Antidepressant Use Tied to Cardiac Death in Women

Yet another reason that tighter regulation is needed for these drugs. As i have said before, unless you are seeing a specalist, you should never ever take these if they are prescribed by a GP

MONDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- Women who use antidepressants appear to be at heightened risk for sudden cardiac death, although the exact nature of the link remains unclear, researchers say.


The finding doesn't necessarily mean that antidepressant drugs are dangerous, the researchers said.


"We suspect that their use is a marker for people with worse depression," explained study lead author Dr. William Whang, an assistant professor of clinical medicine at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City. "The elevated risk seems more specific for antidepressant use, but that use may well be a marker of more severe symptoms."
news.yahoo.com...;_ylt=AtyuAIItCHvjKPsrUENruyHVJRIF

There are many meds not just anti d's that 'may' trigger other problems. As was said.......

The finding doesn't necessarily mean that antidepressant drugs are dangerous, the researchers said.

A good GP, who knows their patient, their history (both physical and pyschologically) is imo the best person for initial prescribing.

Specialists do not tend to look holisitically, just deal with the specific symptoms presented.

Just my opinion of course (as a female anti d user who knows that life taking them is a million miles aways from life without)-I resisted meds for a long time and even then it took a while to find the right one for me-I subsequently stopped taking them and ended up back at square one and more.

Everything carries risk, that's what life is.

reply to post by abstrusenumber1


Although I think you may be right in some cases that a GP is a reasonable initial prescriber for antidepressants, I think that anyone on long-term antidepressant therapy should be under the care of someone specifically trained in their use – that is, a psychiatrist or psychopharmacologist.

For one thing, studies have shown that antidepressant use alone is not nearly as effective as antidepressant use in combination with an appropriate form of "talk" therapy: cognitive, behavioral, analytic – the specific type seems to vary among patients.

Also, these medications are very difficult to prescribe in the most effective combinations. Like many people who have been on antidepressants for a long period of time (seven years in my case) it took over a year of work with a psychopharmacologist to find exactly the right "cocktail" for me to alleviate the depression without causing unacceptable side effects. And since that time, we've had to adjust my medication a couple of times.

A GP is far more likely to just look up what the most popular prescription of the day is (or which one most recently sent a salesperson) and prescribe that according to some theoretical average adult dose that may or may not be sufficient for the actual patient.

And it's not like blood pressure medication, for example, where there's a clear target that can be reached and monitored through a simple physical test. Depression is multi-faceted and presents differently in different people.

I think that's what FredT was getting at, not trying to suggest that antidepressants aren't beneficial for many people. But that too many doctors prescribe them without having enough experience in both recognizing the disease and the ins and outs of treating it.

Antidepressants are, without a doubt, lifesaving medication for people with severe depression.

Originally posted by americandingbat
I think that's what FredT was getting at, not trying to suggest that antidepressants aren't beneficial for many people. But that too many doctors prescribe them without having enough experience in both recognizing the disease and the ins and outs of treating it.

Thanks I was not clear at all in rereading my OP.

Anti depressants and drugs like Ritalin are very benificial to alot of people. However, there is a tendancy in medicine to resort ot the flavor of the month and just perscribe things without a lot of introspection or research. Going to a specalist could and should help with that.

Yes, the GP is an essential component of the treatment, but a specalist is just that someone who has advanced studies in a particular field. This is who you want to consult with. It has nothing to do with the competence of the GP...............

If you DON'T take anti-depressants and you suffer from GAD (General Anxiety Disorder) you have heavier chances of dying in cardiac arrest than everyone else anyways. So its like choosing between poo and fesces.

The best way to treat anxiety and depression is good old vigorous exercise! And men over 30 should get on a testosterone booster, natural of course not steroids. This worked for me and I have pretty moderate General Anxiety Disorder.

There is no pill for everything! Get off your butt and exercise!