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'Publication Bias' Casts Doubt on Value of Antidepressants for Autism

Posted 23 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, April 23 – Studies that show a type of antidepressant eases autism symptoms are more likely to get published in medical journals than studies concluding the drugs don't improve common behaviors such as rocking and hand-flapping, new research says. That "publication bias" may mean that physicians believe the medications – known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) – are more effective than they really are for children with these behaviors. Indeed, when researchers combined the data from published studies and those that never made it into print, the new analysis showed that SSRIs don't help repetitive behaviors much at all. "At least from what we have right now, we need more information to determine if SSRIs are useful in treating repetitive behavior," said study author Melisa Carrasco, of the neuroscience graduate program at the University of Michigan in Ann ... Read more

Related support groups: Lexapro, Zoloft, Prozac, Celexa, Paxil, Citalopram, Fluoxetine, Sertraline, Paroxetine, Autism, Luvox, Escitalopram, Paxil CR, Fluvoxamine, Sarafem

Newer Antidepressants May Be Safe for Parkinson's Patients

Posted 11 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, April 11 – Some of the newer antidepressants can help treat depression in people with Parkinson's disease without aggravating other disease symptoms such as tremor or rigidity, researchers have found. Nearly 1 million people in the United States are living with Parkinson's disease, a progressive movement disorder marked by tremor, slowness and/or rigidity. Parkinson's disease and depression tend to travel together, and there has been concern that some of the medications used to treat depression may worsen motor symptoms. A new study published online April 11 and in the April 17 print issue of Neurology shows that this is not the case, at least when it comes to the antidepressants Paxil (paroxetine) and Effexor (venlafaxine). Paxil is in the class of drugs known as SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) while Effexor is an SNRI (serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake ... Read more

Related support groups: Depression, Lexapro, Zoloft, Cymbalta, Effexor, Prozac, Celexa, Paxil, Pristiq, Citalopram, Savella, Effexor XR, Fluoxetine, Sertraline, Venlafaxine

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

FDA Adds More Warnings to Antidepressant's Label

Posted 28 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, March 28 – In a follow-up to a warning that high doses of the popular antidepressant Celexa can cause potentially fatal abnormal heart rhythms, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued new dosing and use recommendations. Last August, the FDA said doses of Celexa (citalopram hydrobromide) greater than 40 milligrams a day can cause changes in the electrical activity of the heart, which can lead to abnormal heart rhythms, including a potentially deadly arrhythmia known as Torsade de Pointes. Patients at high risk include those with preexisting heart conditions (including congestive heart failure) and those prone to low levels of potassium and magnesium in the blood, the FDA said. At the time, the drug label was revised to include the new dosage limit as well as information about the potential for abnormal heart electrical activity and rhythms. The latest recommendations ... Read more

Antidepressants May Raise Risk for Pregnancy Complication

Posted 22 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, March 22 – Pregnant women taking the antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) face a slightly increased risk of developing dangerously high blood pressure, Canadian researchers report. This condition, known as preeclampsia, can harm both mothers and their unborn infants, the researchers noted. However, this association may not be cause-and-effect, so women should not just stop taking these medications but should consult with their doctor if they are concerned, they stressed. Two of the most commonly prescribed SSRIs are Paxil (paroxetine) and Prozac (fluoxetine). "We know that antidepressants should be used during pregnancy, but they should be used with caution," said lead researcher Anick Berard, director of the research unit of medications and pregnancy at CHU Ste-Justine's Research Center and a professor with the Faculty of Pharmacy at the ... Read more

Mothers on Antidepressants Are Less Likely to Breast-Feed: Study

Posted 13 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, March 13 – Women who take selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants, or SSRIs, during pregnancy are much less likely to breast-feed their babies, researchers have found. The new study was conducted by researchers associated with the Connecticut Pregnancy Exposure Information Service (CPEIS), a state-funded service that provides women with information about exposures during pregnancy and breast-feeding. The study authors analyzed data from 466 pregnant women who contacted the CPEIS' California affiliate over 10 years with questions about a wide variety of exposures. The results showed that women who took an SSRI at any time during pregnancy were about 60 percent less likely to breast-feed than women who took no antidepressants. "While the benefits of breast-feeding an infant are very clear, this study suggests that women who are taking antidepressants in pregnancy ... Read more

Moms' Antidepressants May Affect Babies' Head Size: Study

Posted 5 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, March 5 – Pregnant women taking certain antidepressants may be more likely to deliver infants with reduced head growth, a new study suggests. The researchers also found that although selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as Paxil and Prozac relieved depression in these women, they appeared to be associated with a higher risk of preterm birth. "Fetal body growth is a marker of fetal health and fetal head growth is a marker for brain development," said lead researcher Hanan El Marroun, a postdoctorate fellow in the department of child and adolescent psychiatry at Sophia Children's Hospital and Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. "We found prenatal exposure to SSRIs was associated with decreased growth of the head, but not decreased growth of the body." In mothers with untreated depression, the babies had smaller growth in both the body and head, ... Read more

Related support groups: Lexapro, Zoloft, Prozac, Celexa, Paxil, Citalopram, Fluoxetine, Sertraline, Paroxetine, Luvox, Escitalopram, Paxil CR, Fluvoxamine, Sarafem, Luvox CR

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

Antidepressants Might Raise Fall Risk in Nursing Homes

Posted 18 Jan 2012 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 18 – Antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are associated with an increased risk of falls in nursing home residents with dementia, a new study finds. Researchers in the Netherlands analyzed data about daily prescription medicine use and falls among 248 nursing home residents with dementia. The dataset collected between Jan. 1, 2006 and Jan. 1, 2008 included 85,074 person-days. Antidepressants were used on 13,729 days (16 percent), with SSRIs used on 11,105 of these days, the investigators found. A total of 683 falls were experienced by 152 (61.5 percent) of the 248 nursing home residents, which works out to fall incidence of 2.9 falls per person-year. Thirty-eight residents had one fall but 114 had frequent falls. Injury or death resulted from 220 of the falls: 10 were hip fractures, 11 were other types of fractures, and 198 were ... Read more

Antidepressants While Pregnant Linked to Slight Risk of Lung Problem in Babies

Posted 12 Jan 2012 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, Jan. 12 – Women who use antidepressants called selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors such as Prozac and Celexa during pregnancy run a slight risk of having an infant with high blood pressure in the lungs, a new Swedish study finds. The condition, known as persistent pulmonary hypertension, can lead to shortness of breath and difficulty breathing. Although rare, severe disease is associated with heart failure, the investigators noted. "Infants born to women treated with SSRIs in late pregnancy had a twofold increased risk [of] their infants having persistent pulmonary hypertension," said lead researcher Dr. Helle Kieler, head of the Centre for Pharmacoepidemiology at Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm. "The increased risk seemed to be a class effect of SSRIs, as risks for the specific SSRIs were of similar magnitude," she added. Women taking SSRIs should be informed ... Read more

FDA Medwatch Alert: Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) Antidepressants: Drug Safety Communication - Use During Pregnancy and Potential Risk of Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn

Posted 14 Dec 2011 by Drugs.com

Including Celexa (citalopram); Lexapro (escitalopram); Prozac, Sarafem, Symbyax (fluoxetine); Luvox, Luvox CR (fluvoxamine); Paxil, Paxil CR, Pexeva (paroxetine); Zoloft (sertraline); Viibryd (vilazodone) ISSUE: FDA notified healthcare professionals and the public on the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants by women during pregnancy and the potential risk of a rare heart and lung condition known as Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN). The initial Public Health Advisory in July 2006 on this potential risk was based on a single published study. Since then, there have been conflicting findings from new studies evaluating this potential risk, making it unclear whether use of SSRIs during pregnancy can cause PPHN. FDA has reviewed the additional new study results and has concluded that, given the conflicting results from different st ... Read more

Related support groups: Lexapro, Zoloft, Prozac, Celexa, Paxil, Citalopram, Fluoxetine, Sertraline, Viibryd, Paroxetine, Luvox, Escitalopram, Symbyax, Paxil CR, Fluvoxamine

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

Antidepressant Use Skyrocketed in Past 20 Years: CDC

Posted 19 Oct 2011 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 19 – The rate of antidepressant use among Americans of all ages increased nearly 400 percent over the last two decades, and 11 percent of Americans aged 12 and older now take antidepressant drugs, according to a federal government report released Wednesday. The analysis of 2005-2008 data from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys also showed that antidepressants are the third most common prescription drug taken by Americans of all ages and the most frequently used by those aged 18 to 44. Of people with severe depression, about one-third takes antidepressant medication. More than 60 percent of Americans taking an antidepressant drug have taken it for two years or longer and nearly 14 percent have taken the medication for 10 years or more, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researchers. The investigators also found that ... Read more

Hormonal Treatment of Hot Flashes Still OK for Some: Experts

Posted 18 Oct 2011 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, Oct. 18 – Women do have options when it comes to treating hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause, and these still include the short-term use of hormone replacement therapy using estrogen alone, experts conclude in a new consensus report. "Hormone replacement therapy should be considered a very reasonable option for recently menopausal women who have moderate-to-severe hot flashes or night sweats," said Dr. JoAnn E. Manson, chief of the division of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and the current president of the North American Menopause Society (NAMS). Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) was widely used up until 2002. That year, however, the estrogen-plus-progestin arm of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) trial was stopped early after women who took the formulation were found to have an increased risk for heart disease, strokes, breast cancer ... Read more

Certain Antidepressants With Blood Thinners May Pose Risk for Heart Patients

Posted 26 Sep 2011 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Sept. 26 – Heart attack patients who take both selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants and antiplatelet drugs such as aspirin or Plavix have a higher risk for bleeding than those who take anti-clotting drugs only, a new study finds. Commonly prescribed SSRIs include Zoloft, Prozac, Paxil and Lexapro. Antiplatelet drugs prevent blood cells from sticking together and forming a blood clot. Heart attack patients are commonly prescribed antiplatelet therapy to reduce their risk of another heart attack. But there's an increased risk of bleeding, which increases even further when certain other drugs are taken at the same time. It so happens that many heart attack patients have depression symptoms and are prescribed antidepressants, noted the researchers at McGill University in Montreal. "We're always concerned about how other medicines might interact with the ... Read more

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