The antidepressant Paxil may raise the risk of suicidal behavior in young adults, GlaxoSmithKline and the Food and Drug Administration warned Friday in a letter to doctors. (excite.com)

February 09, 2006

Newborns whose mothers took antidepressants such as Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft in the last trimester of pregnancy had six times the risk of suffering oxygen deprivation after birth compared with newborns whose mothers had not taken the drugs, according to a study published yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

And a briefing document prepared by Food and Drug Administration officials reported that adults taking medications such as Adderall and Ritalin to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder might be at higher risk of sudden death and other serious side effects, especially if they have high blood pressure. (Washington Post)

Posted by news editor | Filed under: Antidepressent Side Effects

January 02, 2006

Contrary to what has been feared, the antidepressants known as serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are initially effective in as many as one-third of depressed patients and don't appear to increase the risk of suicide, two new studies claim. (Forbes.com)

Posted by news editor | Filed under: Antidepressent Side Effects

December 10, 2005

Lisa Anderson's daughter was shot to death by the girl's boyfriend, Zachary Schmidkunz, in 2003. Schmidkunz blamed his actions on his use of Zoloft. Now Anderson has filed a wrongful death suit against Schmidkunz, his parents, and Pfizer, Inc - the makers of Zoloft.

Lisa Anderson's lawsuit alleges Zachary Schmidkunz's parents, Rhonda and Gail Schmidkunz, should have known about his depression and suicidal thoughts and kept him away from a shotgun. It also claims Pfizer Inc., the maker of the antidepressant drug Zoloft, knew of but failed to warn that Zoloft's side effects could lead to uncontrollable rage in young patients. (AP)

Posted by news editor | Filed under: Antidepressent Side Effects

September 28, 2005

The FDA has issued a warning following a study that suggests Paxil, the popular antidepressant, may cause birth defects in babies whose mothers were taking the drug during their first trimesters. GlaxoSmithKline, Paxil's manufacturer, plans to include the information in the list of precautions for the drug. (Washington Post)

Posted by news editor | Filed under: Antidepressent Side Effects