Friday, June 20

A new lawsuit filed against AstraZeneca's blockbuster drug, Seroquel !

Weitz & Luxenberg announced on June 19, 2008 that it has filed a lawsuit against AstraZeneca on behalf of a New York City Fire Department Emergency Medical Technician whose diabetes was allegedly caused by AstraZeneca's drug Seroquel. The plaintiff, EMT Ernest Armstead, was prescribed Seroquel, which Weitz & Luxenberg claims did not carry a warning that the powerful drug can cause diabetes. A deposition of AstraZeneca's CEO, David Brennan, about his company's alleged undisclosed knowledge regarding the dangerous side effect of diabetes, is being taken on June 20th 2008 in London, England at the law offices of Baker Botts.

A New York City paramedic was prescribed Seroquel for post-traumatic stress disorder and later he developed Type II diabetes. At least three states, including Pennsylvania, have sued AstraZeneca over its marketing of Seroquel with more than $4 billion in sales last year.

By Shilpa C Nangali

10 comments:

  1. I was on Seroquel. I don’t remember it making me feel any better because I gained 40 pounds on the stuff. I got even more depressed as a result of becoming morbidly obese.

    One man’s miracle drug is another man’s Tic Tac!

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  2. I’m reluctant to try the Seroquel because I have a family history of diabetes. I’m running out of options.

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  3. There IS light at the end of every tunnel. Yes, sometimes it is a train. But at least, you can always get it to stop and maybe even hitch a ride.

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  4. It's important to weigh the benefits against the risks and consider the treatment options. Learning all the facts can help you make an informed and personal decision about how best to treat ur depression. Note that just bcoz a medication has the potential for causing weight gain doesn't mean that it will. Next, we need to look at time intervals: Will the medication cause weight gain in the short term (six months or less) or in the long term (one year or more)? This matters to many people, as it is an easier pill to swallow knowing the weight gain will be temporary.

    There are antidepressants that do not cause weight gain. But the key questions to consider are: Will those particular medications work for you? And if not, which is more important—avoiding a potential short- or long-term weight gain or getting help to regain your zest for life? That's the key, and that's the balance that must be discussed with your health care provider before selecting your medication.

    There is a category of antidepressants that seek to balance the brain’s naturally-occurring chemicals, serotonin and norepinephrine. These drugs are not likely to cause weight gain in the short term and have a low tendency to cause this problem over the long term. Medications in this category include nefazodone, venlafaxine and duloxetine. A medication that also works with the brain chemical dopamine is bupropion. Bupropion is unlikely to cause weight gain, and in fact, may cause some weight loss. It is also used to help people quit smoking.

    Finally, I want to stress the importance of having good communication with ur doc. This can make the difference between riding the healing road to recovery and veering off on a bumpy detour in ur search for better health.

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  5. Hey Shilpa, ur answer clarified a few myths I had..and my doubts got clarified..u know I never knew dat der are antidepressants dat do not cause weight gain! Good Heavens ! Thanx !!!!!

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  6. I was in luv wid a guy, loved him so sincerely..n i luv him even now..but he ditched me sayin dat im emotional...i was so depressed n started taking sleeping pills..one per day...later i stopped taking it...

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  7. hi avy..im happy dat u hve stopped taking those pills..solution for ur happiness is not in those pills but in urself ! And I wud luv to tel u that being emotional can be a weakness & also a strength. U may be emotional..so what! U knw being emotional is just ur personality. It is part of yourself ... like ur legs & arms. Just accept urself as u are, moreover first of all learn to luv urself! There's a gud advantage in being emotional though....as u can be a gud friend, a person who always has a shoulder for a friend to lean on. Since you're emotional, u can understand how others are feeling and u understand their loss more than anyone else can! It is fine if u r
    emotional but be emotionally intelligent. It is fine if u are emotional but be emotionally stable. It is fine if u are emotional but u control ur emotions, and don't let ur emotions to control u! Stop caring abt some1 who does not bother abt ur feelings n who does not respect ur feelings..ur beloved shd accept u as u are..no one is perfect...u cant pretend to be someone else all ur life just for the sake of being with ur guy..ur beloved shd allow u to be urself..so be happy dat u moved away frm such person! As one of our readers, Charlie, has said,
    "There IS light at the end of every tunnel. Yes, sometimes it is a train. But at least, you can always get it to stop and maybe even hitch a ride." God bless!

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  8. @ Laurie Kendrick

    hi, u are right, one man’s miracle drug can be another man’s Tic Tac! It depends on a person's physiology..how his body mechanism reacts to the drug...Thanks for sharing ur view :)

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  9. My eyes were filled with tears reading ur reply...Thanks a lot Shilpa..ur reply really comforted me a lot...comforted me more than those pills i used to take..felt as if i spoke to a frnd of mine..so close to me..!!! ..I put on weight also due to those pills ...I knw its my mistake to take such pills without consulting a doc...i was so pissed off...but im sure I can start a new life..by being just ME...converting my weakness into strength..May God make all ur wishes come true...u guyz are rocking wid dis blog..why dnt u ppl start polls also here...and discuss socially sensitive issues??? saw in dat chat application dat its gonna come soon..waiting for that ...

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  10. Im happy to see dat cheerfulness in ur reply avy..thanks a lot for ur wishes..God bless u..we are trying on that particular feature
    (creating polls)..u can
    expect it soon ! And this time we will not make u guyz wait for long...! Thanks!

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