Internal Pfizer Report Warned of Zoloft and Birth Defect Link
"A Pfizer Inc. report shows a scientist warned executives last year about a potential link between the anti-depressant drug Zoloft and birth defects."
Psychotropics Linked to Worse Physical Problems and Mortality in Psychiatric Patients
Common psychotropic medications may be contributing to the higher rates of physical illnesses and mortality in people diagnosed with mental illnesses.
Antidepressants Tied To Increased Risk of Homicide “Only Modestly”; Benzodiazepines More So
Taking antidepressant or benzodiazepine medications increases the risks that a person will commit a homicide, according to a study from Finland published in a World Psychiatry letter.
Evidence Strengthening that Common Benzodiazepine Sedatives May Cause Dementia
A meta-analysis of studies found that the risk of dementia increased 22% for every additional twenty daily doses of benzodiazepine medications annually.
SSRI Antidepressants Appear to Raise Risk of Serious Respiratory Disease in Newborns
A new study has reinforced earlier warnings that taking SSRI antidepressants late in pregnancy appears to put mothers at a slightly increased risk of having newborns with persistent pulmonary hypertension.
Teen Brain Develops Differently in Bipolar Disorder, When Medicated
The brains of adolescents diagnosed with bipolar disorder develop differently than the brains of teens without the disorder, according to a study in Biological...
Not an Onion Study: First Three-month Injectable Antipsychotic Better Than Acute Withdrawal
Not an Onion Study: The first-ever injectable antipsychotic that lasts for three months was approved based on one clinical trial in which it prevented relapses better than putting people into sudden withdrawal.
Antidepressants Do Work Well — We’ve Simply Been Evaluating Them Incorrectly
Not an Onion Study: SSRI antidepressants did consistently outperform placebo in clinical trials, researchers discovered, so long as 16 of the 17 questions about patients' feelings are ignored.
Children’s Positive Responses to Antidepressants “Minimal” After Four Weeks
Children's positive responses to SSRI antidepressant treatments for depression are even less significant than adult responses, and do not last beyond four weeks.
Researchers Gain Insight into Stimulant Effects on Brain
Researchers believe that they have gained a clearer understanding of how cocaine, amphetamines and related psychostimulant drugs "disrupt the normal functioning of the dopamine transporter in the brain."
Long-acting Injection No Better than Oral Antipsychotic
A study of 5-year outcomes for people taking either an ordinary oral antipsychotic or a long-acting injection of an antipsychotic found no differences between the two.
Antipsychotics Safe During Pregnancy, After Corrective Algorithm
There were some differences between the study, the abstract, the press release and the media coverage about the risks of taking antipsychotics during pregnancy.
FDA Updating Guidelines on Pregnancy and Drug Use
The US FDA has launched a campaign to dispel the "myth" that women shouldn't be taking any medications while pregnant.
Most Preschoolers with ADHD Stay on Meds for Years
About 65% of preschool children who were diagnosed with ADHD and given stimulant drugs were still taking those drugs six years later.
Antidepressants Linked to Increased Risk of Preeclampsia in Pregnancy
Pregnant women taking antidepressant medications, especially during the second trimester, have an increased risk of preeclampsia, a potentially serious or even fatal condition.
FDA: Abilify Promotions Are Misleading Physicians and the Public
The US FDA has requested that Otsuka "immediately cease" distributing some of its educational materials for its top-selling antipsychotic Abilify.
Antipsychotic-induced Sexual Dysfunction Underreported
Researchers found some antipsychotics to be worse than others for causing sexual dysfunction.
PTSD and Antidepressants Linked to Diabetes
A JAMA Psychiatry study found links between PTSD, type 2 diabetes, and antidepressants.
European Medicines Agency Calls for Suspending Generic Forms of Four Common Psychiatric Drugs
The European Medicines Agency has called for the suspension of sales of many commonly used generic drugs, including at least four widely used psychiatric medications.
Quality of Relationship to Doctor Significantly Improves Antidepressant Efficacy
The more that patients feel that they have a high-quality relationship with their prescribing physician, the more likely that they will regard their own responses to antidepressants as positive.
Evidence Lacking for Antidepressant Safety in Nursing Mothers
A scientific review says we need to know much more about the risks of nursing mothers taking SSRIs.
