Dead man's sister calls for more research before prescribing Zoloft and Xanax

[Guest guest]

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0506/1224296281304.html

The Irish Times - Friday, May 6, 2011

Dead man's sister calls for more research before prescribing

LOUISE ROSEINGRAVE

THE FAMILY of a 52-year-old man who died suddenly shortly after

he began taking antidepressants has called on doctors to conduct

more research into medication they prescribe.

Maguire, an interior architect from Lindville,

Blackrock, Cork, was under stress he attributed to business

worries, a resumed inquest into his death heard yesterday.

Three weeks after he began taking a combination of anti-anxiety

and antidepressant drugs, Mr Maguire died suddenly after he

initially decided to take his own life, then changed his mind, but

it was too late, the inquest was told.

He was found dead outside his mother’s house at Rockville,

Blackrock, Cork, on June 26th, 2010.

Described as a calm, cheerful, mild-mannered man, family members

claimed Mr Maguire’s behaviour changed profoundly once he started

taking the medication.

“I’ve done a lot of research on these tablets and I think doctors

in Ireland should do more research on the tablets they are giving

to people,” the deceased’s sister told the court.

A brother of the deceased said Mr Maguire had phoned him in the

days leading up to his death, telling him the tablets were driving

him mad and giving him nightmares.

At Cork City Coroner’s Court yesterday, coroner O’Connell

returned an open verdict into Mr Maguire’s death.

Mr Maguire’s GP, Dr Orla Batt, prescribed a combination of

anti-anxiety drug Alprazolam (trade name Xanax) and the

antidepressant Sertraline (trading under Zoloft or Lustral) after

he presented with anxiety, sleeplessness, weight loss and

depression on June 8th, 2010.

He had no history of self harm and no psychiatric history. His

problem was anxiety, Dr Batt told the court. She said she did not

feel he was at serious risk of suicide and that his stress was

caused primarily by his business worries.

“Research is not my area but I’m not aware of any problems with

these medications,” Dr Batt said.

Professor of psychiatry at Cork University Hospital Ted Dinan

said Alprazolam and Sertraline was a “reasonably sensible”

combination of medication to prescribe and was frequently used in

the treatment of depression.

He said he was not aware of any convincing evidence linking

Sertraline to suicidal behaviour.

[Guest guest]

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0506/1224296281304.html

The Irish Times - Friday, May 6, 2011

Dead man's sister calls for more research before prescribing

LOUISE ROSEINGRAVE

THE FAMILY of a 52-year-old man who died suddenly shortly after

he began taking antidepressants has called on doctors to conduct

more research into medication they prescribe.

Maguire, an interior architect from Lindville,

Blackrock, Cork, was under stress he attributed to business

worries, a resumed inquest into his death heard yesterday.

Three weeks after he began taking a combination of anti-anxiety

and antidepressant drugs, Mr Maguire died suddenly after he

initially decided to take his own life, then changed his mind, but

it was too late, the inquest was told.

He was found dead outside his mother’s house at Rockville,

Blackrock, Cork, on June 26th, 2010.

Described as a calm, cheerful, mild-mannered man, family members

claimed Mr Maguire’s behaviour changed profoundly once he started

taking the medication.

“I’ve done a lot of research on these tablets and I think doctors

in Ireland should do more research on the tablets they are giving

to people,” the deceased’s sister told the court.

A brother of the deceased said Mr Maguire had phoned him in the

days leading up to his death, telling him the tablets were driving

him mad and giving him nightmares.

At Cork City Coroner’s Court yesterday, coroner O’Connell

returned an open verdict into Mr Maguire’s death.

Mr Maguire’s GP, Dr Orla Batt, prescribed a combination of

anti-anxiety drug Alprazolam (trade name Xanax) and the

antidepressant Sertraline (trading under Zoloft or Lustral) after

he presented with anxiety, sleeplessness, weight loss and

depression on June 8th, 2010.

He had no history of self harm and no psychiatric history. His

problem was anxiety, Dr Batt told the court. She said she did not

feel he was at serious risk of suicide and that his stress was

caused primarily by his business worries.

“Research is not my area but I’m not aware of any problems with

these medications,” Dr Batt said.

Professor of psychiatry at Cork University Hospital Ted Dinan

said Alprazolam and Sertraline was a “reasonably sensible”

combination of medication to prescribe and was frequently used in

the treatment of depression.

He said he was not aware of any convincing evidence linking

Sertraline to suicidal behaviour.

[Guest guest]

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0506/1224296281304.html

The Irish Times - Friday, May 6, 2011

Dead man's sister calls for more research before prescribing

LOUISE ROSEINGRAVE

THE FAMILY of a 52-year-old man who died suddenly shortly after

he began taking antidepressants has called on doctors to conduct

more research into medication they prescribe.

Maguire, an interior architect from Lindville,

Blackrock, Cork, was under stress he attributed to business

worries, a resumed inquest into his death heard yesterday.

Three weeks after he began taking a combination of anti-anxiety

and antidepressant drugs, Mr Maguire died suddenly after he

initially decided to take his own life, then changed his mind, but

it was too late, the inquest was told.

He was found dead outside his mother’s house at Rockville,

Blackrock, Cork, on June 26th, 2010.

Described as a calm, cheerful, mild-mannered man, family members

claimed Mr Maguire’s behaviour changed profoundly once he started

taking the medication.

“I’ve done a lot of research on these tablets and I think doctors

in Ireland should do more research on the tablets they are giving

to people,” the deceased’s sister told the court.

A brother of the deceased said Mr Maguire had phoned him in the

days leading up to his death, telling him the tablets were driving

him mad and giving him nightmares.

At Cork City Coroner’s Court yesterday, coroner O’Connell

returned an open verdict into Mr Maguire’s death.

Mr Maguire’s GP, Dr Orla Batt, prescribed a combination of

anti-anxiety drug Alprazolam (trade name Xanax) and the

antidepressant Sertraline (trading under Zoloft or Lustral) after

he presented with anxiety, sleeplessness, weight loss and

depression on June 8th, 2010.

He had no history of self harm and no psychiatric history. His

problem was anxiety, Dr Batt told the court. She said she did not

feel he was at serious risk of suicide and that his stress was

caused primarily by his business worries.

“Research is not my area but I’m not aware of any problems with

these medications,” Dr Batt said.

Professor of psychiatry at Cork University Hospital Ted Dinan

said Alprazolam and Sertraline was a “reasonably sensible”

combination of medication to prescribe and was frequently used in

the treatment of depression.

He said he was not aware of any convincing evidence linking

Sertraline to suicidal behaviour.

[Guest guest]

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0506/1224296281304.html

The Irish Times - Friday, May 6, 2011

Dead man's sister calls for more research before prescribing

LOUISE ROSEINGRAVE

THE FAMILY of a 52-year-old man who died suddenly shortly after

he began taking antidepressants has called on doctors to conduct

more research into medication they prescribe.

Maguire, an interior architect from Lindville,

Blackrock, Cork, was under stress he attributed to business

worries, a resumed inquest into his death heard yesterday.

Three weeks after he began taking a combination of anti-anxiety

and antidepressant drugs, Mr Maguire died suddenly after he

initially decided to take his own life, then changed his mind, but

it was too late, the inquest was told.

He was found dead outside his mother’s house at Rockville,

Blackrock, Cork, on June 26th, 2010.

Described as a calm, cheerful, mild-mannered man, family members

claimed Mr Maguire’s behaviour changed profoundly once he started

taking the medication.

“I’ve done a lot of research on these tablets and I think doctors

in Ireland should do more research on the tablets they are giving

to people,” the deceased’s sister told the court.

A brother of the deceased said Mr Maguire had phoned him in the

days leading up to his death, telling him the tablets were driving

him mad and giving him nightmares.

At Cork City Coroner’s Court yesterday, coroner O’Connell

returned an open verdict into Mr Maguire’s death.

Mr Maguire’s GP, Dr Orla Batt, prescribed a combination of

anti-anxiety drug Alprazolam (trade name Xanax) and the

antidepressant Sertraline (trading under Zoloft or Lustral) after

he presented with anxiety, sleeplessness, weight loss and

depression on June 8th, 2010.

He had no history of self harm and no psychiatric history. His

problem was anxiety, Dr Batt told the court. She said she did not

feel he was at serious risk of suicide and that his stress was

caused primarily by his business worries.

“Research is not my area but I’m not aware of any problems with

these medications,” Dr Batt said.

Professor of psychiatry at Cork University Hospital Ted Dinan

said Alprazolam and Sertraline was a “reasonably sensible”

combination of medication to prescribe and was frequently used in

the treatment of depression.

He said he was not aware of any convincing evidence linking

Sertraline to suicidal behaviour.