Drug Warning: Prozac

Generic name: fluoxetine hydrochloride (class of drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors)

Manufactured and marketed by: Eli Lilly and Co.

Purpose: Prescribed by doctors to treat such ailments as obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic attack, depression, and certain eating disorders.

Side Effects Reported

• Some of the common side effects of Prozac may include anxiety, drowsiness, nausea, trembling, difficulty sleeping, decreased appetite, sexual side effects including decreased sex drive or ability, rash, hives, and restlessness.
• The use of SSRIs, including Prozac, may be linked to gastrointestinal bleeding similar to the internal bleeding that has been linked to NSAIDs such as aspirin, naproxen, and ibuprofen.

Industry Report

A report by the Northwestern University Medical School found that the use of this category of antidepressants is linked to the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding similarly to NSAIDS. The study examined the records of 549 patients in hospitals with acute gastrointestinal bleeding. Patients who take SSRIs and NSAIDs together should be aware of the increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. An additional study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, reports a 2.6 fold increase in the risk of bleeding events in antidepressants with a high degree of inhibition of serotonin reuptake, when compared with those with a lower degree of serotonin reuptake inhibition. The study examined 64,000 patients who had been recently prescribed antidepressants like Paxil and Prozac. Of these patients, 196 suffered from abnormal bleeding.

In 2004, the FDA issued a public health advisory concerning antidepressants and possible links to an increase in child suicide ideation. Some reports indicate that approximately, 2 to 3 percent of children who take antidepressants have increased suicidal thoughts or actions.

Seeger Weiss is not currently pursuing lawsuits on this drug, but its drug warnings will remain on our radar.

• Seeger Weiss Wins 5th Verdict Against Accutane Maker, Dealing a $25.16 Million Blow
• Seeger Weiss Delivers $11 Million Verdict to Small, Family Farms Overrun by Corporate Agriculture's Waste
• Seeger Weiss Obtains $41.5 Million Global Resolution of Zetia and Vytorin Claims
• Seeger Weiss Secures $4.85 Billion Vioxx Settlement from Merck
• Seeger Weiss Named to National Law Journal's Plaintiffs' Hot List Three Years Running
• Seeger Weiss & Milberg Drive Bernie Madoff into Personal Bankruptcy