Safety of Depression Drugs Questioned
An article by Gardiner Harris in the August 7, 2003 New
York Times highlights the issue of the dangers
of
Paxil, one of the world's most prescribed antidepressants
and about the entire class of these drugs that also includes Prozac
and Zoloft. The article reports that
unpublished studies about Paxil show that it carries a substantial risk of
prompting teenagers and children to consider suicide.
Interestingly enough, these studies also showed that Paxil was no
more effective than a placebo in treating youths' depression,
prompting regulators to
recommend that doctors stop writting
new Paxil prescriptions for patients under 18.
The US Food and Drug Administration is
considering whether to impose new restrictions on the drugs' use.
The article reports that of the 10 U.S. specialists on an FDA panel in
1991that formally cleared the drugs of any ties to suicide, seven now say
that the new data would prompt them to reconsider that decision. Experts
say the suicide risk is highest during young patients' first few weeks on
the drug.
So far, there is little evidence that the warnings
have affected doctors' prescribing practices. But the Times article notes
that even doctors who doubt there is a link between the drugs and an
increased suicide risk are emphasizing that patients need to be closely
monitored in their first weeks on the medication. The FDA warned, parents
shouldn't just take their children off Paxil or other antidepressants
since patients can sustain severe withdrawal symptoms if the drugs are
stopped abruptly.
A web site,
www.paxil-side-effects.com
covers much information on this drug and its side effects that may not be
readily available elsewhere.
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