Posted by King Vultan on November 26, 2004, at 12:08:32
In reply to Depression ,Medication,Doctors and Drug Companies » linkadge, posted by iris2 on November 23, 2004, at 10:31:46
I think there are pluses and minuses to the advertising for psychiatric meds. The big plus is that it does tend to reduce the stigma involved with mental illness. Unfortunately, I think the ads also induce many people to come to the conclusion that they or a loved one are in need of some of these meds, when in reality, there is insufficient justification in many cases.
At the very least, I would like to see patients provided with better information on side effects, particularly the ones that occur in large percentages, such as weight gain and sexual side effects with SSRIs. I think that doctors need to also make patients fully aware if a drug has a notorious side effect, such as Effexor's withdrawal effects. If a doctor doesn't warn a patient of side effects that are both common and unpleasant, such as SSRI withdrawal syndrome, my opinion is that it shows gross negligence and irresponsibility.
Todd
poster:King Vultan
thread:418426
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20041123/msgs/420509.html