Antidepressant News and Research

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Antidepressants are medicines that treat depression. Your doctor can prescribe them for you. They can improve your mood, sleep, appetite and concentration. It may take several weeks for them to help. There are several types of antidepressants. You and your doctor may have to try several before finding what works best for you.

Study to begin to develop patient guidelines for the use of antidepressant medications in pregnancy and following birth

The University of Arizona department of psychiatry is conducting a first-of-its kind study to begin to develop patient guidelines for the use of antidepressant medications in pregnancy and following birth.

21 Jul 2004

Suicidal behavior is higher in the first month after starting antidepressants

A new study in the current issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association reports that the risk of suicidal behavior is higher in the first month after starting antidepressants.

20 Jul 2004

Fluoxetine, orlistat, and sibutramine can diabetics achieve significant weight loss

According to information in the article, the prevalence of obesity in the United States increased from 12 percent in 1991 to 18 percent in 1998. Recent survey data indicate that 65 percent of Americans are overweight.

13 Jul 2004

SSRI addiction is a myth

Up to two out of three people who come off modern anti-depressants suffer short-term withdrawal symptoms including dizziness, nausea and low mood.

10 Jul 2004

Rates of suicide in England and Wales have plummeted in middle-aged and elderly men

British men who hit their mid-fifties today are half as likely to kill themselves as their fathers and grandfathers.

10 Jul 2004

Health Canada warning on Trazodone interaction with certain medications

Health Canada, in association with Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada, is advising Canadians to consult with their health care professionals if they are currently being treated with the antidepressant trazodone in combination with any of the following medications: ketoconazole (an antifungal agent), ritonavir and indinavir (protease inhibitors used in the treatment of HIV), or carbamazepine (an anti-epileptic therapy).

9 Jul 2004

Identification of a naturally occurring genetic difference that controls the production of serotonin in the brain

Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have provided the first direct evidence in mice for the role of an enzyme that specifically controls the production of serotonin in the brain.

8 Jul 2004

People who suffer from severe depression have more nerve cells in the part of the brain that controls emotion

Studies of postmortem brains of patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD) showed a 31 percent greater than average number of nerve cells in the portion of the thalamus involved with emotional regulation.

2 Jul 2004

Physical activity cuts risk of depression in children

Students who increase their physical activity during their middle-school years have fewer symptoms of depression, according to a new study.

1 Jul 2004

An EU-funded research project will help to uncover the genetic factors linked to depression to develop new drug treatments

120 million people worldwide suffer from depression. An EU-funded research project launched recently will help to uncover the genetic factors linked to depression to develop new drug treatments.

29 Jun 2004

Canadians advised of stronger warnings for selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors and other newer anti-depressants

Health Canada is advising Canadians that Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) and other newer anti-depressants, now carry stronger warnings. These new warnings indicate that patients of all ages taking these drugs may experience behavioural and/or emotional changes that may put them at increased risk of self-harm or harm to others.

11 Jun 2004

Gene mutation found in some women may decrease effectiveness of tamoxifen breast cancer drug

Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, Indiana University and the University of Michigan have found that some women have a gene mutation that may decrease the effectiveness of tamoxifen, a commonly used breast cancer drug.

7 Jun 2004

Contradictory views on the use of Prozac to treat children with depression

A new US Government study suggests that anti-depressants such as Eli Lilly and Co's Prozac are the best way to treat children with depression.

3 Jun 2004

Adrenaline packs a powerful punch in the use of antidepressants

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine found that norepinephrine (adrenaline) plays an important role in animals in determining behavioral effects in some of the most commonly prescribed antidepressants, regardless of which biochemical pathway the drug uses to alleviate symptoms of depression.

3 Jun 2004

A new synthetic chemical may provide framework for future drugs to treat brain-based ailments

A new synthetic chemical may provide the framework for future drugs that can treat a variety of brain-based ailments, ranging from overeating and drug dependency to neuropathic pain.

19 May 2004

Antidepressant drugs prescription to children and adolescents increased 300% in the nineties

The rate at which antidepressant drugs are prescribed for the nation’s children and adolescents increased more than three fold between the early 1990s and 2001, according to a review of medical office survey data completed recently by researchers at Washington State University.

6 May 2004

Ritalin drug used to treat hyperactive children boosts the potency of Parkinson's drug levodopa

A well-known drug used to treat hyperactive children boosts the potency of another drug that reduces Parkinson's disease symptoms, an Oregon Health & Science University study has found.

6 May 2004

Cymbalta helped patients with depression feel better

Patients treated successfully with 60 mg per day of the investigational antidepressant Cymbalta® (duloxetine hydrochloride), were less likely to have their emotional and physical symptoms of depression return than those who stopped taking medication after beginning to feel better

3 May 2004

Public Health Advisory for medical professionals with patients on anti-depression medication

On Monday, March 22, 2004 the Food and Drug Administration issued a Public Health Advisory for medical professionals to monitor for signs of suicidal ideation in individuals who have recently started taking anti-depression medication or have had a recent change in dosage, especially for children who are taking these medications. Antidepressant medications involved in this warning include: Prozac (Fluoxetine), Zoloft, Paxil, Luvox, Celexa, Lexapro, Wellbutrin, Effexor,, Serzone, and Remeron.

25 Apr 2004

SSRI antidepressants may be unsuitable for children

A UK study in this week's issue of THE LANCET suggests that reliance on published studies alone to guide the treatment of childhood depression could be inappropriate. A systematic review including published and unpublished data shows that only one drug, fluoxetine (Prozac), was not associated with negative outcomes for children with depression.

22 Apr 2004