Science News: Psychiatric Drugs

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.
Vector-style illustration depicting men and women chained to a giant pill bottle

Researchers Identify Factors to Predict Risk of Antidepressant Withdrawal

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Paroxetine, SNRIs, and MAOIs were associated with the highest risk of withdrawal, as was long duration of use and whether the person experienced withdrawal in the past.

Animals Exposed to Antidepressants in Utero Are Worse at Taking Care of Their Own...

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A new study in rats found that those exposed to antidepressants in utero had an impaired ability to nurture their own children in later life.

Adults Treated for ADHD Report Low Quality of Life

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Adults receiving ADHD medications and therapy frequently experience adverse events that interfere with employment and daily life.

Gradual Tapering Recommended for Antidepressant Discontinuation

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A new literature review reinforces the need to “down-titrate” or taper antidepressants, especially drugs like Celexa and Paxil.

Lithium Use Leads to Chronic Kidney Disease

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New evidence suggests that lithium, commonly prescribed for bipolar disorder, can increase the risk of chronic kidney disease.

Antidepressant Withdrawal Linked to Suicide Attempt in Case Study

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Researchers suggest that antidepressant withdrawal can be a possible precipitant of suicide.

Long Term Antidepressant Use Associated With Increased Morbidity and Mortality

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A study finds that commonly prescribed antidepressants are associated with the development of diabetes, hypertension, and other diseases.

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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.