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Minorities, Medicare Recipients Less Likely to Get Antidepressants
Posted 9 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, April 9 – Hispanics and blacks are less likely to be prescribed antidepressants than whites, and Medicare and Medicaid patients are less likely to receive the drugs than those with private insurance, a new study says. University of Michigan School of Public Health researchers examined data from 1993 to 2007 and found that whites were 1.5 times more likely to receive antidepressants than blacks or Hispanics with major depression. The study also found that Medicare and Medicaid patients were 31 percent and 38 percent less likely to be prescribed antidepressants than privately insured patients. Race didn't play a role in the type of antidepressants prescribed to patients, but insurance did. Medicare and Medicaid patients were 58 percent and 61 percent less likely to receive newer antidepressants than privately insured patients. Newer types of antidepressants such as serotonin ... Read more
Related support groups: Depression, Lexapro, Zoloft, Cymbalta, Wellbutrin, Effexor, Prozac, Celexa, Paxil, Trazodone, Pristiq, Citalopram, Savella, Effexor XR, Amitriptyline
Prescription Meds Can Put on Unwanted Pounds
Posted 2 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, March 2 – Medications taken by millions of Americans for mood disorders, high blood pressure, diabetes and other chronic conditions can have an unhealthy side effect: weight gain. While other choices exist for some types of drugs, adjusting medications is not simply a matter of switching, said Ryan Roux, chief pharmacy officer with the Harris County Hospital District, in Houston. In the late 1990s, Dr. Lawrence Cheskin conducted early research on prescription medicines and obesity. "Some medicines make an early, noticeable difference, causing patients to become ravenously hungry, while changes are subtle for others. A few months taking them and you've gained 10 pounds," said Cheskin, now director of the Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center, in Baltimore. To help increase awareness, Roux and his pharmacist group have compiled a list of "weight-promoting" and "weight-neutral or ... Read more
Related support groups: Bipolar Disorder, High Blood Pressure, Zoloft, Diabetes, Type 2, Wellbutrin, Seroquel, Prednisone, Prozac, Hypertension, Metformin, Paxil, Gabapentin, Lamictal, Sprintec, Mirena
Best Antidepressant May Depend on Patient: Study
Posted 5 Dec 2011 by Drugs.com
TBD – Newer antidepressants seem to be about as effective as one another, a new analysis indicates. This suggests that the choice of which drug is appropriate for which patient should be made on the basis of such considerations as side effects, cost and patient preference. "They're all equally effective," said Dr. David Schlager, a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral science at Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine. "They're interchangeable except for side effects," he added, so psychiatrists do tend to "exploit the side-effect profile" to find suitable medications for individual patients, he added. According to the background information in the new study, appearing in the Dec. 6 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine, some 27 million people in the United States had taken antidepressants as of 2005. Most of these drugs are "second-generation" ... Read more
Related support groups: Lexapro, Zoloft, Cymbalta, Wellbutrin, Effexor, Prozac, Celexa, Paxil, Pristiq, Citalopram, Savella, Effexor XR, Fluoxetine, Bupropion, Sertraline
Patches, Counseling, Persistence Can Help Smokers Quit
Posted 28 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Nov. 28 – Quitting smoking isn't easy for most people but medication and counseling can help them succeed, according to the results of two new studies. In the first of the two reports published in the Nov. 28 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, a team led by Dr. Anne Joseph, co-leader of the Prevention & Etiology Research Program at the Masonic Cancer Center at the University of Minnesota, tried helping people by keeping in touch with them and reminding them to quit smoking. "We looked at a model that treated smoking as a chronic condition like high blood pressure or diabetes," Joseph said. "We know that using a combination of behavioral therapy and medication therapy, people do better than quitting on their own," she said. For the study, more than 400 smokers received counseling over the phone along with nicotine replacement therapy (such as patches, gums, lozenges) ... Read more
Related support groups: Wellbutrin, Smoking, Chantix, Bupropion, Wellbutrin XL, Wellbutrin SR, Smoking Cessation, Nicotine, Zyban, Nicorette, Nicoderm CQ, Budeprion, Nicotrol Inhaler, Commit, Budeprion XL
Smokeout Day: The Best Ways to Quit
Posted 16 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 16 – As thousands of smokers across the United States try to kick their bad habit as part of the Great American Smokeout on Thursday, experts agree that a two-pronged strategy is the best bet for success. "The U.S. Public Health Service has twice done very extensive reviews of all the evidence, and [best] is a combination of counseling/advice, by pharmacists, physicians or quitlines, plus medicine," said Thomas Glynn, director of cancer science and trends and of international cancer control for the American Cancer Society. A lot has changed since 1976, when the first smokeout took place, Glynn noted. "People could smoke on airplanes and in restaurants; the person sitting next to you in the movie theater could be smoking. Two of every five people smoked; now it's one of five." Another difference: "Now, there are a number of ways that people can succeed, [including] seven ... Read more
Related support groups: Wellbutrin, Smoking, Chantix, Bupropion, Wellbutrin XL, Wellbutrin SR, Smoking Cessation, Zyban, Budeprion, Budeprion XL, Aplenzin, Varenicline, Zyban Advantage Pack, Champix, Budeprion SR
Fear of Antidepressants Keep Many From Disclosing Depression
Posted 13 Sep 2011 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, Sept. 13 – For a nation that seems ready to pop a pill for any ill, a new study suggests that the opposite seems true for some people with symptoms of depression, whose concerns about the side effects of antidepressants were the top reason they wouldn't disclose warning signs to their doctors. A phone survey of more than 1,000 adults who had previously participated in the California Behavioral Risk Factor Survey System, which probed depression-related beliefs, showed that 43 percent reported one or more reasons for not talking to their primary care physician about their depression. Nearly a quarter of them worried that their doctor would recommend antidepressants – the most frequently cited reason for withholding the information. Other stated barriers to sharing depressive symptoms included the belief that it's not a primary care physician's job to deal with emotional issues ... Read more
Related support groups: Depression, Lexapro, Zoloft, Cymbalta, Wellbutrin, Effexor, Prozac, Celexa, Paxil, Trazodone, Pristiq, Citalopram, Savella, Effexor XR, Amitriptyline
Certain Antidepressants Linked to Falls in Nursing Homes
Posted 26 Jul 2011 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, July 26 – In the days after they start taking non-SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) antidepressants, such as bupropion or venlafaxine, nursing home residents are at significantly greater risk for falls, according to a new study. Researchers found the increased risk for falls also applies to those who had a dosage increase of their current prescription. "Our results identify the days following a new prescription or increased dose of a non-SSRI antidepressant as a window of time associated with a particularly high risk of falling among nursing home residents," said study author Dr. Sarah D. Berry, a scientist at the Institute for Aging Research of Hebrew SeniorLife in Boston. More closely monitoring these nursing home residents for two days after a change in these antidepressants could help prevent falls, the researchers said. In conducting the study, recently ... Read more
Related support groups: Depression, Lexapro, Zoloft, Cymbalta, Wellbutrin, Effexor, Prozac, Celexa, Paxil, Pristiq, Citalopram, Savella, Effexor XR, Fluoxetine, Bupropion
Studies Decipher How Anti-Smoking Drugs Work
Posted 3 Jan 2011 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Jan.3 – Two drugs that help people stop smoking – bupropion and varenicline – may change the way the brain reacts to seeing someone else smoke, new studies report. And that may be how they cut cravings. Bupropion (Wellbutrin, Zyban) is prescribed around the world to help people resist smoking cues. But it has not been clear how the drug does this. Using brain scans, Christopher S. Culbertson, of the University of California, Los Angeles, and his colleagues examined what happened in the brains of 30 smokers who took the drug or a placebo for eight weeks. The researchers gauged how much the participants craved cigarettes by asking them to respond after watching "neutral" cues that did not involve smoking or 45-second videos of actors and actresses smoking. Those who took the drug instead of the placebo reported less craving. They also showed less activity in areas of the brain ... Read more
Related support groups: Wellbutrin, Chantix, Bupropion, Wellbutrin XL, Wellbutrin SR, Smoking Cessation, Zyban, Budeprion, Budeprion XL, Aplenzin, Varenicline, Zyban Advantage Pack, Champix, Budeprion SR
Antidepressant Use Rising as Psychotherapy Rates Fall
Posted 6 Dec 2010 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Dec. 6 – Even as fewer Americans have sought psychotherapy for their depression, antidepressant prescription rates have continued to climb in recent years, a new survey reveals. "This is an encouraging trend as it suggests that fewer depressed Americans are going without treatment," said study author Dr. Mark Olfson, a professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University/New York State Psychiatric Institute in New York City. "At the same time, however, the decline in psychotherapy raises the possibility that many depressed patients are not receiving optimal care." "While progress is being made in increasing the availability of depression care, a mismatch is opening up between clinical evidence and practice," Olfson cautioned. "For many depressed adults and youth, a combination of psychotherapy and antidepressants is the most effective approach. Yet, only about one-third of ... Read more
Related support groups: Depression, Lexapro, Zoloft, Cymbalta, Wellbutrin, Effexor, Prozac, Celexa, Paxil, Trazodone, Pristiq, Citalopram, Savella, Effexor XR, Amitriptyline
Antidepressant Use in U.S. Has Almost Doubled
Posted 16 Dec 2009 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Aug. 3 – Antidepressant use among United States residents almost doubled between 1996 and 2005, along with a concurrent rise in the use of other psychotropic medications, a new report shows. The increase seemed to span virtually all demographic groups. "Over 10 percent of people over the age of 6 were receiving anti-depression medication. That strikes me as significant," said study author Dr. Mark Olfson, a professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University/New York State Psychiatric Institute in New York City. According to background information in the study, antidepressants are now the most widely prescribed class of drugs in the United States. The expansion in use dates back to the 1980s, with the introduction of the antidepressant Prozac (fluoxetine). The study found that 5.84 percent of U.S. residents aged 6 and over were using antidepressants in 1996, compared with ... Read more
Related support groups: Depression, Lexapro, Zoloft, Cymbalta, Wellbutrin, Effexor, Prozac, Celexa, Paxil, Trazodone, Pristiq, Citalopram, Savella, Effexor XR, Amitriptyline
Psych Drugs Gaining Widespread Acceptance
Posted 16 Dec 2009 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, July 31 – A growing number of Americans now have a positive opinion on psychiatric medications, a new study contends. About five out of six people surveyed felt psychiatric medications could help people control psychiatric symptoms, but many also expected the medications could help people deal with day-to-day stresses, help them feel better about themselves and make things easier with family and friends. "People's attitudes regarding psychiatric medications became more favorable between 1998 and 2006," said study author Dr. Ramin Mojtabai, an associate professor in the department of mental health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore. Mojtabai expressed concern, however, that people's attitudes were increasingly positive, even in situations where there might not be a proven benefit to the drugs. "My hope would be for people to be more discriminating in ... Read more
Related support groups: Anxiety, Depression, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Insomnia, Lexapro, Anxiety and Stress, Zoloft, Cymbalta, Wellbutrin, Effexor, Prozac, Celexa, Paxil
Psychotropic Medications Associated With Risk of Falls in Older Adults
Posted 1 Dec 2009 by Drugs.com
CHICAGO, Nov. 23, 2009 - Older adults who take several types of psychotropic medications—such as antidepressants or sedatives—appear more likely to experience falls, according to an analysis of previous studies reported in the November 23 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. More than 30 percent of individuals older than 65 will fall at least once a year, and falls and their complications are the fifth-leading cause of death in the developed world, according to background information in the article. Each year, 85 percent of all injury-related hospital admissions and more than 40 percent of nursing home admissions are related to falls, and the annual costs related to falls and their complications are estimated to be in the billions of dollars worldwide. Both internal and external risk factors contribute to falls, and medications have previously been i ... Read more
Related support groups: Xanax, Lexapro, Zoloft, Cymbalta, Wellbutrin, Klonopin, Effexor, Prozac, Celexa, Valium, Paxil, Ambien, Ativan, Clonazepam, Trazodone
Study Calls for Greater Scrutiny of 'Off-Label' Drug Use
Posted 24 Nov 2008 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Nov. 24 – It's called "off-label" prescribing, and it's the common practice of doctors prescribing a drug to treat a disease or condition that's different from the one studied by federal regulators that led to the drug's approval in the first place. Despite the scope of the practice, there's often little evidence that using a drug for an unapproved purpose is always beneficial or safe, a new study found. The study by American researchers has identified 14 widely prescribed medications that they think need additional study to see how effective and safe they are for off-label use. Many of the drugs are antidepressants and antipsychotics. "Off-label prescribing is not based on the same level of evidence as on-label prescribing," said study lead researcher Surrey Walton, an assistant professor of pharmacy administration at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Most patients aren't ... Read more
Related support groups: Lexapro, Zoloft, Cymbalta, Wellbutrin, Seroquel, Coumadin, Celebrex, Singulair, Zyprexa, Risperdal, Zestril, Epogen, Procrit, Prinivil, Desyrel
FDA Medwatch Alert: Wellbutrin (bupropion)
Posted 8 Jul 2005 by Drugs.com
[UPDATE 07/08/2005] FDA notified healthcare professionals about the availability of updated Healthcare Professional and Patient Information Sheets for antidepressant medications that were the subject of a June 30, 2005 Public Health Advisory issued about the risk of suicidality (suicidal thinking or behavior) in adults being treated with antidepressant medications.[Posted 07/01/2005] In response to recent scientific publications that report the possibility of increased risk of suicidal behavior in adults treated with antidepressants, the FDA has issued a Public Health Advisory to update patients and healthcare providers with the latest information on this subject. Even before the publication of these recent reports, FDA had already begun the process of reviewing available data to determine whether there is an increased risk of suicidal behavior in adults taking antidepressants. The ... Read more
Related support groups: Wellbutrin, Wellbutrin XL, Wellbutrin SR
FDA Medwatch Alert: Wellbutrin (bupropion hydrochloride)
Posted 22 Jun 2004 by Drugs.com
FDA and GlaxoSmithKline notified healthcare professionals of revisions to the WARNINGS and PRECAUTIONS sections of labeling to alert healthcare professionals that patients with major depressive disorder, both adult and pediatric, may experience worsening of their depression and/or the emergence of suicidal ideation and behavior (suicidality), whether or not they are taking antidepressant medications. The warning recommends patients being treated with antidepressants be observed closely for clinical worsening and suicidality, especially at the beginning of a course of drug therapy, or at the time of dose changes, either increases or decreases.[May 2004 Letter - GlaxoSmithKline][April 2004 Wellbutrin XL Revised Label - GlaxoSmithKline] Read more
Related support groups: Wellbutrin, Wellbutrin XL, Wellbutrin SR