Zoloft Injuries & Lawsuits

Columbia Zoloft Attorney

Zoloft (Sertraline) is an antidepressant in a group of drugs known as selective serotonin inhibitors (SSRIs). Zoloft is used to treat depression, social anxiety disorders, panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder, premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The drug is prescribed to both adults and children; in 2007 it was the most commonly prescribed antidepressant on the U.S. market with 29,652,000 prescriptions.

The FDA requires that all antidepressants carry a black box warning explaining that antidepressant use may increase the risk of suicide in people under the age of 25. This warning was issued after a statistical analysis by FDA experts found a two-fold increase of suicidal thoughts in children and adolescents, and a 1.5-fold increase in suicidal behavior in the 18-24 year age group.

Zoloft and Birth Defects

In the past, women were commonly prescribed antidepressants during pregnancy; however, today the medical community is more aware of the increase risk of birth defects in women who take SSRIs during pregnancy. Common birth defects associated with taking Zoloft during pregnancy include:

• Cleft lip and cleft palate
• Limb defects
• Neural-tube defects
• Cardiac defects
• Anal atresia (partial or complete closure of the anus)
• Clubfoot
• Cardiac defects
• Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension (PPHN)
• Skull defects

Do you have grounds for a lawsuit?

In recent years, lawsuits have been filed against the manufacturer of Zoloft (Pfizer) on behalf of children born with birth defects after their mothers took the drug, and on behalf of family members whose loved ones committed suicide after taking the antidepressant. If you or your family has been adversely affected after taking Zoloft, we urge you to contact a Columbia dangerous drug lawyer from The Sumner Law Group. Our firm is closely familiar with Zoloft and the family of SSRIs and the serious side effects associated with these drugs.