Suicide Attempt Prozac 16/08/1997 U.S.A. Teenaged Boy Sets Self on Fire: Survives
 
 Summary:<br><br><div>First paragraph reads:&nbsp; &quot;Last year my son, <strong>who had been put on Prozac b</strong>y his psychiatrist, had a gigantic temper tantrum. <strong>He destroyed his computer, his car and set himself on fire, burning more than 90 percent of his body. He put out the fire in a shower. He never expressed suicidal tendencies before this episode, and he has fought for his life throughout his treatment for burns.&quot;<br /></strong>_______________________________________________________________________<br /><br />DID PROZAC SEND SON ON SELF-DESTRUCTIVE RAMPAGE?<br />St. Louis Post-Dispatch<br />August 16, 1997<br />Author: Joe Graedon and Teresa Graedon, Ph.D. <br />Estimated printed pages: 2 <br /><img src="../localhost/C_/Program%20Files/Eudora%20Pro/Embedded/1b34fd91.jpg" alt="[]" width="1" height="1" /> <br /><br />Q: Can Prozac trigger violent and irrational reactions?<br /><br />Last year my son, who had been put on Prozac by his psychiatrist, had a gigantic temper tantrum. He destroyed his computer, his car and set himself on fire, burning more than 90 percent of his body. He put out the fire in a shower. <br />He never expressed suicidal tendencies before this episode, and he has fought for his life throughout his treatment for burns.<br /><br />How often do people on Prozac attempt <strong>suicide</strong>? I think families should be warned about this complication. I am concerned about the Prozac ads I have been seeing in popular magazines because they barely touch on this potential problem.<br /><br />A: The issue of violent, self-destructive behavior associated with Prozac is controversial. People who are depressed sometimes consider <strong>suicide</strong>. The company maintains this is no more common with Prozac than with other antidepressants.<br /><br />There have, however, been occasional reports of violent acts connected to Prozac. The ads you have seen include a page of fine print that lists, among other potentially adverse events, agitation, confusion and extreme mood swings. &quot;Suicidal ideation&quot; and &quot;violent behaviors&quot; are also noted. Those taking Prozac should contact their doctor immediately if they begin to feel suicidal or to have violent urges.<br /><br />Q: I am a retired pathologist and like to keep up with medical advances. Doing a computer search on MEDLINE can cost me as much as $100, which is beyond my budget. Is there any way to get to this information through the Internet?<br /><br />A: Good news from the National Library of Medicine. Everyone now has free access to MEDLINE&#39;s 9 million journal articles through the World Wide Web. With a computer and a modem, you can access this service at the following address: <a href="http://www.nlm.nih.gov/">http://www.nlm.nih.gov</a> .<br /><br />Q: In a recent column you insinuated that Prozac, <strong>Paxil</strong> and Zoloft are being overprescribed for &quot;PMS, predepression and even shyness.&quot; Were you implying that premenstrual syndrome is imaginary or perhaps a character trait?<br /><br />I recently participated in a study of Zoloft therapy for PMS. After a rigorous screening process to determine whether PMS was a valid diagnosis, I was given the pills. I found the medication very helpful.<br /><br />I thank you for warning that Zoloft may trigger withdrawal. That explains the digestive difficulties I experienced after the study ended.<br /><br />A: We certainly did not intend to belittle the significance of PMS. Zoloft, <strong>Paxil</strong> and Prozac are being prescribed to people with a wide range of serious problems, including depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bulimia and attention-deficit disorder, as well as PMS.<br /><br />As useful as these medications are, side effects and interactions may cause difficulties. Some people feel anxious and have trouble sleeping. Sexual difficulties are not unusual. Stopping the drug suddenly may bring on symptoms such as nausea, shakiness, sweating, dizziness, difficulty concentrating and anxiety.<br /><br />We are sending you our Guide to Psychological Side Effects and Antidepressant Pros and Cons for a more detailed discussion. Anyone else who would like a copy may send $2 with a long (No. 10) stamped, self-addressed envelope to Graedons&#39; People&#39;s Pharmacy, No. MD-719, P.O. Box 52027, Durham, N.C. 27717-2027. <br />Memo:&nbsp; Write to Joe and Teresa Graedon in care of the Post-Dispatch, 900 North Tucker Boulevard, St. Louis, Mo. 63101, or send e-mail to PHARMACY@mindspring.com <br />Edition:&nbsp; FIVE STAR LIFT<br />Section:&nbsp; LIFESTYLE<br />Page:&nbsp; 32<br />Column:&nbsp; THE PEOPLE&#39;S PHARMACY COLUMN<br />Record Number:&nbsp; 9708160351 <br /><br />OpenURL Article Bookmark (right click, and copy the link location):<br /><a href="http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&amp;rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:NewsBank:SLDB&amp;rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&amp;rft_dat=0EB05060C95ADE74&amp;svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated4&amp;req_dat=0FC00B934DD580D0">DID PROZAC SEND SON ON SELF-DESTRUCTIVE RAMPAGE?</a><br /></div> 
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