Posted by linkadge on August 12, 2008, at 16:13:45
In reply to Re: You are refering to me? | No. » linkadge, posted by yxibow on August 6, 2008, at 19:43:08
>Oh good lord -- the *ss protection that the FDA >slapped on all anti-depressants; I personally >believe that was a terrible mistake because it >discourages the people that need them the most >from taking it.
What it does is give people a more detailed profile of possible side effects. Some people would rather patients not hear about potential side effects, but when you're dealing with medications that are on average statistically no better than placebo, it becomes very important that people know about potential risks.
>It vilifies all anti-depressants, furthering the >agenda of the anti-psychiatry camp, which, does >include Scientology, religious groupsIt gives a warning. How the information is used is a separate issue.
>Yes, there are people susceptible to unexplained >reasons of anti-depressant suicide -- but a >majority of that population would have jumped >out of a window anyhow, if I must be crass, >because they were suicidal in the first place. >Of course you can't interview them afterward, >sadly.
The FDA panel that voted for this decsion are intellegent people taking a relatively unbiased decision. People have the right to know about what clinical trial data suggests.
>My point was that it was, purely in my opinion, >such a blurry shade of worry about possible >cancer in 30 years when the benefits clearly >outweigh those risks and other risks in patients >with risk of high suicide.
Theres no proof that antidepressants reduce the risk of suicide.
>Lithium is also one of the fastest ways of >reducing suicide for some people. Antipsychotics >are others.
Antipsychotics as a class do not have demonstrated antisuicide effect. Clozapine does, but this effect has not been demonstrated with other AP agents. Based on the data, those at high risk of suicide should be put on lithium or clozapine (for which there are no black box warnings of increased risk of suicide).
>But if a theoretical patient is stabilized on a >tricyclic because it works and other things >don't, and they're not feeling like killing >themselves, I consider that a triumph, and the >worry about future risk of cancer way below what >has happened.
Research suggests that depression and suicide are two separate things. Self reports of suicidal ideation do not readily correlate with actual risk of suicide. So, just because a patient reports that "drug x saved their life" does not necessarily make it so.
Linkadge
poster:linkadge
thread:844053
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20080805/msgs/845729.html