|
Antidepressants may have temporary effect on newborns A recent study published in Lancet suggests that infants born of pregnant mothers who take antidepressants may suffer temporary withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms may include agitation, fever, and quickened breathing. However, the symptoms, which are similar to those experienced by adults who suddenly stop taking antidepressants, usually dissipate within 24 hours. Thus parents should be aware of the possible symptoms, of the reason for them, and of the likelihood that they are very unlikely to be a serious concern. Placebo Effect Is Questioned In
the May 24, 2001 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, Danish
researchers led by Dr. Asbjorn Hrobjartsson and Peter Gotzsche
claimed that the effects of placebos (dummy pills or other
manipulations whose effects depend on patients' belief in their
efficacy) are far weaker than previously thought. The researchers
combined the results of 114 studies in which both a placebo
condition and a condition with no manipulation at all were present.
In these studies the sham treatment group usually fared no better
than the no-treatment group. The studies spanned a broad spectrum of
ailments from Alzheimer's disease to schizophrenia. The
researchers believe that claims for large placebo effects rest on
defective experimental and analytic methods. One problem is that
many studies rely on the reports of patients to evaluate the amount
of improvement. Participants in experiments may exaggerate their
improvement to please the experimenter. In other studies subjective
states like pain are measured, and in these cases placebo effects
may be, or appear to be, stronger. One
problem with deliberate use of placebos is that prescribing them may
prevent patients from seeking more effective treatments. However,
placebos continue to be an unavoidable part of experimentation if
researchers are to separate the unique effects of a medication or
procedure from whatever effects occur from mere participation in an
experiment. Paxil has been approved for treating
generalized anxiety disorder In 2001 Paxil (paroxetine) was approved for treating generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). This adds another use for Paxil, which was already used for the treatment of depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and panic disorder, and makes it the only selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) to be approved in the United States for use in patients with GAD. It is not surprising that Paxil is useful for GAD, considering that GAD shares some symptoms with the other disorders for which Paxil was already prescribed. Last updated 02/04/05 |
||
