New studies are now telling that SSRI antidepressants such as Paxil and Effexor may not be the best option for seniors. The drugs seem to have more negative side effects for seniors. Drugs like Paxil and Effexor are in a class of medications commonly known as "selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)," that have been linked to many adverse side effects. The new British study appeared in the August 2, 2011 issue of the British Medical Journal stating that older antidepressants, tricyclic antidepressants, might be safer for patients over 65-years-old.

 

According to the study's author Carol Coupland, associate professor of medical statistics at the University of Nottingham states, "The choice of class of antidepressant is a complex decision, and some evidence is still lacking to help with that choice in older patients," she continued, "Low-dose [tricyclic antidepressants] may be more suitable in frail elderly patients at increased risk of falls and fracture."

 

During the study, prescription information was evaluated for over 60,000 patents between 65 and 100-years-old who had been diagnosed with depression. Of those patients, 90 percent were given one or more prescriptions. Of that 90 percent, 55 percent were given SSRI antidepressants like Effexor or Paxil. The other 32 percent were prescribed tricyclic antidepressants. The rest of the patients were prescribed other antidepressants. The results of the study show that seniors on SSRIs had a "higher risk of dying, having a stroke, falling, breaking a bone and seizures compared with those not taking any antidepressant."

 

The results have proven to be scary for many seniors being prescribed SSRIs to combat their depression. While the side effects are scary, one important factor should be taken to heart: Tricyclics are better for senior citizens than SSRIs. Still the results from this and previous studies prove that those taking antidepressants and those on a placebo pill have the same efficiency. As an experienced Missouri product liability attorney, I regularly see the pain and confusion that product liability victims go through. I am happy that a support group has been set up to help these families find comfort and prepare for what is to come. Lawsuits for the product liability of drugs like Paxil have increased dramatically.

 

Our experienced product liability attorneys in the Midwest believe that companies like the makers of Paxil should be held responsible for the harm that their drugs cause. We believe people who have suffered illness and injury from medication should be compensated for their loss. If a manufacturer has misrepresented you or a loved one has been injured by a medication that was not properly manufactured or the side effects, please call 888.956.2487 to speak to one of our experienced product liability attorneys today.

 

Joshua P. Myers is the owner and President of Myers Injury Law, LLC and a founding partner of Schultz & Myers, LLC.  Based in St. Louis, Missouri, his personal injury law firm routinely handles product liability cases that result in personal injury or death throughout the United States. If you have been hurt or have lost a loved one due to the negligence of a drug company, please contact a product liability attorney to learn your rights. It is always free to discuss your case and there are never any attorney's fees until we recover on your behalf.

-->On July 26, 2011, the Food and Drug Administration announced that Cetero Research, a drug research company, falsified drug research results in an attempt to manipulate the results. The research manipulation could complicate the already controversial drug Paxil since there is already numerous contradictory studies that debate the drug's efficiency and safety. The FDA's accusation came after an investigation into the research company, which consisted of two facility inspections, an internal investigation, and an audit by a third party. According to Reuters, the results of these investigations led the Food and Drug Administration to believe that the facility had "significant instances of misconduct and violation."

 

The research company Cetero has been hired by numerous drug companies to test medicine and review the results. Cetero's research is supposed to help drug manufacturers find out how effective their product is and if the drugs could be potentially dangerous. After the intense investigations, the FDA warned the drug companies that use Cetero for research they the results may have been falsified and many medications will have to undergo a reevaluation. The FDA officially accused Cetero of "faking documents and manipulating samples," which could void any research done by Cetero. As a result, the drug companies could have used falsified information to receive drug approval from the Food and Drug Administration.

 

The recent accusations by the FDA make many think of the drug Paxil and the drug manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline. Recently, Glaxo was accused of hiring people to write articles for doctors claiming Paxil's efficiency and downplaying the risks attached to the medication. Unfortunately, it seems as though Cetero was not performing adequate research but instead giving the drug companies the answers that they wanted. One of most serious accusations made against the research company is that in many cases, the studies that Cetero were said to perform could not have been done at their facility. The Food and Drug Administration said that it is possible that Cetero "fixed" the drug studies to get the desired result or excluded tests that failed to meet a favorable result.

 

In product liability cases, experienced Missouri lawyers work diligently to make sure that their clients receive compensation. Injuries from a prescription medication can be devastating, which is why product liability victims should seek the direction of an experienced Missouri product liability attorney. To speak to an attorney right away, call 888.956.2487 and let one of our experienced attorneys help fight for you.

 

Many liability lawsuits were filed against the giants of manufacturing drugs such as Bayer, Johnson & Johnson, Wyeth, and GlaxoSmithKline. In 2010, billions of dollars have been settled between these companies and product liability victims. These claims have one thing in common: they appear because the Plaintiffs accuse the drug makers of retaining data that showed popular drugs like Effexor, Paxil, Levaquin, Reglan and Yaz/Yasmin had devastating and potentially life-threatening side effects.

 

SSRI antidepressants like Paxil and Effexor caught fire over the allegation that they had hidden the serious side effects such as seizures, hallucinations, birth defects, persistent pulmonary hypertension, severe mood swings, and even suicidal tendencies. In fact, the manufacturer of Paxil, GlaxoSmithKline, paid no less than $ 1 billion in damages to settled claims against various drugs, including a 750 million dollar settlement has exceeded its "bad" manufacturing processes for Glaxo's plant in Cidra, Puerto Rico. Disclosure of wrongdoing in that case recently appeared on 60 Minutes.

 

Johnson & Johnson lost their final trial related to the antibiotic Levaquin, which became popular in 2010. Eighty-two year old applicant John Schedin won his claim that the company did not adequately disclose the fact that the drug caused tendon rupture in some patients. In addition, Bayer has made a series of trials that have not yet been decided on the pill Yaz and Yasmin. In these lawsuits, Plaintiffs allege that Bayer hid the fact that the pills could cause heart attacks, stroke, and blood clots.

 

All these companies have been accused of hiding the negative effects that these drugs can have on the public. Some companies are accused of going out of their way to hide this information completely and others accused of black-box warnings buried deep within the package documents. Still, other companies have been accused of using clever marketing techniques as a means of hiding serious side effects of their drugs to the public.

 

While the future of all these lawsuits can not be determined before they are settled or go to court, one thing remains certain: 2010 was a year of landmark lawsuits filed against drug manufacturers. As a product liability attorney in the Midwest, I am pleased that the FDA took the steps necessary to inform the public of the serious side effects of the drugs in question. If you or someone in your family was injured by a prescription drug with defects or labeling error, call 888.945.2487 for a free consultation with an experienced product liability attorney.

 

Joshua P. Myers is the owner and President of Myers Injury Law, LLC and a founding partner of Schultz & Myers, LLC.  Based in St. Louis, Missouri, his personal injury law firm routinely handles product liability cases that result in personal injury or death throughout the United States. If you have been hurt or have lost a loved one due to the negligence of a drug company, please contact a product liability attorney to learn your rights. It is always free to discuss your case and there are never any attorney's fees until we recover on your behalf.

An attorney for a man accused of threatening conduct has stated that his client was under the influence of a Klonopin, Paxil, and alcohol cocktail. Nathan Jackson Fuller Jr. lied to police after he crashed his car and threatening to go on a killing spree across the state of West Virginia. Fuller's attorney stated that he hoped that the charges would be dropped once he proves his client's statements to police held no truth. Fuller made the decision to waive his right to a preliminary hearing on May 16 in a Marion County Magistrate Court. John David Moore, Fuller's alleged accomplice, has been listed as a codefendant in the case. The magistrate believes there is probably cause to try a case against Moore however Moore's attorney insists his client's innocence.

 

Both men have been charged with conspiracy to commit robbery and conspiracy to commit murder. After Fuller collided his car on May 3 in Rivesville, injuring Moore, Fuller allegedly began stating oddities to the arresting officer as he was being arrested for driving under the influence. It was at that time Fuller confessed he was planning to go on a killing spree.

 

Allegedly Fuller began citing his plans on "going through West Virginia and killing people at random, stopping at a rest area, locating a few girls, and cutting them, stealing their wallets, and then stealing their vehicle, and continue that process, flipping cars." Fuller also stated he had been looking for someone to murder on High Street in Morgantown and killing someone at Penn State University earlier that day, but had not found the chance to do so. Fuller claimed he and Moore met up in Morgantown.

 

According to Fuller's attorney, his client was taking Paxil and Klonopin. Paxil is an antidepressant, which has been linked to suicidal and aggressive behaviors. Klonopin is prescribed to relieve panic attacks and treat seizures. Moore's attorney claims that his client never had the intention of killing anyone or helping Fuller on his spree. Fuller tried to reduce his bail amount but was denied and was returned to the North Central Regional Jail after his preliminary hearing.

 

A healthy lifestyle has been proven to alleviate depression, but it does not always relieve major depression. Many people have been prescribed Paxil, but have suffered severe side effects such as Fuller. Injuries from a prescription drug can be complicated, which is why victims should work with an experienced Missouri product liability attorney. To speak to an attorney right away, call 888.956.2487 and let us help you fight.

 

Joshua P. Myers is the owner and President of Myers Injury Law, LLC and a founding partner of Schultz & Myers, LLC.  Based in St. Louis, Missouri, his personal injury law firm routinely handles product liability cases that result in personal injury or death throughout the United States. If you have been hurt or have lost a loved one due to the negligence of a drug company, please contact a product liability attorney to learn your rights. It is always free to discuss your case and there are never any attorney's fees until we recover on your behalf.

New information has been provided by a paper published in The Lancet establishing that researchers, Ian B. Hickie and Naomi L. Rogers, are currently watching how melatonin and its analogues chance the body's circadian system (internal clock) while providing treatment for major depression. This new information may make patients consider forgoing the use of SSRI treatments like Paxil and Effexor. The new treatment, Agomelatine, is an analogue that is showing much promise to the treatment of major depression. Simply it offers the same level of depression relief as medications like Paxil and Effexor, but it comes with an added bonus. Agomelatine can also help sleep pattern improvement in people under the treatment.

 

Both of the authors of this research have stated that one of the biggest causes of disability and early death are caused by major depression. Although the drug market has many medication treatments that work, they also come with limitations as to what they can and cant do. The current treatments also come with side effects that can be severe. The authors of the paper state, "Recent advances in our understanding of the fundamental links between chronobiology and major mood disorders, as well as the development of new drugs that target the circadian system, have led to a renewed focus on this area."

 

The research points to other evidence that supports the strong link between common symptoms of depression and circadian problems. Symptoms include restless sleep, waking early, daytime fatigue, trouble sleeping among many others. To the researchers, these symptoms created a natural curiosity and began the investigation into melatonin and medications that treat depression. The researches also stated, "In the short-term, agomelatine has similar antidepressant efficacy to venlafaxine, fluoxetine, and sertraline and, in the longer term, fewer patients on agomelatine relapse (24 percent) than do those receiving placebo (50 percent). Patients with depression treated with agomelatine report improved sleep quality and reduced waking after sleep onset." Currently Agomelatine is approved in Europe, the United States, and Australia in which patients have seen a major improvement in treatment of depression.

 

Even though a healthy life change can help alleviate depression, there are many who will still need to depend on antidepressant treatment. Injuries from prescription drugs can be complicated, which is why victims should work with an experienced Missouri product liability attorney. To speak to an attorney after discovering a product has caused injury, please call 888.956.2487 and let us help you fight.

 

Joshua P. Myers is the owner and President of Myers Injury Law, LLC and a founding partner of Schultz & Myers, LLC.  Based in St. Louis, Missouri, his personal injury law firm routinely handles product liability cases that result in personal injury or death throughout the United States. If you have been hurt or have lost a loved one due to the negligence of a drug company, please contact a product liability attorney to learn your rights. It is always free to discuss your case and there are never any attorney's fees until we recover on your behalf.

In recent studies on mice, Rockefeller University scientists have discovered that patients who take anti-inflammatory medications minimize the effective compounds in various antidepressant medications, which include Paxil. Paul Greengard and Jennifer Warner-Schmidt found that ibuprofen, naproxen, and other over-the-counter medication lower the benefits of serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal. These experts believe that the study is most important for Alzheimer's patients. The reason Alzheimer's patients are believed to be at risk is that they suffer from depression and treatment for the disorder alievates the severity that Alzheimer's progresses. However, not just Alzheimer's patients are at risk. Many elderly individuals are treated for depression to reduce the chances of getting Alzheimer's.

 

In the course of the study, the researchers gave mice popular antidepressants while also giving them anti-inflammatory drugs to see how the animals would react. The mice given anti-depressants illustrated behaviors that were inhibited by taking anti-inflammatories. After this phase in the research had been completed, the scientists ran the same test on human patients. The people who took anti-depressants and anti-inflammatory medications were not getting relief from their symptoms as patients who didn't take the anti-inflammatories.

 

The scientist, Warner-Schmidt, summed up the research stating, "The mechanism underlying these effects is not yet clear. Nevertheless, our results may have profound implications for patients, given the very high treatment resistance rates for depressed individuals taking SSRIs."

 

"Many elderly individuals suffering from depression also have arthritic or related diseases and as a consequence are taking both antidepressant and anti-inflammatory medications," Greengard added to his colleague statement. "Our results suggest that physicians should carefully balance the advantages and disadvantages of continuing anti-inflammatory therapy in patients being treated with antidepressant medications."

 

Even though a healthy life change can help relieve depression, there are many who will still need to depend on their antidepressant medication. Injuries from a prescription drug can be complicated, which is why victims should work with an experienced Missouri product liability attorney. To speak to an attorney right away, call 888.956.2487 and let us help you fight.

 

Joshua P. Myers is the owner and President of Myers Injury Law, LLC and a founding partner of Schultz & Myers, LLC.  Based in St. Louis, Missouri, his personal injury law firm routinely handles product liability cases that result in personal injury or death throughout the United States. If you have been hurt or have lost a loved one due to the negligence of a drug company, please contact a product liability attorney to learn your rights. It is always free to discuss your case and there are never any attorney's fees until we recover on your behalf.

Antidepressant medications have received a bad reputation from the harmful side effects that they produce. With all the lawsuits that have been filed against Effexor and Paxil, popular antidepressant makers, is it best for patients to use natural treatments?

 

Anxiety and depression often go hand in hand. When people are looking to cure their anxiety and depression signs, most of them in turn to prescription drugs. In fact, a study published in the Journal Archives of General Psychiatry, said that 10 percent of the U.S. population is on antidepressants such as Paxil or Effexor. This means that approximately 31 million people in the U.S. alone are taking these medications. The Journal of the American Medical Association published a study, which showed that antidepressants are working, but they work no better than placebo pills.

 

A study conducted by the U.S. government 2006 revealed that less than half of those taking antidepressants like Paxil and Effexor experienced a decrease in the signs of depression. What is even worse, George Washington University Health Care Analyst Thomas Moore, who reviewed the unpublished studies from drug companies, says 40 percent of the studies focused on the power of antidepressants but did not submit information regarding the drug not working.

 

These study results and more have caused many physicians to believe that the simple life changes can be more encouraging in the fight against depression. "Doctors are now medicating unhappiness," says Dr. Ronald Dworkin. "Too many people use drugs when they need to be making changes in their lives." If the pills are not working, a simple lifestyle change may be the solution. The best part about taking advantage of a more natural type of depression relief is that it can also prevent the dangerous side effects of antidepressants.

           

Even though a healthy life change can help relieve depression, there are many who will still need to depend on their antidepressant medication. Injuries from a prescription drug can be complicated, which is why victims should work with an experienced Missouri product liability attorney. To speak to an attorney right away, call 888.956.2487 and let us help you fight.

 

Joshua P. Myers is the owner and President of Myers Injury Law, LLC and a founding partner of Schultz & Myers, LLC.  Based in St. Louis, Missouri, his personal injury law firm routinely handles product liability cases that result in personal injury or death throughout the United States. If you have been hurt or have lost a loved one due to the negligence of a drug company, please contact a product liability attorney to learn your rights. It is always free to discuss your case and there are never any attorney's fees until we recover on your behalf.

The whistleblower in the civil class action against GlaxoSmithKline, Cheryl Eckard, recently appeared on the newest episode of 60 minutes to discuss the case with the interviewer Scott Pelley. During the interview, said she was fired after officials urged Glaxo to do something about the conditions in a Glaxo plant in Cidra, Puerto Rico. She noted that from August 2002 until she was fired in May 2003, she had tried to get managers of the Glaxo to close the plant for as Pelley referred to as making "bad medicine." Pelley talked about what he claimed Eckard found was wrong with the production and packaging of drugs such as Paxil and Avandia during a survey she held that led her to act. He was referring to her claims that the facility:

• Mixed Avandia and Paxil together in the same packaging

• Shipped packages of Paxil with the wrong dosages

• Used tainted water in the production of the two popular drugs.

 

Eckard ended up having to file a full report to the Compliance Department at Glaxo when her managers continued to ignore her warnings about the dangerous practices. Ultimately, Eckard said they acted as if her complaints about the plant were not substantiated. This is what led her to report the situation to FDA officials in San Juan. She also suggested that these actions are what got her fired. In a press release, Glaxo denied the implications stating, "The company strongly rejects any claim of retaliation for whistle-blowing...In fact, employees are encouraged to report any concerns they might have to management or through a confidential compliance hotline. Issues raised are investigated, and company policy prohibits retaliation against employees."

 

Following these allegations against the Cidra plant, the Glaxo group settled the class action lawsuits for $750 million. From the settlement amount, $150 million dollars went toward fines and $600 million collectively went to the Plaintiffs in the class action lawsuit. Whistleblower Eckard received $96 million dollars for her claim that the company fired her in retaliation. Lawsuits for the product liability of drugs like Avandia have increased dramatically. Our experienced product liability attorneys in the Midwest believe that companies like GlaxoSmithKline should be held responsible for the harm that their drugs cause. We believe people who have suffered illness and injury from medication should be compensated for their loss. If you or a loved one has been injured by a medication that was not properly manufactured or the side effects have been misrepresented by a manufacturer, please call 888.956.2487 to speak to one of our experienced product liability attorneys today.

 

Joshua P. Myers is the owner and President of Myers Injury Law, LLC and a founding partner of Schultz & Myers, LLC.  Based in St. Louis, Missouri, his personal injury law firm routinely handles product liability cases that result in personal injury or death throughout the United States. If you have been hurt or have lost a loved one due to the negligence of a drug company, please contact a product liability attorney to learn your rights. It is always free to discuss your case and there are never any attorney's fees until we recover on your behalf.

 

In a statement, her attorney said she had been sentenced to five years probation for the murder on May 20, 2011. Her attorney went on to say that the combination of drugs that she was prescribed put her into a "catatonic drug-induced state," which caused Mary to kill her husband by stabbing him several hundred times in the throat in October 2009. After stabbing Charles, Mary also stabbed herself and tried to overdoses on Paxil and the sleeping pills she was prescribed. According to Mary, she does not remember her actions that resulted in her husband's death because of the medication she was taking. Since there was no blood splatter on the walls, Mary's attorney believes "the stabbing was not in a violent frenzy because the blood would have flown off the blade and into the wall."

During Mary's sentencing, her adult children came to her defense. Eliott Sattler, Deputy District Attorney, opposed the probation order because he believed it sent the wrong message to the public. Sattler asked the judge, "What does it say to the next person in a difficult situation with a loved one? We are living in an aging society. What does that say to them? To condone what she did?" The presiding Judge Perry did warn Mary that a violation to the terms of her probation would result in a very large sentence. As a part of her probation agreement, Mary must continue treatment for her mental problems and take her medication as prescribed. Judge Perry defended his position on the probation saying there was "no reasonable explanation" as to why Mary killed Charles "other than the medications involved." Judge Perry continued saying that Mary had suffered enough loss from the death of "her best friend of 43 years."

In product liability cases, experienced Missouri attorneys work tirelessly to make sure that their clients receive compensation for their injuries. Injuries from a prescription medication can be devastating to any family, which is why product liability victims should seek the guidance of an experienced Missouri product liability attorney. In cases such as this the side effects caused injury not only to the person taking the medication but also resulted in the death of a loved one. To speak to an attorney right away, call 888.956.2487 and let one of our experienced attorneys help fight for you.


Joshua P. Myers is the owner and President of Myers Injury Law, LLC and a founding partner of Schultz & Myers, LLC.  Based in St. Louis, Missouri, his personal injury law firm routinely handles product liability cases that result in personal injury or death throughout the United States. If you have been hurt or have lost a loved one due to the negligence of a drug company, please contact a product liability attorney to learn your rights. It is always free to discuss your case and there are never any attorney's fees until we recover on your behalf.

As a Paxil Birth Defect Lawyer, I keep a watchful eye on drug recall news. Lately I have been following the cases against GlaxoSmithKline for their mistakes in the manufacture of several drugs. The prescription drug that is the focus of the court cases is for the antidepressant Paxil. In October, court proceedings exposed that GlaxoSmithKline made a mistake while producing the medication in their Cidra, Puerto Rico plant. The federal government and several state governments have filed drug adulteration claims after the mistake was made public by a whistleblower.

According to this person, the mistakes on the production line made some of the Paxil pills extremely dangerous. Some drugs off of the line only had the inactive ingredient and some pills had only the active ingredient. A subsidiary of GSK, SB Pharmaco, pleaded guilty to the federal charges of drug adulteration. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, GSK will pay $150 million in fines for the criminal charges and $600 million in penalties on a civil level. GlaxoSmithKline also faces several civil lawsuits.

The most recent case awarded the State of Washington $6 million for their case against the drug company. The state plans to fund its Medicaid program and pay the federal government back for the state's share of prescription costs of the Medicaid program. Paxil has been surrounded by many complications, and it is important that patients should see a doctor right away. If you are taking the prescription Paxil, you should be tested to see if you are receiving the correct dosage.

If you have been a victim due to a drug company's negligence, please contact an experienced Missouri product liability attorney right away. Call 888.956.2487 for a free consultation to discuss your claim. Joshua P. Myers is the owner and President of Myers Injury Law, LLC and a founding partner of Schultz & Myers, LLC. Based in St. Louis, Missouri, his personal injury law firm routinely handles product liability cases that result in personal injury or death throughout the United States. If you have been hurt or have lost a loved one due to the negligence of a drug company, please contact a product liability attorney to learn your rights. It is always free to discuss your case and there are never any attorney's fees until we recover on your behalf.