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Birth Defects Caused by Using Antidepressant, Paxil
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Neurotransmitters in the brain are affected by antidepressants that fall under Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI), a classification of drug that balances the chemicals in the brain. Many experts believe that depression is caused when these brain chemicals are imbalanced.
GlaxoSmithKline is the manufacturer of FDA-approved antidepressant, Paxil. According to the company, 25% of individuals who take Paxil are women between 18 and 45 years of age. However, recent reports reveal that this drug could cause birth defects including heart defects and Paxil brain defects.
What does Paxil Treat?
Depression, obsessive compulsive disroder, panic disorder, mood disorders and other serious mental disorders are some of the disorders that is treated with a Paxil precription. Paxil is the first ever medication to be approved for use to treat social anxiety disorder or SAD.
Why SSRIs such as Paxil Could be Dangerous
There were studies reviewed by the U.S Food and Drug Administration which state that women who took Paxil during the first three months of their pregnancy were at least one and a half times more likely to have babies who suffer from birth defects. In 2005, the FDA had this to say in a news release, “Healthcare professionals are advised to carefully weigh the potential risks and benefits of using [Paxil] in women during pregnancy and to discuss these findings as well as treatment alternatives with their patients.”
What are Paxil Birth Defects?
The following are some fo the birth defects known to be caused by Paxil:
- neural tube defects
- Paxil withdrawal
- macrocephaly
- craniosynostosis
- clubbed foot
- miscarriage
- PPHN or persistent pulmonary hypertension
- heart defects
- brain defects
- developmental delay
- premature birth
- gastrochisis abdominal hernia
- spina bifida
- cleft lip
- cleft palate
In a statement made in Paxil’s website, it says, “Babies born to mothers who have taken antidepressants, including SSRIs such as Paxil, in the third trimester of pregnancy have reported complications, including difficulties with breathing, turning blue, seizures, changing body temperature, feeding problems, vomiting, low blood sugar, floppiness, stiffness, tremor, shakiness, irritability or constant crying. Tube feeding, help with breathing and longer hospitalization may be needed. There have also been reports of premature births in pregnant women exposed to SSRIs, including Paxil.”
The FDA classifies Paxil as a pregnancy category D drug which means that Paxil poses a risk on newborns according to studies made. But there are more and more people finding out that they have been affected by the birth defects caused by this drug.
Zoloft, Other SSRIs: The Best Treatment For Depression?
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The introduction of Zoloft and other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) was very much welcomed in the 1990s because of its abilities to treat the symptoms of depression with lesser side effects. In 2007, about 30 million Americans received the Zoloft (Sertraline) prescription for the treatment of major depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, social anxiety disorder, premenstrual dysphoric disorder and other related conditions.Indeed, the SSRIs became a lifesaving option for persons suffering the life-limiting consequences of depression.
The Pfizer-manufactured Zoloft and other SSRIs have been associated by several studies for the past 10 years to increasing the risk of infants to birth defects especially those whose mothers were treated with the drug during pregnancy. A Zoloft birth defect lawyer is being contacted by a number of users due to the defects Zoloft allegedly cause. The success of Zoloft and other SSRIs cannot be dimmed by these studies, therefore, these medications may successfully treat depression but not during pregnancy.
The marketing tactics employed by big pharmaceuticals to sell their antidepressant pills to both prescribers and consumers further confuse the issue surrounding SSRIs. With the way pharmaceuticals play out its roles, the question arises “Are antidepressant medications really effective or are they no better than placebos?”
In a book by Irving Kirsch titled The Emperor’s New Drugs: Exploding the Antidepressant Myth, drug companies must submit to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) all clinical trials they have sponsored in seeking approval to market a new drug.The trials are usually double-blind and placebo-controlled. The drug is generally approved if two trials show that it is more effective than a placebo. There is no limit to the number of trials a company may sponsor and could have negative results, which mean the drug is not effective. Two positive ones are all that is needed.
Drug companies are not required to publish or make known the negative trial results which could number a lot than the two positive ones needed for approval in the many trials, Kirsh said. Consolidating the report from the meta-analyses of antidepressant medications which shows only modest benefits over the placebo treatment, and the unpublished trial data, the benefit falls below accepted criteria for clinical significance.
Psychoactive drugs should not be taken as the best and often the only treatment for mental illness or emotional distress. {Both psychotherapy and exercise have been shown to be as effective as drugs for depression and their effects are longer-lasting, but unfortunately, there is no industry to push these alternatives. Alternatives such as psychotherapy and exercise have shown to be as effective as antidepressants and even have longer-lasting effect, however, both are not being pushed by industries.
Finding a psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker, or other trained professional who will listen and then hear and respond to a patient’s unique story should be a priority over finding the best pill in mental health.