PTSD and Antidepressants Linked to Diabetes
A JAMA Psychiatry study found links between PTSD, type 2 diabetes, and antidepressants.
Children on Antipsychotics 50% More Likely to Develop Diabetes
Antipsychotic drugs increased the risk of children developing diabetes by 50%, and with an antidepressant added, their risk doubled.
Pfizer Accused of Knowing Zoloft Antidepressant Caused Birth Defects
The first of more than 1,000 lawsuits about Zoloft and birth defects has gotten underway.
“Treatment Resistant” Schizophrenia Strongly Linked to Dopamine Supersensitivity
Over 70% of schizophrenia patients who are "treatment resistant" have apparently developed dopamine supersensitivity psychosis from long-term use of antipsychotic medications.
More Evidence Antidepressants Might Induce Sexual Dysfunction Even After Stopping Them
A retrospective study in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry examined cases of people who suffered sexual dysfunction that endured even after stopping taking SSRI antidepressants.
Psychotropics During Pregnancy Raise Risk of Babies with Low Birth Weight, Hospitalizations
The use by mothers of any of four major classes of psychiatric medications during pregnancy significantly raises the risk that their babies will be born with low birth weights and will need to be hospitalized.
Researcher: 60,000 Americans Now Taking Antipsychotics Will Die Prematurely
-A fired government health economist says that his research was showing that 60,000 Americans now taking antipsychotic medications will die prematurely.
Health Canada Adds Suicide Warning to ADHD Medications
Stronger warnings on the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors are being incorporated into the prescribing information for ADHD drugs in Canada.
Long-term Use of Lithium Can Cause Kidney Failure
A third of patients who have taken the common psychiatric medication lithium for over ten years have developed "chronic renal failure" from the drug.
Some Common Psychiatric Medications Associated With Pneumonia
Pneumonia cases in the elderly are strongly associated with use of anticholinergic medications, including benzodiazepines and tricyclic antidepressants.
J&J Loses Case Over Risperdal Antipsychotic Causing Male Breast Growth
A jury decided Johnson & Johnson must pay a Philadelphia man $2.5 million in damages "for failing to warn that its Risperdal antipsychotic could cause gynecomastia."
Antidepressants Actually Reduce Serotonin Levels
Common scientific beliefs about serotonin levels in depression and how antidepressants act on the brain appear to be completely backwards.
Stopping SSRI Antidepressants Can Cause Long, Intense Withdrawal Problems
In the first systematic review of withdrawal problems that patients experience when trying to get off SSRI antidepressant medications, researchers found that withdrawing from SSRIs was comparable to trying to quit addictive benzodiazepines.
FDA System for Recording Adverse Drug Effects Perilously Deficient
The system that the US FDA is using to gather and report on information about dangerous side effects from medications is extremely unreliable and...
Over One Thousand Boys Grew Breasts “Probably” Caused By Common Psychiatric Medication
According to an ex-chief of the FDA, Johnson & Johnson knew long before it started warning people that Risperdal could cause boys to grow breasts.
Certain Antidepressants, Sleep Aids Associated with Higher Dementia Risk
Greater cumulative doses of drugs that are anticholinergic or block the neurotransmitter acetylcholine are associated with significant increases in dementia and Alzheimer's.
Antipsychotics Again Strongly Linked to Falls and Fractures
Three independent studies in two journals reported strong links between antipsychotics and falls and fractures.
FDA-approved Ads Misinform Patients About Antipsychotics and Motor Dysfunction
Food and Drug Administration-approved information and public advertisements are misleading the public about the actual neurodegenerative risks from second-generation antipsychotics.
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.
Antidepressants Seem to Increase Heart Disease in the Elderly
Depressed elderly people are more likely to suffer heart disease not because of their depression, but apparently due to antidepressant drugs.
Different Antipsychotics Have Different Effects on Brain Volume
First generation antipsychotics seem to cause general brain volume loss, while second generation antipsychotics seem to both increase and decrease the thickness of different parts of the brain.
Semen Abnormalities Associated with SSRI Antidepressants
The French non-profit organization Prescrire has produced a special report about the impacts of SSRI antidepressants on male fertility.
Sexual Dysfunction from Antipsychotics Common — But Poorly Monitored by Physicians
Describing the prevalence and management of adverse effects from antipsychotics as "a neglected area" of study, a team of researchers from the UK has published a systematic review in the Journal of Psychopharmacology. They aimed to identify the prevalence of, and management strategies for nine categories of adverse effects, including sedation, weight gain, metabolic syndrome, sexual dysfunction and cardiovascular effects.
Thoughtful Insight, Not Lack of It, Drives Some Patients to Quit Psychiatric Medications
Rather than a "lack of insight," it is actually a thoughtful weighing of complex risks and benefits that ultimately drives some people diagnosed with bipolar disorder to eschew psychiatric medications, according to a qualitative study in the Journal of Affective Disorders. And these people often develop sophisticated strategies in their efforts to manage without medications.
New Form of Mice Experiment Reveals Antidepressant’s Dangers Earlier
Scientists from the University of Utah say they have discovered a new way of doing mice experiments that more sensitively and quickly reveals negative...
