[QUOTE]Originally posted by GatoGordo:
Tosca and others, I hope you realize 2 things:
1. Any researcher who gave a placebo to a seriously depressed person in an outpatient setting would get his a$$ sued off if they were hospitalized or killed themselves. Most studies don't want to touch anyone who is at serious risk for suicide. Sure, maybe antidepressants do increase risk of suicidal ideation in people who were moderately depressed, but it would be a crime to prevent teens who really need antidepressants from gaining access, as they are trying to do in Britain. That's like banning helmets or seatbelts because they exacerbate some accidents. Sure, maybe set guidelines for more cautious use, but there are significant #'s of minors (under 18) who WOULD be dead or unable to function if it weren't for these drugs.
2. Various estimates of eventual mortality rates (due to suicide) for bipolar disorder are in the neighborhood of 15-20%. Unipolar depression is harder to get a handle on because a lot of depressed people are not as badly off as the severely depressed people, and they are all lumped together in one category. Risk of suicide is much higher in those who are untreated, and therapy does NOT always work! It is an essential part of treatment for severely affected individuals, but it is NOT enough for many. To those that are citing HRT, last I heard there were arguments on both sides. We are not trying to ban HRT, are we?
[QUOTE]
I'm not sure if it's appropriate to answer here but...
I have no objections to antidepressants for depressed people. Prozac does seem to be associated with an increased risk of suicide though. People on it should be monitored more closely than they are. The drug company has been accused of trying to suppress data which shows the drug can be harmful in some cases. The company has been trying to market the drug to children and adolescents. It has now been accused of hiding data which shows that the drug does not work in these age groups. There was an announcement in 'Science' that an independent investigation will be conducted. No one connected with the drug company will be allowed to participate in the research.
This part is horse related, sort of.
Until recently HRT was considered to be healthy. This work was conducted by drug companies. Two independent studies have now shown that HRT is associated with high rates of breast cancer and stroke. As a matter of fact, the results so frightened the researchers that both studies were stopped early. As a result, the bottom has fallen out of the PMU market. I believe that HRT is still being prescribed, but at the moment it is recommened for short term use.
Tosca
Tosca and others, I hope you realize 2 things:
1. Any researcher who gave a placebo to a seriously depressed person in an outpatient setting would get his a$$ sued off if they were hospitalized or killed themselves. Most studies don't want to touch anyone who is at serious risk for suicide. Sure, maybe antidepressants do increase risk of suicidal ideation in people who were moderately depressed, but it would be a crime to prevent teens who really need antidepressants from gaining access, as they are trying to do in Britain. That's like banning helmets or seatbelts because they exacerbate some accidents. Sure, maybe set guidelines for more cautious use, but there are significant #'s of minors (under 18) who WOULD be dead or unable to function if it weren't for these drugs.
2. Various estimates of eventual mortality rates (due to suicide) for bipolar disorder are in the neighborhood of 15-20%. Unipolar depression is harder to get a handle on because a lot of depressed people are not as badly off as the severely depressed people, and they are all lumped together in one category. Risk of suicide is much higher in those who are untreated, and therapy does NOT always work! It is an essential part of treatment for severely affected individuals, but it is NOT enough for many. To those that are citing HRT, last I heard there were arguments on both sides. We are not trying to ban HRT, are we?
[QUOTE]
I'm not sure if it's appropriate to answer here but...
I have no objections to antidepressants for depressed people. Prozac does seem to be associated with an increased risk of suicide though. People on it should be monitored more closely than they are. The drug company has been accused of trying to suppress data which shows the drug can be harmful in some cases. The company has been trying to market the drug to children and adolescents. It has now been accused of hiding data which shows that the drug does not work in these age groups. There was an announcement in 'Science' that an independent investigation will be conducted. No one connected with the drug company will be allowed to participate in the research.
This part is horse related, sort of.
Until recently HRT was considered to be healthy. This work was conducted by drug companies. Two independent studies have now shown that HRT is associated with high rates of breast cancer and stroke. As a matter of fact, the results so frightened the researchers that both studies were stopped early. As a result, the bottom has fallen out of the PMU market. I believe that HRT is still being prescribed, but at the moment it is recommened for short term use.
Tosca
Equestrian related ER visits have been studied repeatedly in peer-reviewed literature. Most ER visits are not head injuries. However, over 60% of serious injuries (meaning requiring a hospital stay) are head injuries.
How many more times do we have to fight this thing out? Some wear approved, and some don't. 
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