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L & # 39; antidepressant fluoxetine (Prozac) is ineffective in treating a rare disease resembling polio Researchers report that this can lead to muscle weakness and paralysis in children.
In the United States, 219 possible cases of acute flaccid myelitis (MFA), and 80 have been confirmed, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). UU
There were 120 confirmed cases in 2014, 22 cases in 2015, 149 cases in 2016 and 33 cases in 2017, according to the agency.
The cause of myelitis acute flask This is not clear, but some patients have been infected with a generally safe common cold virus called EV-D68.
The researchers looked for possible treatments for the myelitis acute flask. Laboratory tests have shown that fluoxetine has antiviral effects against EV-D68, so some experts have suggested that the antidepressant might be a possible option. treatment for the disorder.
In this study, researchers examined 56 children (aged 30 months to 9 years) treated with MFA in 12 US medical centers. UU between 2015 and 2016. More than one dose of fluoxetine was administered to 28 patients, while 28 did not receive the drug or received only one dose and were considered to have not been treated.
Muscle strength in children's arms and legs was assessed to determine if the drug was effective.
After an average follow-up of seven months, strength scores on a scale of 0 to 20 were reduced by 0.2 in children who received the drug and improved by 2.5 in those in the untreated group, the results showed. .
The results of the study appear in the magazine's online edition on November 9. Neurology.
"The lack of signal of effectiveness in the treatments for the acute flaccid myelitis evaluated in this study highlights the need to develop and evaluate, in a forward-looking manner, strategies for treatment and more effective prevention of this potentially devastating disease, "said Dr. Kevin Messacar, author of the study, Colorado Children's Hospital in Aurora, in a press release published in the newspaper.
Dr. Carlos Pardo-Villamizar, a specialist in neurological diseases at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, told HealthDay News that "you have to pay attention to that, because of the consequences at long term that the parents suffer are immense. "
"You can not even imagine the level of suffering of these children in their lives," he added.
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