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Antidepressant Drug Claim and Suicide Claims (Adverse Drug
Reactions)
Antidepressant
Drugs can be used to treat people with depression. However,
in some people, incorrect treatment with certain types of
antidepressant drugs can cause suicidal thinking or actions
or make a depressed person worse. Deciding on whether a
person should be placed on certain types of antidepressants
should be a team decision including the doctor, the patient,
and a patient's parents or guardians if the depressed
person is a minor. The team should discuss all treatment
choices, including the potential dangers of using
antidepressants including suicide and
birth defects in pregnant
women.
If
someone you love has been treated with antidepressants and
that treatment has resulted in suicide, feel free to
submit an
inquiry or
send an e-mail to Texas
Antidepressant Claim lawyer Jason Coomer.
He may be able to help you investigate the suicide and
determine if
the antidepressant medication treatment the person was
receiving was proper.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
has asked manufacturers of all antidepressant drugs to
include in their labeling a boxed warning and expanded
warning statements that alert health care providers to an
increased risk of suicidality (suicidal thinking and
behavior) in children and adolescents being treated with
these agents, and additional information about the results
of pediatric studies. The study reviewed five selective
serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) (Celexa, Prozac, Luvox,
Paxil and Zoloft) and four "atypical" antidepressants (Wellbutrin,
Remeron, Serzone and Effexor XR).
Of all antidepressants, only fluoxetine
(brand name: Prozac) has been FDA approved to treat
pediatric depression. For obsessive compulsive disorder, FDA
considers only fluoxetine (brand name: Prozac), sertraline
(brand name: Zoloft), fluvoxamine (no marketed brand name
product), and clomipramine (brand name: Anafranil) to be of
proven benefit in children and teens. The past experiences
of the patient with other treatments or antidepressants may
lead the doctor to suggest other antidepressants than the
ones listed above. However, make sure everyone understands
the potential risks of using antidepressants to treat
pediatric depression. Mirtazapine (marketed as Remeron
and Remeron Soltab) have been linked with suicidal thoughts
in adults and teenagers.
Nefazadone hydrochloride (marketed as
Serzone and Nefazodone HCL) is another SSRI that is
prescribed for patients experiencing depression or mental
illness. The FDA also administered a black-box warning for
Serzone, claiming it increased the thoughts and attempts of
suicide in children and adults taking the drug.
Bupropion hydrochloride (marketed as Wellbutrin, Wellbutrin
SR/XL and Zyban) has also drawn the FDA’s attention lately.
This antidepressant is believed to be related to increased
thoughts and attempts of suicide among children and adults
taking the drug.
Additionally,
regulatory authorities in the United Kingdom (U.K.) have
announced new labeling for the antidepressant drug Effexor (venlafaxine)
and antidepressant drugs known as SSRIs (selective serotonin
reuptake inhibitors). For Effexor and the SSRIs, the
British authorities strengthened warnings about
For Effexor, they
announced that patients with heart disease or high blood
pressure should not use the drug. The authorities will only
allow certain physician specialists to prescribe the drug.
Paxil (paroxetine) is
one of a class of medicines called Selective Serotonin
Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs). These drugs increase the
activity of an important brain chemical called serotonin, a
chemical know to be deficient in patients with MDD.
The FDA has not
approved Paxil for the treatment of MDD or any other
indication in pediatric patients. However, the FDA does not
regulate the practice of medicine and physicians may use a
drug in ways other than indicated on the labeling when, in
their professional judgment, if it is warranted in a
particular case. This is based on three well-controlled
clinical trials carried out in children (under 18 years of
age) with MDD that compared the effect of Paxil and placebo
(sugar pills) and found that Paxil did not work any better
than placebo in the treatment of MDD. In fact, based on the
results of the analyses of safety data from pediatric
studies, it was found that certain suicide-related
behaviors, including suicidal thoughts and attempts, were
more common in children receiving Paxil. The risk of these
events in the study was about 3 times greater with Paxil
compared to placebo. There were no deaths in these trials.
If any of the following behaviors appear
for the first time or seem worse after starting a new
antidepressant medication, a medical professional should be
contacted right away.
New or more thoughts of suicide
Trying to commit suicide
New or worse depression
New or worse anxiety
Feeling very agitated or restless
Panic attacks
Difficulty sleeping (insomnia)
New or worse irritability
Acting aggressive, being angry, or
violent
Acting on dangerous impulses
Being extremely hyperactive in
actions and talking (hypomania or mania)
Other unusual changes in behavior
If someone you love is suffering
from depression, make sure you have all the facts and have
carefully weighed your options prior to selecting an
antidepressant. If a suicide has occurred and you
believe that there was an improper treatment or incorrect
treatment, contact Austin Antidepressant lawyer, Jason S. Coomer.
He helps
individuals that have lost a loved one from improper doses or
treatment from antidepressants investigate suicide claims.
If you have lost a loved one from psychiatric malpractice or
improper antidepressant medication,
contact Austin Texas Psychiatrist Malpractice Lawyer Jason Coomer.
He works with other Texas Psychiatrist
Malpractice Lawyers including Houston psychiatrist
malpractice lawyers, Dallas Psychiatrist Malpractice
Lawyers, San Antonio Psychiatrist Malpractice Lawyers, and
other Austin Psychiatrist Negligence Lawyers on a variety of
psychiatrist malpractice claims.
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