SSRIs: are they as safe as promised? part 2

[Guest guest]

SSRIs: are they as safe as promised? part 2

 

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, May, 2004 by Gary Null, Martin Feldman

 

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0ISW/is_250/ai_n6112460

 

 

 

 

In Part 1 of this two-part article, we looked at how Prozac and other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) came to lead the market for antidepressants in the 1990s. These drugs have been taken by tens of millions of people, including a growing number of children, even though they have been linked to harmful side effects in some users and certain studies have found that SSRIs do not differ significantly from placebo in treating depression.

 

 

In Part 2, we will discuss some of the serious side effects that have been associated with SSRIs, particularly fluoxetine (Prozac). The SSRIs also include paroxetine (Paxil), sertraline (Zoloft), fluvoxamine (Luvox), and citalopram (Celexa). The adverse effects are:

 

 

 

Most Popular Articlesin Health

 

Wake up refreshed! ...

Push-up intensity: ...

Cocktails and ...

The sour truth about ...

Fuel your workout: ...

More ?

Akathisia

 

As noted in Part 1, people may suffer from a variety of side effects when the central nervous system is overstimulated. Studies show that two effects of overstimulation--akathisia and agitation--are experienced by some people who take fluoxetine.

 

 

Akathisia can be defined as a need to move about. The person feels anxious or irritable and is compelled to stand up, pace, shuffle his or her feet, and the like. Prozac also can cause extreme agitation, and this condition often is associated with akathisia.

 

 

 

 

Eli Lilly states in Prozac's information sheet that the drug can cause akathisia. However, the company has said that less than 1% of Prozac users experience this side effect, while a report in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry has estimated that the actual share of Prozac users who suffer from akathisia is 10% to 25%. Typical symptoms included restlessness, constant pacing, purposeless movements of the feet and legs, and marked anxiety. (1) Other reports on the Prozac/akathisia link and SSRI-induced cases of akathisia have appeared in psychiatric and medical journals. (2-9)

 

 

Bruxism (grinding of the teeth) may be another form of akathisia that occurs in some users of SSRIs. Two researchers discuss four such cases and note that while definitions of bruxism may be confusing and contradictory, "we believe SSRI-induced bruxism is best conceptualized as a form of akathisia." (10) The literature includes other reports of bruxism that may be associated with SSRI use. (11-13)

 

 

Akathisia is related to a breakdown in the ability to control impulses. Thus, it has been associated with violent and suicidal acts in a number of studies and reports. One two-year study found a higher akathisia rating among people involved in violent acts than those who observed the incidents. (14) A double-blind clinical study established a link between akathisia and suicidal or homicidal thoughts. (15) Akathisia was associated with acts of extreme violence in an article describing three patients who attacked other people or committed murder. (16)

 

 

Other researchers have noted that patients who take Prozac and develop akathisia may, in turn, become preoccupied with thoughts of suicide. (17,18) One article reports on three patients who attempted suicide during fluoxetine treatment and were then reexposed to the drug. The second time around, all three developed severe akathisia and said the condition made them feel suicidal; they also attributed their previous suicide attempts to akathisia. (19) According to one reviewer, studies have suggested that fluoxetine "may in fact lead to suicidal behavior because the drug appears to adversely affect serotonergic neuronal discharge and induce an akathisia-like extrapyramidal reaction." (20)

 

 

Dr. Roger Lane, a scientist at Pfizer (maker of Zoloft), notes in a 1998 article that the occasional occurrence of SSRI-induced extrapyramidal side effects and/or akathisia may be "a consequence of serotonergically-mediated inhibition of the dopaminergic system." (21) A study of rats concludes that a common characteristic of SSRIs is to inhibit the basal firing rate of dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area. The drugs' effect on VTA dopaminergic cell activity "might be relevant for their therapeutic action and may explain the origin of the reported cases of akathisia," say the authors. (22)

 

 

Neurological side effects

 

A number of movement disorders have been linked to the use of Prozac and other SSRIs since the drugs' introduction. In a 2001 report in Psychiatric Times, Raphael J. Leo, MD, says the movement disturbances associated with SSRIs are among the adverse events that were unappreciated in preclinical marketing trials. Although their occurrence may be rare, these side effects are clinically significant and should be of concern to clinicians. (23)

 

 

In his 1996 review of the literature, Dr. Leo found 71 cases of SSRI-induced extrapyramidal symptoms. The side effects included akathisia (41.5%), dystonia (28.2%), parkinsonism (14.1%), and tardive dyskinesia-like states (11.3%). In addition, there were 16 cases of worsening parkinsonism among patients with existing Parkinson's disease. (24)

 

A 1998 review found 127 published reports of SSRI-induced movement disorders, including akathisia, parkinsonism, dystonia, dyskinesia, tardive dyskinesia, mixed disorders, and bruxism. Canadian makers of SSRIs also provided the researchers with reports on parkinsonism (516 reports), dyskinesia (208), tardive dyskinesia (76), bruxism (60), akathisia (49), and dystonia (44). (25)

 

A 2001 review found about a hundred detailed reports linking SSRIs to acute dystonia, akathisia, the onset or aggravation of parkinsonism, and in rare cases, late-onset dyskinesias. (26)

 

And a 1999 analysis of 1,861 adverse reactions submitted to a Swedish committee found that neurological symptoms were the most commonly reported reactions. (27)

 

 

1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - Next

 

 

 

Click to join catapultthepropaganda

 

catapultthepropaganda/join

 

 

 

Click to join openmindopencodenews

 

openmindopencodenews/join

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gary Null ::: Guide to Natural Living

.... morphology in each patient while they were taking serotonin reuptake inhibitors. ... or a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) prior to the DSH ...www.gnhealth.com/articles/whichArticle.php?article=82 - 158k - Cached

 

"Gary Null" on Find Articles

.... for "Gary Null" ... Doctors and Patients, 4/1/05 by Gary Null ?More from publication ?Save ... selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) came to ...findarticles.com/p/search?tb=art & qt="Gary+Null" - 38k - Cached

 

Gary Null's Anti-Aging Protocol for Nursing Homes: Nutrients ...(PDF)

This protocol was initially requested by a physician from Gary Null & Associates for a ... Gary Null's Anti-Aging Protocol for Nursing Homes: Nutrients ...www.gnhealth.com/articles/pdf/Gary_Null_Anti-Aging_Protocol.pdf - 2253k - View as html

 

Death by Medicine By Gary Null

Death by Medicine. By Gary Null, Ph.D., PhD; Carolyn Dean MD, ND; Martin ... were selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors ( SSRIs), nonsteroidal anti ...whale.to/a/null9.html - 162k - Cached

 

SSRIs: are they as safe as promised? part 2.(selective

.... we looked at how Prozac and other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) came to lead the market for an ... Gary Null, PhD, has authored 50 books on ...www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-116179933.html - 169k - Cached

 

The Drugging of Our Children- reprinted from GaryNull.com

The Drugging of Our Children. By Gary Null. Note: The information on this website is not a substitute. for diagnosis and treatment by a qualified professional. ...www.kevinkolack.com/garynull.htm - 269k - Cached

 

Iatrogenic Illness: 35 - Antidepressants

Association between selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors & upper gastrointestinal bleeding ... with the serotonin reuptake inhibitor paroxetine. ...www.antidepressantsfacts.com/Gary-Null-Iatrogenic-Antidepressants.htm - 114k - Cached

 

PaperBackSwap :: Member Books

Author: Gary Null, Gary Null, Howard Null, Howard Null. Book Type: ... Living With Prozac: And Other Seratonin-Reuptake Inhibitors. Author: Debra Elfenbein ...www.paperbackswap.com/book/members_books.php?m=MjgxOTY= - 51k - Cached

 

The Drugging of Our Children

The Drugging of Our Children. By Gary Null ... Is Attention Deficit Disorder a Real Disease? Psychiatry's Campaign of Labeling—and Lobbying ...familyrightsassociation.com/bin/.../drugging_our_children - 151k - Cached

 

SSRIs: are they as safe as promised? part 2 Townsend Letter for Doctors ...

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, May, 2004 by Gary Null, Martin Feldman ... and other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) came to lead the ...findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0ISW/is_250/ai_n6112460 - 32k - Cached

http://search./search?p=gary+null%2C+reuptake+inhibitor & yhdr_submit_button=Web+Search & fr=ush1-mail