Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft and Child Suicide and Pulmonary Hypertension Risk: 2006 Update

Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft and Child Suicide and Pulmonary Hypertension Risk: 2006 Update: "Child Suicide and Antidepressants
Antidepressant prescription drugs developed for adults are regularly prescribed to young persons even though most have never been specifically approved for use by depressed children and adolescents.
It is estimated that children and adolescents make up about 8% of patients prescribed antidepressant drugs in the U.S., constituting over ten million prescriptions dispensed for patients younger than 18 years in 2003. These drugs include Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Wellbutrin and Celexa.
On October 15, 2004, the US Food and Drug Administration ruled that the labels of antidepressants used by children must include a tough 'black box' warning about the risk of increased suicidal tendencies in young people. Such warnings are used to signal extremely serious side effects for a prescription drug. The decision to add the warning came after a study of 4,582 patients in 24 drug trials which found that about four children and adolescents of every 100 who took antidepressant drugs reported suicidal thoughts or behavior, twice the number among those who took dummy pills. The detailed results of the study, which was conducted in 2004, were published in early March 2006."

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posted by Robert Heard at 10:16 AM