Paxil / Seroxat Carlin verdict - suicide "affected by depression, cocaine and ethanol"

The parents of an Oakville teen who committed suicide wept tears of joy Monday as a coroner's jury announced sweeping recommendations aimed at preventing similar deaths.








http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2010/06/28/14546771.html



A coroner's jury determined Sara Carlin died after hanging herself while "affected by depression, cocaine and ethanol (alcohol)."



The 18-year-old scholar and outstanding athlete killed herself on May 6, 2007, at her Oakville home, 14 months after she began taking the antidepressant, Paxil — a member of the family of drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). She had also been using cocaine and drinking heavily.



The coroner's jury heard of the downward spiral of Sara Carlin, who scored 90s in school, played baseball and hockey, held a part-time job, and tutored kids in math.



Later, her parents learned that Sara, who had been taking Paxil, complained of anxiety and depression to her family doctor. Her parents blamed Paxil for their daughter's demise.



Sara's parents were elated by the jury's recommendations which urged measures designed to ensure doctors better communicate the risks of SSRIs to patients and their loved ones.



"If those recommendations were in place a few years ago, Sara would be alive today," said Neil Carlin. "We consider this a great victory."



Among the many recommendations, the jury urged the Ontario College of Physicians and Surgeons to train doctors administering antidepressant drugs to "inform the patient of the benefits and risk — including rare and serious side effects of SSRIs" and of the risks of taking such medications while consuming alcohol or narcotics.



The jury also recommended doctors:



•Give patients full physical exams prior to prescribing SSRIs.



•Request lab investigations, including drugs screens, where appropriate.



•Inform patients of reasonable alternative treatments and the benefits and risks of those remedies.



•There be heightened monitoring of patients for adverse drug-related reactions during the first three months that SSRIs are prescribed.



The jury also called on Ottawa to create an independent agency — the Drug Safety Board — to deal with drug safety, report to the Parliament and receive funding from taxpayers — not pharmceutical companies. Its mandate would include investigating adverse drug reactions and issuing warnings to the public and doctors.