In a column for the Chicago Daily Herald, Patrick B. Massey, M.D., Ph.D, explores the question of how effective antidepressants are, and what alternatives are available.
Antidepressants are now the most commonly prescribed class of medication in the United States. About 1 in 10 Americans is taking one or more antidepressants – a figure that has doubled over the last 20 years.
Recently published research has indicated that prescription antidepressants work best ...
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An article on investment blog Seeking Alpha highlights some recent problems facing pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, which potential investors might want to consider.
According to the blog, test results for a new schizophrenia drug proved disappointing. So much so that the company halted research into the product.
A new treatment for Alzheimer’s proved only partially effective against a mild form of the disease, and useless in most cases. A recent study also ...
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The German manufacturer of the drug thalidomide, which has been blamed for about 10,000 birth defects, has issued its first apology to victims in 50 years, the Pittsburgh Post Gazette reports.
Harald Stock, chief executive of the Grünenthal Group, made the apology during a speech at the unveiling of a thalidomide memorial, a bronze statue of a limbless child.
Addressing the victims and their families, he said “…we have been silent, and ...
continue reading...The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provide information for women who are concerned they might be suffering from postpartum depression, or depression that occurs after having a baby.
Clinical depression in general is marked by a persistent low or sad mood, often accompanied by problems in thinking; a loss of interest in fun activities; and changes in eating, sleep, and energy.
The symptoms of postpartum depression are similar to symptoms ...
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In an article for the New York Review of Books, Marcia Angell examines the latest edition of the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, as well as several recent books by mental health professionals that take a critical look at modern psychiatry’s over-reliance on pharmaceuticals.
She writes that the books “document the ‘frenzy’ of diagnosis, the overuse of drugs with sometimes devastating side effects, and widespread conflicts ...
continue reading...Scientific American recently reviewed the book “The Emperor’s New Drugs: Exploding the Antidepressant Myth,” which takes a critical look at antidepressants, and at the pharmaceutical companies that manufacture and market them.
According to the review, Kirsch took a thorough look at all the data from experiments with antidepressants several years ago. He came to the conclusion that antidepressants such as Prozac and Zoloft work about as well as sugar pills given ...
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