FDA Outlook - Bleak or Rosy?

The FDA announced they will be hiring over a thousand new employees over the next year. However, this article accuses them of just playing catch up. Others look at the new hiring as an interesting move by the FDA and are hopeful that all these new employees will help in food and drug oversight, as well as make FDA service faster.

What do you think? With all these new employees, will the FDA change their ways and become an efficient group instead of a glorified DMV for food and drugs?

Next Two Weeks

Hi! I'm off on vacation for the next two weeks, so please expect my next post to be on May 18th, 2008. Thanks for following my blog!

Shooting - Prozac Induced?

Decide for yourself, check out this article with the following in mind - Prozac is an SSRI with side effects of suicidal thoughts and violent behavior. SSRI withdrawl symptoms include the above two side effects as well.

Why do we have people on such destructive drugs? Aren't mental health experts supposed to be protecting society against those who would be dangerous to themselves and others - not causing depressed people to become dangerous to themselves or others via drugs?

What do you think?

Side Effect Info on Bupropion Hydrochloride

While the FDA is out there approving new drugs and saying they are safe as shown in this article, side effects of many anti-depressant drug including ones made from bupropion hydrochloride, such as Wellbutrin XL and the new generic produced by Impax Laboratories Inc list suicide as a side effect. So, be careful to read the side effects of all prescribed drugs.

As a side note, the FDA has begun to check for suicidal ideation more and more in prescription drugs, so make sure you check those pages of fine print before popping any pills. This goes for non-psychiatric drugs too.

Interesting video about Anti-Depressants, Pantyhose and Shaved Legs

Statistics for Child Drugging

This article from the Guardian indicates various shocking statistics from the first comprehensive study on child drugging. Ian Wong conducted the study in the UK and the following are some of the published results:

"His analysis, to be published next month in the US journal Pediatrics, shows that between 1992 and 2005, 3,000 UK children were given anti-psychotics.

"Twice as many prescriptions were given to children for the drugs in 2005 as in
1992, with the biggest increase in the seven to 12 age group, where the number of anti-psychotics prescribed trebled. The largest category of use by far is in cases of behavioural disorders and personality disorders, including bipolar disorder (manic depression), autism and hyperactivity."

Back at the ranch (read - in America) there are some shocking statistics of kids being prescribed drugs they aren't supposed to be using. The winner in the USA is... drum roll please... anti-psychotics!

Why are psychiatrists improperly prescribing drugs to their patients? Let me know what you think.

Speaking up about Seroxat

Pharmalot has a fascinating post regarding a blogger who spoke up about Seroxat (also known as Paxil to us Yankees) and the company that makes Seroxat/Paxil (GlaxoSmithKline) and the company's head of psychiatry. Glaxo only paid attention to him once it seemed he might be defaming the head of psychiatry. The blogger did compare the head of psychiatry to Hitler (perhaps not the wisest move in the world) and accused him of covering up the issues that Paxil has had - like the side effects of suicidality, death, etc. The lawyers for GlaxoSmithKline sent the blogger this letter, and he did take down the video and the defaming statements. However, the video that caused all this controversy has spread around the Internet and can be viewed here:

Interview with a Member of the Novus Detox Facility Staff - Part1

My brother - Monty - works at at medical detox facility called Novus LLC, which deals with people mainly addicted to prescription drugs. He is a very busy guy and works directly with drug addicts. I asked him if he would do a email interview and here is the first part of that interview:

Q: What do you do for a living?

A: I work at a medical detox facility in New Port Richey FL, It is called Novus LLC. http://www.novusdetox.com/

Q: Do you run across psychiatric drug addicts in your line of work?

A: Yes, absolutely! I see them all them time. I would say that the (drug) most widely prescribed and addicted to would be the Benzodiazepine Xanax.

Q: Which psychiatric drugs would you say are addictive?

A: Hmm... That is a good question, I would first like to give you a good explanation of what being addicted would be:
ADDICTION
A person who is physically dependent on a drug is not necessarily addicted.
Addiction is the continued use of a drug because of the way that one feels after taking the drug—often described as a type of euphoria feeling or a "mellow" feeling or sometimes, in the case of many drugs, to not feel a certain way.
The more one is addicted, the more one's use of the drug becomes compulsive despite negative consequences which can be severe. Addicted people will often lie, doctor shop, sell and buy drugs on the street, deny drug use if asked and, in short, do things that they would never do otherwise.
If the addicted person stops or reduces their use of a drug, in almost every case the addicted person will experience withdrawal symptoms associated with the drug.
Having stated this I would say that the Benzo's are addictive and let me explain what these are: Benzodiazepines ("Benzos") are drugs that were first marketed in the 1960's for the treatment of insomnia, anxiety, seizures, convulsions and as muscle relaxants. Today these drugs account for about one out of every five prescriptions for controlled substances. Benzos like ProSom, Dalmane, Doral, Restoril and Halcion are often prescribed for insomnia. Klonopin is often prescribed for the treatment of seizure disorders. Ativan, Centrax, Librium, Paxipam, Serax, Valium, and Xanax are often prescribed for the treatment of anxiety.

Q: What kind of withdrawal symptoms could one expect to encounter if they are trying to get off psychiatric drugs? I know the answer varies with the drug, but can you give me a general idea?

A: As you stated that this can widely vary but you can have anything from being nervous to having a Grand Mal Seizure. I know that if not weened off these in the correct medical environment you can die from withdrawals of Xanax.

Thanks Monty, for this informative look at prescription drug addiction! I look forward to talking with my big brother more about the prescription psychiatric drugs he has run into in his employment with Novus.