Ads for SSRI Antidepressants are Misleading, Researchers Say
Consumer ads for a class of antidepressants called
SSRIs often claim that depression is due to a chemical imbalance in the brain,
and that SSRIs correct this imbalance, but these claims are not supported by
scientific evidence, say researchers in
PLoS
Medicine.
Although scientists in the 1960s suggested that depression
may be linked to low brain levels of the chemical serotonin (the so-called
"serotonin hypothesis"), contemporary research has failed to confirm the
hypothesis, they say.
The researchers -- Jeffrey Lacasse, a doctoral
candidate at Florida State University and Dr. Jonathan Leo, a neuroanatomy
professor at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine -- studied US consumer
advertisements for SSRIs from print, television, and the Internet. They found
widespread claims that SSRIs restore the serotonin balance of the brain. "Yet
there is no such thing as a scientifically established correct 'balance' of
serotonin," the authors say.
According to Lacasse and Leo, in the scientific
literature it is openly admitted that the serotonin hypothesis remains
unconfirmed and that there is "a growing body of medical literature casting
doubt on the serotonin hypothesis," which is not reflected in the consumer ads.
For instance, the widely televised animated Zoloft (setraline)
commercials have dramatized a serotonin imbalance and stated, "Prescription
Zoloft works to correct this imbalance." Advertisements for other SSRIs, such
as Prozac (fluoxetine), Paxil (paroxetine), and Lexapro (escitalopram), have
made similar claims.
In the US, the FDA is responsible for regulating
consumer advertisements, and requires that they be based on scientific
evidence. Yet, according to Lacasse and Leo, the mismatch between the
scientific literature and the SSRI advertisements is "remarkable, and possibly
unparalleled."
And while the Irish equivalent of the FDA, the Irish
Medicines Board, recently banned GlaxoSmithKline from claiming in their patient
information leaflets that paroxetine (Paxil) corrects a chemical imbalance, the
FDA has never taken any similar action on this issue.
Commenting on
Lacasse and Leo's work, Professor David Healy of the North Wales Department of
Psychological Medicine, said: "The serotonin theory of depression is comparable
to the masturbatory theory of insanity. Both have been depletion theories, both
have survived in spite of the evidence, both contain an implicit message as to
what people ought to do. In the case of these myths, the key question is whose
interests are being served by a widespread promulgation of such views rather
than how do we test this theory."
Dr Joanna Moncrieff, Senior Lecturer
in Psychiatry at University College London, said: "It is high time that it was
stated clearly that the serotonin imbalance theory of depression is not
supported by the scientific evidence or by expert opinion. Through misleading
publicity the pharmaceutical industry has helped to ensure that most of the
general public is unaware of this."
Pathologies of the Diagnostic Statistics Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)
Lourdes Salvador April 22, 2007 - The American
Chronicle
"Pathologizing people who are dissimilar as mentally ill
gives unreasonable and unprecedented power to those who chose conformity.
Interestingly the real illness is often not experienced by the person who is
living their life as they see fit, but rather the person who fears someone who
is brave enough to live life as they see fit. Many mental illnesses are
figments of our vivid imagination. Labeling choices and behaviors as disorders
only causes harm in the long run. Choice and behavior is relative to the
differences in human beings, their nature, their intelligence, and their
personalities rather than mental illness...
...If we relied on the
classifications in the DSM every person in the world would have a diagnosable
mental illness. The pharmaceutical companies will make more money and support
physicians through bonus programs to make these diagnoses...
...The sad
reality is doctors make more money when people stay sick. Pharmaceutical
companies make more money when we take drugs for non-existent illnesses, often
causing real damage. Many psycho-pharmaceuticals are known to cause violent and
suicidal behaviors. In other words, they create mental illness rather than
treat it. The discrimination created by labeling those who chose or require
different orientations that suit them is criminal!" -
Read full article here
"Black Box" Warning for Antidepressants Issued by FDA
FDA Patient Safety News: Show #34, December
2004
Several previous programs have addressed the increased risk of
suicidal thoughts and behavior in children and adolescents being treated with
antidepressant medications. FDA recently took several steps to strengthen
safeguards for young patients being treated with these drugs.
The
manufacturers of certain antidepressants had already changed the product
labeling to warn about a possible increased risk of suicidality with these
drugs. But now a "black box" warning is being required for all antidepressant
drugs. A "black box" warning is the most serious type of warning in
prescription drug labeling...
...The previous warnings applied to the
SSRIs and several "atypical" antidepressants, based on analyses of
placebo-controlled trials of these particular drugs. The new labeling changes
apply to the entire category of antidepressant medications --- that's well over
30 drugs. That's because the currently available data are not adequate to
exclude any antidepressant drug from the increased risk of suicidality.
A new Patient Medication Guide will also play a role. A "MedGuide" is
FDA-approved user-friendly information for patients and it's supposed to be
distributed by pharmacists with each prescription or refill of a medication. In
the case of antidepressants, it will advise patients and their families about
the risk of suicidality and about precautions that can be taken. FDA is working
with the manufacturers of antidepressant drugs to make the MedGuides available
as soon as possible.
Part of a disclaimer on the website of one
of the antidepressants listed above reads: "A combined analysis of studies
involving 9 antidepressants showed that in people under 18 this risk was 4% for
those taking antidepressants compared to 2% for those taking sugar pill. This
risk must be balanced with the medical need. Those starting medication should
be watched closely for suicidal thoughts, worsening of depression, or unusual
changes in behavior."
Antidepressant Drug Side Effects
The National Institutes of Health's National Library
of Medicine lists out information on pharmaceuticals including dosage,
interactions and dangers. The following are some of the side effects listed for
antidepressants:
More common antidepressant side effects - Acid or sour
stomach; belching; decreased appetite; decreased sexual ability or desire;
excess air or gas in stomach or intestines; heartburn; nervousness; pain or
tenderness around eyes and cheekbones ; passing gas; problems in urinating;
runny or stuffy nose; sexual problems, especially ejaculatory disturbances;
sleepiness or unusual drowsiness; stomach discomfort, upset, or pain; sweating;
trauma; trembling or shaking; trouble in sleeping.
Less common
antidepressant side effects - Abnormal dreams; anxiety; bladder pain; body
aches or pain; change in sense of taste; changes in vision; cloudy urine;
confusion ; congestion; difficulty in focusing eyes; difficulty in moving;
discouragement, feeling sad or empty; drugged feeling; dryness of throat;
excessive muscle tone; fainting or loss of consciousness; fast or irregular
breathing; feeling of unreality; feeling of warmth or heat; flushing or redness
of skin, especially on face and neck; frequent urge to urinate; headache,
severe and throbbing; heavy bleeding; increase in body movements; increased
appetite; irritability; itching, pain, redness, or swelling of eye or eyelid;
itching of the vagina or genital area; lack of emotion; loss of interest or
pleasure; loss of memory; lump in throat; menstrual changes; menstrual pain or
cramps; muscle twitching or jerking; pain during sexual intercourse; problems
with memory; problems with tooth; rhythmic movement of muscles; sense of
detachment from self or body; severe sunburn; slow heartbeat; sneezing; thick,
white vaginal discharge with no odor or with a mild odor; tightness in throat;
tingling, burning, or prickling sensations; trouble concentrating; voice
changes; watering of eyes; weight loss; yawn.
If you or someone you know
wants help detoxing from antidepressants you can call us at
1-877-372-5719 and speak with a counselor.
© 2009 Drug-Free Alliance