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?

"Greed is Good!" - Gordon Gekko in "Wall Street" (1987)

Bank of America raises ATM surcharge

In a move that's expected to prompt higher fees industrywide, Bank of America has raised, to $3, the amount it charges non-customers to withdraw cash from most of its ATMs.

The fee, up from $2 per withdrawal (a mere 50% increase), was quietly rolled out across the country in July and August. It's the highest such fee ever imposed nationwide by a major bank.

Because Bank of America (BAC) has the largest ATM network in the USA, the higher fees could hit millions of consumers. Guess the financial world has to do something now that the ludricous subprime market is collapsing. Bless their greedy little hearts.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

To Blog or Not to Blog, That is the Question

I signed off the blogosphere as an active blogger about a year ago. Since then I have continued to read different blogs and commented on a few or more entries, excuse me, blog posts. A couple more blogsites have caught my attention as well as YouTube...ain't that a hoot? I have been tempted at times to start blogging again. Several things have tweaked my desire to make a comment or two via the blogosphere. Topics will include the "no-no's" around the dinner table: politics and religion. The field of medicine will be featured as well as quirks in our society. Like "Law & Order" ( the original ) some entries will be "ripped from the headlines".

One lesson I have learned: Keep your posts short.

If you are one of the few that have continued to monitor my blog, stay tuned. I think I'll come back in a little while to discuss some things.