Tuesday, March 23, 2004

FDA Wants Better Warnings

Here we go with the whole chicken or the egg argument. The FDA is asking the makers of ten different anti-depressant drugs to add or strengthen the warnings on their labels about potential suicidal side effects. The primary drugs pinpointed are:


  • Prozac (fluoxetine)

  • Zoloft (sertaline)

  • Paxil (paroxetine)

  • Luvox (fluvoxamine)

  • Celexa (citalopram)

  • Lexapro (excitalopram)

  • Wellbutrin (bupropion)

  • Effexor (venlafaxine)

  • Serzone (nefazodone)

  • Remeron (mirtazapine)


This strikes me as an interesting philosophy, one based upon the ever-growing legal liability suits. A more invasive big brother, it appears, wants to treat it subjects as sheep in need of exuberant pampering. Anyone hear the call of the Illumanti? Chicken or egg, which came first?

The applicability of this philosophical dilemma, the so called chicken or egg conundrum, maybe actually be a fallacy, but this is why this policy is relevant.... These drugs are generally used for the treatment of depression, for which a symptom is, that's right kids, suicidal ideation, plans or attempts, according to the DSM-IV. How could a researcher feasibly have any real statistics about how prone an individual is to suicide on a medication, when that very tendency (i.e. the dependent variable) is what put them ON THE MEDICATION?

<breathes>

I'm alright.

So everyone, remember to read your labels. The side effects might be symptom... er... the symptom maybe be a side eff.... Whatever, you figure it out.


By the way, HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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