Bad conclusions on bad meds
Antidepressants are already among the world's most overprescribed drugs--but one group of researchers believes we're not giving them out enough.
A new review of the research finds that depressed patients who suffer from physical illnesses--conditions like Parkinson's disease, AIDS, cancer or stroke--should be given antidepressant meds.
Amazing.
There were 164 million antidepressant prescriptions written in the United States in 2008 alone... it's hard to imagine that we've left anyone out. Yet this British review, carried out by the normally reliable Cochrane Library, is already being used to update guidelines in Europe.
They're not wasting any time... but really, what's the rush? There's massive body of evidence against these bad meds, and that won't change overnight.
This review looked at 51 studies that compared antidepressants to their old nemesis, the placebo. As you may already know, these drugs have a hard enough time beating the sugar pill even when a physical illness isn't involved. (Click Here to read, "Poisoning for Profits.")
But what really caused my jaw to drop was the fact that not one study in the review--none at all, zero out of 51-- looked at alternatives, such as simply finding the cause of the patient's depression, and working to correct it.
They also didn't bother discussing all the awful side effects. These meds have been linked to everything from suicide and sudden cardiac death to addiction and sexual dysfunction--and we're still learning more about the damage they can do: One new study links them to an increased risk of cataracts.
If you're suffering from a severe or even terminal condition, it's perfectly natural to feel just awful about. Depression isn't uncommon--but the answer won't be found in another pill, especially one as dangerous as these.
If a legitimate drug-free coping strategy is falling short, then it's quite possible the condition itself--or the treatment for it--is robbing your body of the nutrients you need to feel well.
Giving a powerful drug a free ride to your brain won't solve that problem.
If you're suffering from depression that you believe is tied to an illness, don't talk to your doctor about more drugs. Ask him about your alternatives instead.
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Edward Martin writes House Calls, a daily letter chronicling the most cutting-edge alternative methods for beating diabetes and cancer, to the latest FDA foul-ups and Big Pharma conspiracies.
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Comments
Anonymous
Why bother finding the cause, for many years it has been the format, why cure, there is no money revenue, but if we only treat a symptom, we will have recurring customers for a long time, and the money revenue gets bigger, side effects of course we have to have these, so we can treat the symptoms, and the side effects of these of course, so we can treat these other symptoms, and the cycle is endless. JAM
Larry Frieders (The Compounder)
By definition, the only accepted "cures" for any condition are drugs, surgery, or radiation. If none of those approaches are successful, the problem cannot be cured. The official position is based in hope that someday some magic bullet will be found to affect the cures. Until then, all disease - except possibly infections - are incurable. I tend to agree with the anonymous person who commented about the financial gain available when a drug only handles symptoms instead of the underlying cause.
Larry J. Frieders, RPh
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