Join the 'Lyrica' group to help and get support from people like you. How it works
Lyrica Blog
| Tweet |
Epilepsy Drugs Don't Raise Suicide Risk, Study Shows
Posted 5 Aug 2010 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 4 – In 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration required epilepsy medications to bear a warning label about an increased risk of suicidal behaviors. The move came after an agency review of 199 studies that found patients taking the drugs showed about twice the risk of suicidal behavior. But now a study of more than 5 million patients contradicts the FDA's findings. It suggests that the increased risk of suicide has more to do with the conditions for which these drugs are prescribed than the medications themselves. For the study, researchers in Spain and the United States evaluated the health records of primary care patients in England. They found that people with epilepsy who currently use an antiepileptic drug are at no greater risk of suicide-related events than those who aren't taking the medications. "In our opinion, in the long term, it is not the drugs ... Read more
Related support groups: Lyrica, Gabapentin, Lamictal, Neurontin, Topamax, Depakote, Tegretol, Keppra, Lamotrigine, Trileptal, Depakote ER, Topiramate, Carbamazepine, Pregabalin, Tegretol XR
FDA Medwatch Alert: Antiepileptic Drugs
Posted 5 May 2009 by Drugs.com
[UPDATE 05/05/2009] FDA notified healthcare professionals that it approved updated labeling for antiepileptic drugs used to treat epilepsy, psychiatric disorders, and other conditions (e.g., migraine and neuropathic pain syndromes). FDA also required development of a medication guide, to be issued to patients each time the product is dispensed. Since issuing safety alerts on December 16, 2008 and January 31, 2008, FDA has been working with the manufacturers of drugs in this class to better understand the suicidality risk. Eleven antiepileptic drugs were included in a pooled analysis of placebo-controlled clinical studies in which these drugs were used to treat epilepsy as well as psychiatric disorders and other conditions. The increased risk of suicidal thoughts or behavior was generally consistent among the eleven drugs, with varying mechanisms of action and across a range of ... Read more
Related support groups: Seizures, Lyrica, Lamictal, Topamax, Depakote, Epilepsy, Keppra, Trileptal, Seizure Prevention, Carbatrol, Zonegran, Di-Phen, Depakene, Gabitril, Gabarone
Common Drug Eases Restless Legs Syndrome
Posted 29 Apr 2009 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, April 29 – Lyrica, a drug used to treat epilepsy, nerve pain, anxiety and fibromyalgia, shows promise in easing the symptoms of restless legs syndrome, a Spanish researcher reports. Some 5 percent to 10 percent of adults in the United States have restless legs syndrome (RLS), a disorder that causes people to feel a compelling need to move their legs, especially while lying down. The condition can have a substantial impact on sleep, daily activities and quality of life, researchers say. "This is the first time this drug is being tried for RLS," said Dr. Diego Garcia-Borreguero, director of the Sleep Research Institute in Madrid. "Pregabalin [Lyrica] is an effective drug for the treatment of RLS – it leads about 60 percent of patients into clinical remission." The drug improves both the sensation and motor symptoms of RLS, Garcia-Borreguero said. He also noted that patients ... Read more
Related support groups: Lyrica, Restless Legs Syndrome
FDA Adds Suicide Warning to Epilepsy Drugs
Posted 16 Dec 2008 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, Dec. 16 – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday that it was adding a label warning on heightened suicide risk for users of antiepileptic drugs. The move, which follows the advice last summer of an FDA advisory panel, stops short of slapping the strongest "black box" warning on this class of drugs, which includes widely used medications such as clonazepam (Klonopin), phenytoin (Dilantin) and topiramate (Topamax). "Patients being treated with antiepileptic drugs for any indication should be monitored for the emergence or worsening of depression, suicidal thoughts or behavior, or any unusual changes in mood or behavior," Dr. Russell Katz, director of the division of neurology products in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in an agency news release. But, he added, "patients who are currently taking an antiepileptic medicine should not make ... Read more
Related support groups: Klonopin, Lyrica, Lamictal, Topamax, Depakote, Keppra, Trileptal, Tranxene, Carbatrol, Zonegran, Zarontin, Di-Phen, Mysoline, Gabarone, Gabitril
Ask a Question
Further Information
Related Condition Support Groups
Fibromyalgia, Persisting Pain -- Shingles, Postherpetic Neuralgia, Diabetic Nerve Damage, Diabetic Neuropathy, Epilepsy, Spondylolisthesis