PSYCHIATRY'S PILLS THAT KILL
It is, by now, common knowledge that there is a connection between antidepressant use and suicidal ideation and behavior, as evidenced by dozens of international drug regulatory agency warnings over the last few years. Among these actions are the FDA's "black box" warnings on newer antipsychotic drugs when used in the elderly and modern antidepressants when used in children under 18 years old.
In addition to governments, the maker of one particularly controversial antidepressant recently voluntarily issued its own warning to doctors stating an increased risk of suicide attempts by adults taking their drug.
These warnings have rightly resulted in a nearly 20% drop in antidepressant prescriptions for children. On October 8, 2005, The Washington Post reported that "The unprecedented fall of what were once considered wonder drugs…undermined the claims of industry-funded drug trials, raising thorny questions about the ways in which drugs are being tested, marketed and used."
Regulatory actions are not unique to antidepressants;
they have also been issued on antipsychotic drugs and the classes of
drugs used in the treatment of so-called "ADD" and "ADHD."
These warnings are of special interest to consumers who may have experienced
these potentially lethal side-effects and thought it merely symptomatic
of their "disease." It is also of interest to the legal profession
as these consumers, realizing they have risked their lives and health
due to deceptive advertising hype and psychiatrists' glib assurances,
are increasingly seeking to take legal action.
Antidepressant maker admits increased suicide risk
On May 12, 2006, pharmaceutical manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline sent letters to doctors warning that clinical trials of its antidepressant Paxil showed an increased risk of suicide attempts in some young adults.
The analysis found that 11 out of 3,455 adults, mostly between ages 18 and 30, who took the drug for depression attempted suicide, compared with 1 in 1,978 taking placebo in the trials — a more than fivefold increase.
A U.S. Food and Drug Administration statement recommended that "consumers and prescribers follow current advice to carefully observe adults being treated with antidepressants for worsening of depression and for increased suicidal thinking and behavior."
