Why You Should Consider Filing a Celexa Birth Defect Lawsuit

What is Celexa?

In August 2011, the FDA offered a recommendation that people taking Celexa not go over a 40 mg a day limit. If this limit was reached or if people took more than that amount, then there could be side effects that could be life-threatening, such as a heart attack. Several people filed claims against the company that manufactures Celexa because there were few warnings issued about the possible side effects and few details about who should take the medication and who should take a different type of medication for their symptoms.

A common antidepressant, Celexa has been used to help increase energy levels in those who suffer from depression and anxiety. The drug works as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor and helps to create a balance in the brain of serotonin levels. A low dose should be prescribed at first to see how patients react to the medication before an increase in the number of mg taken. The drug was first introduced in 1998, and millions of people taking the medication since then. Although there have been numerous reports of people having success with the drug, there has also been the issue of a Celexa birth defect lawsuit filed by mothers who have taken the medication while pregnant and then experienced health issues with their babies.

Complications

As with most medications, there have been a few complications reported with Celexa. Most are minor, but the key to a Celexa birth defect lawsuit that many have filed is that there have been few warnings about what could happen to women who are pregnant and take the medication. Some people have experienced suicidal thoughts and tendencies while taking the drug and once they have stopped.

Some studies have suggested that there can be birth defects that arise as a result of taking Celexa or any kind of SSRI while they are pregnant, especially during the first and second trimesters when the baby is developing the most. Some of the birth defects that have been reported by mothers who have taken Celexa include anencephaly, which is when a portion of the brain or skull is missing, craniosynostosis, and omphalocele, which is a condition where the liver or other intestinal organs push outside of the belly button. Persistent pulmonary hypertension is another issue that many mothers have seen in their babies after taking Celexa while pregnant.

This condition impacts the baby’s breathing capacity, sometimes resulting in the death of the baby if the proper treatments aren’t put in place once the condition is discovered. There has been an increase of more than six times likely for babies to develop this condition who are born to mothers who have taken Celexa compared to mothers who didn’t take the medication or other SSRIs. With conflicting details presented by various agencies about pulmonary hypertension and other conditions, the FDA didn’t offer a warning about SSRIs and the link to birth defects. Since more research has been performed and as more tests are being done, it’s possible that the FDA could make changes to the warnings given about the drug.

Aside from birth defects, many people who have taken Celexa have battled suicidal thoughts. Some people have tried to commit suicide once they’ve stopped taking the medication because of the impacts that the drug has made on the chemical balances in the brain. The FDA has started issuing warnings about this possible side effect with details clearly written on the packaging of the medication in a black box, which is the highest warning given by the administration. When some lawsuits against the company responsible for making Celexa came about in 2010, Forest Pharmaceuticals decided to plead guilty because the medication wasn’t branded properly for something that wasn’t approved by the FDA at the time. The company promoted the drug in an illegal manner as a way to help with depression in children. After pleading guilty, the company issued a $150 million fine.

Filing a Lawsuit

Companies that sell medications to the public are responsible for ensuring that those who take the medications understand the side effects that they could see. The lawsuits that have been filed pertaining to Celexa claim that the manufacturer issued warnings that were defective and that didn’t give details about what could happen if pregnant women take the drug. There has also been little information about suicidal behavior during and after taking Celexa, which is another component of the lawsuits that have been filed. Plaintiffs can consult with a personal injury attorney to file a claim to try to obtain compensation for various expenses as well as pain and suffering.

Aiden

Aiden

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