Spidy
08-09-2007, 10:06 PM
In the midst of our daily journey to recovery, as we struggle to find the right recovery path for our individual needs, we don't often have the time to stay current with research studies in the field of anxiety disorders. Already this year, a number of important findings have been published, including some important information about health risks and anxiety medications. As with any information you read, hear or otherwise discover, always talk to your doctor or psychiatrist before jumping to conclusions about what course of action you should take. Stay informed, don't be afraid to share what you've found, but always keep communication open by listening to the professionals. With knowledge and support, you are sure to find your way.
** General Medication News **
01/06/00 -- The FDA approves a liquid version of Celexa (citalopram), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant (SSRI). The newest of the SSRIs, Celexa generally has been found by many people to cause less side effects than the other SSRIs. For those who have anxiety about swallowing tablets, the liquid version could be a helpful alternative.
References:
FDA Approves Oral Solution of Antidepressant, from the Doctor's Guide.
01/11/00 -- On the day Eli Lilly & Company's Prozac patent expires in Britain, another pharmaceutical company, Bioglan Pharma PLC, launches a generic version of the medication. By being much less expensive than the original, the new generic could hurt Eli Lilly's sales, but the benefits to the consumer are obvious. Eli Lilly's U.S. patents expire in 2001 and 2003.
References:
Generic Version of Prozac Launched, from The Associated Press via PsycPORT.
02/02/00 -- Researchers at Emory University School of Medicine's Pregnancy and Postpartum Mood Disorders Program find that Paxil (paroxetine) may be taken safely by nursing mothers diagnosed with depression. Paxil is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant (SSRI). No detectable concentrations of Paxil were found in the researched infants' blood.
References:
Nursing Mothers With Depression Can Safely Take Paxil, from the Doctor's Guide.
05/04/00 -- Researchers at Montreal General Hospital in Quebec, Canada find that people with benzodiazepine dependence can be successfully detoxified. Those studied included people with anxiety disorders. The key to the detoxification program appears to be its long-term process. Patients showed much greater improvement after 6 months than after 3.
References:
Benzodiazepine Detoxification Successful in Long Run, from the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.
05/08/00 -- A researcher at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, finds that Viagra (sildenafil) effective treats female sexual dysfunction caused by antidepressant use. In the study, subjects showed improvement of the sexual dysfunction as well as depression symptoms.
References:
Viagra (Sildenafil) Effective for Women With Sexual Dysfunction Related to Antidepressant Therapy, from the Doctor's Guide.
** Generalized Anxiety Disorder **
05/15/00 -- Researchers at the American Psychiatric Association annual meeting present a study which finds Paxil (paroxetine) to be an effective treatment for generalized anxiety disorder. Paxil is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant (SSRI). Patients in the study showed nearly a 60 percent reduction in anxiety symptoms.
References:
Study Results Show Paxil to be Effective in the Treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder, from PRNewswire via exciteNEWS.
05/16/00 -- Researchers at the University of South Florida School of Medicine, Tampa find that venlafaxine extended-release (Effexor) is a beneficial long-term treatment for generalized anxiety disorder. In a ten-year study at Imperial College, London, 90 percent of over 1200 patients controlled their anxiety with Effexor. Effexor is an antidepressant.
References:
Drugs Have Long-Term Effect on Anxiety, from the United Press International.
05/26/00 -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves four generic versions of Bristol-Myers Squibb's BuSpar (buspirone), an anti-anxiety medication. Bristol-Myers Squibb's marketing exclusivity for BuSpar has been extended to 11/22/00, so these generic versions will not be available until that time. Generic medications are generally much less expensive than the original version.
** Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder **
01/21/00 -- Researchers at The John Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland find sertraline (Zoloft) to be a more effective treatment for OCD with depression than desipramine (Norpramin). Sertaline is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant (SSRI), and desipramine is a tricyclic antidepressant.
References:
Multicenter Double-blind Comparison of Sertraline and Desipramine for Concurrent Obsessive-Compulsive and Major Depressive Disorders , from Archives of General Psychiatry.
02/22/00 -- Researchers are finding that nicotine may be a benefit in treating various neurological disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder. At the University of South Florida, researchers have already found mecamylamine, a nicotinic antagonist, to be an effective treatment for Tourette's syndrome.
References:
Nicotine Drugs Hold Promise for Treating Neurological Diseases, from the San Francisco Chronicle.
** Panic Disorder **
02/15/00 -- Researchers at Tampere University Hospital in Finland find citalopram (Celexa) to be an effective long-term treatment for phobias commonly occurring with panic disorder. Celexa is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant (SSRI). Researchers also compare the use of citalopram with clomipramine (Klonopin), a benzodiazepine. While clomipramine also leads to improvement, it is not as effective as citalopram over a 12-month period.
References:
Citalopram controls phobic symptoms in patients with panic disorder, from Journal of Psychiatry & Neuroscience.
** Social Phobia **
05/16/00 -- Researchers at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada find sertraline (Zoloft) to be an effective long-term treatment for social phobia. Zoloft is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant (SSRI). The study found that Zoloft prevents relapse in people with this disorder.
** Lawsuits **
01/06/00 -- After Hugh Blowers of Hawaii commits suicide on June 3, his parents file a wrongful death suit against Eli Lilly & Company, the makers of Prozac. Blowers had been taking Prozac for a short time (seven tablets) and was prescribed the medication for clinical depression, including suicide ideation.
References:
Parents Allege Prozac Caused Son to Commit Suicide, from the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
03/01/00 -- Christopher DeAngelo, accused of robbing a Connecticut bank, is aquitted by a judge who believed the robber's judgment to be impaired by Prozac (fluoxetine) and Xanax (alprazolam) during the time of the robbery. Prozac is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant (SSRI) and Xanax is a benzodiazepine. DeAngelo was being treated for a manic condition, and psychiatrists who evaluated him for the case found him to be "over-medicated."
References:
Successful `Prozac Defense' Is Thought to Be The First, from the Knight-Ridder/Tribune via psycPORT.
** Health Risks **
01/12/00 -- Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York discover a connection between the use of tricyclic antidepressant and an increased risk of heart attacks. The same study finds no increased risk with the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants (SSRIs). Patients with cardiovascular disease should be prescribed tricyclis with caution and close supervision.
References:
Tricyclic Antidepressants May Increase Risk Of Heart Attack, from the Doctor's Guide.
01/20/00 -- Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, find a link between bruxism and the use of Zoloft (sertraline), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant (SSRI). The symptoms of bruxism include jaw clenching, headaches, teeth grinding and broken teeth. Dr. John Michael Bostwick, who led the study, also mentions recent reports of similar links between bruxism and two other SSRIs, Paxil and Prozac.
References:
Tooth Grinding, Headaches Linked to Antidepressant Use, from the Medical Tribune via InteliHealth.
02/16/00 -- A researcher at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry discusses her concerns about the increased use of psychiatric medications and their potential interactions with other medications, anesthesia used in surgery, and herbal supplements. Dr. Cindy Marek warns doctors to be aware of these possible interactions and that both patients and doctors need to communicate about medications.
References:
Antidepressants' Benefits Should Be Weighed Against Interactions with Other Drugs, from Medscape Medical News.
03/02/00 -- Researchers at Philadelphia's Jefferson Medical College find four drugs, including Prozac (fluoxetine) and Zoloft (sertraline), to cause rats' brain cells to curl into corkscrews. The rats are given toxic amounts of the drugs, up to 100 times the normal dosage. Eli Lilly & Company, makers of Prozac, say that these high amounts make the results of the study meaningless.
References:
Mood Drugs Curl Brain Cells in Rat Study, from the United Press International.
thanks,
spidy.
** General Medication News **
01/06/00 -- The FDA approves a liquid version of Celexa (citalopram), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant (SSRI). The newest of the SSRIs, Celexa generally has been found by many people to cause less side effects than the other SSRIs. For those who have anxiety about swallowing tablets, the liquid version could be a helpful alternative.
References:
FDA Approves Oral Solution of Antidepressant, from the Doctor's Guide.
01/11/00 -- On the day Eli Lilly & Company's Prozac patent expires in Britain, another pharmaceutical company, Bioglan Pharma PLC, launches a generic version of the medication. By being much less expensive than the original, the new generic could hurt Eli Lilly's sales, but the benefits to the consumer are obvious. Eli Lilly's U.S. patents expire in 2001 and 2003.
References:
Generic Version of Prozac Launched, from The Associated Press via PsycPORT.
02/02/00 -- Researchers at Emory University School of Medicine's Pregnancy and Postpartum Mood Disorders Program find that Paxil (paroxetine) may be taken safely by nursing mothers diagnosed with depression. Paxil is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant (SSRI). No detectable concentrations of Paxil were found in the researched infants' blood.
References:
Nursing Mothers With Depression Can Safely Take Paxil, from the Doctor's Guide.
05/04/00 -- Researchers at Montreal General Hospital in Quebec, Canada find that people with benzodiazepine dependence can be successfully detoxified. Those studied included people with anxiety disorders. The key to the detoxification program appears to be its long-term process. Patients showed much greater improvement after 6 months than after 3.
References:
Benzodiazepine Detoxification Successful in Long Run, from the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.
05/08/00 -- A researcher at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, finds that Viagra (sildenafil) effective treats female sexual dysfunction caused by antidepressant use. In the study, subjects showed improvement of the sexual dysfunction as well as depression symptoms.
References:
Viagra (Sildenafil) Effective for Women With Sexual Dysfunction Related to Antidepressant Therapy, from the Doctor's Guide.
** Generalized Anxiety Disorder **
05/15/00 -- Researchers at the American Psychiatric Association annual meeting present a study which finds Paxil (paroxetine) to be an effective treatment for generalized anxiety disorder. Paxil is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant (SSRI). Patients in the study showed nearly a 60 percent reduction in anxiety symptoms.
References:
Study Results Show Paxil to be Effective in the Treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder, from PRNewswire via exciteNEWS.
05/16/00 -- Researchers at the University of South Florida School of Medicine, Tampa find that venlafaxine extended-release (Effexor) is a beneficial long-term treatment for generalized anxiety disorder. In a ten-year study at Imperial College, London, 90 percent of over 1200 patients controlled their anxiety with Effexor. Effexor is an antidepressant.
References:
Drugs Have Long-Term Effect on Anxiety, from the United Press International.
05/26/00 -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves four generic versions of Bristol-Myers Squibb's BuSpar (buspirone), an anti-anxiety medication. Bristol-Myers Squibb's marketing exclusivity for BuSpar has been extended to 11/22/00, so these generic versions will not be available until that time. Generic medications are generally much less expensive than the original version.
** Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder **
01/21/00 -- Researchers at The John Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland find sertraline (Zoloft) to be a more effective treatment for OCD with depression than desipramine (Norpramin). Sertaline is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant (SSRI), and desipramine is a tricyclic antidepressant.
References:
Multicenter Double-blind Comparison of Sertraline and Desipramine for Concurrent Obsessive-Compulsive and Major Depressive Disorders , from Archives of General Psychiatry.
02/22/00 -- Researchers are finding that nicotine may be a benefit in treating various neurological disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder. At the University of South Florida, researchers have already found mecamylamine, a nicotinic antagonist, to be an effective treatment for Tourette's syndrome.
References:
Nicotine Drugs Hold Promise for Treating Neurological Diseases, from the San Francisco Chronicle.
** Panic Disorder **
02/15/00 -- Researchers at Tampere University Hospital in Finland find citalopram (Celexa) to be an effective long-term treatment for phobias commonly occurring with panic disorder. Celexa is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant (SSRI). Researchers also compare the use of citalopram with clomipramine (Klonopin), a benzodiazepine. While clomipramine also leads to improvement, it is not as effective as citalopram over a 12-month period.
References:
Citalopram controls phobic symptoms in patients with panic disorder, from Journal of Psychiatry & Neuroscience.
** Social Phobia **
05/16/00 -- Researchers at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada find sertraline (Zoloft) to be an effective long-term treatment for social phobia. Zoloft is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant (SSRI). The study found that Zoloft prevents relapse in people with this disorder.
** Lawsuits **
01/06/00 -- After Hugh Blowers of Hawaii commits suicide on June 3, his parents file a wrongful death suit against Eli Lilly & Company, the makers of Prozac. Blowers had been taking Prozac for a short time (seven tablets) and was prescribed the medication for clinical depression, including suicide ideation.
References:
Parents Allege Prozac Caused Son to Commit Suicide, from the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
03/01/00 -- Christopher DeAngelo, accused of robbing a Connecticut bank, is aquitted by a judge who believed the robber's judgment to be impaired by Prozac (fluoxetine) and Xanax (alprazolam) during the time of the robbery. Prozac is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant (SSRI) and Xanax is a benzodiazepine. DeAngelo was being treated for a manic condition, and psychiatrists who evaluated him for the case found him to be "over-medicated."
References:
Successful `Prozac Defense' Is Thought to Be The First, from the Knight-Ridder/Tribune via psycPORT.
** Health Risks **
01/12/00 -- Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York discover a connection between the use of tricyclic antidepressant and an increased risk of heart attacks. The same study finds no increased risk with the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants (SSRIs). Patients with cardiovascular disease should be prescribed tricyclis with caution and close supervision.
References:
Tricyclic Antidepressants May Increase Risk Of Heart Attack, from the Doctor's Guide.
01/20/00 -- Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, find a link between bruxism and the use of Zoloft (sertraline), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant (SSRI). The symptoms of bruxism include jaw clenching, headaches, teeth grinding and broken teeth. Dr. John Michael Bostwick, who led the study, also mentions recent reports of similar links between bruxism and two other SSRIs, Paxil and Prozac.
References:
Tooth Grinding, Headaches Linked to Antidepressant Use, from the Medical Tribune via InteliHealth.
02/16/00 -- A researcher at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry discusses her concerns about the increased use of psychiatric medications and their potential interactions with other medications, anesthesia used in surgery, and herbal supplements. Dr. Cindy Marek warns doctors to be aware of these possible interactions and that both patients and doctors need to communicate about medications.
References:
Antidepressants' Benefits Should Be Weighed Against Interactions with Other Drugs, from Medscape Medical News.
03/02/00 -- Researchers at Philadelphia's Jefferson Medical College find four drugs, including Prozac (fluoxetine) and Zoloft (sertraline), to cause rats' brain cells to curl into corkscrews. The rats are given toxic amounts of the drugs, up to 100 times the normal dosage. Eli Lilly & Company, makers of Prozac, say that these high amounts make the results of the study meaningless.
References:
Mood Drugs Curl Brain Cells in Rat Study, from the United Press International.
thanks,
spidy.