FDA Issues Warning About Popular Antidepressants

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[chance33_98]

FDA Issues Warning About Popular Antidepressants

Drugmakers Asked To Add Suicide Warning Labels

POSTED: 11:04 a.m. EST March 22, 2004

WASHINGTON -- Federal health regulators warned Monday of a possible link between some popular antidepressants and suicide.

The Food and Drug Administration issued a public health advisory for doctors, patients, families and other caregivers, telling them to watch carefully for signs of worsening depression or suicidal thoughts at the beginning of antidepressant therapy or whenever the dose is changed.

The agency also asked the makers of 10 drugs to add the caution to their labels. The drugs of concern are all newer-generation antidepressants: Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Effexor, Celexa, Remeron, Lexapro, Luvox, Serzone and Wellbutrin. Most of them are known to affect the brain chemical serotonin.

The FDA has been looking into a connection between the drugs and suicides, but the investigation initially focused on children. Monday's warning is aimed at adults as well as children.

The FDA emphasizes that there's no clear evidence yet that the drugs actually lead to suicide, but experts who advise the FDA believe stronger warnings are needed until that's settled.

[Mamzelle]

re: 1) People who are depressed are more likely to commit suicide 2) People who are depressed are more likely to have an antidepressant prescribed )))

You've mastered the important legal philosophy of "post hoc ergo propter hoc"--collect your JD and hang up your shingle...

[sharktrager]

I can at very least find work with John Edward's old firm.

[The Westerner]

Whether people take anti-depressants or not, one of the most dangerous times of treatment is during the initial lifting of the depression. The person has gotten a blessed moment of relief and suddenly reawakens to the fact that life can be better. Then he has a setback for a moment, or a day, and that brings on a black hopelessness. This is when people attempt suicide.

[rightandproudofit]

I'm with you. The cure is worse than the disease. I took Paxil for several years, and quit twice. It was horrible. The first time, I tapered too quickly and had awful withdrawal. The second time, I took longer to taper, but still had significant side effects. I use a combination of light therapy and exercise to control the depression, and it works well. The best thing I could do is move south. I live in Michigan now, and the climate here kills me (except during the 1 good week of weather we get during the summer). I lived in Texas for 3 years, and felt great the whole time. When I moved back to MI, I didn't know what was wrong. Now I know it's SADs.

[Dianna]

Of course--statistically biased sample.

If they REALLY wanted to be helpful, they could try to separate out the people taking these meds NOT for depression but for anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder.

You people can try to close your eyes to it, but I have seen it. I have experienced it. The initial problem was not depression, but anxiety. Be extra cautious with these meds.

[netmilsmom]

Get yourself a light box or some bulbs that mimic sunlight. They worked like a charm for me. The bulbs are not that expensive. When you are watching tv or reading at night, take the shade off your lamp.

There are lots of places to get them. Here is one link...
http://www.toolsforwellness.com/lc400.html

[netmilsmom]

And remember the big push by Paxil to treat "Social Anxiety Disorder"?

[Core_Conservative]

Faith in God and fear of Him are the only sure-fire cures for depression.

What about those like me that have a strong faith in Jesus Christ - the Living God - and still need other sources for Depressive behavior. I take 20 mg of Lexapro a day, and it has made a major difference in my quality of life - just ask my wife and kids!

[Moleman]

I use a VERY light dose of Effexor XR for general anxiety disorder, works well no side effects; however, long term I believe I need to get better exercise, less beer etc to be rid of the anxiety.

[Moleman]

Maybe reading articles about John Kerry is creating anxiety for us :-)

[Pearls Before Swine]

" You people can try to close your eyes to it.."

You lost me there. Who's doing that? You're suggesting a different way to make sampling for unintended effects more valid, and that's a good idea.

[Yaelle]

Yes, these drugs are being "tested" by us, the medical guinea pigs. I do believe they can help against acute depression, but not sure they do a thing for chronic or dysthymic conditions.

Glad you found the cure though light therapy; I have another friend in a cold climate who did the same. I was depressed due to my divorce back then and thank G-d have not needed anything since. We have lots of sun here, and luckily my moods are pretty even.

[nmh]

#3 you are RIGHT however people don't want to acknoledge the root cause of their troubled soul. Taking a pill is more convenient.

In Revelation it points to drugs as w worldwide problem. It's the word pharmakia (pharmacy). It's often mistranslated.

[Core_Conservative]

Could be the problem, actually, I think the depression started just before Y2K - as I was in the Electricity Business at the time (In Systems Programming) - and then the 9/11 attack - seemed like one thing after another - but I am feeling much better now!

[diotima]

Peter Breggin

Way too many people are on these drugs.

[P.O.E.]

Faith in God and fear of Him are the only sure-fire cures for depression

I'll testify to that. Going through divorce a few years back, had a few anxiety attacks (short breathing, etc.) Doc put me on Prozac, which put me on Pluto. Only after I took myself off the meds, and after persistent prayer, did I snap out of it.

Everyone medicates differently, and these drugs are not the cure-all.

[DameAutour]

God's Kingdom is the only solution to the problems of sickness.

"And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away." Rev. 21:4

"And no resident will say 'I am sick'.." Isaiah 33:24

Until that wonderful time, we should treat illnesses such as depression the best way possible. It is dangerous to tell a clinically depressed or bipolar person that their illness is from a lack of faith. The illness has a physical cause just like any other, a chemical imbalance in the brain. You would not tell someone in severe physical pain that it is because they lack faith. Mental and emotional pain are no different.

[BureaucratusMaximus]

Faith in God and fear of Him are the only sure-fire cures for depression.

You know...I used to believe that too. But through life's events and experiences...I found out that there are people out there who really don't have all the juices in their brain flowing correctly. It wasn't purely just a choice or a thing that they would "have to get over". Don't get me wrong, there are those who get misdiagnosed; or those who are depressed by choice, or those who are depressed by the consequences their facing; but there are some who have an actual illness.

[Yaelle]

Thanks. Bookmarking it for a later read.

I despise every child psychiatrist I've had the pleasure to meet. I can't believe I fell for their BS and medicated my first son for 3 years. They talked about him with him in the room, as though he were a piece of furniture. He may have been small, but he was deeply offended every time. They ALL wanted only to MEDICATE him. I think they only look at children as little metabolisms, waiting for the precious TRUE patient, the pill itself.

My son is fine, and has never been medicated since. (He has Asperger's, which comes with gifts as well as disabilities, like everything else in life -- sometimes you have to look harder for the gifts.) He wasn't a fit for the schools, though, so I homeschool him. He's 12, brilliant, and can program on the computer.

[KC_for_Freedom]

Don't get me wrong, there are those who get misdiagnosed; or those who are depressed by choice, or those who are depressed by the consequences their facing; but there are some who have an actual illness.

You have cut to the core. Depression is a continuum and people can be helped by talking it over with friends or a theapy group, finding faith in a great religion, biorythm, scientology (hold on to your money) and even trancendental medition and other of this ilk. But if neurotransmitters are not up to the task, some of these antidepressants really work wonders. Advising patients to be monitored when increasing or decreasing the dose is not just common sense, it is what the medicos have been saying all along. Many of the anecdotal stories of prozak deaths involve abrupt cecession of the regimen. Very dangerous. Should have a label for those people who don't believe anything else.