Depression Drugs Linked to Withdrawal in Babies
Cases Reported With Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors
Feb. 3, 2005 -- Women taking antidepressant drugs, such as Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft, and Celexa, may want to talk to their doctors about their medications if they're pregnant or planning to get pregnant.
There's a chance that such drugs -- called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) -- might cause withdrawal symptoms in babies born to women who took the drugs during pregnancy.
SSRIs have been in use since 1988. They were first introduced to treat depression. They're becoming "the gold standard of treatment for a wide spectrum of mood and behavioral disorders, say the researchers, who included professor Emilio Sanz, MD, of Spain's University of La Laguna.
Besides depression, SSRIs are used to treat "obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, social phobia, post-traumatic stress disorder, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder," say the researchers in The Lancet's Feb. 5 issue.
But for all their success, the drugs are not without controversy. Last October, the FDA ordered all antidepressant drugs -- including SSRIs -- to carry warning labels that the medications increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children and adolescents.
Sanz and colleagues studied adverse drug reaction records maintained by the World Health Organization. The database includes more than 3 million records on all kinds of drugs, reported by 72 countries.
Neonatal withdrawal syndrome associated with SSRIs is characterized by convulsions, irritability, abnormal crying, and tremor, say the researchers.
The babies' reported withdrawal symptoms included nervousness, abnormal crying, agitation, convulsions, tremors, involuntary muscle contractions, and sleep disorders.
"SSRIs, especially [Paxil], should be cautiously managed in the treatment of pregnant women with a psychiatric disorder," write the researchers.
Nearly two-thirds of the reports were related to Paxil. The researchers say Paxil "should not be used in pregnancy, or if used, should be given at the lowest effective dose."
The researchers don't conclude that Paxil withdrawal is more of a problem than that of other drugs. They don't know why Paxil prompted more reports. "It certainly gives a strong suggestion that symptoms of withdrawal might be a greater problem for [Paxil] than for other drugs," they say.
Depression Drugs Linked to Withdrawal in Babies
Cases Reported With Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors
Feb. 3, 2005 -- Women taking antidepressant drugs, such as Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft, and Celexa, may want to talk to their doctors about their medications if they're pregnant or planning to get pregnant.
There's a chance that such drugs -- called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) -- might cause withdrawal symptoms in babies born to women who took the drugs during pregnancy.
SSRIs have been in use since 1988. They were first introduced to treat depression. They're becoming "the gold standard of treatment for a wide spectrum of mood and behavioral disorders, say the researchers, who included professor Emilio Sanz, MD, of Spain's University of La Laguna.
Besides depression, SSRIs are used to treat "obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, social phobia, post-traumatic stress disorder, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder," say the researchers in The Lancet's Feb. 5 issue.
But for all their success, the drugs are not without controversy. Last October, the FDA ordered all antidepressant drugs -- including SSRIs -- to carry warning labels that the medications increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children and adolescents.
93 Suspected Cases Worldwide
Sanz and colleagues studied adverse drug reaction records maintained by the World Health Organization. The database includes more than 3 million records on all kinds of drugs, reported by 72 countries.
Neonatal withdrawal syndrome associated with SSRIs is characterized by convulsions, irritability, abnormal crying, and tremor, say the researchers.
The babies' reported withdrawal symptoms included nervousness, abnormal crying, agitation, convulsions, tremors, involuntary muscle contractions, and sleep disorders.
"SSRIs, especially [Paxil], should be cautiously managed in the treatment of pregnant women with a psychiatric disorder," write the researchers.
Most Reports Centered on Paxil
Nearly two-thirds of the reports were related to Paxil. The researchers say Paxil "should not be used in pregnancy, or if used, should be given at the lowest effective dose."
The researchers don't conclude that Paxil withdrawal is more of a problem than that of other drugs. They don't know why Paxil prompted more reports. "It certainly gives a strong suggestion that symptoms of withdrawal might be a greater problem for [Paxil] than for other drugs," they say.
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