Zoloft lawsuit attorneys note claims are being pursued against drug maker Pfizer alleging severe side effects, including increased risks of suicide, birth defects, and serotonin syndrome. Likewise, the FDA has issued warnings regarding dangerous side effects associated with Zoloft and other serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Affected patients and their families may be able to pursue compensation with the help of a bad drug attorney.
If you or a loved one took Zoloft and suffered serious side effects, contact Attorney Group for more information. We offer free, no obligation consultations. We can answer your questions, and if you choose to pursue a claim we connect you with affiliated Zoloft lawsuit attorneys who can assist you throughout the legal process.
What is Zoloft?
Zoloft is an antidepressant in a group of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Sertraline affects chemicals in the brain that may become unbalanced and cause depression, panic, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Zoloft is used to treat depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).
Manufactured by Pfizer, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Zoloft in 1991 for the treatment of depression.
FDA Black-Box Suicide Warning
In 2004, the FDA issued a black-box suicide warning for Zoloft. A black-box warning is the FDA’s strongest, and it requires drug manufacturers to include this warning in the labeling information for all SSRI and SNRI medications. These symptoms may include:
- Panic attacks
- Restlessness
- Symptoms of aggression
- Thoughts of suicide
- Extreme worry
- Abnormal excitement
Zoloft And Birth Defects
SSRIs such as Zoloft have been linked to serious birth defects, including heart defects, cleft palate, tetralogy of fallot, and other problems. One study found that women taking Zoloft during pregnancy had an increased risk for delivering children with atrial septal defects and ventricular septal defects. The risk of birth defects as a result of taking Zoloft and other antidepressants may include but are not limited to:
- Autism
- Abdominal and Cranial birth defects
- Atrial Septal Defects
- Ventricular Septal Defects
- Clubfoot
- Heart Murmur
- Cleft Palate
- Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension
- Tetralogy of Fallot
Additional health risks associated with Zoloft and other antidepressants include a higher than average risk for low birth weight and premature delivery, specifically in the final trimester of pregnancy. At birth, newborns may exhibit withdrawal symptoms such as jitters, irritability, shivering, crying, seizures and respiratory distress.
Zoloft Serotonin Syndrome
Serotonin is a chemical produced by the body that enables brain cells and other nervous system cells to communicate with one another. Too little serotonin in the brain is thought to play a role in depression. Too much, however, can lead to excessive nerve cell activity, causing a potentially deadly collection of symptoms known as serotonin syndrome. Symptoms of serotonin syndrome include:
- Hallucination
- Loss of balance
- Confusion
- Increased heart rate/abnormal heart beats
- Seizures
Serotonin syndrome can also occur if you take SSRIs, like Zoloft, with other drugs or supplements that affect serotonin levels, or when you take certain combinations of medications that affect serotonin levels in your body.
How Zoloft Lawsuit Attorneys Can Help
Drug makers have a duty to provide safe products. If there are risks of harm associated with their products, they also must provide adequate warnings. If a drug maker fails to fulfill this duty, it could be held liable in lawsuits for injuries that may result.
People injured by Zoloft may be eligible to recover money for:
- Medical Expenses
- Lost Wages
- Pain and Suffering
The families of those who have died may be eligible to recover money for funeral expenses and the pain that comes with losing a loved one.
For more information, contact Attorney Group. After you contact us, an attorney will follow up to answer questions that you might have. There is no cost or obligation to speak with us, and any information you provide will be kept confidential.
Please note that the law limits the time you have to pursue a claim or file a lawsuit for an injury. If you think you have a case, you should not delay taking action.
