Posted by greywolf on March 28, 2006, at 18:09:51
In reply to Re: Neighbor who is a teacher Says SSRI's Cause Me, posted by scatterbrained on March 28, 2006, at 16:21:49
There are plenty of anecdotal reports of memory loss associated with SSRIs, and some clinical reports. In fact, I believe Prozac came under fire three or four years ago when researchers began associating long-term usage of fluoxetine with serious cognitive deficiencies and memory loss.But honestly, what mental health pharmaceuticals are without SEs? We're talking experimentation with brain chemistry here, not putting ointment on a scrape.
I believe more time must be spent between doctor and patient discussing not just the potential SEs, but the likely SEs. As you can see in these threads, individual sensitivity to SEs varies greatly, with something that wouldn't bother me at all being a major concern for someone else, and vice versa. Before anyone embarks on a course of treatment, a discussion must be had of what to really expect ("yes, you are likely to be nauseous for two weeks;" "yes, you will feel a sedating effect and you must commit to this regimen for at least 4 weeks before it will alleviate and you will begin to feel a benefit;" "no, you are not likely to experience an exacerbation of your manic state, but if it begins to happen, come back and we will switch you to X"). Too many patients don't ask for a frank and specific discussion of what can reasonably be expected, and too many doctors are willing to let the patient educate themselves from a sheet the pharmacist gives them (which contains every warning in the world, but little in the way of information that allows you to make a reasonable assessment of the risk that you will experience any particular SE).
So, yeah, SSRIs may cause memory problems. But the real question is how do you factor that information into a cost-benefit analysis that helps you make an informed choice.
poster:greywolf
thread:625517
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060322/msgs/625646.html