In a study that was recently released by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) in the Journal of PLoS, the top 10 medications that help to induce violence in users on the market are mostly comprised of antidepressants.
According to both the ISMP report and the FDA’s Adverse Event Reporting System, it appears as if these medications have also been linked to homicides and other violent crimes as well. It stands to reason when you look at these reports that sometimes the drug is worse than the disease it is prescribed to treat. Paxil and Effexor are a part of that list of drugs that can harm not only the user, but the rest of the community as well. Some of the other medications include a malaria drug and a drug that helps people quit smoking. The drugs specifically named in the report include:
- Pristiq
- Effexor
- Luvox
- Halcion
- Strattera
- Lariam
- Amphetamines
- Paxil
- Prozac
- Chantix
Each of the drugs mentioned in this study have the potential to cause users to suffer various harmful side effects. Some of those side effects may even be life threatening. In fact, thousands of lawsuits have been filed against the makers of Paxil and Effexor with the plaintiffs claiming the drug companies hid the dangers from the public and even medical practitioners just to ensure higher sales.
These days, many people who have committed violent crimes have claimed that they did so because of the prescription medications they were taking. One bipolar Canadian woman, Michelle Francoeur, successfully used Effexor as her defense when she was accused of having sex with a 15-year-old boy. She was misdiagnosed with depression and given Effexor as a treatment, but was later found to be bipolar instead. The jury believed that her excessive behavior such as drinking, coupled with the dosage of Effexor she was given for a misdiagnosed condition, may have been a contributing factor in the impairment of the woman’s overall judgment.
This new study that cites antidepressants like Effexor and Paxil as inducers of violent behavior may mean that many more people might commit violent crimes just because they are taking these medications. It is for reasons like this that people should consider very closely whether they will take a medication. It’s not just your own life that you may be saving.
