched medications. Does not seem fair at all.