Concerta Linked to Suicidal Behavior

The widely-used ADD/ADHD medication Concerta has been linked to an increased risk of extreme suicidal thoughts and actions in children and teens, and future lawsuits brought against the makers of Concerta will likely allege that there weren’t adequate warnings about this risk included on the drug label. If you or a loved one has experienced extreme suicidal thoughts or behaviors, or another serious side effect while taking Concerta, contact a knowledgeable product liability lawyer today to discuss your legal options.

Concerta Lawsuit // Consumer Safety Watch

Concerta Lawsuit Information

Previous lawsuits have been filed against the makers of Concerta over the potential for the ADHD medication to cause heart problems and a condition called priapism in users, but with a growing number of studies and reports linking Concerta to extreme suicidal thoughts and actions in children and teens, and FDA warnings about psychiatric problems linked to Concerta, new lawsuits are expected to be filed in the coming months and years. Future Concerta lawsuits will likely claim that the original drug labeling downplayed the severity of Concerta’s psychiatric side effects by suggesting that the problems only occurred in patients with pre-existing psychiatric disorders.

Since 1960, approximately 6.4 million American children have been diagnosed with ADHD, and many have begun taking Concerta, unaware of the potential for the medication to cause severe psychiatric side effects in young users, including extreme suicidal thoughts and behaviors. As a result of this failure to warn on the part of the drug’s manufacturer, Concerta lawyers across the country are now investigating claims on behalf of children who experienced suicidal thoughts and other psychiatric side effects while taking the ADHD drug, pursuing compensation for users who were adversely affected by the prescription medication.

Reasons to File a Concerta Lawsuit

  • Designed, manufactured and sold a defective medication
  • Failed to adequately research the potential adverse effects of the drug in children and teens
  • Failed to provide adequate warnings about the potential for Concerta to cause extreme suicidal thoughts and actions in young users
  • Downplayed the psychiatric effects of Concerta in the drug labeling by suggesting that the problems only occurred in users with pre-existing psychiatric conditions
  • Overstated the benefits of Concerta in order to increase sales

The chemical makeup of Concerta is very similar to cocaine and amphetamines, making it highly addictive.

History of Concerta

Concerta is manufactured by Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen Pharmaceuticals subsidiary, and was approved by the FDA in August 2000, for use in children as young as six and adults 65 or younger. In the years since its approval, Concerta has been plagued by reports of serious side effects in users, including extreme suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children and teens. In 2005, just five years after allowing the ADD medication onto the market, the FDA announced that it would be requiring stronger warnings on the labeling of Concerta and similar medications, highlighting a potential increased risk of psychiatric side effects, including suicidal thoughts, psychotic behavior, hallucinations and aggression.

The problems didn’t end there. In 2006, an expert advisory panel for the FDA recommended that Concerta and other popular ADHD drugs carry a “black box” warning regarding the risk of sudden death, cardiac arrest and other problems associated with the medications. That same year, the FDA released a review of psychiatric adverse event reports submitted to the agency in connection with ADHD drugs, which included such side effects as suicidal thoughts, self-harm behaviors, suicide attempts and completed suicides. Of the 121 reports submitted involving the use of Concerta, 34% involved children aged 10 or younger, and 38% involved patients between the ages of 11 and 20. In 26% of cases, the suicidal thoughts and behaviors stopped when the patients stopped taking Concerta.

How a Concerta Lawsuit Can Help

By filing a lawsuit alleging side effects from Concerta, affected individuals can pursue compensation for:

  • Physical injuries
  • Medical bills
  • Pain and suffering
  • Loss of future income
  • Lost wages
  • Funeral expenses

Concerta Use and Extreme Suicidal Thoughts

Serious concerns have been raised recently about the potential risk of severe psychiatric side effects from Concerta use, including an increased risk of hallucinations, paranoia and mania among children and teens, even in cases where the patients had no previous psychiatric problems. Warning signs of suicidal thoughts possibly linked to Concerta use may include talking about dying or committing suicide, losing interest in things that were once important, taking extreme risks that are out of character, saying goodbye to loved ones, and experiencing feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness. In addition to extreme suicidal thoughts, Concerta use has been linked to other serious side effects, like hallucinations, hostility, aggression, anxiety, depression, agitation, convulsions, disturbed sleep, heart issues, mania, psychosis, stroke, and drug addiction or abuse.

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