Science News: Psychiatric Drugs

Lexapro for Children: Drug With No Meaningful Benefit and Increased Suicidality Gets FDA Approval

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Response and remission rates were the same in the drug versus placebo groups, and Lexapro increased suicidality sixfold.
The young patient at the reception in the hospital

Patients Express Anger at Doctors’ Ignorance About Antidepressant Withdrawal Effects

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Antidepressant users share their frustrations towards a healthcare system that overprescribes but is ill-equipped to support with discontinuation and withdrawal symptoms.

Prolonged Negative Impacts of Benzodiazepine Use Revealed in New Study

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Researchers find that adverse effects often last over a year, with many users experiencing substantial life changes.

Antidepressants, Antipsychotics, and Benzos All Increase Suicide Attempts in New Study

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In a study of people with borderline personality disorder, only ADHD stimulants were associated with a decrease in suicide.
Battle of the brains and war of wit concept as two opposing open human brain symbols fighting as a debate or dispute metaphor and an icon for creative competition in a 3D illustration style.

Pharma CEO, Others Attempt Contradictory Critiques of Serotonin-Debunking Study

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Moncrieff et al. respond to the contradictory and, in some cases, false concerns raised by these critics of their serotonin review.
Letter blocks spelling "CANCER" and spilled pills in various colors on a white background

Cancer Risk Higher for Those on Clozapine

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The antipsychotic clozapine, considered the “gold-standard” treatment for psychosis, was found to increase the risk of blood and lymph system cancers.
brain against blue dna strand with chemical structures

No Difference in Antidepressant Effectiveness After Genetic Testing

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Genetic testing may help reduce the length of time people experience the harmful effects of antidepressant drugs, but it is not helpful for predicting efficacy.

Do Not Prescribe Antidepressants for Mild to Moderate Depression or at First Visit

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World Psychiatry article challenges conventional antidepressant prescription practices.

Study Highlights Lack of Evidence for Antidepressants in Treatment of Chronic Pain

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A new Cochrane review details the lack of evidence for antidepressants in the treatment of chronic pain.

Hyperbolic Tapering off Antidepressants Limits Withdrawal

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New research by Jim van Os and Peter Groot finds that using hyperbolic tapering to discontinue antidepressants reduces withdrawal effects.

What Is the Risk of Permanent Sexual Dysfunction from Antidepressants?

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Males taking antidepressants were at 100 times the risk of erectile dysfunction compared with the healthy population and more than three times the risk even after controlling for other variables.

Breaking Blind: Antipsychotic Drug Efficacy May Be Overestimated

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Only 4 of 188 antipsychotic trials assessed blinding, and in all 4 cases, the blind was broken, potentially leading to an overestimation of the drug effect.

Prescribers Often Fail to Support Patients Discontinuing Antidepressants, Study Finds

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Study reveals most patients are dissatisfied with prescribers' support when discontinuing antidepressants.

Alarming Overprescription Patterns for Older Adults on Antidepressants

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New study finds polypharmacy for 73% of older adults on antidepressants, with 56% at risk of harmful drug interactions.

New Guidance on Antidepressant Withdrawal for Doctors in the UK

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New guidance for primary care doctors in the UK on antidepressant discontinuation acknowledges severe and long-lasting withdrawal symptoms.

Understanding the Neurobiology of Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction

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Post-SSRI sexual dysfunction (PSSD) may be a common adverse effect of antidepressants. Researchers are now attempting to understand the neurobiology behind it.

Researchers Seek Standardized and Safe Antidepressant Tapering Protocol

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A new study promotes the use of a standardized approach to antidepressant tapering.

Therapy Beats Drugs for Depression for Long-Term Outcomes

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Combining drugs and therapy also did not lead to better depression outcomes than therapy alone.
A boy is holding a head. He is unhappy and upset.

The Faulty Reasoning That Turned ADHD Into a Disease

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Leading ADHD researchers outline four mistakes that turned ADHD from a description of behavior into a medical disease.

Antidepressants Plus Immune Response Terminate Pregnancies in Mice

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Also, male mice born to mothers with an immune response exhibited “autistic-like” behaviors, scientists report.

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Rxisk maintains a searchable database of adverse effects of prescription drugs that have been reported to the FDA in the United States, Health Canada, and to RxISK.