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Prozac may be a better choice than Zoloft for children and teens |
adhd - Drugs for ADHD
| Article Index |
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| Hostility and Aggression |
| Most common Zoloft side effects: |
| Side effects requiring immediate medical attention: |
| Pregnancy |
| Dosage of Zoloft |
Since Zoloft is not FDA approved for children or teens, prozac may be a better choice of SSRI since it has been approved for use in children and teens. .... Zoloft causes 3-5% of users to have suicidal thoughts, suicidal gestures (typically cutting), actual suicide attempts or actual death by suicide. Health authorities in Britain and the United States have voiced concern or advised doctors not to prescribe the drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) to children under 18 because of a potential suicide risk.
Scientists say drug companies withheld information showing antidepressants were ineffective and could be harmful to children and should have issued warnings on their products.
In June 2003, the UK banned sertraline for use in children under 18 after studies indicated a link to increasing suicidal rates. Similar concern has been expressed widely in the US, where only fluoxetine (another SSRI) has been officially banned by the FDA for treating depression in minors. However, because the antidepressant-suicide link is correlational, researchers do not know if the increased risk of suicide for those taking antidepressants occurs because the drugs make people suicidal, if suicide occurs because the drugs un-depress people enough to motivate them to actually commit suicide (a popular theory), or because of a third, as yet unknown factor.
Zoloft makes the effects of caffeine, such as in coffee, tea cola, much stronger. People who continue to drink the same amount of coffee, tea, or cola while taking Zoloft could suffer caffeine intoxication.
Zoloft may cause drowsiness or dizziness. These effects may be worse if you take it with alcohol or certain medicines. Do not drive or perform other possibly unsafe tasks until you know how you react to it.
In a few people, Zoloft may trigger the grandiose, inappropriate, out-of-control behavior.
Hostility and Aggression
The Supreme Court New South Wales (Australia) ruled on May 24, 2001 that a man’s ingestion of Zoloft caused him to murder his wife. Some claim that thousands of Americans are in jails throughout the United States today because Pfizer and the other SSRI manufacturers have failed to tell the public that this drug causes hostility and aggression.
Most common Zoloft side effects:
Side effects requiring immediate medical attention:
Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); bizarre behavior; black or bloody stools; chest pain; decreased bladder control; exaggerated reflexes; fast or irregular heartbeat; fever; hallucinations; loss of coordination; new or worsening agitation, panic attacks, aggressiveness, impulsiveness, irritability, hostility, exaggerated feeling of well-being, restlessness, or inability to sit still; persistent or severe ringing in the ears; persistent, painful erection; red, swollen, blistered, or peeling skin; seizures; severe or persistent anxiety or trouble sleeping; stomach pain; suicidal thoughts or attempts; tremor; unusual bruising or bleeding; unusual or severe mental or mood changes; vision changes; worsening of depression.
Pregnancy
Zoloft is an FDA pregnancy category C drug. This means that SSRI antidepressants such as Zoloft may cause serious or life-threatening lung problems in newborn babies whose mothers take it while pregnant. Also, it is unknown whether Zoloft is found in breast milk, and thus, caution should be exercised when using Zoloft during breastfeeding. Thus, women who are pregnant or may become pregnant, Zoloft should only be taken if is is essential.
Pregnant women exposed to Zoloft (and other SSRIs or SNRIs) late in the third trimester have developed complications requiring prolonged hospitalization, respiratory support, and tube feeding. When treating pregnant women with Zoloft in their third trimester, the doctor may consider tapering Zoloft off in the third trimester.
Dosage of Zoloft
The adult starting dose is 50 mg daily and should not exceed a maximum of 200 mg. No clear is no clear evidence that greater doses are more effective in contoling symptoms. Sertraline should be taken with food once daily.
The starting dose for children aged 6 to 12 is 25 milligrams and for adolescents aged 13 to 17, 50 milligrams. The doctor will adjust the dose as necessary.
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