Since it was first introduced to the market in by Eli Lily & Co in 1988, Prozac achieved the lofty spot as one of the most popular and widely prescribed antidepressant drugs in the world.  Prozac is so popular in fact sales regularly exceed $2.6 billion dollars a year.  Although initially considered a wonder drug that provided safe and effective treatment of depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bulimia nervosa, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and panic disorder, by the late 1990s opinion began to change.

In the late 1990s doctors and researches began to investigate claims of serious side effects of Prozac.  Prozac is unique because it is the only antidepressant safe for children, but some children who took it exhibited a disturbing trend of suicidal thoughts and actions.  These risks were so great that the Food and Drug Administration ordered Eli Lily to alter the packaging of Prozac to alert people of the possible risks to children and young adults.

New research also discovered a possible link between antidepressants and deaths from coronary artery disease, or CAD.  A study conducted by Duke University concluded that people with CAD who were prescribed antidepressants like Prozac died at a rate of 21.4% as opposed to patients with CAD not prescribed antidepressants.  After considering such factors as existing health conditions, genetic makeup, and level of depression, Prozac is believed to increase fatalities by almost 62%.

Because so many people take Prozac without adequate knowledge of the risks involved, there are millions of potential victims of these dangerous and potentially fatal side effects. If you are the victim of Prozac’s negative side effects, you need to consult a compassionate and knowledgeable defective drug attorney as soon as possible.  If you wait, you risk losing the ability to take legal action to claim monetary compensation for your damages.  Contact an attorney today.