Billions of dollars are spent on medical research every year in the United States and abroad. For the most part, the knowledge that’s come out this research has made it possible for medications to be developed that have allowed countless individuals to live both longer and more fulfilling lives. For some people taking prescription drugs, however, they experience either complications or death instead of benefits. Pregnant women that need to take drugs for their mental health often find themselves asking what psychotropic drugs cause birth defects?
Psychotropic Drugs That Cause Birth Defects
Some recent prescription drugs have been shown to have ill effects on patients or to result in their deaths. These drugs include such psychotropic or neurological medications as Zoloft, Risperdal, Paxil and Depakote. The manufacturers of these drugs have all been repeatedly sued for the ill effects that patients have suffered as a result of taking them.
Zoloft and Paxil Birth Defect Claims
Zoloft, a Pfizer drug, and Paxil, a GlaxoSmithKline medication, are both often prescribed by psychiatrists to manage depression. Claims have been brought against these antidepressant drug manufacturers of formulating a drug that causes both children and teens to become suicidal.
Others have claimed that the two drugs contributed to them developing a chemical imbalance in their brain, known as serotonin syndrome. In other instances, some mothers have gone as far as attributing their children’s birth defects to their prior use of one of these drugs, as well.
Mothers already are forced to watch against common birth defects as a result of medical malpractice, such as erb’s palsy or cerebral palsy, caput succedaneum, shoulder dystocia, umbilical cord prolapse, uterine rupture, etc. Now, they’re also forced to deal with the legalities surrounding psychotropic drugs that may or may not be safe.
Risperdal Birth Defect Claims
Another drug, Risperdal, a psychotropic drug used to treat a variety of mental health concerns, has also resulted in patients suffering serious side effects. The drug’s manufacturer, Johnson & Johnson, has been accused of greatly downplaying those when marketing the drug. This has led to former employees being brought up on both civil and criminal charges.
Depakote Birth Defect Claims
The prescription drug Depakote is often used by neurologists to treat both migraines and epilepsy and by psychiatrists to treat bipolar disorder. Several women have alleged that the drug resulted in the birth of children with serious birth defects.
Houston Birth Defects Lawyer
If you’re concerned that a prescription you were taking for a mental health issue adversely impacted you or your child’s health, then a Houston, Texas defective drugs attorney can advise you of your right to file a lawsuit.
