Research?

Discussion in 'Consumer Advocacy' started by dasBenzin, Jan 8, 2005.

  1. dasBenzin

    dasBenzin Member

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    Due to the recent boom in variety psychotropic drugs being marketed directly to the public, which have had catastrophic results (Vioxx, Celebrex <I know these are not psychotropes, but you get the idea>) I am wondering if perhaps the drug companies are paying off doctors to test their drugs on willing patients. Patients that would not realize that they were being tested on.
    I would like to give you the story of what happened to me that led me to these conclusions.
    A few months ago, when I was in my third trimester of pregnancy, I came down with a bout of serious depression and anxiety. I went to a licenced clinical social worker to talk about the problems that I had been having. She suggested I see a psychiatrist to "prescibe me something." It sounded like a bad idea, but I had put myself into the hands of what I thought were caring professionals and I decided to give it a try, just in case it might solve things.
    When I made it to my next appointment with the psychitrist, she asked me a few base questions (nothing really in-depth), and told me that she would be right back, because she was going to get me something from the drug sample closet that was inside the office.
    While she was gone, I noticed that she had many booklets, folders and posters for a drug called Lexapro. When she came back from the drug sample closet, she had samples of Lexapro with her. Being leery of drugs anyway, I asked her if there were any side effects. She said, "No, not really. That isn't something you need to worry about. Just take these and see if they work. If not, come back and we'll give you something else." I asked if there would be any harm to my unborn baby, and she told me, "That would only be a problem in the first trimester. That's usually when problems occur."
    This answer was not to my liking, and when I got home I got on the internet and looked up the drug on a pharmacy database. The results I recieved shocked me. They are as follows:


    There are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women; therefore, escitalopram should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus.

    Pregnancy-Nonteratogenic Effects

    Neonates exposed to LEXAPRO and other SSRIs or SNRIs, late in the third trimester, have developed complications requiring prolonged hospitalization, respiratory support, and tube feeding. Such complications can arise immediately upon delivery. Reported clinical findings have included respiratory distress, cyanosis, apnea, seizures, temperature instability, feeding difficulty, vomiting, hypoglycemia, hypotonia, hypertonia, hyperreflexia, tremor, jitteriness, irritability, and constant crying. These features are consistent with either a direct toxic effect of SSRIs and SNRIs or, possibly, a drug discontinuation syndrome. It should be noted that, in some cases, the clinical picture is consistent with serotonin syndrome (see WARNINGS).

    When treating a pregnant woman with LEXAPRO during the third trimester, the physician should carefully consider the potential risks and benefits of treatment (see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION).

    Labor and Delivery

    The effect of LEXAPRO on labor and delivery in humans is unknown.

    Nursing Mothers

    Racemic citalopram, like many other drugs, is excreted in human breast milk. There have been two reports of infants experiencing excessive somnolence, decreased feeding, and weight loss in association with breast feeding from a citalopram-treated mother; in one case, the infant was reported to recover completely upon discontinuation of citalopram by its mother and, in the second case, no follow up information was available. The decision whether to continue or discontinue either nursing or LEXAPRO therapy should take into account the risks of citalopram exposure for the infant and the benefits of LEXAPRO treatment for the mother.


    For the full information on Lexapro, see:
    http://web.ask.com/redir?bpg=http:/...ttp://myjeeves.ask.com/action/snip&Complete=1

    That being said, of course I cancelled all my appointments and got over things on my own. But I felt betrayed and terrified. What if I had been their dupe and taken Lexapro? Would I have the beautiful healthy daughter that I have today? And what about those women that truted their doctor?
    I shudder to think of what may have happened to others. Please tell me what all of you think. Are the drug companies buying doctors? Will there be an end in sight?
     
  2. Flyinglilypad

    Flyinglilypad Member

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    I was on Lexapro for a while when I was 12. It didn't do anything for or to me. Of course, I wouldn't take any drugs at all if I was pregnant, unless it was absolutely life-threatening and I had to.

    The best thing to do for depression when your pregnant is what you do for it when your not; eat right, excercise, talk to a therapist. You can't trust health proffesionals. Hell, some of my family is in the medical field (almost all of them) and I know they do crap wrong. They don't even care.

    Just be careful of who you choose for healthcare on your next baby. Do you have any more? The depression could have been a result of the pregnancy, so you should have a plan in case you get depressed during your next pregnancy.

    I've heard all sorts of horror stories about antideppressents, especially in teens. The psychiatrists are terrible about overprescribing and giving too high doses. They had a friend of mine on 18 pills a day, and she was really screwed up when she was on them. Sometimes they'll just aggravate your problem/make it worse. It's a case of trial-and-error.
     
  3. moonlightdelerium

    moonlightdelerium Senior Member

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    das, your story is really really thought provoking. Its scary when the people who's hands you put your life in (or worse yet, your childs life) are really just in there line of business for the pay and if they can make a little extra here and there then they will even at the cost of ones health. If I were you I would definitely get in touch with the person you suggested that psychiatrist and give them the information you found. I'm not big on lawsuits but can you imagine if you weren't a skeptic and had followed the doctors orders! What a horror that could've been.
     
  4. dasBenzin

    dasBenzin Member

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    I already reported both of them to my insurance agency. I don't think anything more was done about it, though. My advice to all of you is to always ALWAYS read up on a drug or ask a pharmacist before you take anything. As FlyingLilypad said, doctors aren't always scrupulous about prescriptions, especially people who aren't really qualified doctors, like psychiatrists. They may have a PHD, but usually psychiatrists care less about their patients than a real doctor does, and like I said before, it seems they are bouught out by a drug company. Like those comercials for Zoloft on TV that tell you to ask your doctor if they'll prescribe it to you. What happened to the days where doctors told you what was best? It blows my mind.
     

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