Comparative Pharmacology
Head-to-head clinical analysis: LUVOX CR versus PAXIL.
Peer-Reviewed Evidence
Head-to-head clinical analysis: LUVOX CR versus PAXIL.
LUVOX CR vs PAXIL
Comparing the clinical profiles, pharmacokinetic behaviors, and safety indices of these two therapeutic agents.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI); increases serotonin availability in the synaptic cleft by blocking serotonin reuptake transporters (SERT).
Paroxetine is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) that potentiates serotonergic activity in the central nervous system by inhibiting the reuptake of serotonin (5-HT) from the synaptic cleft, leading to increased serotonin levels.
100-300 mg orally once daily at bedtime
20 mg orally once daily, typically in the morning; may be increased in 10 mg/day increments at intervals of at least 1 week to a maximum of 50 mg/day.
None Documented
None Documented
The terminal elimination half-life is approximately 15-20 hours after single doses and 17-26 hours after multiple doses. This supports once-daily dosing, with steady-state achieved within 1-2 weeks.
Mean terminal half-life 21 hours (range 3–65 hours); steady-state achieved within 7–14 days; nonlinear kinetics with dose increase leading to disproportionate increases in half-life due to saturable hepatic metabolism (CYP2D6).
Approximately 94% of a dose is excreted in urine, with less than 4% as unchanged drug. The remainder is eliminated in feces. Renal excretion of metabolites accounts for the majority of elimination.
Renal: 64% (2% unchanged, 62% as metabolites); Fecal: 36% via bile; urinary excretion of unchanged paroxetine <2%.
Category C
Category C
SSRI Antidepressant
SSRI Antidepressant