The new "old" story about antidepressants Truth in the offing One of the recurring topics in the Daily Dose is the link between antidepressant drugs and suicides and violence. The reason I've spilled so much ink on the topic is that it's such a convoluted and important story. And, because the mainstream media is shamelessly underplaying the story. In the past, with nary a parallel mention in the major news outlets, I've reported on: Studies that plainly show an increase in suicide rates between teenage test subjects on antidepressants and control groups taking placebos. (Daily Dose, 12/19/2005)
Heinous crimes linked to antidepressants, like a 12-year-old shot-gunning his grandparents - and I'm sure I don't need to remind you of the role an antidepressant drug played in the Columbine massacre. (Daily Does, 11/2/2004)
How Big Pharma hid negative study results indicating an increase in teen suicides from antidepressants. (Daily Dose, 3/26/2004)
How the FDA has played along in covering up the evidence damning these murderous medications. (Daily Dose 10/14/2004) And now, there's more news to report in this ongoing tragedy the whole of American culture seems content to simply accept… According to a recent Reuters online article, the suicide risk of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant drugs isn't limited to adolescents and children. Some recent research shows that it can increase suicides among the ELDERLY by almost 4 times over! A recently released Canadian study examined the medical and hospitalization records of 1.2 million patients over age 65 between 1992 and 2000. Among the data they found when they isolated out those relative few being treated for depression was this startling tidbit: 62 elderly patients who were newly prescribed an SSRI drug killed themselves within the first month of therapy, compared to "only" 17 who were prescribed antidepressants of a different class over the same treatment interval. Keep reading…
Yes, you read that right…
Among a sample pool of elderly people ostensibly equally predisposed to suicide (depression patients) drawn from a vastly diverse larger pool over a period of years and across a huge nation - those who took the same drugs that had been linked to an increased risk of suicide among young people killed themselves at a rate nearly 4 times as high as those relying on other treatments. Think that's some pretty damning evidence? I do. The researchers also noticed that the SSRI-takers were more likely to commit suicide in bloody and violent ways compared to those who shuffled off their mortal coil (a little Hamlet suicide lingo for you there) while taking other types of antidepressants… Of course, this story has been out for almost a month. But have you read about it in USA Today or the Washington Post? Nope. THAT's why I keep writing about antidepressant drugs - because almost no one else out there is. And because it just may save your life or the life of someone you love, young or old. Keeping you abreast, but I hope not depressed, William Campbell Douglass II, MD
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