Package Leaflet: Information for the User
Paroxetina Almus20 mg film-coated tablets EFG
Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start taking this medicine because it contains important information for you.
Contents of the pack and other information
Paroxetina Almus is used for the treatment of depression and/or anxiety disorders in adults.
The anxiety disorders for which Paroxetina Almus is indicated are:
Paroxetina Almus belongs to a group of medicines called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). We all have a substance in the brain called serotonin.
People who are depressed or have anxiety have lower serotonin levels than others. The precise mechanism of action of Paroxetina Almus and other SSRIs is not fully known, but they work by increasing serotonin levels in the brain. Properly treating depression or anxiety disorder is important to help you feel better.
Do not take Paroxetina Almus
If you are in any of these situations, tell your doctor and do not take Paroxetina Almus.
Warnings and precautions
Consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting to take Paroxetina Almus.
If you are in any of these situationsand have not yet consulted your doctor, ask your doctor how to take Paroxetina Almus
Children and adolescents under 18 years of age
Paroxetina Almus 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 Paroxetina Almus. Nevertheless, your doctor may prescribe Paroxetina Almus to patients under 18 years of age when they decide it is most convenient for the patient. If your doctor has prescribed Paroxetina Almus to your child under 18 years of age and you want to discuss this decision, consult 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 Paroxetina Almus. The long-term effects of Paroxetina Almus on safety, related to growth, maturity, and cognitive and behavioral development in this age group, have not yet been demonstrated.
In studies conducted with paroxetine in patients under 18 years of age, frequent adverse effects, which affected less than 1 in 10 children or adolescents, were: an increase in suicidal thoughts and attempts, self-harm, 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 paroxetine, although with less frequency.
When interrupting treatment with paroxetine, in these studies, some patients under 18 years of age reported having withdrawal effects. These effects were very similar to those observed in adults who interrupted treatment with paroxetine (see section 3 "How to take Paroxetina Almus"). Additionally, patients under 18 years of age frequently experienced (affecting 1 in 10) stomach pain, nervousness, and unstable emotions (including crying, mood changes, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and attempts).
Suicidal thoughts and worsening of your depression or anxiety disorder
If you are depressed and/or have anxiety disorders, you may sometimes have thoughts of harming yourself or committing suicide. These can 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.
If you have thoughts of self-harm or suicide at any time, consult your doctor or go to the hospital immediately.
It may be useful for you to explain toa family member or close friendthat you are depressed or have anxiety disorders, 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 concerned about changes in your behavior.
Important side effects seen with Paroxetina Almus
Some patients taking Paroxetina Almus develop a disorder called akathisia, and feel restless and unable to sit or stay still. Other patients develop a condition 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. Consult your doctorif you have any of these symptoms. For more information on this or other side effects of Paroxetina Almus, see section 4 Possible side effectsin this leaflet.
Some medicines in the group to which Paroxetina Almus belongs (called SSRIs) may cause symptoms of sexual dysfunction (see section 4). In some cases, these symptoms persist after stopping treatment.
Other medicines and Paroxetina Almus
Some medicines may change the effect of Paroxetina Almus or make it more likely that certain side effects will appear. Paroxetina Almus 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 medicines,including those obtained without a prescription.
Taking Paroxetina Almus with food, drinks, and alcohol
Do not consume alcohol while taking Paroxetina Almus. Alcohol may worsen your symptoms or side effects.
Taking Paroxetina Almus 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 plan to become pregnant, consult your doctor or pharmacist before using this medicine.
In some studies, an increased risk of malformations, particularly those affecting the heart, has been observed in newborns whose mothers took Paroxetina Almus 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 Paroxetina Almus. Your doctor, in agreement with you, may change your treatment to another or gradually stop the treatment with Paroxetina Almus while you are pregnant. However, depending on your circumstances, your doctor may recommend continuing to take Paroxetina Almus.
If you take Paroxetina Almus in the final stage 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 Paroxetina Almus to advise you.
Make sure your doctor or midwife knows that you are taking Paroxetina Almus. Medicines like Paroxetina Almus 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 that go between the heart and lungs is very high in newborns with persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN).
If you are taking Paroxetina Almus 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.
Paroxetina Almuspasses into breast milk in very small amounts.Consult your doctor if you are taking Paroxetina Almus before starting to breastfeed. Your doctor, in agreement with you, may advise you to continue breastfeeding while taking Paroxetina Almus.
Studies in animals have shown that paroxetine reduces sperm quality. Theoretically, this could affect fertility, but this impact has not yet been observed in humans.
Driving and using machines
Some of the side effects that Paroxetina Almus can cause are dizziness, confusion, drowsiness, or blurred vision. If you experience any of these effects, do not drive or use machines.
Paroxetina Almus 20 mg tablets contain soy.
If you are allergic to peanuts or soy, do not take this medicine.
Paroxetina Almus 20 mg tablets contain sodium.
This medicine contains less than 23 mg of sodium (1 mmol) per tablet; this is, essentially, "sodium-free".
Follow the administration instructions for this medication exactly as indicated by your doctor or pharmacist.In case of 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 normal doses for the 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 Paroxetine Almus.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 how to proceed. 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.
The tablet can be divided into equal doses.
Your doctor will indicate the duration of the treatment. This period may be extended for several months or even longer.
Elderly patients
The maximum dose for people over 65 years old is 40 mg per day.
Patients with kidney or liver problems
If you have severe hepatic or renal insufficiency, your doctor may advise you to take smaller doses of Paroxetine Almus than usual.
If you take more Paroxetine Almus than you should
Never take more tablets than your doctor has recommended.
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.
A person who has taken an overdose of Paroxetine Almus 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 Paroxetine Almus
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, omit the forgotten dose. You may suffer 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 forgotten doses.
What to do if you do not feel better
Paroxetine Almus 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 who take antidepressants feel worse before starting to notice improvement. If you do not start to feel better after a couple of weeks, inform 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 interrupt treatment with Paroxetine Almus
Do not interrupt treatment until your doctor indicates it.
When interrupting treatment with Paroxetine Almus, your doctor will indicate how to gradually reduce the doses over a period of several weeks or months, which will help reduce the risk of suffering from withdrawal symptoms. One way to do this is to gradually reduce the dose of Paroxetine Almus you are taking by 10 mg each week. Most people consider the possible symptoms that occur when interrupting treatment with Paroxetine Almus to be mild and disappear on their own within two weeks. For others, these symptoms can be more severe or last longer.
If you suffer from withdrawal effectswhile interrupting your treatment, the doctor may decide to interrupt it more slowly. If you experience severe withdrawal symptoms, please consult your doctor. Your doctor may advise you to start treatment again and then interrupt it more slowly.
Although you may suffer from some withdrawal effect, you will be able to interrupt your treatment with Paroxetine Almus.
Possible withdrawal effects when interrupting treatment
Studies have shown that 3 out of 10 patients experience one or more symptoms when interrupting their treatment with Paroxetine Almus. 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 withdrawal effects of Paroxetine Almus.
If you have any other questions about the use of this medication, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Like all medications, this medication can produce adverse effects, although not all people suffer from them. It is more likely that adverse effects will appear during the first weeks of treatment with Paroxetine Almus.
Inform your doctor if you suffer from any of the adverse effects described during treatment with Paroxetine Almus:
It may be necessary 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 (shortness of breath) or swallowing, and you feel weak or dizzy followed by 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
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 buzzing, whistling, ringing, or other persistent noises in the ears (tinnitus) when taking Paroxetine Almus.
It has been observed that people taking medications like Paroxetine Almus have a higher risk of bone fractures.
Reporting of adverse effects
If you experience any type of adverse effect, consult your doctor or pharmacist, even if it is an adverse effect that does not appear in this leaflet. You can also report them directly through the Spanish Pharmacovigilance System for Human Use Medicines. Website: 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 that appears on the blister, tablet container, or outer container. The expiration date is the last day of the month indicated.
This medication does not require special storage conditions.
Medications should not be thrown down the drain or into the trash. Deposit the containers and medications you no longer need in the SIGRE collection point at the pharmacy. If in doubt, ask your pharmacist how to dispose of the containers and medications you no longer need. This will help protect the environment.
Composition of Paroxetine Almus 20 mg tablets
The active ingredient is paroxetine hydrochloride. Each film-coated tablet contains anhydrous paroxetine hydrochloride equivalent to 20 mg of paroxetine.
Core of the tablet: magnesium stearate, sodium glycolate starch (Type A) of potato, mannitol, microcrystalline cellulose.
Coating of the tablet: methacrylic acid-methyl methacrylate copolymer (Eudragit E100), polyvinyl alcohol (partially hydrolyzed), titanium dioxide (E-171), talc, soy lecithin (E-322), xanthan gum (E-415).
Appearance of the product and package contents
Paroxetine Almus 20 mg: film-coated tablets, round and biconvex, white to off-white, 10 mm in diameter, scored on the edges and on both sides, and marked with P20 on one side.
The tablet can be divided into equal doses.
Package sizes:
Blister: 10, 12, 14, 28, 30, and 56 film-coated tablets.
Cylindrical white tablet container with white cap and desiccant (silica gel) containing: 20, 30, 60, and 100 film-coated tablets.
Not all package sizes may be marketed.
Marketing authorization holder and manufacturer
Marketing authorization holder:
Almus Pharmaceutical, S.A.U.
Marie Curie, 54
08840 Viladecans (Barcelona), Spain
Phone: 93 739 71 80 Email: farmacovigilancia@almusfarmaceutica.es
Manufacturer
Actavis Ltd.
BLB 015-016, Bulebel Industrial Estate
ZTN 3000 Zejtun
Malta
Balkanpharma – Dupnitsa AD
3 Samokovsko Shosse Str.
Dupnitsa 2600
Bulgaria
This medication is authorized in the member states of the European Economic Area with the following names:
Italy: Paroxetine Almus 20 mg film-coated tablets
Date of the last revision of this leaflet:January 2024
The average price of PAROXETINE ALMUS 20 mg FILM-COATED TABLETS in October, 2025 is around 6.09 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.