Wellbutrin Lawyers
The chemical bupropion hydrochloride (or simply “bupropion”) was first synthesized in 1966 and GlaxoSmithKline gained Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to sell the drug as Wellbutrin in 1985. Wellbutrin, Wellbutrin SR, and Wellbutrin XL are used in the treatment of major depressive and seasonal affective disorders. Bupropion has additionally been approved as an anti-smoking treatment under the name Zyban, and there are multiple off-label uses for the drug, including weight loss, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and the reduction of sexual side effects that can be brought on by other antidepressants.
A Depression Treatment That May Actually Worsen Psychiatric Disorders
Considered an “atypical” anti-depressant because the way it acts on the brain differs significantly from other popular antidepressants, it wasn’t long after its United States debut that Wellbutrin was pulled from shelves due to another unusual characteristic. In the year following its FDA approval, Wellbutrin was removed from the market due to a high risk of seizures. Although it was reintroduced in 1989 with a revised maximum daily dose, that was hardly the end of problems for Wellbutrin and GSK.
In 2004 the FDA ordered that Wellbutrin and a number of other antidepressants include a “black box” warning, the agency’s strongest, to alert the public that drugs like Wellbutrin increase the risk of suicide and suicidal ideation in children and adolescents. In 2007, the FDA extended this black box warning to include young adults. Two years later, Zyban and its generics were found by the FDA to cause dangerous changes in user behavior such as hostility, agitation, depression, suicidal thoughts, and suicide attempts, and were made to carry a black box warning as well.
Wellbutrin Linked to Congenital Heart Defects
More recently (but equally disturbing) was the publication of an article in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology in 2010 that found an association between Wellbutrin use by pregnant women and the development of a congenital heart defect in their babies. According to a study performed between 1997 and 2004, babies born to women who used bupropion during the early stages of their pregnancies were more likely to have a congenital cardiac problem known as a left outflow tract heart defects. This condition often must be corrected through surgery.
Rounding out the severe health risks of Wellbutrin and other bupropion-based drugs are the potential for hepatoxicity (liver damage), neuropsychiatric symptoms (hallucinations, psychosis, paranoia, and more), hypertension (high blood pressure), and renal (kidney) impairment. Among the more common side effects of Wellbutrin, as listed in the medication’s guide, are nervousness, constipation, trouble sleeping, dry mouth, headache, nausea, vomiting, and shakiness.
Contact Us For a Free Case Review
The news that Wellbutrin may have harmed you or your baby is something to be depressed about, but the good news is that you may have legal recourse through a lawsuit. To find out if you are eligible to obtain compensation from GlaxoSmithKline or another bupropion manufacturer, fill out this form to obtain a free claim evaluation.