Antidepressant dose doubled before girl streamed her suicide

MIAMI (AP) - A month before a South Florida foster child live-streamed her suicide on Facebook Live, a doctor doubled her dosage of an antidepressant.

The Miami Herald (https://hrld.us/2nCPVN9 ) reported Sunday that Zoloft was the antidepressant prescribed to 14-year-old Naika Venant, and it has a critical warning that it increases the risk of suicide in children.

The drug had a “black box” warning - the strongest advisory from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

A spokesman for Zoloft’s parent company, Pfizer, says the black box warning includes a note to families and caregivers about monitoring patients for suicidal thoughts or unusual changes in behavior.

Florida Department of Children & Families Secretary Mike Carroll told the Herald that the agency doesn’t prescribe medications for children in its custody, only doctors do.

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Information from: The Miami Herald, https://www.herald.com