TOPIC:

I was put on Celexa in March stopped taking it when the bruises started coming on. In April I was diagnosed with ITP. Just wanted to know if anyone else out there has had the same problem?

I have also been on Celexa, but is was after I was diagnosed with ITP.

Same with me. I took it for a few years after the ITP diagnosis.

They think I could have had it before the Celexa but it just made me more aware of the problem and ended up in the ER.

Looking at getting an product liability lawyer for the Celexa, which caused my ITP. They need to take responsible for what can and does happen to people.

If it's listed as a possible side effect, plus they think you could have had it before you took the drug, how do you have a lawsuit?
Erica

Amber - according to the PDR, nearly all drugs list thrombocytopeina as a side effect. It's nearly impossible to prove too. I don't know how far you'd get with that. Even Rituxan iists thrombocytopenia as a side effect. The doctors prescribe these drugs but we do take them willingly. People are harmed by side effects all the time, part of the risk of taking the drug.

i wouldn't think she has any worse case than any other drug lawsuits. first of all its really just a game where lawyers sue companies for drugs still on the market. the drug company pays a pittance and continues to market it. then there are lawsuits for people who contracted illnesses attributed to a surpressed immune system after taking a drug specifically to supress the immune system. all it takes is a smart lawyer and an uneducated jury. thats how our system works.

And that is why medical costs are so high. Lawsuits. I acquired ITP shortly after taking Amoxicillin. I acquired Achilles Tendonitis from taking Cipro. I acquired Lupus shortly after using Rituxan. I am experiencing bone degeneration from years of Prednisone. Should I sue? No one forced any of those things on me.

Look at Robin Roberts. Now fighting MDS probably caused by her breast cancer treatments. There are sad stories all over the world.

Freckles, you know I partially agree that medications can cause harm. I know that, I live that. It's happened and yes, I continue to take them and inject them because I fear the alternative. Anyone who puts a drug in their mouth should be aware of the inherent risks and weigh the pros and cons. Drugs come with warnings and we can choose to be aware of them or we can ignore them. Before I take any new medication, I thoroughly research it and make a decision. I have turned many down that my doctors have suggested. No drug is prescribed to intentionally harm a person. We go to the doctor, ask for help, and they do what they can with what is available. They simply do as we ask.

They think I could have had it before the Celexa..."

amberyard I think you said it all when you said "they think I could have had it before the Celexa" - you don't know if it caused your ITP, you don't know if you had ITP before the first Celexa was swallowed.

I am 100% sure my ITP was caused by a gamma globulin [IVIg] injection - who in the heck would I sue? My husband's company because they required I get the injection before we could go overseas and look for an apartment - my doctor because he administered the injection - the company that made the gamma globulin - who? It happened, I have ITP - I never thought to sue, I never would sue.

My newly acquired & fired neurologist offered me Effexor for a neurological disorder - I told her to write the name down and I would look it up. Well let me tell you, after reading about it on MedlinePlus I wouldn't give it to my worst enemy [and she is horrible], muchless take it myself! A long red box warning for it, then it listed 30 side effects to report to the doctor if one didn't go away and 16 listed that if you got one you had to call the doctor immediately - no way was I going to take that stuff for neuropathy!!

well, speaking of side effects, and no offense to you ladies whose husbands may use this, but the most insane side effects warnings has to be for ed meds. "stop taking if you suddenly go blind" if i needed that stuff and there is a chance to go blind, i think i would just become a monk.

I didn't know that was a side effect but it's kind of ironic.

I have a lot of psychological disorders due to past abuse. My psychiatrist and I try to wean out the ones that technically cause ITP, but as Sandi points out, even Rituxan is a risk for ITP. Sometimes I think my cymbalta is causing it, but mostly from my "trials" of on and off, I think it is just in my head.

amberyard wrote:

They think I could have had it before the Celexa but it just made me more aware of the problem and ended up in the ER.

Well, if they think you had ITP before Celexa, then it would be difficult to file a Lawsuit against the maker of Celexa. Unusuall bleeding/bruising is one of the many side effects listed for Celexa. So being this is listed as one of the side effects, I do not see how you would win a liability lawsuit. You chose to take the drug to help with depression. One has to weigh the benifits of treating a condition with drugs and the side effects or dealing with the condition and it's complications without drugs.

it really doesnt matter if they list it as a side effect. bleeding is listed as a side effect of pradaxa but people still win suits for pradaxa use for bleeding. like i said above, none of the reasoning matters, the lawyer only cares if he can convince a jury.

True, but a lawyer won't take a liability case if he doesn't think he can win. I've worked for them, and most law firms have meetings to decide what cases they will take and which ones they won't based on facts and case law. Of course anyone can try to initiate a lawsuit.

Sandi wrote:

True, but a lawyer won't take a liability case if he doesn't think he can win. I've worked for them, and most law firms have meetings to decide what cases they will take and which ones they won't based on facts and case law. Of course anyone can try to initiate a lawsuit.

Very hard to find a lawyer to take this type of case.

Since as far back as the 1960's, it has been listed on the cigerette packaging that it can cause cancer. There has been many cases won in court due to cancer from cigarette smoking.

So I do believe that a person has a chance of winning a lawsuit case where medication has caused so much harm. Of course it would take a very good attorney.

Lady wrote:

Since as far back as the 1960's, it has been listed on the cigerette packaging that it can cause cancer. There has been many cases won in court due to cancer from cigarette smoking.

So I do believe that a person has a chance of winning a lawsuit case where medication has caused so much harm. Of course it would take a very good attorney.

My Dad has smoked for 60+ years. He has had part of a lung removed and Prostate cancer. Should he be fileing a Lawsuit? Not in my opinion. He chose to smoke. No one forced him to. I do not feel anyone should win a Lawsuit for issues relaed to smoking!
The side affects of a medication is a risk one takes in order to treat a medical condition. So if one chooses not to treat a condition with medication, whom are you going to sue, if you suffer from complications due to not treating it? I could have chose not to treat my ITP and Depression, but the risks of not treating far outweighed the risks of treatment sides affects.
I was told of a person that filed a claim against a company that stated use of this product could couse heart problems in the future. She was not having any heart related issues at the time and won $300k!!! Money was used to pay off house and buy new vehicle etc. In my opinion any money won in a case like this, should not be able to be used for material possessions!!! It should be used to pay for medical expenses due to complications from the product used. There is a time and place for Lawsuits and it should used for expenses realted to the reason for the Lawsuit. Not for someone to get rich!!!

The problem I recall with smoking and the tobacco companies was that they knew that smoking was harmful and still sold their product telling that it wasn't. People say that if they'd known then they wouldn't have started smoking. I think the subterfuge and lying was the problem rather than the product itself.

Even with the warning started in the mid 60's, there are still millions that continue and start this habbit every day.

Lets return to the topic of Celexa causing ITP.

I thought I had read that platelets are a transporter of serotonin though out the body. With the drop in platelets counts you then lose serotonin. Therefore, the loss of serotonin could develop symptoms of depression.

If the Celexa was being given for depression, then this may have been a missed diagnosis. The depression could have been an early symptom if ITP.

The question is "Was the Celexa being taken for depression?"

I think people probably overestimate the importance of serotonin in platelets. Most, 95% of the body's serotonin is in the digestive tract. Some is in the central nervous system and about 2% carried by the platelets. Serotonin from platelets is released into the plasma and has a localised effect on blood vessels. Whether it has an effect on mood etc is doubtful.

The Celexa was given because we (husband and I) came to the fact that we had no choice but to walk away from our home. I was crying none stop, he thought it could premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

Rituxan is not FDA approved to for the treatment of ITP. I'm looking into Nplate, got some info in the mail the other day.

Amber,

How are you going to prove that Celexa was the cause of your ITP?

Alison

I've never been able to find any credible articles that enough serotonin is carried by platelets to cause depression. If anyone has any links, please provide.

amberyard wrote:

The Celexa was given because we (husband and I) came to the fact that we had no choice but to walk away from our home. I was crying none stop, he thought it could premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

So, it is possible that you had low counts prior to taking Celexa. Sorry to hear you had to walk away from your home. That can be a very stressful situation and if your Platelets were already low, the stress could also affect the Platelet count. The use of Celexa "could" mess with Platets, but it would be difficult to prove it. There are risks with taking any kind of medication. As I said before, one either suffers with complications from not treating a condition or the risks of taking a medication. If I would have chose not to treat my ITP/depression, I may not be here today. I was scared to have the Rituxan flowing through my body not knowing what the long term affects may be. But the risks of not treating counts of 4-8k scared me also. I did not want to rely on a pill (Celexa) to make me feel better, but the risks of not taking it far outwieghed the risks of taking it. Once I was myself again, I stopped taking it. Went back on it as the Depression returned in a few weeks. I have stopped taking again with better results. I have know idea if the Celexa had anything to do with Platelet counts. Counts have been ranging between 170-210k for almost 3 years. My last Rituxan was Nov of 09. Prior to accepting the fact that I needed treatment for depression, I went through the same crying everyday issues for several weeks. That is something I Never want to experience again. Platelets may carry only 2% of Serotonin, but if Platelets are really low, would'nt the 2% of the Serotonin be a bigger issue? Personally I think low Platelets can contribute to mood changes (depression).The cause of Depression is unknown but it is caused by chemical changes in the brain. This may be due to a problem with the genes, a stressful situation or both. There are people that deal with stress everyday and just deal with it, but that is not the case for everyone. One stressful situation can really comprimise ones health. Not everyone with ITP develops depression, we are all different and everyones body deals with conditions and treatments differently.
Bottom line is that amberyard finds a treatment that works and does not cause any further complications!

But if low platelets can cause depression, wouldn't everyone with low counts be depressed? That's just not the case. ITP didn't depress me. Prednisone did though.

In my opinion not necessarily. We all respond differently to complications from health issues and medications. Not everyone will experience depression symptoms from low Platelets. Not everyone experiences the same results/side affects with medications. The combination of possible stress from a health condition and medication can really affect SOME people.