Thursday, October 15, 2009

Popular Anti-Depressants linked to suicidal thoughts....


We have been hearing about side effects in anti-depressant medications for a few years now and the research is starting to form, yet another, challenging scenario. Lexipro,(pictured left), the popular brand name of escitalopram and nortriptyline are now the subject of recently published research. linking the medications to an increase in thoughts of suicide. With pharmaceutical companies in a hurry to recover their research and development costs and, optimistically speaking, help the public with new discoveries, we are at risk for side effects that do not show up in the initial approval process. My biggest concern is the relative ease with which these medications are casually dispensed by family physicians trying to get relief to their patients that often seek a quick fix. Ideally, anti-depressants would only be prescribed to accompany a course of talk therapy where side effects such as suicide would stand a better chance of being identified and the patient would have an increased rate of recovery. It's much easier, however, to charge for an office visit and write a script with a few refills. I am not doubting the efficacy of the medicines but I am worried about widespread, improperly monitored use.  What about you?
Posted by Michael
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5 comments:

  1. AnonymousOctober 15, 2009 at 5:06 PM

    It is so terrible that this is the case. Wht do they allow this to happen. The disclaimers can scare a person to death.

    Secretia

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  2. MichaelOctober 15, 2009 at 6:47 PM

    The links between the pharmaceutical companies, the American Medical Association and the FDA are appalling. They are, however, driven by the complicity of the consumer demanding a quick fix and the individual physicians doing their best to cope with malpractice insurance, patient demands and their own needs to run a profitable business. It's like the entire system is running on the Quaaludes they took off the market several years ago. As for the disclaimers, if you sit and actually listen to the litany of possible side effects, I'm not sure how you could, as a reasonable individual, swallow any of these medicines. It makes about as much sense as choking down a few razor blades and hoping for the best.

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  3. Brian the old manOctober 15, 2009 at 9:30 PM

    Me too. I believe many medications are put on the market too quickly because you are always seeing lawyer commercials, "have you taken such and such and now is your eyeball hanging out of its socket, we can help." Also the physicians do not have the time to investigate each new medication that hits the market. A salesman shows up with free samples telling them to push this new drug because it will cure the common cold. I'm sure they are forewarned about side effects which have been declared by the drug companies but how often are we as a patient explained the side effects in detail instead of being handed a pamphlet with all of the legal type-faced warnings. Then we are given a three month supply of said drug with little or no follow up visits. It's happened to me. I guess the best solution is what most men do anyway, avoid the doctor, period! Only need to go when you are passed out and someone else decides you need to go or when your finger is hanging off being held on by a thin strip of skin. LOL Great Article! You make a lot of good points.

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  4. SusmiOctober 16, 2009 at 3:48 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  5. MichaelOctober 18, 2009 at 11:27 AM

    Medicine has great value when it is borne out of the desire to help. When the motive becomes economic, we all lose.

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Michael

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