Posted on 05/03/2007 12:23:29 AM PDT by neverdem
(AP/WLTX) - Young adults beginning treatment with antidepressants should be warned about an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior, federal officials said Wednesday.
The Food and Drug Administration proposed labeling changes that would expand a warning now on all antidepressants. The current language applies only to children and adolescents. The expanded warning would apply to adults 18-24 during the first month or two of treatment with the drugs, the FDA said.
The proposed labeling changes also would note that studies have not shown this increased risk in adults older than 24, and that adults 65 and older taking antidepressants have a decreased risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior, it said.
The proposed expanded warnings emphasize that depression and certain other serious psychiatric disorders are themselves the most important causes of suicide.
"Antidepressant medications benefit many patients, but it is important that doctors and patients are aware of the risks," said Dr. Steven Galson, the FDA's drugs chief.
The proposed changes came with the endorsement of FDA expert advisers. Some experts have argued that the changes are overdue while others maintain they could keep drugs from those who need them.
Midlands doctors say it's important to note that only incidents of suicidal "thoughts and behavior", not a completed act of suicide, are associated with the warnings.
"It's something that we have to be very aware of and sensitive to because treatment really works with people who have depression and we've developed both good pharmaceutical and psychiatric therapy treatments that greatly reduce the incidents of death in these cases," said Dr. Richard Harding, MD, the USC School of Medicine Neuro-psychology department chair.
Last month, a comprehensive analysis of antidepressants for children and teenagers found the benefits of treatment trump the small risk of increasing suicidal thoughts and behaviors in some patients. The Journal of the American Medical Association study also found that risk is lower than what the FDA identified in 2004, the year the agency warned the public about the risks of the drugs in children.
The proposed label changes would apply to all antidepressants, including Lexapro (Forest Laboratories Inc.), Paxil (GlaxoSmithKline PLC), Prozac (Eli Lilly and Co.) and Zoloft (Pfizer Inc.). Some of the drugs available in generic forms as well.
FDA Proposes New Warnings About Suicidal Thinking, Behavior in Young Adults Who Take Antidepressant Medications The FDA News release including the list of all antidepressant drugs are included.
Seriesly, found that SAM-e works just as well and with NO side effects, though a little expensive as an OTC.
No other OTC has ever worked for me. The SSRIs do work but with various side effects.
Global warming on Mars DB, they finally squashed "Global warming on Mars." I had bookmarked and noted the link that you gave me.
FReepmail me if you want on or off my health and science ping list.
This is depressing news.
Hey, someone was gonna.
Interesting thing is that some of these ‘antidepressants’ are prescribed for pain management such as ‘nerve’ pain ... or at least use to be, and some nasty stuff if one was not suffering from depression in the first place. One orthopedists told me it would take at least 6 weeks for the prescription to balance out.... I told him to forget about it I would deal with the pain and not being able to walk just to save clarity of mind.
Thanks for the ping. Interesting.
If the antidepressants take just enough of the edge off that you have a smidgen more energy you move right into the danger zone.
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