Treatments for Bulimia Oct 16, 2008
Medication for Bulimia- Some medications, particularly selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), have been shown to help slow or stop the binge purge cycle. The National Institute of Mental Health notes that the only anti-depressant the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved for the treatment of bulimia is Prozac. (Suite101.com)
PROZAC IN A PLANT... Oct 8, 2008
Doctors have been told not to prescribe most SSRIs to under-18s because of an increased risk of suicide. Experts have also said they could not rule out a suicide risk to older users. (The Drudge Report)
Tricyclic Antidepressants Oct 3, 2008
The SSRIs are fairly selective for serotonin, as their name, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, implies. TCAs on the other hand are far from selective. (Suite101.com)
Common Gene Mutation Lowers Risk for Bipolar Disorder Oct 3, 2008
Young also noted that a major drug trials looking at drugs for major depression has identified the GRIK4 gene as an important predictor of how a person will respond to treatment with the antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). "This may be important for bipolar disorder, whose symptoms overlap with major depression," Young said. (MEDLINEplus)
Antidepressants 'may harm sperm' Sep 25, 2008
"However, we should remember that SSRIs have changed many lives for the better and that any decision about changing or stopping your medication should be discussed with your doctor.". Bookmark with. (BBC News)
Some antidepressants may damage sperm Sep 25, 2008
The study adds to concerns voiced by the same doctors in 2006, after finding that two men had developed low counts of healthy sperm following treatment with two different selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). SSRIs like Paxil/Seroxat and Eli Lilly's Prozac, both of which are now available generically, are the most commonly prescribed class of antidepressant ... SSRIs have long been known to depress libido in some men and previous research has also found that women taking the medicines... (MSNBC -- Health)
Men beware! antidepressants can cost fertility Sep 25, 2008
Professor Michael Chapman, director of infertility at IVF Australia, said there were evidences to suggest new generation antidepressants known as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) affect fertility. "This is something we've suspected for a while, with more evidence pointing in this direction," Chapman said, according to 'Herald Sun' report. (Press Trust of India)
BadgerCare will need $25M more this year Sep 23, 2008
daddylonglegs wrote on Sep 23, 2008 7:51 AM:" Oh My-What about legal drug dealers, like doctors? What if person X goes in because they are "stressed" (WalMart self checkout was on the blink) and the doctor prescribes a nice dose of Benzos or SSRIs... Mind altering drugs that are perfectly legal. ". PHIL OSIFER wrote on Sep 23, 2008 7:48 AM:" All I am going to say/sinf from that famous tune"IT' THE SIGN OF THE TIME" ". (La Crosse Tribune, WI)
Newsweek: The anti-depressant gender gap Sep 9, 2008
In the late 90s, however, Kornstein led a pivotal study comparing the effectiveness of SSRIs to tricyclics among 600 women and men. The results made it clear that women responded better to SSRIs, while men did better on tricyclics ... Not surprisingly, men taking SSRIs and women taking tricyclics were the most likely to drop out of the study--presumably because the medication was not helping. (MSNBC -- Health)
Federal Judge Green-Lights Paxil Suit Over Teen's Suicide Sep 4, 2008
Buckwalter rejected arguments by SmithKline's defense team that the suit was pre-empted by FDA regulations which, at the time, did not call for suicide warnings for pediatric patients on drugs known as SSRIs, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors ... Writing for the majority, U.S. Circuit Judge Dolores K. Sloviter said the FDA has "actively monitored" the possible risk of suicide from taking SSRIs for two decades, and concluded that the suicide warnings demanded by plaintiffs "are without... (Law.com)
Post-marketing studies finding adverse events in drugs used in children Sep 2, 2008
Black Box warning and development of patient information for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) regarding potential for suicidality and neonatal toxicity/withdrawal syndrome. Box warning for transdermal opioid analgesis (Duragesic) alerting that inappropriate use may result in serious adverse reactions, including death. (EurekAlert!)
Sex differences seen in response to common antidepressant Aug 30, 2008
Citalopram is one of a class of medicines known as SSRIs, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors ... But for more than 15 years, SSRIs have been the first choice for treating depression. (EurekAlert!)
More on Serotonin Syndrome Associated with Triptan Monotherapy Aug 21, 2008
On the basis of an analysis of 27 cases from the Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an alert, "Potentially Life-Threatening Serotonin Syndrome with Combined Use of SSRIs [selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors] or SNRIs [selective serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors] and Triptan Medications."2 After receiving a Freedom of Information Act request, the FDA provided me with data on 29 cases that they evaluated as the basis for the alert.... (New England Journal of Medicine)
UNC trial: oral contraceptives may ease suffering of women with severe PMS Aug 19, 2008
While some women try antidepressants like SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) to ease the symptoms, a full 40 percent don't respond well to this treatment ... "If we can show that continuous low-dose contraceptives are effective, that opens up another option that may have a better risk-benefit profile than SSRIs.". (EurekAlert!)
Gastrointestinal Bleeding After Stroke May Increase Risk Of Death Aug 9, 2008
26, 2004) New users of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs, a type of antidepressant) have an increased risk of being admitted to the hospital for abnormal bleeding, according to an article in the. (June 2, 2000) An aspirin given to stroke patients immediately upon arrival at the hospital may help to prevent recurrent strokes in the high-risk time frame immediately following the first stroke, according to the. (Science Daily)
Antidepressants Linked to Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Jul 22, 2008
Of the 43,932 subjects who used any antidepressant medications, 11,958 used tricyclic antidepressants, 22,695 used another type of antidepressant known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), 4421 used other antidepressants, and 4858 used more than one type. There were 92 cases of NHL and, according to the team, there was a strong association between use of tricyclic antidepressants and NHL. No increased risk of NHL was found in users of other types of antidepressants. (MEDLINEplus)
Gene Variations May Predict Antidepressant Response Jul 22, 2008
Specifically, researchers at the Mayo Clinic have found that variations in the serotonin transporter gene could help select which patients should try this drug, one of the family of medications known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Some 10 percent of the American population now take antidepressants, making it the most widely prescribed drug class in the country. (MEDLINEplus)
Why doctors believe children as young as eight should be put on ... Jul 15, 2008
Four years ago, the UK drug watchdog the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency issued a report saying SSRIs were not effective in children and raised the risk of suicide. It recommended that all brands, except one, should not be given to children. (Daily Mail)
Do Antidepressants Make Bones Brittle? Jul 15, 2008
In an earlier study, Dr. David Goltzman, director of the McGill Centre for Bone and Periodontal Research at McGill University in Montreal, looked at data from an osteoporosis study that included more than 5,000 randomly selected people, including 137 who took antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, daily ... Goltzman said he and his colleagues are now looking at teens who take SSRIs, to see if there are any effects from the drugs on growing bones ... Until... (MEDLINEplus)
Antidepressants tied to gastrointestinal bleeding Jul 8, 2008
The research looked at antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, and found that bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract is more common in people taking them than in those not doing so ... The researchers stressed that such bleeding remains uncommon in people taking SSRIs or Effexor, and people taking them generally should continue to do it ... "The risk in the general population taking SSRIs is very low -- 1 case in 2,000 patients treated -- and no specific... (Reuters India)
Monthly prescription Jul 8, 2008
Guidelines from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) currently recommend antidepressants, specifically SSRIs such as Prozac, to treat severe PMS. They also seem to work on some of the other symptoms of PMS such as the abdominal cramps, not just the depression ... "SSRIs are one of the options but not to the exclusion of suggesting changes in lifestyle. Suppressing the menstrual cycle by giving oral contraceptives or hormone patches can work," he says ... "GPs do vary in... (Guardian Unlimited)
Being Overweight Does Not Result In Decreased Sperm Production, Study Shows Jun 18, 2008
We know that SSRIs affect sex drive, but there aren t much data on their effect on fertility, she said. The results will be presented at The Endocrine Society s 90th Annual Meeting in San Francisco. (Science Daily)
Liquor + Paxil = Wow! Jun 17, 2008
SSRIs block reabsorption of serotonina neurotransmitterby your nerve endings, boosting serotonin levels in your brain. Ecstasy tweaks up your serotonin, too. (Slate)
America's Medicated Army Jun 5, 2008
Nearly 40% of Army suicide victims in 2006 and 2007 took psychotropic drugs overwhelmingly, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like Prozac and Zoloft ... "The high percentage of U.S. soldiers attempting suicide after taking SSRIs should raise serious concerns," says Dr. Joseph Glenmullen, who teaches psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. (Time.com)
Sue Halpern's 'Can't Remember What I Forgot': The Good News From the Front Lines of Memory Search May 24, 2008
(Think of SSRIs, like Prozac, for depression. He even gives Halpern several examples, ranging from Huntington's disease to the sexual behavior of male prairie voles. (International Herald Tribune -- Arts)
Migraine Medications May Cause 'Serotonin Syndrome' May 16, 2008
"The FDA has already issued an advisory and an alert that when triptans are used in combination with SSRIs, there is a possibility of serotonin syndrome. The news here is that it doesn't have to be in combination, triptans alone can cause serotonin syndrome," said the study's lead author, Offie Soldin, an associate professor of medicine and oncology at Georgetown University Medical Center ... People with migraine headaches may be especially at risk, because medications taken to prevent migraines... (MEDLINEplus)
Serotonin Syndrome and Triptan Monotherapy May 15, 2008
When administered in combination with certain drugs, such as selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), triptans may precipitate the serotonin syndrome, a potentially life-threatening condition characterized by a triad of clinical manifestations changes in mental status, autonomic hyperactivity, and neuromuscular abnormalities. 1,2 The cause of the serotonin syndrome is related to altered serotonin synthesis, release, reuptake,... (New England Journal of Medicine)
The mystery of medications linked to suicide May 8, 2008
"We looked at this with SSRIs [antidepressants] and the other drugs that have received warnings," says Alan Goldhammer, deputy vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs. "We're keenly interested to move forward and better understand what is the number being observed in the case of true suicides and how does that relate to the age group and population at large.'''A common background event'Adding to the confusion of how to determine the possibility that a drug can cause suicidal thinking... (MSNBC -- Terrorism)
10 foods to make you happy May 4, 2008
The concept works on the same principle as selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as popular antidepressant Prozac. Britain's Food and Mood Project recommends eating chicken, sardines, turkey, salmon, fresh tuna, nuts and seeds to boost serotonin levels. (Sydney Morning Herald)
When One Antidepressant Doesn't Work, Another May May 2, 2008
Relatively new antidepressants such as Prozac and Zoloft, for example, are called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs ... However, the non-SSRI antidepressants were somewhat less well tolerated than the SSRIs. (MEDLINEplus)
Prozac might cure "lazy eye", scientists say Apr 20, 2008
Prozac was initially introduced by U.S. drugmaker Eli Lilly and Co in 1987 and belongs to a class of compounds called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). It is now off patent and widely available generically as fluoxetine. (Reuters)
High anxiety? Apr 19, 2008
Serotonin has long been known to be involved in depression and anxiety, and indeed most modern antidepressant and anti-anxiety drugs (such as SSRIs) work on this transporter. . (EurekAlert!)
Prozac shows promise as cure for 'lazy eye' Apr 18, 2008
Prozac was initially introduced by U.S. drugmaker Eli Lilly and Co in 1987 and belongs to a class of compounds called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) ... Vetencourt said the ability of Prozac and perhaps other SSRIs to return neurons to a more plastic state could, in theory, mean they might also have a role in other neurological disorders in which synaptic plasticity was compromised, including Alzheimer's disease. (MSNBC -- Health)
Treating OCD with Antidepressants Apr 18, 2008
The other four prescription medications are from a newer class of antidepressants called SSRIs, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. The SSRIs tend to have fewer side effects as a general rule, but if they are not found to be effective in treating a patient's OCD symptoms, the older drug Anafranil may be successful ... Some common side effects of the SSRIs. (Suite101.com)
Antidepressants Account For Only 10% Of Fall In Suicide Rates Among Older People Apr 18, 2008
Rates have been falling in many countries, a factor that has been associated with better recognition of depression and the increasing use of antidepressants, particularly the newer selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) ... Overall, treatment type made little difference, although rates among men taking SSRIs were slightly higher than among those taking tricyclics ... Previous Scandinavian and US research has suggested that a fivefold increase in the use of antidepressants could lead to... (Science Daily)
Antidepressant may treat lazy eye Apr 18, 2008
Fluoxetine and other selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are thought to relieve depression by boosting the amount of the mood-related messenger molecule serotonin that is circulating among the brain's cells ... Maya Vetencourt and his colleagues tested the theory that SSRIs increase the plasticity of the brain's nerve cells their capacity to make and break connections with each another. (Nature News Service)
Remeron Treatment for Anxiety Apr 17, 2008
Many commonly prescribed antidepressants belong to a class called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs. Patients who do not respond to SSRIs may benefit from treatment by drugs from another class, such as Remeron, which belongs to a class called noradrenergic and selective serotonergic antidepressant, or NaSSAs ... While SSRIs work mainly on the levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin, NaSSAs like Remeron work on both serotonin and norepinephrine. (Suite101.com)
Treximet(TM) (Sumatriptan and Naproxen Sodium) Tablets Approved by FDA for Acute Treatment of Migraine Apr 16, 2008
The development of a potentially life-threatening serotonin syndrome may occur with triptans, including treatment with Treximet, particularly during combined use with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). NSAID-containing products, including Treximet, should be prescribed with extreme caution in those with a prior history of ulcer disease or gastrointestinal bleeding. (PR Newswire)
Slow and steady wins the race Apr 16, 2008
A class of drugs called SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) were first made famous for their success in treating depression. (Prozac belongs to this category. (The Cavalier Daily, VA)
Suicide Warning Suits Pre-Empted; Makers of Paxil, Zoloft Win Apr 9, 2008
Writing for the majority, 3rd Circuit Judge Dolores K. Sloviter said the FDA has "actively monitored" the possible risk of suicide from taking the class of antidepressant drugs known as selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, for two decades, and concluded that the suicide warnings demanded by plaintiffs "are without scientific basis and would therefore be false and misleading." ... Sloviter found that because the FDA had specifically rejected a proposed enhanced warning about... (Law.com)
Marketing Of Unproven Genetic Tests A Threat To Public Health Apr 9, 2008
The authors reviewed claims made by testing businesses about the value of genetic testing for variability in cytochrome P-450 (CYP450) enzymes in predicting how individuals will metabolize antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). At least 15 businesses currently offer CYP450 genotyping services, and four of those companies make specific claims that a CYP450 test can be used to recommend treatment, drug choice, and dosage. (Science Daily)
Suicides, untreated depression follow anti-depressant warnings Apr 8, 2008
The antidepressant warning involved drugs known as SSRIs, or selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, a class that includes Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft, as well as serotonin noradrenaline re-uptake inhibitors (SNRIs), which include Effexor. The drugs have not been approved in Canada for children, but doctors have prescribed them "off-label," which they are legally permitted to do, to tens of thousands of toddlers, children and teens for depression, social phobia, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive... (Canada.com)
Newsweek: Why FDA should oversee genetic tests Apr 4, 2008
CYP450 genes are involved in the metabolism of SSRIs, which are drugs prescribed to treat depression. While these genes clearly play a role, there are not yet clinical studies showing that CYP450 genetic testing is beneficial for SSRI selection and dosing. (MSNBC -- Health)
Lawless Gene-Testing Industry Needs a Sheriff Apr 4, 2008
But whether CYP450 genes can predict responses to other drugs, especially selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants, or SSRIs, isn't clear. In December of last year, EGAPP said that clinical evidence didn't support using CYP450 tests to guide SSRI use. (Wired News)
Synosia Starts Phase II Efficacy Trial For Rufinamide Mar 31, 2008
"There is a real need for new treatment options without the limited compliance associated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or the risk of dependence of benzodiazepine-based treatments." It is estimated that over 62 million people in the United States and the five major European pharmaceutical markets suffer from a form of anxiety. Of those, over nine million suffer from general anxiety disorder. (Canada Newswire)
Treating SSRI-resistant Depression Mar 28, 2008
28, 2008) More than half of teenagers with the most debilitating forms of depression that do not respond to treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) show improvement after switching to a. (Apr. (Science Daily)
A link between antidepressants and type 2 diabetes Mar 26, 2008
What she found was the risk of diabetes almost doubled for the patients who were using two types of therapies at the same time, tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Brown says people are usually prescribed multiple medications if they have severe depression or if they are having a problem finding the right therapy. (EurekAlert!)
PROBING THE PLACEBO EFFECT Mar 24, 2008
Yes and no. The investigators of these studies had to legally invoke the Freedom of Information Act to obtain and analyze unpublished trials on SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors - the most commonly prescribed class of antidepressants, which include Prozac, Zoloft and Paxil) ... The February 2008 Public Library of Science investigators, studying a different group of SSRIs, statistically analyzed the combined results of published and unpublished trials ... Sadness or nervousness are... (San Francisco Chronicle)
Chicago in the News Mar 21, 2008
SSRIs and suicide prevention ... Countries with both high and low initial rates of antidepressant use saw similar trends in suicides until SSRIs were introduced, the NBER study noted. (Univeristy of Chicago Chronicle, IL)
Aussie PMS 'worse than Brazilians' Mar 18, 2008
Other medications like new generation antidepressants known as SSRIs and anti-anxiety drugs had also shown some benefits, she said. Some women were also able to manage their condition with vitamins like evening primrose oil, exercise, cognitive behavioural therapy and by reducing the stress in their lives, Professor Kulkarni said. (NEWS.com.au)
Uncomfortably numb Mar 15, 2008
Sufferers have a serotonin deficiency that can be corrected by selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or, in the case of Effexor, serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) ... According to researchers with the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health, the fact that SSRIs may help to relieve depression or anxiety although placebos have been shown to work nearly as well cannot be used as primary evidence for seratonergic dysfunction. (Globe and Mail)
Antidepressants May Suppress Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Mar 15, 2008
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are more effective than placebo for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), according to a review of available clinical evidence ... "Individual randomized controlled trials have shown that SSRIs are effective in this condition," they note, but previous reviews or pooled analyses are "methodologically problematic or limited in the scope of their analysis." ... The researchers identified 17... (MEDLINEplus)
No prosecution on suicide-risk drug Mar 8, 2008
As my experience of taking citalopram had been life-threatening, I decided to research the mode of action of SSRIs. Citalopram, initially, intensifies the anxiety and insomnia of a depressed patient because it stimulates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in the brain. (Times Online)
Trial secretsHow did data on Seroxat and suicide risk come to light? Mar 7, 2008
Seroxat, made by GSK, is one of a class of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) ... SSRIs recently hit the headlines after a study found they had no more effect than a dummy pill for people with mild or moderate depression but seemed to have more benefit for people with severe depression. (BBC News -- Health)
Sticky blood protein yields clues to autism Mar 5, 2008
Alterations in brain serotonin have also been associated with anxiety, depression and alcoholism; antidepressants that block SERT (known as SSRIs, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) block SERTs ability to sweep synapses clean of serotonin ... SSRIs or genetic deletion of SERT in animals prevents serotonin uptake in the platelet. (EurekAlert!)
Study: Media perpetuates unsubstantiated chemical imbalance theory of depression Mar 4, 2008
The Society article builds on the pairs 2005 study, which focused on pharmaceutical advertisements that claim depression is caused by an imbalance of serotonin -- an imbalance the drug companies say can be corrected by a class of antidepressants called Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) ... The researchers said the popularity of the theory is in large part based on the presumed efficacy of the SSRIs, but they say that several large studies now cast doubt on this efficacy ... A... (EurekAlert!)
Drug companies hide their not-so-good results Mar 3, 2008
We already knew selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) give only a modest benefit in mild depression ... This happened in the case of Vioxx and heart attacks, and SSRIs and suicidal thoughts ... In January a paper in the New England Journal Of Medicine dug out a list of all trials on SSRIs that had ever been registered with the US Food and Drug Administration and then went to look for those same trials in the academic literature. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Opinion)
Ben Goldacre Mar 3, 2008
We already knew that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), one of the commonly prescribed drugs for treating depression, give only a modest benefit in mild and moderate depression ... This happened in the case of Vioxx and heart attacks, and SSRIs and suicidal thoughts ... A paper in The New England Journal of Medicine dug out a list of all trials on SSRIs that had ever been registered with the US Food and Drug Administration, and then went to look for those same trials in the... (The Age)
Antidepressants study shakes up medicine Mar 2, 2008
" The study comes as prescriptions for antidepressants keep mounting: More than 30 million were filled in Canada last year, up from 24 million in 2004. The most commonly prescribed are drugs known as SSRIs, which include Prozac and Paxil and together accounted for 70 per cent and $1 billion worth of all anti-depressant prescriptions dispensed last year, according to IMS Health Canada."There is just a huge amount of hype that has kept this thing afloat, this idea that these drugs are useful,"... (Canada.com)
FDA Approves PRISTIQ(TM) for the Treatment of Adult Patients with Major Depressive Disorder Mar 1, 2008
-- Development of a potentially life-threatening serotonin syndrome may occur with SNRIs and SSRIs, including PRISTIQ, particularly with concomitant use of serotonergic drugs, including triptans ... -- SSRIs and SNRIs, including PRISTIQ, may increase the risk of bleeding events ... -- SSRIs and SNRIs, including EFFEXOR XR, may increase the risk of bleeding events. (PR Newswire)
FDA approves Wyeth's new antidepressant, snapping refusal streak Mar 1, 2008
Pristiq becomes the ninth drug in two similar, widely used classes of newer antidepressants called SSRIs and SNRIs. Madison, N.J.-based Wyeth plans to launch Pristiq, approved in a 50-milligram dose, by June. (San Diego Union-Tribune -- Business)
Army of therapists to push aside pills for depression Feb 29, 2008
2m were for SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), which include Prozac and Seroxat ... Not everyone who has suffered depression is the same, but for me SSRIs have definitely helped ... The SSRIs definitely help. (Guardian Unlimited)
Believing in Prozac and anti-depressants Feb 29, 2008
Perhaps SSRIs do offer nothing more than a placebo effect ... Because, for the depressed humans and parrots of this world, SSRIs provide a much-needed feeling, and that is one of hope. (Telegraph.co.uk)
Depressed Teens More Likely To Get Better With Switch To Combination Therapy Feb 28, 2008
28, 2008) More than half of teenagers with the most debilitating forms of depression that do not respond to treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) show improvement after switching to a different medication combined with cognitive behavioral therapy, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center and their colleagues in a multicenter study have found ... The researchers found that nearly 55 percent of teenagers who failed to respond to a class of antidepressant medications... (Science Daily)
Only Severely Depressed Benefit from Antidepressants Feb 28, 2008
In the study, Kirsch and his colleagues collected data on 35 clinical trials of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, whose results had been submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The antidepressants included in the trials were fluoxetine (Prozac), venlafaxine (Effexor), nefazodone (Serzone), and paroxetine (Seroxat/Paxil). (MEDLINEplus)
