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Remeron



Antidepressants and Violent Behavior


The SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) are antidepressants patterned after Prozac (fluoxetine) and include Celexa, Lexapro, Luvox, Paxil, and Zoloft. These and two other non-SSRI antidepressants, Serzone and Remeron, are widely suspected of contributing to suicidal and/or violent behaviors, especially in children. This point of view has recently been adopted by the U.S. Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) somewhat more slowly than its British counterpart, the Medicines Control Agency. In England, for instance, use of Paxil in children has been banned, amidst allegations of a cover-up by the drug's manufacturer.

In the United States, use of these antidepressants for patients under 18 years has not been approved by FDA, with the exception of Prozac. This means that both the healthcare professional who prescribes or dispenses these drugs for children and adolescents and the pharmaceutical company that promotes this "off-label" (unapproved) use knowingly take a risk with the patient's safety.

SSRIs have become famous for their alleged ability to induce children to violence and suicide in such high profile cases as that of Christopher Pittman who ran away from his home in Florida to his grandparents in South Carolina at age 12. He is suspected of having killed his grandparents and burned down their house after being treated with Paxil followed by Zoloft.

SSRI antidepressants have been implicated in a number of the school shootings: Shooters alleged to be on antidepressants at the time of their attacks include:

  • 18-year old Eric Harris on Luvox who with Dylan Klebold killed 13 and wounded 22 people April 20, 1999 at Columbine High School in Littleton Colorado

  • 15-year-old Kip Kinkel on Prozac killed his parents and then proceeded to school where he opened fire on classmates, killing two and wounding 22 others

  • 14-year-old Elizabeth Bush on antidepressants when she wounded one student at Bishop Neumann High School in Williamsport, Pa.

    18-year-old Jason Hoffman on Effexor and Celexa when he wounded one teacher and three students at Granite Hills High School in El Cajon, Calif.

    Violent and suicidal behavior linked to SSRIs is not limited to adolescents. Fully one-third of all drug-related suicides since 1990 for which FDA has data are associated with Prozac use, according to Keith Altman of Fibonacci Group.

    The warning issued by FDA in a "Dear Health Care Professional" letter against use of SSRIs in children appears to indicate a major shift in national policy that will have major impact on pending lawsuits in this area.

    - John Lehmann PhD, DrugIntel Nov 11, 2003.

    [MORE INFORMATION ON SSRI ANTIDEPRESSANTS]

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  • Last updated September 12 2005

    Reader Comments

    Posted by

    on
    To see how far back this has been known about Remeron (Mirtazapine) is unbelievable. My 29 year old son would still be here if he didnt start taking the generic form of Remeron, Mirtazapine. Only 9 months before his death he received his masters degree in social work and as a therapist he helped homeless teens who were often suicidal. My son was successful and very happy and in a new relationship that he described as his possible soul mate and future partner. He suddenly shot himself in the bathroom after 3 weeks on a new Mirtazapine refill. Instead of meeting his new love for a date the next day, he was found dead on Mother's Day May 9, 2021 by a devastated dear friend. His recently rescued cat and dog that he loved dearly were still in his apartment where he was found. Big pharma murdered our son and they continue to get rich prescribing this drug and not being sued because of their black box warning. My son was a road kill to big pharma and never made it to his 30th birthday. How many others were murdered by this drug and then had their deaths mislabeled as a suicide? There are MANY and that is big pharma's untold secret.

    Posted by

    on
    I have had issues with hostility, self-harm, and suicidal thought since starting this medication. I not have fits where I destroy my things and cut myself. I was initially put on this medication due to digestive issues, which were thought to be caused by stress after my endoscopy and colonoscopy came back negative.

    I have tried to get off several times, but I experience severe withdrawal symptoms whenever I do. These include: sweating, diarrhoea, anxiety, heart palpitations, shivering, lack of appetite, nausea, dizziness, flu-like symptoms, and insomnia. I was never warned that withdrawal symptoms existed.

    Posted by

    on
    What were the results of this class action

    Posted by

    on
    I had a mini stroke last week, a blood clot behind my eye. I have been taking remeron since 2015. The Veterans hospital prescribed it and now are telling me to return any of this medication back to them. I have had suicidal thoughts, severe angry mood swings.

    Posted by

    on
    I have lost everything and everyone in my life had tia's miny strokes and lost the use of my leg all from taken this medication

    Posted by

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    I have been taking this medication for several years. I have horrifying and brutal thoughts of both self-destructive and murderous behaviour. I've never acted on them and probably never will, but I've had episodes where I've literally punched myself in the head and destroyed objects in terrible fits of rage. I have also suffered from three potentially lethal Torsdades de Pointes attacks of ventricular tachycardia where I have almost passed out and felt extremely ill. I treated this problem with magnesium supplements and the Torsades attacks stopped but I am still terrified of the violent thoughts.

    Posted by

    on
    My beloved 84 y.o. mother was prescribed Remeron in April 2016. She complained of suicidal thoughts to her HCP. Five months later, in September 2016, she committed suicide by hanging. I am interested in starting a class action suit against the manufacturers of Remeron to for monetary damages and to have the suicide black box warning changed to include ALL patients, regardless of age.

    Posted by

    on
    Regarding Remeron :
    Our family has experienced a horrific tragedy because of this med which changed my husband's brain chemistry. During the night, after I woke him up to ask him if he'd taken a med ( he fell asleep instantly while we were talking) he became angry and aggressive. Very unlike this gentle man. For several minutes and in silence he became violent with me. Then, Immediately and without hesitating he ran to a cupboard and pulled out a hidden glock, placed it under his chin and fired. All this in seconds!
    He had not been depressed and I did not know he was on this med. I knew his old neck injury may have drawn him to try this evil, mind-altering drug. It showed up in toxicology. My husband was an MD.
    Now I learn that robin Williams had mostly this med in his blood before desperately and urgently killing himself.
    We are living a nightmare now.
    I wrote this hoping there are others out there...
    Nancy

    Posted by

    on
    I have become a different person since taking remeron generic please contact me

    Posted by

    on
    I have been taking Remeon for about seven years and I do have a very aggressive anger problem. I have also been taking fluoxetine for the past three months. I am very angry and tend to be out of control at times.

    Posted by

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    Being in the hopistal and lost my family because of it.

    Posted by

    on
    My kids have no father I have no husband I sm suffering anxiety attacks.

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