Prozac May Stunt Growing Bones

The success of Prozac in easing depression in children may come at the price of impaired bone growth, suggests a study in mice. Researchers say cellular mechanisms important to bone growth may shut down in the presence of the drug, hindering healthy skeletal development. Growing mice exposed to Prozac for even a few weeks averaged 9.4 percent less bone formation in their thighbones compared to unexposed mice, the researchers report. "This is a mouse study, however, and I wouldn't take people off Prozac based on just this study," stressed lead researcher Stuart Warden, an assistant professor of physical therapy at Indiana University School of Medicine. "Still, as a researcher, I would start to think about planning trials to address this in a clinical population." In a statement, representatives from Eli Lilly & Co., the makers of Prozac, said "the findings warrant consideration, and should be placed in the context of the established record of safety and efficacy of fluoxetine [Prozac] in humans." The study is published in the November issue of Endocrinology.

Back to news