Anti-Pychotics (Risperdal & Seroquel) and Tardive Dyskinesia
Risperdal and Seroquel are among several atypical antipsychotics, often referred to as neuroleptics and prescribed for the treatment of psychosis, including schizophrenia. These drugs are linked to many severe adverse effects, including suicide, diabetes and the muscle disorder, tardive dyskinesia (TD). According to studies, TD develops in 10-20% of patients using these drugs for several years and estimates claim over 1 million Americans could be affected. This muscle disorder can be permanent and risk increases the longer you are treated.
Doctors continue to prescribe antipsychotic drugs off-label and at a very high rate for conditions other thatn psychosis and schizophrenia. That is why these drugs have become some of the most profitable drugs in the world.
Doctors and patients alike should be aware of the risks of TD and the true benefits of these medications.
Furthermore, a recent government study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, has concluded that two of the most commonly prescribed atypical anti-psychotics, Janssen's Risperdal and Eli Lilly's Zyprexa, "neither performed any better in children and adolescents than an older generic drug."
Such findings are significant, where as the New York Times reports, "prescription rates for the newer drugs, called atypical antipsychotics, have increased more than fivefold for children over the past decades and a half, and doctors now use them to settle outbursts and aggression in children with a wide variety of diagnoses, despite serious side effects."
In light of this recent study, there is now significant question as to both the efficacy and effectiveness of new atypical anti-psychotics in children as compared to generics.
As Jon McClellan of the University of Washington, and co-author of the new study expressed, "I think the reason the use of these newer drugs has gone up so fast is that there was this widespread assumption that they were safer and more effective than what we had before … Well, we're seeing now that that's not the whole story."
At Pogust Braslow & Millrood, protecting our clients is our primary goal. We recognize that drug companies are under an obligation to warn about the known risks of their products. When they fail to do so, they may be held responsible for the injuries or deaths that are the consequence of their inaction. In addition, doctors may be responsible when they prescribe a medication for an unapproved condition and the patient suffers a serious side-effect.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with Tardive Dyskinesia while taking one of the drugs, you should immediately contact the attorneys at Pogust Braslow & Millrood, where Protecting Consumers Is Our Primary Goal. Just fill out this form, click here to send us an email or call us at (610) 941-4204.
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