Package Leaflet: Information for the User
Motivan 20 mg Film-Coated Tablets
paroxetine (as hydrochloride hemihydrate)
Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start taking this medicine, because it contains important information for you.
Contents of the pack
Motivan is used for the treatment of depression and/or anxiety disorders in adults.The anxiety disorders for which Motivan is indicated are: obsessive-compulsive disorder (obsessive thoughts, repetitive behavior), panic disorder (panic attacks, including those caused by agoraphobia, which is the fear of open spaces), social anxiety disorder (fear or avoidance of social contact), post-traumatic stress disorder (anxiety caused by a traumatic event), and generalized anxiety disorder (feeling normally very anxious and nervous).
Motivan belongs to a group of medicines called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). The mechanism of action of Motivan and other SSRIs is not fully understood, but they work by increasing the level of serotonin in the brain. Properly treating depression or anxiety disorder is important to help you feel better.
Do not take Motivan
If you are in any of these situations, tell your doctor and do not take Motivan.
Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting to take Motivan
If you are in any of these situations and have not yet talked to your doctor, ask them how to take Motivan.
Children and adolescents under 18 years of age
Motivan should not be used in the treatment of children and adolescents under 18 years of age.Also, you should know that in patients under 18 years of age, there is a greater risk of adverse effects such as suicidal attempts, suicidal thoughts, and hostility (mainly aggression, confrontational behavior, and irritation) when taking Motivan. Nevertheless, your doctor may prescribe Motivan to patients under 18 years of age when they decide it is most convenient for the patient. If your doctor has prescribed Motivan to you or your child under 18 years of age and you want to discuss this decision, talk to your doctor. You should inform your doctor if any of the symptoms mentioned above appear or worsen when you or your child under 18 years of age are taking Motivan. The long-term effects of Motivan on safety, related to growth, maturity, and cognitive and behavioral development in this age group, have not yet been demonstrated.
In studies conducted with Motivan in patients under 18 years of age, frequent adverse effects that affected less than 1 in 10 children or adolescents were: an increase in suicidal thoughts and attempts, self-harm behaviors, hostile, aggressive, or unfriendly behavior, loss of appetite, tremors, abnormal sweating, hyperactivity (having too much energy), agitation, unstable emotions (including crying and mood changes), and the appearance of bruises or bleeding (such as nosebleeds). These effects were also observed in patients included in these studies who did not take Motivan, although with lower frequency.
When stopping treatment with Motivan, in these studies, some of the patients under 18 years of age reported having withdrawal effects. These effects were very similar to those observed in adults who stopped treatment with Motivan (see section 3). Additionally, patients under 18 years of age frequently experienced (affecting less than 1 in 10) stomach pain, nervousness, and unstable emotions (including crying, mood changes, self-harm attempts, suicidal thoughts, and attempts).
Suicidal thoughts and worsening of your depression or anxiety disorder
If you are depressed and/or have an anxiety disorder, you may sometimes have thoughts of harming yourself or committing suicide.These may increase at the beginning of treatment with antidepressants, as all these medicines take time to work, which is usually a few weeks but can sometimes be longer.
This is more likely to happen
If you have thoughts of self-harm or suicide at any time, talk to your doctor or go to the hospital immediately.
It may be helpful for you to tell a relative or close friend that you are depressed or have an anxiety disorder, and ask them to read this leaflet.You can also ask them to tell you if they think your depression or anxiety is getting worse, or if they are worried about changes in your behavior.
Important side effects seen with Motivan
Some patients who take Motivan develop a disorder called akathisia, and feel restless and unable to sit or stay still.Other patients develop what is called serotonin syndrome or neuroleptic malignant syndrome, and may have some or all of the following symptoms: feeling very agitated or irritable, confusion, restlessness, feeling hot, sweating, trembling, chills, hallucinations (strange visions or sounds), muscle stiffness, sudden jerky movements, or increased heart rate.The severity can increase and lead to loss of consciousness. Talk to your doctor if you have any of these symptoms.For more information on this or other side effects of Motivan, see section 4.
Some medicines in the group to which Motivan belongs (called SSRIs) may cause symptoms of sexual dysfunction (see section 4). In some cases, these symptoms persist after stopping treatment.
Other medicines and Motivan
Some medicines may change the effect of Motivan or make it more likely that certain side effects will appear. Motivan may also change the effect of some medicines. For example:
If you are taking or have recently taken any of these medicines, tell your doctor and ask what you should do.Your doctor may decide to change the dose or prescribe another medicine.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken, or might take any other medicine, even those bought without a prescription.
Taking Motivan with food, drinks, and alcohol
Do not drink alcohol while taking Motivan.Alcohol can make your symptoms worse or increase the side effects.
Taking Motivan in the morning with food may reduce the likelihood of nausea.
Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and fertility
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, think you may be pregnant, or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine.
In some studies, an increased risk of malformations, particularly those affecting the heart, has been observed in newborns whose mothers took Motivan during the first months of pregnancy. In the general population, approximately 1 in 100 newborns is born with a heart malformation. This proportion increased to 2 in 100 newborns in mothers who took Motivan. Your doctor, in agreement with you, may change your treatment to another medicine or gradually stop Motivan treatment while you are pregnant. However, depending on your circumstances, your doctor may recommend continuing to take Motivan.
Make sure your doctor or midwife knows that you are taking Motivan.If you take Motivan in the final stages of pregnancy, there may be a greater risk of heavy vaginal bleeding shortly after delivery, especially if you have a history of bleeding disorders. Your doctor or midwife should know that you are taking Motivan so they can advise you. Medicines like Motivan may increase the risk of a serious disease called persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) when taken during pregnancy, particularly at the end of it. The pressure in the blood vessels between the heart and lungs is very high in newborns with persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN).
If you are taking Motivan in the last trimester of pregnancy, your newborn may also have other symptoms that usually start during the first 24 hours after birth.These symptoms include:
If your baby has any of these symptoms at birth, or if you are concerned about your newborn's health, contact your doctor or midwife, who will advise you.
Motivan passes into breast milk in very small amounts.Ask your doctor if you can breastfeed while taking Motivan. Your doctor, in agreement with you, may advise you to continue breastfeeding while taking Motivan.
Animal studies have shown that paroxetine reduces sperm quality. Theoretically, this could affect fertility in humans, but this impact has not yet been observed in people.
Driving and using machines
Some of the side effects that Motivan can cause are dizziness, confusion, drowsiness, or blurred vision. If you experience any of these effects, do not drive or use machines.
Motivan contains sodium
This medicine contains less than 23 mg of sodium (1 mmol) per tablet; this is essentially "sodium-free".
Follow your doctor's or pharmacist's administration instructions for this medication exactly.If in doubt, consult your doctor or pharmacist again.
Sometimes it may be necessary to take more than one tablet or half a tablet. The following table will show you how many tablets you should take:
Dose | Number of tablets to take |
10 mg | Half a tablet |
20 mg | One tablet |
30 mg | One and a half tablets |
40 mg | Two tablets |
50 mg | Two and a half tablets |
60 mg | Three tablets |
The usual doses for different indications are detailed in the following table:
Initial daily dose | Recommended daily dose | Maximum daily dose | |
Depression | 20 mg | 20 mg | 50 mg |
Obsessive-compulsive disorder | 20 mg | 40 mg | 60 mg |
Anxiety disorder | 10 mg | 40 mg | 60 mg |
Social phobia disorder | 20 mg | 20 mg | 50 mg |
Post-traumatic stress disorder | 20 mg | 20 mg | 50 mg |
Generalized anxiety disorder | 20 mg | 20 mg | 50 mg |
Your doctor will indicate what dose you should take when starting treatment with Motivan.Most people start to feel better after a couple of weeks. If after this time you do not start to feel better, consult your doctor, who will indicate what to do. Your doctor may decide to gradually increase the dose, in increments of 10 mg, up to the maximum daily dose.
Take the tablets in the morning, with food.
The tablets should be swallowed with water.
The tablets should not be chewed.
Your doctor will indicate the duration of the treatment. This period may be extended for several months or even longer.
The maximum dose for people over 65 years old is 40 mg per day.
If you have severe hepatic or renal insufficiency, your doctor may advise you to take smaller doses of Motivan than usual.
If you take more Motivan than you should
In case of overdose or accidental ingestion, consult your doctor or pharmacist immediately or call the Toxicology Information Service, phone: 91 562 04 20, indicating the medication and the amount ingested.
Never take more tablets than your doctor has recommended.
A person who has taken an overdose of Motivan may experience some of the symptoms that appear in section 4 Possible adverse effects,or some of the following symptoms: fever, involuntary muscle contraction.
If you forget to take Motivan
Take your medication at the same time every day.
If you forget to take a dose and remember before going to bed, take it immediately. Take the next dose at the usual time.
If you remember during the night or the next day, skip the missed dose. You may suffer from some withdrawal symptoms, but they should disappear after taking the next dose at the usual time.
Do not take a double dose to make up for missed doses.
What to do if you do not feel better
Motivan will not improve your symptoms immediately, all antidepressants take time to work. Some people start to feel better after a couple of weeks, but others may require more time. Some people taking antidepressants feel worse before starting to notice improvement. If you do not start to feel better after a couple of weeks, tell your doctor, who will indicate what to do. It is possible that your doctor has scheduled a follow-up appointment after 2 weeks of starting your treatment.
If you stop treatment with Motivan
Do not stop treatment until your doctor indicates it.
When stopping treatment with Motivan, your doctor will indicate how to gradually reduce the doses over a period of several weeks or months, this will help reduce the risk of suffering from withdrawal symptoms. One way to do this is to gradually reduce the dose of Motivan you are taking by 10 mg each week. Most people consider the possible symptoms that occur when stopping treatment with Motivan to be mild and disappear on their own within two weeks. For other people, these symptoms can be more severe or last longer.
If you experience withdrawal effectswhile stopping your treatment, your doctor may decide to stop it more slowly. If you experience severe withdrawal symptoms, please consult your doctor. Your doctor may advise you to start treatment again and then stop it more slowly.
Even if you experience some withdrawal effect, you will be able to stop your treatment with Motivan.
Possible withdrawal effects when stopping treatment
Studies have shown that 3 out of 10 patients experience one or more symptoms when stopping their treatment with Motivan. Some of these effects occur more frequently than others.
Common adverse effects
May affect up to 1 in 10 people
Uncommon adverse effects
May affect up to 1 in 100 people
Consult your doctor if you are concerned about the effects of withdrawing from Motivan.
If you have any other questions about the use of this medication, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Like all medications, this medication can cause adverse effects, although not all people experience them. It is more likely that adverse effects will appear during the first few weeks of treatment with Motivan.
Tell your doctor if you experience any of the adverse effects described below during treatment with Motivan.
You may need to consult your doctor or go to the hospital immediately.
Uncommon adverse effects
May affect up to 1 in 100 people
Rare adverse effects
May affect up to 1 in 1,000 people
Very rare adverse effects
May affect up to 1 in 10,000 people
If you develop a skin rash with redness and bumps, swelling of the face, eyelids, lips, mouth, or tongue, itching, or difficulty breathing (difficulty breathing) or swallowing, and a feeling of weakness or dizziness that can cause collapse or loss of consciousness, contact your doctor or go to the hospital immediately.
If you experience eye pain and blurred vision, consult your doctor.
Frequency not known
The frequency cannot be estimatedfrom the available data
If you experience these adverse effects, contact your doctor.
Other possible adverse effects during treatment:
Very common adverse effects
May affect more than 1 in 10 people
Common adverse effects
May affect up to 1 in 10 people
Uncommon adverse effects
May affect up to 1 in 100 people
Rare adverse effects
May affect up to 1 in 1,000 people
Very rare adverse effects
May affect up to 1 in 10,000 people
Frequency not known
The frequency cannot be estimatedfrom the available data
Some patients have experienced ringing, whistling, buzzing, or other persistent noises in the ears (tinnitus) when taking Motivan.
It has been observed that people taking medications like Motivan have a higher risk of bone fractures.
Reporting adverse effects
If you experience any type of adverse effect, consult your doctor or pharmacist, even if it is a possible adverse effect that is not listed in this leaflet. You can also report them directly through the Spanish Medicines Surveillance System for Human Use: www.notificaRAM.es. By reporting adverse effects, you can contribute to providing more information on the safety of this medication.
Keep this medication out of sight and reach of children.
Do not use this medication after the expiration date (CAD) that appears on the packaging. The expiration date is the last day of the month indicated.
Do not store at a temperature above 30°C. Store in the original packaging to protect from light.
If you are taking half a tablet, be careful to store it safely in the packaging.
Medications should not be thrown down the drain or into the trash. Deposit the packaging and medications you no longer need at the SIGRE collection point in the pharmacy. If in doubt, ask your pharmacist how to dispose of the packaging and medications you no longer need. This will help protect the environment.
Composition of Motivan
The active ingredient is paroxetine (20 mg), as hydrochloride hemihydrate.
The other ingredients are:
In the core of the tablet: calcium hydrogen phosphate dihydrate (E341), magnesium stearate (E470b), and sodium carboxymethyl starch (type A) of potato.
In the coating of the tablet: hypromellose (E464), titanium dioxide (E171), macrogol 400, and polysorbate 80 (E433).
Appearance of the product and package contents
Motivan 20 mg film-coated tablets are presented in the form of white, oval tablets, marked with “20” on one face and a break line on the other face. Each package of Motivan contains child-resistant blisters of 4, 10, 14, 20, 28, 30, 50, 56, 60, 98, 100, 250, or 500 tablets.
Only some package sizes may be marketed.
Marketing authorization holder:
GlaxoSmithKline, S.A.
P.T.M. C/ Severo Ochoa, 2
28760 Tres Cantos (Madrid)
Tel: +34 900 202 700
es-ci@gsk.com
Manufacturer:
Delpharm Poznan Spólka Akcyjna ul. Grunwaldzka 189 60-322 Poznan Poland
This medication is authorized in the Member States of the European Economic Area under the following names:
Netherlands | Paroxetine GSK |
Spain | Motivan |
You can request more information about your disease by contacting a patient organization. Consult your doctor.
Date of the last revision of this leaflet:December 2023.
Detailed and updated information about this medication is available on the website of the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS) http://www.aemps.gob.es/
The average price of MOTIVAN 20 mg FILM-COATED TABLETS in October, 2025 is around 3.04 EUR. Prices may vary depending on the region, pharmacy, and whether a prescription is required. Always check with a local pharmacy or online source for the most accurate information.