The anti-depressant Zoloft has been at the center of a highly publicized murder trial. Defense attorneys for Christopher Pittman, now 15, tried to argue that a high dosage of the drug was to blame when he shot and killed both of his grandparents, in November 2001.
Pittman then set fire to their home before driving away. They lost their argument and Pittman was convicted and sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Three weeks before the murders, Pittman’s doctor prescribed a trial sample of 50 mg pills of Zoloft to treat his depression, but his psychiatrist said she believed Pittman may have been taking more than double the recommended dose, over 200 mg per day.
But some say this is not necessarily a cause for alarm.
“Two hundred mg is not an outrageous amount,” said Jack Moriarty, a pharmacist at CVS on Post Road in Fairfield. “I’ve had people take high doses of it [Zoloft] before.”
According to Zoloft.com, “Zoloft is approved for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive-disorder in children ages six to 17. Zoloft is not approved or promoted for the treatment of depression in children or adolescents.”
Despite this warning, Zoloft is often prescribed to treat depression in young people.
“[Zoloft] is prescribed a tremendous amount for all ages of people affected by depression,” said Moriarty.
As of February 2000, more than 115 million Zoloft prescriptions had been distributed, according to Zoloft.com.
Moriarty says the idea that Zoloft could have caused Pittman to commit those murders is far-fetched.
“They’re just looking for something to blame it on, there’s no proof to back that up,” he said. “Plenty of other kids take Zoloft and they’re not out killing their grandparents.”
Brad Caliman ’08 agreed.
“An anti-depressant shouldn’t be blamed for a kid’s mental problems that obviously extend beyond depression,” he said. “They’re just using it as an excuse instead of allowing the kid to take the blame.”
Joe Hurley ’08 said that if there is no doubt as to Zoloft’s effects, Pittman should be charged accordingly. “If they can absolutely prove that it impaired his judgment, he should go to jail.”
Meg Wollschlager ’08 agreed with Hurley.
“It’s just a matter of benefits versus side effects. They [Pittman’s parents] knew the potential side effects. Drugs will always have side effects, and proof beyond a reasonable doubt would be hard to find,” she said.
Shannon Harding, a Fairfield psychology professor, said that Zoloft is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), which means that it corrects the chemical imbalance of serotonin, a neurotransmitter in the brain.
“Several studies in humans, primates, and rats suggest that serotonin levels are linked to aggression and impulsive behaviors,” said Harding, “However, these behaviors seem to correlate with low levels of serotonin, and from what I can gather Zoloft has the opposite effect.”
This is the first high profile case involving Zoloft, but Prozac has been put on the hot seat in the past.
According to one textbook for Shannon Harding’s Drugs and Behavior class, accusations were made against Prozac regarding violent behavior, but as of now, no acquittals have been awarded based on that defense, although sentences have been reduced.
Along with a prescription of Zoloft, patients are warned of side effects including nausea, dry mouth, increased sweating, drowsiness, diarrhea, upset stomach or trouble sleeping.
They are also told that if depression worsens or suicidal thoughts occur they should notify their doctors immediately. No definite connections have been made between the drug and aggression.
Doctors are asked by the FDA as well as Pfizer, the creator of Zoloft, to monitor their patients closely for unusual behavior in the weeks following a new prescription of Zoloft, especially in children, according to Zoloft.com.
“The FDA is just telling prescribers to be careful,” said Moriarty.
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