At a study done in Austria they looked at a University hospital, a general hospital, and a psychiatric clinic. They found a BIG problem – and not just in Austria: People are taking too many psychotropic drugs, even though there are no systematized justifications for prescribing patterns. This seems to happen the most in folks who have a diagnosis or either depression or schizophrenia.
Although some people take only one psychotropic drug, most are on many. A study by our own government agency (a noble attempt to trace psychotropic prescriptions in a general hospital in the United States) decided this was a general pattern. All right, this is what happens. Read more on So Many Pills And So Little Progress…
Filed under prescription drugs by on Feb 25th, 2010. Comment. 
As far as I know, every antidepressant has the same “black box” warning on its package insert, as reported by a reputable academic psychiatrist in a reputable journal a while ago.
Incidentally, he has, in this editorial type piece, effectively logged most of the “attacks” recently made upon psychotropics. He advises the readers, presumably other psychiatrists or at least physicians of some sort, to do “nothing.” This is the common way of academics, to wait and gather data. It is not a common way of doctors, at least ethical or idealistic ones, who still scramble at any chance to save people.
For now let’s look at the warnings about antidepressants that have merited the special FDA attention. Except that it is in a “black box” (has a black border like a funeral announcement) and there may be a couple of things added on relative to an individual brand, this is the disclaimer: WARNING: SUICIDALITY AND ANTIDEPRESSANT DRUGS Antidepressants increased the risk compared to placebo of suicidal thinking and behavior (suicidality) in children, adolescents, and young adults in short-term studies of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and other psychiatric disorders.
Anyone considering the use of (Brand Name) or any other antidepressant in a child, adolescent, or young adult must balance this risk with the clinical need. Short-term studies did not show an increase in the risk of suicidality with antidepressants compared to placebo in adults beyond age 24; there was a reduction in risk with antidepressants compared to placebo in adults aged 65 and older. Depression and certain other psychiatric disorders are themselves associated with increases in the risk of suicide. Patients of all ages who are started on antidepressant therapy should be monitored appropriately and observed closely for clinical worsening, suicidality, or unusual changes in behavior. Families and caregivers should be advised of the need for close observation and communication with the prescriber. Read more on Black Box Warnings — Read Carefully!…
Filed under prescription drugs by on Feb 4th, 2010. Comment.
After all the tragic news the past year or two about celebrities who have died after using a combination of legal prescription drugs, it’s enough to make someone wonder how you can avoid becoming a victim, yourself.
Today — with the internet — it is relatively easy to find out which drugs can be dangerous if mixed. And if you get your drugs from a pharmacist, you can accept the “counseling” offer and ask specifically about interactions.
I hate to say it, but asking your doctor may be a distant third place in finding out the right information.
I don’t claim to have invented the internet, and I doubt I could be considered a pioneer of the ‘net, but wherever I have traveled to help out clinics and institutions over the past ten years, I insisted that I needed internet access to practice medicine. At the time, I only needed access to one site. It was a database sponsored by a major drug company and it had drug-drug interactions. Now it charges a fee for access and the data isn’t as good. Read more on Take Steps To Avoid Drug Interactions…
Filed under prescription drugs by on Jan 29th, 2010. Comment.
Here is a letter signed by prominent Irish psychiatrists saying that there is no evidence whatsoever that antidepressants cause homicide.
The “PLOS” or “Public Library of Science” is supposed to be an easier and gentler place to get science published, although the esteemed (foreign) colleagues who have done research with me on natural substances have informed me it is not so easy a door to enter.
Nevertheless, here is a very scholarly angle. There is evidence that the prescription of antidepressants may engender aggression, violence, or homicide.
There is also an article cited by Dr. Peter Breggin in the Journal of Safety and Risk in medicine, to which I cannot seem to link anyone directly but a download is available through the wonderful people at this Irish foundation. These folks are trying to bring forth the truth and the light.
I am now of the opinion that the academic ideal I once pursued does not exist, and is, if it exists, a pack of lies at best.
There are FDA black box warnings about antidepressants promoting aggression, but I am unaware of such warnings having ever stopped a colleague from prescribing any antidepressant.
Read more on Seeking Truth In Drug Research — And Getting Frustrated!…
Filed under prescription drugs by on Dec 15th, 2009. Comment.
This was the last item I posted on the blog Nov 6 before we took it down a few days later to start the overhaul. In case you didn’t get a chance to read it, I’m reprinting it.
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She was a saleswoman prone to bipolar mood swings, stable on a brand name prescription mood stabilizer. It had originally been marketed as an anticonvulsant and her medication was doing its job. She recently returned to full-time work after a manic attack had cost her both her marriage and the custody of her child.
“I don’t have the insurance I once did; I now sell home decoration instead of heating fuel like I used to. The money is better, but now all of a sudden the cost of my medication is really ridiculous. The generic is lots cheaper.”
Read more on What Happens When A Pill Gets Inside Your Body?…
Filed under Generic drugs by on Nov 20th, 2009. Comment.