Thursday, September 13, 2007

Medication Black Box Warning - Unintended Consequences

1. There was an upswing in suicide among teenagers and young adults.
2. Physicians, suspected or diagnosed depression, & prescribed antidepressants.
3. Data suggested increased risk of suicide in young people taking antidepressants.
4. FDA mandated Black Box Warnings for antidepressants stating those risks.
5. Lawyers saw chance for big opportunity and solicited clients.
6. Many physicians decreased or abandoned use of antidepressants.
7. Follow-up studies and data showed increase in teen/young adult suicide rates.
8. FDA cited "Unintended Consequences", but denied cause/effect scenario.
9. Only age group that did not show increased suicide rate was that over 60 years old.
10. This was only group in which antidepressant use increased in time frame.

Could it be that depression is a cause of suicide? Could it be that antidepressants, like all medications, are not effective in a certain percentage of the population taking the medicine? Could it be that responders to the antidepressants did not commit suicide while some of the non responders continued in their depressed states and finally committed suicide? Just wondering. But, there seems to be some cause and effect here.
What's going to happen to that FDA Black Box Warning?

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