A type of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), which is a category of antidepressant prescribed to treat cataplexy, hypnagogic hallucinations, and sleep paralysis.

Paroxetine or paroxetine hydrochloride is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant. It was released in 1992 by the pharmaceutical company Glaxo Smith Kline and has since become one of the most prescribed antidepressants on the market due to its apparent efficacy in treating depression as well as a spectrum of anxiety disorders ranging from panic attacks to phobias. The prescription of this drug is currently controversial because of legal proceedings against the manufacturer (see controversy below).