The mother of a 14-year-old boy who took his own life told his inquest that she would never have agreed to him taking Prozac if she had known the side-effects.

IT has always struck me as a bit unseemly when people in the same profession go for each other in print or online. So I never have.

AT a time when eat-a-lot pets are experiencing the rough end of human economic fall-out, those lovely people at Dog’s Trust Dublin have sent out a Canine Charter For Human Health to remind us of the mental and physical benefits of dog ownership.

A FRIEND approaches me outside the bank. When I ask after his little daughter, he says that she’s been refusing to brush her teeth.

In your excellent coverage of the recent comments by former deputy state pathologist Dr Gilsenan of a connection between anti-depressants and an increased risk of suicide, The College of Psychiatry of Ireland states “... there is no evidence anti-depressants can cause harm”.

A former assistant state pathologist has expressed serious concern about the growing link between anti-depressants and suicide.

THE Irish Human Rights Commission (IHRC) has written to the Medical Council, requesting thatpatients are informed that certain anti-depressants can cause suicidal thoughts as a potential side effect.

WHEN you are as happy to be at this World Cup as Donnacha Ryan is, it may come as a surprise to learn the Munster and Ireland utility forward has no problem about when to switch on to the task at hand.

DEPRESSION may increase the chances of women having a stroke.

Thieves got away with around $70m (€50.9m) of prescription drugs after cutting through the roof of a pharmaceutical warehouse in the US.

The jury in the Diana, Princess of Wales inquest today returned a verdict of unlawful killing through negligent driving of both the Mercedes and the following vehicles.

Research indicating that new-generation antidepressants work no better than dummy pills was seized upon today as evidence that doctors are over-prescribing.

JOE CALZAGHE’S camp have told Bernard Hopkins to put up or shut up.

Joe Calzaghe’s camp have told Bernard Hopkins to put up or shut up.

I CONGRATULATE the Irish Examiner for highlighting the fact that we are indeed a Prozac Nation (March 28).

AS the pressures of life intensify in Ireland today, growing numbers of people are turning to tranquillisers, sedatives and anti-depressant drugs for stress relief.

Patients turning to the internet to get cheap drugs can get almost anything they want, with no questions asked. Paul Kelly finds out just how easy it is to get round the law.

THE Irish economy is home to 83 pharmaceutical plants accounting for 17,000 jobs and total exports of €35 billion last year.

An anti-depressant prescribed almost 200,000 times a year to Irish patients has been directly linked to 118 deaths in the UK.

AN anti-depressant prescribed almost 200,000 times a year in Ireland has been directly linked to 118 deaths in Britain.

Eli Lilly, which developed the Prozac anti-depressant, said it is to disclose more data on past and present clinical trials, to counter criticism that drug-makers hush up negative findings, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Eli Lilly & Co’s appeal to protect research data on antidepressant Prozac should be rejected by the European Union’s highest court, a court aide said.

Anti-depressants are the best way to treat children with depression, according to a US Government study out today.

Patients on some popular antidepressants should be closely monitored for warning signs of suicide, the US government warned today in asking the makers of 10 drugs to add the caution to their labels.

HEALTH Minister Micheál Martin has admitted that administering mood-altering drugs to children in care is “not the best response” to treating them.

MOOD-ALTERING drugs, including Prozac and Ritalin, are being prescribed to children as young as eight in residential care to treat challenging behaviour.

Kangaroo Jack is the story of two best friends Charlie (O’Connell) and Louis (Anderson), who inadvertently lead the long arm of the law to a Brooklyn warehouse where Charlie’s mafia stepdad, Sal (Christopher Walken), keeps his stash of stolen goods.

THOUSANDS of people are unknowingly taking potentially lethal cocktails of herbal remedies and prescription drugs.

Eli Lilly has revealed a 7% drop in profits following falling sales of its Prozac anti-depressant drug.

A Belgian psychiatrist claims paedophiles' brains differ in their chemical make-up to those of ordinary people.

Former royal aide Jane Andrews was suffering from depression when she killed her lover, the Old Bailey has heard.