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!)
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)
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)
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)
Antidepressants may not help many patients Feb 27, 2008
The studied drugs included Prozac, Effexor, Paxil and Serzone, which are all so-called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs. About 118 million antidepressant prescriptions were issued in 2005 in the U.S., according to the National Center for Health Statistics. (MSNBC -- Health)
Switching meds key to aiding depressed teens Feb 27, 2008
There were no differences in their response to the two different types of anti-depressant drugs used or any differences in the way they were helped by the three different SSRIs involved. About 40 percent of adolescents with depression do not adequately respond to a first treatment course with an antidepressant medication, and clinicians have no solid guidelines on how to choose subsequent treatments for these patients, said Dr. Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental... (MSNBC -- Health)
Study: Antidepressants May Not Work in All Patients Feb 27, 2008
The research team based its findings on 47 clinical trials, using drugs such as fluoxetine (Prozac) and paroxetine (Paxil), which are selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and the venlafaxine (Effexor), a serotonin-norepinephrine re-uptake inhibitor. The study found that the benefits of the drugs were only significant in a small group of the most severely depressed patients, Sky News reported. (Fox News)
Antidepressants 'no better than placebo' Feb 27, 2008
So says a large metanalysis that combed through 47 published and unpublished studies on several Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), published in yesterday. This class of drugs includes Prozac. (Nature News Service)
New Hope for Depressed Teens Feb 27, 2008
About 60 percent of adolescents with depression respond to treatment with antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Guidelines recommend prescribing SSRI medications, psychotherapy or both as a first-line treatment for this younger population. (Health-Finder)
Antidepressants Hardly Help Feb 27, 2008
Researchers from the U.K., U.S. and Canada analyzed results for fluoxetine (better known by the brand name Prozac), venlafaxine (Effexor), nefazodone (Serzone) and paroxetine (Paxil or Seroxat) all members of a class of drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). The researchers' paper, published this week in the journal PLoS Medicine, claims that only patients who are diagnosed "at the upper end of the very severely depressed category" get any meaningful benefit from the... (Time.com)
Anxiety over Prozac child risk Feb 26, 2008
It said there was an increased risk of suicidal behaviour and thoughts with all antidepressants known as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) ... It said other SSRIs were too risky for children ... In the meantime, SSRIs should generally not be used in children or adolescents, it said, but it warned against anyone stopping their treatment without first seeking medical advice. (BBC News -- Health)
Teens 'still get anti-depressants' Feb 26, 2008
"SSRIs have been associated with unpleasant and serious side effects, from headaches and weight loss to increased suicidal feelings and self-harming. "Doctors are advised to refer children experiencing depression for therapy, but the waiting list for this is very long in many areas. " SEE ALSO: 06 Dec 04 | Health 10 Dec 03 | Health 10 Dec 04 | Health RELATED BBC LINKS: RELATED INTERNET LINKS: The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites PRODUCTS AND SERVICES MMVIII. (BBC News -- Health)
Anti-depressants 'no better than dummy pills' Feb 26, 2008
The study, published in the journal Public Library of Science: Medicine, looked at the results of 35 clinical trials in the US involving 5,000 patients taking SSRIs, including Prozac, Efexor and Seroxat. advertisement. (Telegraph.co.uk)
Depression drugs 'little better than placebos' Feb 26, 2008
" The study, published in the journal PLoS (Public Library of Science) Medicine, looked at Prozac, Seroxat, Effexor and Serzone and found the drugs were only better than a placebo for some people with severe depression. Kirsch's team said it was one of the most thorough probes into the impact of new generation anti-depressants or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Drug companies strongly questioned the findings. A spokesman for Eli Lilly, which makes Prozac, said that "extensive... (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Potential Antidepressant Compounds Synthesized Feb 24, 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. (May 18, 2007) Depressed mice, like depressed humans, often appear listless and antisocial -- the result of aberrant levels of brain chemicals such as serotonin. (Science Daily)
Comparison of venlafaxine and SSRIs in the treatment of depression Feb 22, 2008
A new study published in the February 15th issue of Biological Psychiatry set out to compare two popular classes of antidepressants, the newer serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), like venlafaxine (Effexor), and the older selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), like fluoxetine (Prozac) and citalopram (Celexa), to determine if one provides an overall greater benefit. To do so, the authors performed a meta-analysis, by pooling the results of 34 double-blind randomized... (EurekAlert!)
Gunman kills 5, injures 16 at Northern Illinois University Feb 21, 2008
If you're on one of the SSRIs and want to talk to someone about the potential consequences connected with their uses go to Paxilprogress. org. (The Pantagraph newspaper)
Antidepressants Help Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Feb 20, 2008
Patients who take selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, are twice as likely to get some relief from their OCD symptoms as those who take placebo pills are ... Although SSRIs should be considered potentially effective treatments for OCD patients, treatment decisions need to take account of the potential adverse effects of these drugs, including nausea, insomnia and sexual dysfunction, he warned ... Nevertheless the success rates for this type of therapy vary, and unfortunately,... (Newsmax)
Your Mood Can Impact Your Heart Feb 17, 2008
Dr. Mallika Marshall Explains, On The Saturday Early Show. Learn more about different types of heart disease and find out if your state has a higher incidence of mortality from the disease. (CBS News)
Sex differences in the brain's serotonin system Feb 14, 2008
It is this protein that the most common antidepressants (SSRIs) block. We dont know exactly what this means, but the results can help us understand why the occurrence of depression differs between the sexes and why men and women sometimes respond differently to treatment with antidepressant drugs, says associate professor Anna-Lena Nordstrm, who led the study. (EurekAlert!)
Prozac Nation? Feb 11, 2008
Barber writes: "The SSRIs are at the epicenter of emotional entitlement, its ultimate symbol and its ultimate expression." These concerns about the drugs' cultural impact are ones I raised in 1993, in the form of thought experiments, in. Effectively, Barber's claim is that my worst fears have come to pass, that America has become a dystopia, through the use of antidepressants. (Slate)
Task force to study the link between suicide and antidepressants Feb 11, 2008
The FDA, in 2004, issued a labeling requirement for antidepressant drugs that not only included the pharmacological class of serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) but also the other pharmaceuticals generally classified as antidepressants. The black box warning is part of the labeling requirements that the dispensers of antidepressants are required to include when dispensing an antidepressant to a patient. (Rio Rancho Observer, NM)
Depressed Mice Reveal Critical Chemical Pathway For Treatment Feb 9, 2008
GSK-3 is well known in the pharmaceutical industry many different psychiatric drugs block the enzyme, including lithium, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), tricyclic antidepressants and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). The researchers tested the SSRI drug fluoxetine (Prozac) in the mutant mice, finding that short-term treatment relieved the animal's depressive symptoms and inhibited GSK-3 activity in the brain. (Science Daily)
Insomnia Patients Often Denied Sleep Treatment When They Have Mental Health Conditions Feb 8, 2008
The most common forms of antidepressants prescribed in the United States are a class of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Physicians might perceive that drowsiness is induced by medications such as SSRIs so there might be a general fear about combining them with insomnia medications, Balkrishnan said. (Science Daily)
Experimental drug may curb hot flashes Jan 15, 2008
Antidepressant drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have shown some effectiveness in treating menopausal symptoms, they add, while venlafaxine (Effexor), a serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI), has also shown promise ... Both SSRIs and SNRIs are thought to treat hot flashes and similar symptoms by restoring normal heat regulation in the body. (MSNBC -- Health)
'I'd never have put myself through this if I'd known' Jan 14, 2008
At the doctor's surgery my GP prescribes Citalopram, saying they're the mildest of the SSRIs [antidepressants. A car pulls up beside me and the driver asks me some directions. (Guardian Unlimited)
FDA Warnings Affected Prescriptions Of Antidepressants To Youth Jan 11, 2008
"The possibility that antidepressant medications, especially selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), increase the risk of suicidal behavior was first raised in several case reports of children and adults during the early 1990s," the authors write as background information in the article ... "Similar, though less pronounced, declines occurred in paroxetine treatment of older patients. Following the black box warning, there was a statistically nonsignificant decline in antidepressant... (Science Daily)
New Treatment Mechanisms For Schizophrenia Jan 10, 2008
D., lead author on this project, comments, "While treating patients with receptor agonists can be highly effective therapy, drugs that increase the action of the transmitter that activates the same receptor have traditionally been very effective with fewer side effects than chronic agonist treatment." He adds, "These data support the conclusion that NAAG peptidase inhibitors represent a breakthrough in the discovery of a completely novel means of adjunct therapy for schizophrenia that is... (Science Daily)
Youth Suicide Warnings Are Slowing Antidepressant Sales Jan 9, 2008
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration first became aware of the possibility that antidepressants and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) might increase the risk of thoughts of suicide and suicidal behavior in children and adults in the early 1990s ... However, after the more general black box warning, the researchers saw a "statistically nonsignificant" reduction in the use of all antidepressants to treat youths, but a significant drop in the use of all SSRIs in addition to... (MEDLINEplus)
Antidepressants Help HIV-Infected Patients Stick to Treatment Jan 8, 2008
However, when depressed people took prescribed SSRIs -- which include drugs such as Celexa, Paxil, Prozac and Zoloft -- they had the same health outcomes as patients who were not depressed. "The take-home point of this study is that depression carries a worse prognosis for HAART in HIV patients. However, we also found that SSRIs can reverse this and improve outcomes for HIV-depressed patients," lead author Dr. Michael A. Horberg, director of HIV/AIDS for Kaiser Permanente, said in a prepared... (MEDLINEplus)
Advancing on MS: New drugs and hopes for a vaccine Dec 22, 2007
Among those showing promise: Daclizumab, now used to prevent kidney transplant rejection; Rituximab, approved to treat non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and the autoimmune (rheumatoid) form of arthritis; popular antidepressants known as SSRIs; and an anemia therapy called Erythropoietin. There are clues that "natural" substances may work against MS as well. (Herald Online, SC -- Health)
Kaiser Permanente - Group Health Study Shows Depression Worsens HIV Treatment Dec 21, 2007
"The take-home point of this study is that depression carries a worse prognosis for HAART in HIV patients. However, we also found that SSRIs can reverse this and improve outcomes for HIV-depressed patients," said Michael A. Horberg, MD, MAS, FACP, Director of HIV/AIDS for Kaiser Permanente and the lead author on the study. "HIV and depression often go hand in hand. If you are HIV-infected, you should be screened regularly for depression, and if you are depressed and you are going to go on HAART,... (PR Newswire)
Single Bone Mineral Density Test Predicts 'Silent' Spinal Fractures Years Later Dec 20, 2007
23, 2007) Daily use of the antidepressant medications known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) by adults 50 years and older is associated with a doubled risk of some fractures, according to a. . (Science Daily)
Common pill combos pose risks Dec 19, 2007
In 2006, the FDA issued an advisory to the roughly 50,000 Americans who take both SSRIs and triptans ... Protect yourself: Most patients can continue taking both triptans and SSRIs as long as they watch for signs of serotonin syndrome, Horn says. (MSNBC -- Health)
Pre-emption Issue Weighed in Label Cases Dec 13, 2007
In nearly two hours of oral argument on Monday, the three-judge panel appeared inclined to rule in favor of the drug manufacturers on the grounds that the FDA has explicitly rejected the plaintiffs' proposed warnings for Paxil, Zoloft and Prozac -- antidepressant drugs known as "selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors," or SSRIs ... Restani asked if there were an "actual conflict" because the FDA has specifically rejected proposals to add suicide warnings to SSRIs ... GlaxoSmithKline's lawyer,... (Law.com)
Student visits to Counseling Services on the rise Nov 26, 2007
Lately, he said, there has been greater "familiarity and utilization of these new classes of medications such as SSRIs, a class of antidepressants, that have dramatically fewer side effects than the previous class of medications and antidepressants.". But, Kolligian said, students' increasingly hectic lives also may be to blame for the rising number who are turning to Counseling Services. (The Daily Princetonian, NJ)
