SSRI Increased Risk of Car Accidents

Serious Risk of SSRI Antidepressants Use. Parker Waichman LLP, a national law firm dedicated to protecting the rights of victims injured by defective drugs, is warning that the use of SSRIs is linked to an increased risk of car accidents, according to a new study published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. SSRIs, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, are used to treat patients suffering from depression; past research has linked the medications to an increased risk of birth defects and other complications.

The Taiwan-based study looked at two groups of people to assess the relationship between the use of certain drugs and motor vehicle accidents. Researchers looked at one group of 5,183 people who were involved in car collisions and compared them to 31,093 people who were matched for age and gender who sought outpatient care between 2000 and 2009. Overall, they found that the use of SSRI antidepressants such as paroxetine, Paxil, fluoxetine or Prozac coincided with a higher rate of motor vehicle accidents. The risk was also higher for patients taking tricyclics (TCA), sleep aids known as Z-drugs and benzodiazepines.

Patients Taking Psychotropic Medications Driving Performance

Lead author Hui-Ju said that “The findings underscore that subjects taking these psychotropic medications should pay increased attention to their driving performance in order to prevent …motor vehicle accidents,” according to CBC. The researchers also recommended against suddenly stopping these medications, and advised patients to speak with their doctors if they have concerns.

Previous research has already linked the use of SSRIs to various complications. The antidepressants are associated with a number of birth complications, including cardiac, skeletal, neural tube and limb defects, cleft palate and pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN). PPHN is a potentially fatal respiratory condition; it may also lead to neurological impairments in surviving children. In January, the British Medical Journal (BMJ) published a study showing that the risk of an infant developing PPHN increases two-fold in mothers who took SSRIs during late pregnancy; the study analyzed data from 1.6 million infants in five Nordic countries.

In 2005, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned that using Paxil (paroxetine) may be associated with an increased risk of cardiac birth defects.

Parker Waichman LLP is offering free lawsuit consultations to victims of SSRI Antidepressants side effects. If you or a loved one took an SSRI and experienced serious complications, please contact their office by visiting the firm’s SSRI Antidepressants side effects page at www.yourlawyer.com. Free case evaluations are also available by calling 1 800 YOURLAWYER (1-800-968-7529).

Need Legal Help Regarding SSRI Antidepressants?

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