Man Claims Side Effects Other Than Zoloft Birth Defects

Columbia, SCWhile the risk of Zoloft birth defects has been speculated for a number of years, a South Carolina man has also claimed that the use of the drug can cause other side effects.

The man blames the use of the antidepressant drug Zoloft for the killing of his grandparents when he was 12 years old, but recently pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, the Myrtle Beach Sun News reports.

Judge Ernest Kinard also sentenced Christopher Pittman, who is now 21, to 25 years in prison as part of a plea deal that could allow him to be released in approximately 12 years, the news provider said. Pittman had been serving a 30-year sentence and was projected to be released in 2031.

Pittman was tried as an adult in the 2001 killing of his grandparents with a shotgun, setting their house on fire and fleeing in the family car, the news source said.

During his trial in 2005, Pittman's attorneys argued that the prescription drug Zoloft caused him to become manic and commit the murders, the news source said. After the verdict, Pfizer Inc., which manufactures Zoloft, said that the drug "didn't cause" Pittman's problems.

According to the Mayo Clinic, the use of Zoloft has been associated with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN).