Suicide squeeze?

[Dart]

....

For all the ranting I do re antidepressants I still can't seem to stay ahead of the stunning torrent of negative information out there about these drugs. Really, there's so much flotsam floating to the surface about prescription antidepressants nowadays that even the drug-happy mainstream is being forced to report it. Here's the latest in the "happy-pill" soap opera...

It turns out that in addition to the laundry list of other side effects of prescription antidepressants (to name just a few: headaches, skin rashes, nausea, diarrhea, sexual dysfunction, back and joint pain, tremors, and yes, even anxiety), some within this class of drugs have been linked to an increased likelihood of - you guessed it... Suicide.

Now that's one way to cure depression once and for all, huh?

According to articles in Reuters and the Associated Press, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is now sounding the alarm to doctors nationwide about recent reports that show certain classes of antidepressant drugs may actually spur some profoundly depressed children and young adults to take their own lives.

I could name some of these medications, but to do that would shift the focus to a few specific drugs instead of an entire class of 20 or more prescription antidepressants, any and all of which might contribute to this effect. Remember, even though only one such drug is currently approved for treating juvenile depression, many others designed only for use in adults could be being prescribed to minors by any number of doctors - all perfectly legally.

Drug makers will no doubt be quick to point out that establishing a conclusive link between suicide and antidepressant drugs is nearly impossible, since the very patients who take such drugs themselves represent the single greatest at-risk group for suicide. How could anyone pinpoint causation in such a group?

But this argument leads to the really disturbing part of this drama (as if drugged-out kids killing themselves isn't bad enough).

Just food for thought!

Cheers,
D