MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'antipsychotic'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:59:28 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159753&cid=t_100469_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fseroxat-sufferers-stand-up-and-be.html (Source: soulful sepulcher) soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159753 Sun, 21 Aug 2011 15:47:00 +0100 5159753 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159754&cid=t_100469_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fquote-astrazeneca-made-patients-into.html (Source: soulful sepulcher) soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159754 Sun, 21 Aug 2011 14:21:00 +0100 5159754 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159755&cid=t_100469_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fdrug-trial-for-seroquel-on-kids-in.html (Source: soulful sepulcher) soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159755 Sat, 20 Aug 2011 15:45:00 +0100 5159755 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159758&cid=t_100469_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fdiabetes-from-taking-antispsychotic.html (Source: soulful sepulcher) soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159758 Fri, 19 Aug 2011 15:16:00 +0100 5159758 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5125942&cid=t_100469_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fmother-found-in-neglect-for-refusing-to.html (Source: soulful sepulcher) soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5125942 Fri, 12 Aug 2011 20:49:00 +0100 5125942 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096341&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F04%2Fdoctor-is-my-mood-disorder-due-to-a-chemical-imbalance%2F Dear Mrs. ——– You have asked me about the cause of your mood disorder, and whether it is due to a “chemical imbalance”. The only honest answer I can give you is, “I don’t know”—but I’ll try to explain what psychiatrists do and don’t know about the causes of so-called mental illness, and why the term “chemical imbalance” is simplistic and a bit misleading. By the way, I don’t like the term “mental disorder”, because it makes it seem as if there’s a huge distinction between the mind and the body—and most psychiatrists don’t see it that way. I wrote about this recently, and used the term “brain-mind” to describe the unity of mind and body.1 So, for lack of a better term, I’ll just refer to “psychiatric illnesses.” Now, this notion of... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096341 Thu, 04 Aug 2011 10:35:19 +0100 5096341 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5029128&cid=t_100469_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F07%2F9-year-old-autistic-child-forced.html (Source: soulful sepulcher) soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5029128 Fri, 15 Jul 2011 01:09:00 +0100 5029128 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5029132&cid=t_100469_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F07%2F1-boring-old-man-blog-trial-93-very.html (Source: soulful sepulcher) soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5029132 Tue, 12 Jul 2011 22:45:00 +0100 5029132 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008202&cid=t_100469_87_f&fid=39261&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvactruth.com%2F2011%2F07%2F06%2Fis-there-payola-in-pharmacology%2F Do you remember a child’s saying, “Pishper shame, pishper shame, you ruined your name”, when someone was caught telling a fib? Well, what should we be saying now that it’s revealed that several respected medical researchers have been caught with their ‘disclosure pants’ down? According to the social causes network site Care2’s recently posted article, “3 Harvard Psychiatrists Disciplined Over Drug Company Ties,” (http://www.care2.com/causes/3-harvard-psychiatrists…), “Drs. Joseph Biederman, Thomas Spencer and Timothy Wilens are said to have accepted more than $4.2 million from drug companies including Johnson & Johnson for psychiatric research and other activities between 2000-2007, and not reporting the income to Harvard, MGH or the f... vactruth.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008202 Wed, 06 Jul 2011 06:02:00 +0100 5008202 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4984663&cid=t_100469_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fdiscover-and-recover-blog-author-duane.html (Source: soulful sepulcher) soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4984663 Thu, 30 Jun 2011 01:17:00 +0100 4984663 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968873&cid=t_100469_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fstuart-kaplan-your-child-does-not-have.html (Source: soulful sepulcher) soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968873 Thu, 23 Jun 2011 15:48:00 +0100 4968873 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4945122&cid=t_100469_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fwe-dont-know-why-it-works-it-just-does.html (Source: soulful sepulcher) soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4945122 Sun, 12 Jun 2011 17:22:00 +0100 4945122 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921735&cid=t_100469_150_f&fid=34768&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmagossip.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fmy-name-is-allen-jones-i-am.html AllenJonesTMAPJanuary20.pdf (application/pdf Object) (Source: PharmaGossip) PharmaGossip blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921735 Sat, 11 Jun 2011 04:29:00 +0100 4921735 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911796&cid=t_100469_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fdetestable-johnson-and-johnson.html (Source: soulful sepulcher) soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911796 Wed, 08 Jun 2011 15:53:00 +0100 4911796 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911808&cid=t_100469_150_f&fid=34768&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmagossip.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fwhat-word-best-describes-j.html Detestable“Because of the diminished mental capacity of the patients being treated, this court finds the actions of the defendants, upon this (patient population), to be detestable,” (Source: PharmaGossip) PharmaGossip blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911808 Wed, 08 Jun 2011 14:54:00 +0100 4911808 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911797&cid=t_100469_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fprescribed-antipsychotics-at-age-3.html (Source: soulful sepulcher) soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911797 Tue, 07 Jun 2011 20:59:00 +0100 4911797 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4902671&cid=t_100469_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fkids-age-10-17-did-you-gain-weight-on.html (Source: soulful sepulcher) soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4902671 Mon, 06 Jun 2011 00:07:00 +0100 4902671 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4876420&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2F28%2Fatypical-antipsychotic-medications-not-a-good-choice-for-alzheimers%2F People with Alzheimer’s disease often suffer not only from the debilitating effects of the disease itself, but also from the secondary psychological effects. Delusions and hallucinations appear in up to 50 percent of those with Alzheimer’s, and as many as 70 percent demonstrate aggressive behaviors and agitation. Both caregivers and family members are distressed by these symptoms, and so everyone is motivated to treat the person with Alzheimer’s with antipsychotic medications. The problem? Antipsychotic medications haven’t always been well-researched on older populations, and fewer still on people with a disease like Alzheimer’s. And when the research has been done, the results are often underwhelming. Take the latest research, for instance, by Vigen and coll... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4876420 Sat, 28 May 2011 19:52:09 +0100 4876420 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872392&cid=t_100469_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F05%2Ftop-posts-this-week.html (Source: soulful sepulcher) soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872392 Fri, 27 May 2011 23:20:00 +0100 4872392 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872396&cid=t_100469_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F05%2Ftime-healthland-drugging-vulnerable.html (Source: soulful sepulcher) soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872396 Thu, 26 May 2011 19:22:00 +0100 4872396 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4853174&cid=t_100469_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F05%2Ffloridas-doctors-hired-to-evaluate-kids.html (Source: soulful sepulcher) soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4853174 Sun, 22 May 2011 15:48:00 +0100 4853174 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841928&cid=t_100469_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F05%2Fjust-say-no-to-drugging-of-kids-for.html (Source: soulful sepulcher) soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841928 Thu, 19 May 2011 15:47:00 +0100 4841928 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734547&cid=t_100469_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F04%2F9-billion-spent-on-antipsychotics.html (Source: soulful sepulcher) soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734547 Thu, 21 Apr 2011 09:45:00 +0100 4734547 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4704906&cid=t_100469_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fantipsychotic-invega-approved-for-use.html (Source: soulful sepulcher) soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4704906 Mon, 11 Apr 2011 23:42:00 +0100 4704906 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4570757&cid=t_100469_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FPmtKJqwRTaY%2F AstraZeneca agreed to pay $68.5 million to 36 states and the District of Columbia to resolve a lawsuit charging the drugmaker with illegal marketing of its Seroquel antipsychotic, failing to sufficiently disclose potential side effects to health care providers and withholding negative info in studies about safety and effectiveness. The drugmaker allegedly marketed Seroquel, which was approved only for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, for several off-label uses to treat both children and the elderly, specifically in nursing homes. Among the unapproved uses: Alzheimer’s Disease, dementia, anxiety, depression, sleep disorders and post traumatic stress disorder, according to the lawsuit (read here). “This case sends a message that we take seriously the duty pharmaceutical companies have... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4570757 Thu, 10 Mar 2011 19:37:14 +0100 4570757 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4560547&cid=t_100469_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F03%2F1-boring-old-man-blog-and-reflecting-on.html (Source: soulful sepulcher) soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4560547 Tue, 08 Mar 2011 19:09:00 +0100 4560547 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4549935&cid=t_100469_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fzi7dYpNSUEw%2F A Texas state court has ruled that a trial can proceed against Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen unit for allegedly using false advertising and improper influence - such as grants, trips and other perks - to ensure its Risperdal antipsychotic was placed on the mandatory protocol for the Texas Medication Algorithm Project, a state system protocol for treating psychiatric disorders. The original lawsuit was filed in 2004 based on evidence provided by Allen Jones who, at the time, was working as a fraud investigator with the Pennsylvania Inspector General’s Office. Both Jones and the state of Texas are plaintiffs and their lawsuit contends Janssen engaged in a widespread scheme to ensure state Medicaid officials would give preferential treatment to Risperdal on TMAP (you can read the ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4549935 Sat, 05 Mar 2011 00:59:46 +0100 4549935 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4545254&cid=t_100469_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FabRdHoDFKxs%2F This study gives no reason why the use of this treatment should be increased” over other drugs, said Rosenheck, a researcher at the US Department of Veterans Affairs, which funded the study, explains to the news service. “It may be effective for individual patients, but as a matter of policy, this is an expensive treatment and there’s no reason to aggressively promote it.” He noted Risperdal Consta costs about $7,000 a patient, which makes the injectable the most expensive antipsychotic and the third biggest-selling med in the J&J stable at $1.3 billion in sales last year. However, J&J is already trying to shift patients to its newer Invega Sustenna. The injectable is “yesterday’s drug,” RBC Capital Markets analyst Glenn Novarro tells Bloomberg, adding ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4545254 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 12:46:36 +0100 4545254 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4517334&cid=t_100469_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F02%2Fpharmalive-study-more-drug-is-marketed.html (Source: soulful sepulcher) soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4517334 Thu, 24 Feb 2011 19:36:00 +0100 4517334 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4507560&cid=t_100469_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F02%2Ffda-orders-new-cautions-on.html (Source: soulful sepulcher) soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4507560 Tue, 22 Feb 2011 18:30:00 +0100 4507560 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4501787&cid=t_100469_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F02%2Fad-agency-dumpster-diving-seroquel.html (Source: soulful sepulcher) soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4501787 Sun, 20 Feb 2011 11:51:00 +0100 4501787 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4495434&cid=t_100469_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FHhPYuHD5KLg%2F Actually, this particular recall was initiated on February 2, but is only now coming to light - 700,000 vials of Dermabond, a liquid wound-sealing adhesive, due to reports of discoloration and Securestrap, a new product for treating hernias that is getting yanked because of concerns that packaging is, unfortunately, not sterile. The Dermabond recall is mostly restricted to the US and replacements are available, but it is not clear what caused problems with Securestrap or when shipments will resume, a spokeswoman tells us. As you may recall - pun intended - Johnson & Johnson has suffered a remarkable string of product recalls for more than a year involving a wide range of products - over-the-counter meds, including Tylenol, Rolaids, Sudafed, Mylanta, Motrin and Benadryl, some of which ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4495434 Fri, 18 Feb 2011 13:55:30 +0100 4495434 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4478071&cid=t_100469_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F02%2Faverage-rate-of-gray-matter-loss.html (Source: soulful sepulcher) soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4478071 Mon, 14 Feb 2011 18:12:00 +0100 4478071 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4478073&cid=t_100469_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F02%2Fantipsychotics-and-brain-shrinkage-in.html (Source: soulful sepulcher) soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4478073 Mon, 14 Feb 2011 11:44:00 +0100 4478073 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4470452&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F02%2F12%2Fwhats-in-a-name-schizophrenia-revisited%2F The discussion about a new name for schizophrenia gives us patients an opportunity to present afresh what our condition is really like, warts and all. It gives us the chance to present a more accurate picture — to be honest and open and get away from the misleading and mystifying image of a split mind or split personality. In this way we can tackle inaccurate and often sensational reporting by journalists and editors working for newspapers, radio and television. We need to emphasize that some of us — but not all — are on a recovery route, although for the large majority a complete recovery is not attainable. Some of us take our medicines faithfully; some of us do not need to; and some of us who do need to, do not take them: maybe they have been frightened off by a stigma... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4470452 Sat, 12 Feb 2011 10:35:25 +0100 4470452 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4082136&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F10%2F18%2Fvoice-awards-2010-interview-with-fredrick-frese-ph-d%2F Last week, I had the opportunity to report from SAMHSA’s annual Voice Awards in Hollywood and to interview one of the consumer leadership award winners. Frederick Frese, Ph.D. is a psychologist with more than 40 years experience in public mental health care. Until 1995, Frese was Director of Psychology for 15 years at Western Reserve Psychiatric Hospital. Now he is the Coordinator of the Summit County Recovery Project, serving recovering consumers in and around Akron, OH. Dr. John M. Grohol: So you’ve had a distinguished career, but it all seemed to start with your diagnosis of schizophrenia when you joined the Marines. Dr. Frederick Frese: Actually, I was in the Marine Corps for about four years when I had the diagnosis and was discharged. Then spent 10 years, in 10 different ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4082136 Mon, 18 Oct 2010 19:00:43 +0100 4082136 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4031177&cid=t_100469_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F10%2F04%2Fbritish-journal-of-general-practice-2010-vol-60-no-579%2F This article looks at the temporal pattern between antipsychotic prescriptions and pneumonia in terms of age, type of pneumonia and other chest infections, and antipsychotic class. (Print subscription held at Fade Library) Filed under: Currently Watching, Journals Tagged: Aged, Antipsychotic Agents, Computerised Medical Records Systems, Pneumonia (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4031177 Mon, 04 Oct 2010 13:47:13 +0100 4031177 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3973119&cid=t_100469_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2F3XEILuaqAG4%2F Going slower is better. Patients’ risks for relapse increase when lithium or antipsychotic medications are discontinued rapidly rather than gradually. To compare rapid (1–7 days) versus slow ( 14 days) discontinuation of antidepressants, researchers in Sardinia followed 398 patients with recurrent major depressive disorder (n=224), panic disorder (n=75), bipolar II disorder (n=62), or bipolar I disorder (n=37). Follow-up lasted at least 1 year (mean, 2.8 years; mean length of antidepressant treatment, 8.5 months). In this observational study, the treating clinicians or the patients had chosen to discontinue medications when patients were clinically well; antidepressants were withdrawn rapidly in 188 patients and gradually in 210. Rapid discontinuation was associated with a signific... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3973119 Wed, 08 Sep 2010 11:49:32 +0100 3973119 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3942837&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F09%2F07%2Fantipsychotics-are-not-appropriate-for-a-2-year-old%2F I remain astounded that psychiatrists and pediatricians think it’s occasionally appropriate to prescribe adult atypical antipsychotic medications — like Risperdal — to children younger than age 5. Last week, The New York Times covered the story of Kyle Warren, a boy who began risperidone (Risperdal) treatment at age 2. Yes, you read the right — age 2. He was rescued from this unbelievable prescription by Dr. Mary Margaret Gleason through a treatment effort called the Early Childhood Supporters and Services program in Louisiana. Dr. Gleason helped wean young Kyle off of the medications from ages 3 to 5, and helped understand that Kyle’s tantrums came from his stressful and upsetting family situation — not a brain disorder, bipolar disorder, or autism. Ima... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3942837 Tue, 07 Sep 2010 13:56:52 +0100 3942837 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3798610&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F07%2F28%2Fwithdrawing-from-psychiatric-medications%2F This article offers only the most basic of introductions to this topic, because others have covered this area far more extensively than I have. A great place to start is this psychiatric drug withdrawal primer. While not succinct, it does contain all of the information you’ll need to know to successfully end your psychiatric medication treatment. I cannot emphasize this enough — discontinuing psychiatric medications on your own is not recommended. You should enlist your doctor in your efforts to stop the meds. (Source: World of Psychology) World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3798610 Wed, 28 Jul 2010 10:30:19 +0100 3798610 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3607559&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F05%2F27%2Faspirin-for-schizophrenia%2F Could inflammation be a contributing factor to some symptoms in schizophrenia? And if inflammation is a significant factor in schizophrenia, could ordinary aspirin help? Researchers (Lann et al., 2010) from the Netherlands (I love researchers from the Netherlands!) set to find out. They looked at 70 inpatients in ten psychiatric hospitals who were already taking antipsychotic medications to help treat their schizophrenia (or a related schizophrenia disorder). They randomly divided the 70 patients into two groups — a control group that received placebo, and another group who received 1,000 mg of aspirin per day. Patient functioning and psychopathology was tested with a common assessment, the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). The researchers also looked at cognitive functio... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3607559 Thu, 27 May 2010 21:19:03 +0100 3607559 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3533905&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F05%2F05%2Fsex-on-antidepressants%2F Awhile back a reader asked me if I’d cover the topic of intimacy complications with regard to antidepressants. Ah. Yeah. Every time I write about this controversial topic, I usually get hammered by the left, right, and center. This is obviously delicate ground, so let me tread lightly. In a recent Johns Hopkins Health Alert called “The Challenge of Antidepressant Medication and Intimacy,” I read this: While sexual dysfunction is a frequent symptom of depression itself (and successful treatment of depression may eliminate it), antidepressant medication can sometimes worsen or even cause sexual problems. In fact, sexual dysfunction is a potential side effect of all classes of antidepressants. Between 30% and 70% of people who take antidepressant medications experience sex... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3533905 Wed, 05 May 2010 10:42:29 +0100 3533905 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3511586&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F04%2F28%2Fastrazeneca-settles-case-for-520-million%2F AstraZeneca agreed to a $520 million dollar settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice and a consortium of state Medicaid agencies without admitting any wrongdoing in its marketing of the atypical antipsychotic drug, Seroquel. “AstraZeneca paid kickbacks to doctors as part of an illegal scheme to market drugs for unapproved uses,” Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of health and human services, said at the event in Washington. She said the company promoted drugs for unapproved uses by children, the elderly, veterans and prisoners. Glenn Engelmann, AstraZeneca’s U.S. general counsel, released a statement saying the company denies the allegations but settled the investigation with the payment. The government said the company also paid for ghostwritten journal articles, and marketed the... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3511586 Wed, 28 Apr 2010 14:25:06 +0100 3511586 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3504954&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F04%2F26%2Ftop-25-psychiatric-drugs-in-2009%2F A few years back, we published the Top 20 Psychiatric Prescriptions for 2005. Four years later and we thought it’s about high time we updated that list with the help of the healthcare intelligence firm IMS Health, which tracks prescription data in the U.S. We published the new list this morning, Top 25 Psychiatric Prescriptions for 2009. There’s a few interesting observations we can make based upon this data and the intervening four year span between the two lists. First, anti-anxiety medications like Xanax, Valium and Ativan remain some of the most commonly prescribed psychiatric medications. And it’s no wonder — they are fast-acting and have a short half-life, meaning their effects typically wear off in a few hours. Xanax remains the most commonly prescribed psych... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3504954 Mon, 26 Apr 2010 12:35:14 +0100 3504954 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3280033&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F02%2F17%2Fthe-misuse-of-quetiapine%2F A lot of medication gets misused, as is the right expression, meaning not used for the intention or indication it was developed for in the first place. This reminded me of one of my first publications on the abuse of anticholinergics. From case reports it appears that quetiapine is sought after for recreational use and inappropriate use such as intranasal and intravenous administration. Quetiapine is also for sale on the street, symptom malingering to obtain the drug and higher dosage requests. It’s always important to recognize such misuse of medication because in the case of quetiapine it can induce weight gain, glucose intolerance, in rare cases movement disorders. Moreover, these drugs are very expensive and will cost society more money when misused. In a recent publication a ca... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3280033 Wed, 17 Feb 2010 06:49:52 +0100 3280033 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3182221&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F01%2F18%2F13-myths-of-schizophrenia%2F Schizophrenia is one of those mental disorders that many people seem to confuse with something else, such as multiple personality disorder. It’s a very simple yet very terrifying condition, characterized by usually having a combination of hallucinations and delusions. Hallucinations can involve any of your five senses, but in schizophrenia, usually involves seeing or hearing things that aren’t really there (like hearing other people’s voices inside your head telling you to do something you don’t want to). Delusions are a false belief in something, such as the CIA is out to get you. Many of us hear voices in our heads, but usually it’s our own voice acting as our conscious (”You really shouldn’t eat that second piece of cake!”). That’s n... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3182221 Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:31:17 +0100 3182221 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3106769&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F12%2F20%2Fmental-health-year-in-review-2009%2F Another year is over, and so brings us to the close of another year of great stories, great friends, and great insights into the world of psychology — our annual Year in Review of Mental Health. Conflicts of Interest, Lawsuits and Transparency Perhaps 2009 will be noted as the year of reckoning for pharmaceutical companies, who have not enjoyed good press this year. In January, we noted how Eli Lilly settled a Zyprexa lawsuit for $1.4 billion with 30 states due to its off-label marketing of the atypical antipsychotic drug for use in dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Philip over at Furious Seasons puts the total Zyprexa tab at $2.8 billion with settlements with 39 states, with another 6 states pending. Keeping in mind that Zyprexa has had $37 billion in sales since its introduc... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3106769 Sun, 20 Dec 2009 10:55:38 +0100 3106769 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3083079&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F12%2F13%2Fmedicaid-children-get-4x-more-antipsychotics%2F If you’re a child in Medicaid, you already have a more difficult life than average ahead of you. Children in Medicaid programs have nearly twice the number of mental health problems than other children. But now new research suggests it gets even worse for children in Medicaid, according to an article in The New York Times — they are prescribed four times the amount of atypical antipsychotic medications than other children: New federally financed drug research reveals a stark disparity: children covered by Medicaid are given powerful antipsychotic medicines at a rate four times higher than children whose parents have private insurance. And the Medicaid children are more likely to receive the drugs for less severe conditions than their middle-class counterparts, the data shows. ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3083079 Sun, 13 Dec 2009 10:25:20 +0100 3083079 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2786247&cid=t_100469_137_f&fid=35426&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTheAlzheimersReadingRoom%2F%7E3%2FrA7XAmmpijk%2Fdementia-care-are-less-drugs-and-more.html Below the fold, you can read a thought provoking article about the use of drugs versus on hands personal care in nursing homes. My recent research, conversations with neurologists, and other specialist indicates that there is a growing consensus that the combination of Aricept and Namenda are getting better results in slowing the progression of Alzheimer's than is commonly known. I first read about the benefits of the combination Aricept and Namenda in July, 2004  It seems neurologists are finally becoming convinced that this is the way to go. In the article below, the author... This is a content summary. Comments welcome on the website. Click the headline to find the comments box under the article. (Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The) Alzheimer's Reading Room, The blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2786247 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 16:00:44 +0100 2786247 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2649076&cid=t_100469_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FYYQUGPv5_I0%2F If you know a senior who not only has diabetes but has begun showing signs of dementia for which they’re receiving antipsychotics, you may want to watch for signs of uncontrolled blood sugar levels. This seems to be an issue with the antipsychotic medications. Researchers studied almost 14,000 seniors with diabetes who were prescribed antipsychotic medications to help manage their dementia symptoms. The patients were followed by the researchers for two years and the study results were published in the most recent issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine . What the researchers found was that 11% of the group ended up in the hospital because of high blood sugar levels, many of whom were already being treated for diabetes, with either insulin or oral medications. One of the big concer... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2649076 Tue, 28 Jul 2009 13:55:15 +0100 2649076 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2511162&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F06%2F18%2F10-ways-to-manage-your-weight-on-psych-meds%2F Awhile back, a Beyond Blue reader asked me to address the problem of weight gain and medication. “How do you deal with this yourself?” she asked me. I’ll be perfectly honest. It’s a battle. As someone with a history of an eating disorder, I’ve had to work very hard on getting to place where I eat when I’m hungry. For that reason, I won’t go near drugs like Zyprexa, because the 20 pounds that I gained in one month made me feel ALMOST bad as my depression. I totally understand that body image is important to your self-esteem. I wish I wasn’t so shallow, but look at the ads around us. What’s the message that they’re screaming? “Thin people are beautiful. Overweight people aren’t.” I hate that. So, since this is F... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2511162 Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:27:39 +0100 2511162 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2474101&cid=t_100469_137_f&fid=35426&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTheAlzheimersReadingRoom%2F%7E3%2FD6EiBESqEJs%2Flilly-sold-drug-for-dementia-knowing-it.html Eli Lilly & Co. urged doctors to prescribe Zyprexa for elderly patients with dementia, an unapproved use for the antipsychotic, even though the drugmaker had evidence the medicine didn’t work for such patients, according to unsealed internal company documents.In 1999, four years after Lilly sent study results to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration showing Zyprexa didn’t alleviate dementia symptoms in older patients, it began marketing the drug to those very people, according to documents unsealed in insurer suits against the company for overpayment.“By definition, off-label means there is no clear evidence that the benefits of a drug outweigh the risks,” Wolfe said. “The reason why off-label promotion is illegal is that you can greatly magnify the number of people who will ... Alzheimer's Reading Room, The blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2474101 Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:22:02 +0100 2474101 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2473571&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F06%2F12%2F9-myths-of-bipolar-disorder%2F Bipolar disorder has been the focus of attention in recent years, as a new slew of psychiatric medications have been developed to help treat it. Such medications drive pharmaceutical marketing and increased educational efforts surrounding bipolar disorder (for better or worse). But many myths surround bipolar disorder — what it is, what it means, and how it’s treated. Here’s to busting a few of the most common ones. 1. Bipolar disorder means I’m really “crazy.” While bipolar disorder is a serious mental disorder, it is no more serious than most other mental disorders. Having a mental disorder doesn’t mean you’re “crazy,” it just means you have a concern that is negatively impacting how you live your life. Left unaddressed, this co... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2473571 Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:11:46 +0100 2473571 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2405420&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F05%2F11%2Fhiding-akathisia-in-abilify%2F What if your new drug has an unwanted side effect that’s going to impact sales if it becomes widely known? Well, in the case of Abilify (aripiprazole) apparently, you make that side effect’s data difficult to find (or just fail to report it when it’s ugly). CL Psych has the scoop: The authors go through a long list of second-generation antipsychotic medications. The drug that receives the least attention is aripiprazole (Abilify). The authors conclude that “in studies comparing aripiprazole with placebo, akathisia rates in the aripiprazole arm were similar in some studies, and higher in others. As with other SGAs, akathisia rates with aripiprazole were lower than those of FGAs.” So Abilify causes less akathisia than older medications and it’s unclear ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2405420 Mon, 11 May 2009 20:29:27 +0100 2405420 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2398818&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F05%2F07%2Fsurprise-approval-of-fanapt-makes-stock-go-wild%2F Shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals, the makers of Fanapt (iloperidone), surged today after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration sprang a surprise drug approval for Fanapt for schizophrenia late yesterday. In afternoon trading today, the stock hit $10.00 a share, over 8 times what the stock was trading just a day earlier. It fell back to trading around $7.54 - $7.95 range at this time. The drug has a better safety profile in clinical trials than other atypical antipsychotics, which some analysts believe will help boost prescriptions when it goes on the market this summer. Of course, the safety profile may be overly optimistic, as it was for other atypical antipsychotics before they hit the market and reality set in (e.g., use on a more diverse population). Certainly the company could’ve... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2398818 Thu, 07 May 2009 19:58:34 +0100 2398818 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2376205&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34800&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FClinicalPsychologyAndPsychiatryACloserLook%2F%7E3%2FwXLK6FBtbrA%2Fabilify-runs-amok-runs-stealth-safety.html Furious Seasons has a rather distressing piece of news from a recent Bristol-Myers Squibb conference call. To sum it up quickly, BMS claims that 10.6% of depressed patients are now receiving atypical antipsychotics. Of those 10.6%, 21.7% are taking Abilify. So that would mean roughly 10-11 in 100 depressed patients are taking antipsychotics and 2 of them are on Abilify. I shudder to think how many are on Seroquel. Or Zyprexa. It made me think of a post I wrote a few weeks ago in which I described the marketing of Abilify for depression. A huge market of depressed people just ripe for the picking.Going along with this, BMS is pushing back on the issue of akathisa, the side effect that has garnered the drug much bad publicity (at least in the blog world; 1, 2, 3) via a medical journal articl... Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2376205 Wed, 29 Apr 2009 12:45:00 +0100 2376205 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2376217&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F04%2F29%2F12-steps-to-sanity%2F People often ask me what I did to get better. To tell you the truth, I’m not all that sure. I spent much of my deep depression wandering aimlessly, completely lost, not knowing which voices to follow. I acted on everyone’s suggestions. Some worked. Others didn’t. I compiled the exercises that made me feel better into a personally designed 12-step mental health program, related to but different from the 12-step program practiced by addicts and their kin. They are ways to boost my neurotransmitters into action–getting those lazy bones passing messages from one neuron to the next–and to inspire nerve generation and cell reproduction in the amydgala and hippocampus regions of the brain. Step One: Find the Right Doctor Some depressives are lucky enough to find a g... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2376217 Wed, 29 Apr 2009 10:00:26 +0100 2376217 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2348505&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34800&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FClinicalPsychologyAndPsychiatryACloserLook%2F%7E3%2Fl8VGMViKr6c%2Fabilify-marketing-blitz-atypical.html "The results are extremely unimpressive; they just squeak by," says Massachusetts psychiatrist Daniel Carlat, editor of the respected Carlat Psychiatry Report. For a clinician or a patient's family, the difference between those on Abilify and those who took a placebo "would be hard to actually see," he adds.Dr. Carlat is referring to the comparison between Abilify and placebo in the treatment of depression, a topic I have discussed in depth previously (1 , 2 , 3, 4). The above quote comes from a Melissa Healy piece in the Los Angeles Times that throws a damper on Abilify's parade through depression.Another Melissa Healy piece from the LA Times starts off as follows:About a year ago, patients began trooping into the office of UCLA psychiatrist Andrew Leuchter, asking whether an antipsychoti... Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2348505 Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:49:00 +0100 2348505 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2287207&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34800&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FClinicalPsychologyAndPsychiatryACloserLook%2F%7E3%2FIzpJKM6OMQ4%2Fseroquel-haldol-and-full-court-media.html I was very pleased to have been acknowledged in a recent story in the St. Paul Pioneer Press. The reporter, Jeremy Olson, wrote the following in his story:An Internet psychiatry blog first raised questions March 2 about the research Schulz presented at the APA conference and why it lacked any of the company's findings."It raises troubling questions when an independent academic author presents results that are in direct opposition to the underlying data," wrote the blogger, an anonymous academic.He didn't cite my blog by name -- the unwieldy long name which I stupidly chose for the site may be responsible for that -- but I'm nonetheless grateful that my site was acknowledged for its work on this story. He is referencing my post in which I noted that a University of Minnesota psychiatry prof... Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2287207 Fri, 20 Mar 2009 16:41:00 +0100 2287207 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2240932&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34800&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FClinicalPsychologyAndPsychiatryACloserLook%2F%7E3%2FrK3Z_e0woWQ%2Fseroquel-weight-gain-and-pursuit-of-gad.html Jim Edwards at BNET dug through the Seroquel documents and found many instances of AZ employees noting that Seroquel causes weight gain. Yet the company seemed bent on keeping this information hidden. As I mentioned last week, this sure seems a lot like Zyprexa redux, except with more sex scandals and perhaps more buried data. I suggest that everyone head over to BNET and see the details.Despite all the bad news, AZ is pressing onward with its application for FDA approval for Seroquel in both generalized anxiety disorder and depression. Yikes. I broke the story earlier this week about the "scientific literature" claiming that Seroquel worked better than Haldol in the treatment of schizophrenia, yet internal company data showed Haldol as superior to Seroquel in reducing schizophrenia sympto... Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2240932 Fri, 06 Mar 2009 18:33:00 +0100 2240932 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2182518&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F02%2F12%2Fzyprexa-redux%2F If you haven’t been hiding under a rock in the past few years, you’ve probably heard about Zyprexa (olanzapine). It’s an atypical antipsychotic psychiatric medication used first to treat schizophrenia, then extended to include the treatment of different types of bipolar disorder. There’s nothing extraordinary about the drug, other than it’s a fairly typical example of this new class of medications that was supposed to have fewer — and less serious — side effects. Time, of course, tells a different story, as it so often does with these kinds of medications. Research that was at first promising and sold the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on the drug’s approval doesn’t study a drug’s real-world use. The fact is, virtually nobody i... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2182518 Thu, 12 Feb 2009 22:56:32 +0100 2182518 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2092545&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F01%2F09%2Fantipsychotic-use-in-elderly-alzheimers%2F A rebuke to years of off-label marketing by pharmaceutical companies behind closed doctors’ doors was just published in the form of a journal article demonstrating that the use of atypical antipsychotic medications significantly increase the risk of death in elderly Alzheimer’s patients. The biggest risk comes with the longer you’re on the antipsychotic medication: The antipsychotic drugs [studied] included thioridazine, chlorpromazine, haloperidol, trifluorperazine or risperidone. The researchers found that, for the whole study period, the risk of death was 42 percent lower among people taking a placebo compared with those taking antipsychotics. […] But after two years, 46 percent of those taking antipsychotics were alive, compared with 71 percent of those taki... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2092545 Sat, 10 Jan 2009 02:44:40 +0100 2092545 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1975026&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F11%2F19%2Ffda-advisors-stop-the-overuse-of-atypical-antipsychotics-in-children%2F During a routine review of the safety of Johnson & Johnson’s atypical antipsychotic Risperdal and Eli Lilly’s Zyprexa, a panel of experts consulting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expressed their concern for the increasing amount of prescriptions of these drugs to children, even those under age 12. Neither these two drugs, nor any other atypical antipsychotic has been approved for prescription to children for most common childhood mental health concerns, namely attention deficit disorder (ADHD) or conduct disorder. Furthermore, there has been zero long-term studies on the effects these drugs may have on a child’s brain development. The panel of experts is worried that the drugs are being too readily prescribed by doctors unfamiliar with their potenc... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1975026 Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:49:27 +0100 1975026 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1809753&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34800&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FClinicalPsychologyAndPsychiatryACloserLook%2F%7E3%2F396280784%2Fbig-drugs-small-brains.html In conclusion, chronic exposure of non-human primates to antipsychotics was associated with reduced brain volume. I am not a neuroscientist, but if both sets of findings were accurate, then we'd have people taking antipsychotics who have smaller but better brains. The more neuroscientifically inclined may wish to comment on this possibility, because it seems a little odd to me. (Source: Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look) Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1809753 Thu, 18 Sep 2008 14:48:00 +0100 1809753 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1775556&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34800&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FClinicalPsychologyAndPsychiatryACloserLook%2F%7E3%2F386743273%2Fatypical-antipsychotics-for-all-oregon.html Oh boy. Here we go again. A study published online ahead of print at the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry notes that among Oregon Medicaid patients who received a prescription for an atypical antipsychotic: 52% had a depression diagnosis34% had an anxiety diagnosis15% had a PTSD diagnosis But only 15% had a schizophrenia diagnosis and 27% had a bipolar diagnosis. So... the majority of atypical scripts were written off-label. Seroquel was the most frequently prescribed atypical, followed by Zyprexa, then Risperdal. Doses less than what are typically given to treat schizhophrenia or bipolar disorder (subtherapeutic dosing) were quite common. As in 86% of Seroquel scripts were subtherapeutic, 59% of of Risperdal scripts, and 48% of Zyprexa prescriptions. Wait, am I calling for higher doses of ... Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1775556 Mon, 08 Sep 2008 14:39:00 +0100 1775556 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1773188&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F09%2F07%2Fdid-eli-lilly-downplay-zyprexas-health-risks%2F A New York City federal judge ordered drug company Eli Lilly to unseal confidential documents concerning the popular antipsychotic drug Zyprexa (Olanzapine) this past Friday, after a lengthy legal dispute. Yesterday’s New York Times reports: The decision by Judge Jack B. Weinstein of Federal District Court came as part of a ruling that gave class-action status to a case brought by insurance companies, pension funds and unions that want Lilly to repay them billions of dollars they spent on the drug. They contend that Lilly hid the side effects of the drug and marketed it for unapproved uses. The confidential documents were produced by Lilly in response to a related lawsuit filed by patients who said that Zyprexa had caused excessive weight gain and diabetes. The papers were placed under... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1773188 Sun, 07 Sep 2008 18:35:26 +0100 1773188 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1693630&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F08%2F09%2Fpsychiatrists-mds-ignore-catie-keep-prescribing-atypicals%2F My old hometown newspaper, The News Journal (Wilmington, Del.) had a nice write-up of Seroquel’s big explosion in prescriptions over the past decade. Seroquel is made by one of Delaware’s biggest private employers, AstraZeneca, hence the local angle. But apparently, despite a large-scale, objective clinical trial (CATIE) calling into question the effectiveness of these newer, supposedly “better” atypical antipsychotic medications, prescribing habits don’t seem to have changed much: The 18-month study, conducted on more than 1,400 participants with schizophrenia, found that the atypicals were no more effective than the older, cheaper drug. A 60-day supply of the recommended dosage of Seroquel costs $605.88 on Drugstore.com; a 60-day supply of perphenazine co... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1693630 Sat, 09 Aug 2008 11:40:17 +0100 1693630 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1674852&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34800&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FClinicalPsychologyAndPsychiatryACloserLook%2F%7E3%2F352651493%2Fzyprexa-marketing-we-dont-need-no.html From an excellent piece at Bloomberg:"The doctor's thinking that he does not see a schizophrenic or bipolar patient,'' [Zyprexa brand manager] Bandick said in a December 2000 internal e- mail to the marketing department. "But he probably does see patients with symptoms of behavior, mood and thought disturbances,'' he wrote. "Even if the doctor does not have diagnosis, he should treat anyway.'' Adding more fuel to the fire I discussed in February 2007: The document discussed in this post is called the “Zyprexa Primary Care Presentation”. It appears to be a transcript of a speech Mike Bandick, the Zyprexa Brand Manager, gave at the Eli Lilly National Sales Meeting on March 13, 2001. It is important to note that Zyprexa is only FDA-approved for use in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. T... Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1674852 Fri, 01 Aug 2008 14:01:00 +0100 1674852 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1668385&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F07%2F30%2Ftreating-bipolar-disorder-in-children%2F A letter to the editor in today’s The Boston Globe by Janet Wozniak suggests that since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of two atypical antipsychotic medications last year for pediatric bipolar disorder, it is proof the disorder exists: The FDA approvals of Risperdal and Abilify for this purpose not only suggest that at the proper dose, these atypical antipsychotic medications are safe and effective for use as indicated, but affirm that the FDA accepts the validity of pediatric bipolar disorder and the need to treat it. Tortured circular logic notwithstanding, the writer — the director of (surprise, surprise!) the pediatric bipolar disorder program at Mass. General — knows that the FDA is not any kind of scientific arbiter of research into... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1668385 Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:30:25 +0100 1668385 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1660748&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34800&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FClinicalPsychologyAndPsychiatryACloserLook%2F%7E3%2F348623650%2Filoperidone-vanda-shareholder-train.html Many months back, when shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals were going for 29 bucks, I warned y'all: Their main product, iloperidone, showed all the signs of being a dud. It has been in the clinical trials stage of development for about a decade and it had yet to receive FDA approval. Um, if a drug was of significant benefit, do you really think it would have been in late-stage development for 10 years? In December 2006, I wrote: As for iloperidone, one article forecasted that it would hit the market in 2001! Further digging indicated that Titan, which holds the license for iloperidone (to some extent, anyway), was in a spot of trouble for allegedly hiding the drug’s side effect profile. In 1997, according to a report filed with the SEC, “the Company does not have the funds necessary to co... Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1660748 Mon, 28 Jul 2008 17:52:00 +0100 1660748 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1546655&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34800&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FClinicalPsychologyAndPsychiatryACloserLook%2F%7E3%2F320627759%2Fconflicts-bad-science-and-corlux.html Recently, the watchful eyes of Charles Grassley have been peering into the bank accounts of big name psychiatrists. Melissa DelBello and Joe Biederman (1, 2) from the Wonderful World of Child Bipolar were first, and now Alan Schatzberg has been hit. Schatzberg is the Chair of Psychiatry at Stanford University. He is also the President of the American Psychiatric Association. In other words, he's kind of a big deal. Pharmalot hits the details, but the gist is that Schatzberg is deeply involved at Corcept Therapeutics, a company for which he is chair of the scientific advisory board and holds a large amount of stock. According to Grassley, he did not disclose some of his stock sale profits or the magnitude of his multimillion dollar stock holdings in the company. Additionally, Schatzberg al... Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1546655 Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:04:00 +0100 1546655 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1526120&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F06%2F17%2Folder-antipsychotics-get-warning-too%2F I’m not real sure why this was making headlines yesterday, but apparently the fact that the FDA required a black box warning on older antipsychotic medications was news on a slow news day. Here’s why it wasn’t news: Both conventional antipsychotics and atypical antipsychotics are not approved for use in elderly patients with dementia. The risk of death for atypical antipsychotics in this patient group is 3.2 times more likely, and is 1.7 times more likely for those taking conventional antipsychotics. In other words, conventional antipsychotics are still nearly twice as safe and carry half the risk of an atypical antipsychotic. Atypical antipsychotics typically have a different side effect profile than conventional antipsychotics. Many news reports parroted the marke... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1526120 Tue, 17 Jun 2008 16:28:42 +0100 1526120 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1423325&cid=t_100469_140_f&fid=35448&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseemedlikeagoodideathetime.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F05%2F06%2Flife-changing%2F Stephany mentioned an article that came out in the Official Journal of The American Academy of Pediatrics (she linked to it, so I won’t) that was about *my words* the feeding of anti-psychotics to kids. Many most of whom aren’t mentally ill, and not the least bit psychotic. (They probably need a time out [...] (Source: bipolar chicks blogging) bipolar chicks blogging blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1423325 Tue, 06 May 2008 14:03:07 +0100 1423325 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1373448&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34800&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FClinicalPsychologyAndPsychiatryACloserLook%2F%7E3%2F270730415%2Facademics-atypicals-and-marketing.html Ahhhh, there is nothing like the sweet smell of investigative journalism in the morning. Robert Farley published a whale of an excellent piece on how atypical antispychotics were marketed in the St. Petersburg Times on Saturday. I will discuss some of the tasty tidbits from the article, but you'd be a fool to not read the entire article yourself.Farley notes that the manufacturers of atypical antipsychotics needed to spread the word that their drugs worked better than older antipsychotics. The one slight problem was that there was not any solid evidence (except when looking at biased studies) showing that the new drugs were superior. So if the companies could not advertise this point directly, they needed to enlist third parties to say it for them. In other words, it was time for some info... Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1373448 Tue, 15 Apr 2008 13:57:00 +0100 1373448 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1371919&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F04%2F14%2Fthe-atypical-antipsychotic-war%2F Robert Farley of the St. Petersburg Times had an excellent in-depth piece about the war to increase prescriptions of atypical antipsychotics in America. I say “war,” because it really seems like there was a concerted, although perhaps not coordinated, effort to change the thinking about the best course of treatment for people with disorders like schizophrenia. Typically, drug companies are happy to publish the studies that show their drugs are superior to others’, and then hand that over to their sales and marketing team to do the hard sell to the doctors and consumers (through office visits, seminars and direct-to-consumer advertising). But in the case of atypical antipsychotics — drugs that are significantly more expensive than those they are intended to replac... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1371919 Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:25:50 +0100 1371919 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1369670&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F04%2F13%2Ftherapy-with-animals-%25e2%2580%2593-not-just-a-cats-and-dogs-game-anymore%2F If you suffer from a mental disorder maybe you’d feel more at ease – home on the range. At least that’s what a new study out of the Norwegian University of Life Sciences supports. To assess the benefits of Green care, the researchers asked ninety patients (59 women and 31 men) with schizophrenia, affective disorders, anxiety, and personality disorders to complete self-assessment questionnaires on quality of life, coping ability and self-efficacy, before a 12-week period spending three hours twice a week working with the farm animals. The research results showed that the patient’s experience with the farm animals positive results on the patient’s ability to copy with psychiatric symptoms and thus improving their quality of life. In addition, after six months self efficacy was s... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1369670 Mon, 14 Apr 2008 03:00:31 +0100 1369670 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1352024&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F04%2F04%2Fstudy-suggests-antipsychotics-dont-help-people-with-dementia-alzheimers%2F Powerful antipsychotic medications have commonly been prescribed to people with Alzheimer’s disease and other serious cognitive dementias found amongst the elderly population, especially if they are in a nursing home or hospital environment. Why? Almost all older dementia patients will experience, along with the cognitive and functional decline typical of the illness, some neuropsychiatric symptoms. These symptoms can include agitation, aggression, and psychosis, and are often devastating for the older patient and his or her family and caregiver. Managing these symptoms is often a prime concern for health-care providers and families. Neuroleptics (sometimes called antipsychotics) are the class of drugs often used to manage or control neuropsychiatric problems, but there have been... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1352024 Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:00:54 +0100 1352024 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1347338&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F04%2F03%2Fprior-authorization-the-bane-of-doctors%2F Ahh, prior authorization. Those sweet, seductive words that insurance companies lull themselves to sleep at night with dollar signs jumping over a fence in a pasture. “Prior authorization” means that a doctor can’t prescribe a particular medication (or type of medication) without — you guessed it! — prior authorization from the insurance company. This usually means paperwork, phone calls, and hassle. More hassle than most docs want to bother with unless they really believe the medication is necessary for the continued health and well being of their patient. Insurance companies know this, of course, and so place some of the most expensive medications on the list that requires “prior authorization” to keep their costs low. Well, that’s the t... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1347338 Thu, 03 Apr 2008 13:55:25 +0100 1347338 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1340571&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34800&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FClinicalPsychologyAndPsychiatryACloserLook%2F%7E3%2F261941446%2Fabilify-for-depression-second-round-lot.html In July 2007, I posted about a very strangely designed study that claimed to show Abilify was an effective treatment for depression when added to antidepressant medication. Here is what I wrote about it then...Study Design. Patients were initially assigned to receive an antidepressant plus a placebo for eight weeks. Those who failed to respond to treatment were assigned to Abilify + antidepressant or placebo + antidepressant. Those who responded during the initial 8 weeks were then eliminated from the study. So we've already established that antidepressant + placebo didn't work for these people -- yet they were then assigned to treatment for 6 weeks with the same treatment (!) and compared to those who were assigned antidepressant + Abilify. So the antidepressant + placebo group started at... Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1340571 Tue, 01 Apr 2008 12:39:00 +0100 1340571 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1340660&cid=t_100469_97_f&fid=35050&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmaGazette%2F%7E3%2F261516346%2Fnew_drugs_no_better_for_schizo.html A recent study by Dr Rene Kahn of the University Medical Centre Utrecht in the Netherlands found that newer schizophrenia drugs are no more effective that the older drug haloperidol. However, the study also found that patients tended to believe the newer drugs were more effective and therefore took them for a longer period of time."When we compared newer drugs to older drugs, we found that patients stay longer on the new drugs," said lead researcher Dr. Rene Kahn. Khan found that early studies indicated that 70% of patients stopped taking older antipsychotics while the new study found that 70% kept taking the newer drugs."The biggest reason that they stayed longer was that doctors perceived the newer drugs as more efficacious," Khan said. "That's the way real l... PharmaGazette blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1340660 Mon, 31 Mar 2008 20:00:34 +0100 1340660 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1337015&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F03%2F30%2Falaska-settles-for-15-million-from-lilly-in-zyprexa-suit%2F For several weeks, the state of Alaska has been battling the maker of Zyprexa, Lilly, for Medicaid bills incurred when patients taking the drug for Schizophrenia developed diabetes. The NY Times reported on Friday that the $15 million is only “a fraction of the hundreds of millions of dollars in damages that Ed Sniffen, Alaska’s senior assistant attorney general, had said the state was seeking when the trial opened three weeks ago”. According to the NY Times article, several documents presented in the trial showed that Lilly knew about the drug’s side effects, but did not express them to doctors or the general public. In fact, Lilly promoted more widespread use of the drug, encouraging doctors to prescribe the drugs for other illnesses such as Alzheimer’s. To spite the positive ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1337015 Sun, 30 Mar 2008 16:20:24 +0100 1337015 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1311030&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34800&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FClinicalPsychologyAndPsychiatryACloserLook%2F%7E3%2F253643409%2Fzyprexa-and-key-opinion-leaders.html Since the Zyprexa trial is ongoing in Alaska, I thought I should return to the wonderful world of Zyprexa. I encourage readers to follow the Zyprexa coverage at Furious Seasons, Pharmalot, and PharmaGossip. Today, I will discuss the link between key opinion leaders and the marketing of Zyprexa. To preface, a coveted Golden Goblet Nomination could be handed out to several individuals based on their involvement in Zyprexa marketing...In March 2000, Zyprexa received FDA approval for treatment of manic episodes. One document laid out the multipronged marketing maneuvers that Lilly utilized to move Zyprexa shortly after its approval. Some of the details of this document have been well-covered in a terrific piece of investigative journalism at Furious Seasons. This post will provide some coverag... Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1311030 Tue, 18 Mar 2008 13:46:00 +0100 1311030 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1297774&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34800&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FClinicalPsychologyAndPsychiatryACloserLook%2F%7E3%2F250112386%2Fpsychiatric-meds-still-generate-buckets.html The 2007 U.S. drug sales and prescriptions data have been released. According to IMS Health, psych meds did quite well in the United States last year. Highlights:Of all drugs, Seroquel (quetiapine) generated the fifth most money in sales. Not bad for an antipsychotic, or broad spectrum psychotropic or whatever it is marketed as these days. $3.5 billion in U.S. sales alone in 2007. Maybe AstraZeneca's investments in key opinion leaders were excellent business decisions.Antipsychotics generated more money in sales than did antidepressants ($13.1 billion vs $11.9 billion). If nothing else, it helps to again nail down the official paradigm shift favoring the antipsychotics as treatments for everything under the sun.Worry not, because antidepressants are still the most prescribed class of medic... Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1297774 Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:49:00 +0100 1297774 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1252415&cid=t_100469_122_f&fid=34755&url=http%3A%2F%2Fneuropsychological.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F02%2Fneuropsychology-abstract-of-day.html Hill SK, Sweeney JA, Hamer RM, Keefe RS, Perkins DO, Gu H, McEvoy JP, & Lieberman JA. Efficiency of the CATIE and BACS neuropsychological batteries in assessing cognitive effects of antipsychotic treatments in schizophrenia. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society. 2008 Mar; 14(2): 209-221.Center for Cognitive Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.Efficient and reliable assessments of cognitive treatment effects are essential for the comparative evaluation of procognitive effects of pharmacologic therapies. Yet, no studies have addressed the sensitivity and efficiency with which neurocognitive batteries evaluate cognitive abilities before and after treatment. Participants were primarily first episode schizophrenia patients ... BrainBlog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1252415 Sun, 24 Feb 2008 02:11:00 +0100 1252415 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1250166&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34800&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FClinicalPsychologyAndPsychiatryACloserLook%2F%7E3%2F239412129%2Fwelfare-queens-on-fiapta-demand.html I've been very neglectful in linking to a number of very interesting stories by my compadres in the blogging world. So here is a limited attempt to catch up:Pfizer wants to pry confidential peer reviews away from the New England Journal of Medicine. This is utterly ridiculous. Pfizer is facing a pile of lawsuits and is hoping that a peer reviewer might have said something nice about their products Bextra or Celebrex in a peer review, which they could then try to use as a legal defense. This reeks of desperation.PharmaGossip notes that AstraZeneca is out a cool $215 million for Medicaid drug price fraud in Alabama. Sheesh, and to hear certain politicians and talk show hosts decry the so-called "welfare queens" -- it would appear that AstraZeneca is the real welfare queen!Aubrey Blumsohn has... Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1250166 Fri, 22 Feb 2008 13:34:00 +0100 1250166 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1241899&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34800&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FClinicalPsychologyAndPsychiatryACloserLook%2F%7E3%2F237620558%2Fwhy-i-love-discussion-section.html A recent study in the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology found that aripiprazole (Abilify) offered no benefit over placebo in treating biploar depression. Well, at least that's what the results showed, but the discussion section told a bit of a different story. At the end of eight weeks, Abilify failed to beat placebo on either the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale or the Clinical Global Impressions -- Bipolar Severity of Illness Scale. It is rare that an industry-sponsored article reports negative results and it would be nigh-impossible to find a published industry-sponsored study that failed to put a happy spin on the negative results. Sure, the results were negative in this study, but if the dosing was different, the treatment could have worked. There's always a loophole, so... Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1241899 Tue, 19 Feb 2008 15:10:00 +0100 1241899 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1192862&cid=t_100469_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F226913996%2F There’s a new blog in the blogosphere, Hollywood Spectrum, and its first post offers a summary of the original script of a certain TV show set to air tonight, in which lawyer Eli Stone takes on an insurance company which won’t pay for treatments for “William,” who has autism (and who is played by an autistic child). The treatment in question is not some alterna-biomedical magic supplement, but Risperidone: After a month on this antipsychotic (which has been approved to treat “irritability” in autistic children), William’s mother describes the value of the drug this way: “He actually smiled.” A child taking Risperdal probably also has a few other reactions, including a significant increase in his appetite. I know, as my son has taken R... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1192862 Fri, 01 Feb 2008 01:37:31 +0100 1192862 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1173145&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34800&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FClinicalPsychologyAndPsychiatryACloserLook%2F%7E3%2F221656786%2Fkey-opinion-leaders-continuing-medical.html Psychiatrist Bernard Carroll has another brilliant post on corrupt, er, continuing medical education (CME) and how the process has been co-opted by various commercial interests. His post a few days ago was certainly great, and in combination with his current post, I officially declare that Bernard Carroll is ON FIRE!Here's a bit of what he had to say. Commit this paragraph to memory:Medical journals are not the only compromised medium. Continuing Medical Education (CME) is a second front in the campaign to expand the AAP [atypical antipsychotic] drug market. The standard formula calls for corporate sponsorship channeled through an “unrestricted educational grant” to a medical education communications company (MECC). The MECC employs writers to prepare the “educational content,” and... Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1173145 Wed, 23 Jan 2008 13:52:00 +0100 1173145 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1161004&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34800&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FClinicalPsychologyAndPsychiatryACloserLook%2F%7E3%2F219045109%2Frisperdal-for-depression-depressing.html Bernard Carroll, a psychiatrist who is known for laying down the smack on drug industry spin, has a fantastic post at Health Care Renewal that should be read by all. It deals with the marketing and "science" surrounding the use of Risperdal for treatment-resistant depression, a topic I've discussed at length on this site previously.Teaser:The campaign aims to shape a favorable climate of opinion for the drug through experimercials (commercially strategic clinical trials) and journal publications that are really infomercials. The stakeholders are some major corporations, “key opinion leaders” (KOLs), leading medical journals, and several million patients who suffer from nonresponsive depression in the US. The winners are the KOLs and the corporations, while the big losers are the patien... Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1161004 Fri, 18 Jan 2008 20:04:00 +0100 1161004 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1146282&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F01%2F11%2Fmedicating-people-because-its-easier-than-talking-to-them%2F As we reported last week (as did others), antipsychotics are not really a good treatment option for aggressive behavior, based upon the findings from a recently published study in the journal Lancet. Which begs the question: When were they ever? Sadly, antipsychotics are not the first medications ever to be used to basically sedate people, so they would be more manageable to the individuals and organizations charged with their care. The use of psychiatric and other medications for control of behaviors, rather than treatment of diseases or disorders, has a long history. Time and time again, research shows that it’s the human relationship we share with one another that have a significant, perhaps the most significant impact, in how we feel. And how we feel has an impact on our treat... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1146282 Fri, 11 Jan 2008 14:43:27 +0100 1146282 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1130977&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F01%2F04%2Fmeds-proven-ineffective-for-aggression-in-intellectual-and-developmental-disabilities%2F Despite their widespread use amongst doctors who treat adults with developmental disabilities and mental retardation, a new study has found that a specific type of psychiatric medication — antipsychotics — to be ineffective in helping reduce these individuals’ aggressive behavior. Antipsychotics are generally not FDA-approved for the treatment of aggressive behavior, this has simply been an off-label and common practice by many physicians for years. The researchers followed 86 non-psychotic people with an intellectual disability (what we in the U.S. would term either a developmental disability or mental retardation) and aggressive or challenging behaviors. Patients were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups — an older antipsychotic (Haldol), a newer at... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1130977 Sat, 05 Jan 2008 01:43:56 +0100 1130977 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1126172&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34800&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FClinicalPsychologyAndPsychiatryACloserLook%2F%7E3%2F209928332%2Frisperdal-for-depression-study-hammered.html Discussion that continuation of risperidone augmentation therapy was not more beneficial than placebo, and hence the working hypothesis was disproven...I would like to thank the reviewers and the editors of Neuropsychopharmacology for having the courage to allow us to publish this negative finding.A couple things. First, does it really take all that much courage to publish a negative finding? Should a Nobel Prize or a Bronze Star be awarded? There should be little honor attached -- to paraphrase Chris Rock: Why should you get mega-credit for doing things you're supposed to do? Oooh, you published a negative finding. What do you want, a cookie? You're supposed to publish a negative finding you low expectation' havin' "independent scientist." The fact that somebody thinks props should be dol... Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1126172 Wed, 02 Jan 2008 14:47:00 +0100 1126172 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1091331&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34794&url=http%3A%2F%2Fadseg-shu.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F12%2Fthere-were-signs-that-day-would-be.html There were signs that the day would be "eventful": 44 degrees at 6:30 am in San Diego! The hawk, as we said in NY, was out. Sure, you've got it worse wherever... But this is San Diego. See, Thinker! Then, in my inattention, I forgot to get gas. As I'm listening to a recording of King Lear, my eye is suddenly drawn to the "you need gas, partner" light on the dash at some crazy spot in Riverside County. I stop for gas and the pump won't accept me CA state fleet credit card. Quick summation: a phone call informs me I can't buy from this particular "brand" because they charge $.45 to use a card. WTF.After a number of patients, I open the door and immediately a man is there, physically large & pumped (muscular & manic), angry tattoos all over him, and seemingly angry as hell. "I'm next.... Turn Your Head and Scoff blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1091331 Thu, 13 Dec 2007 05:39:00 +0100 1091331 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1070204&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2007%2F12%2F04%2Fantipsychotic-abuse-in-nursing-homes%2F It’s a complicated story and one that I don’t think the Wall Street Journal really told all that well. Their premise is simple — that antipsychotic medications, especially newer ones, are being over-prescribed in nursing homes. It starts off noting how many people in a nursing home are being prescribed antipsychotics (30%, which is an amazing number), and then goes on to recount how antipsychotics are only approved by the FDA for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. All good points and good data. The most damning datapoint is this one — that 21% of nursing-home patients who don’t have a psychosis diagnosis are on antipsychotic drugs. (The article, however, fails to say what diagnosis these people carry, since a diagnosis is required before a physician can pres... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1070204 Tue, 04 Dec 2007 19:16:06 +0100 1070204 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1060009&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34800&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FClinicalPsychologyAndPsychiatryACloserLook%2F%7E3%2F192612341%2Fantipsychotics-for-dementia.html A recent comment was left by a reader (Steve B MD) who claims to be a psychiatrist. I only say "claims to be" because, hey, this is the internet, and you never know who people really are. His comment was regarding a rather lengthy post on antipsychotics for dementia. I found his comment thoughtful enough to merit its own post. Here is the second part of his comment, with my emphasis added because I could not agree with him more...Regarding your comment that "...it takes time, effort, and using one's training in mental health," that just speaks to how the mental health profession (particularly psychiatry), despite its stated interest in improving the lives of patients, is too focused on the immediate effect on a patient's behavior than in long-term outcomes. As a psychiatrist, I am sometime... Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1060009 Thu, 29 Nov 2007 21:45:00 +0100 1060009 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1051232&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34800&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FClinicalPsychologyAndPsychiatryACloserLook%2F%7E3%2F190750786%2Fwill-antipsychotic-coverup-continue.html At this point, there are a slew of lawsuits facing manufacturers of atypical antipsychotics, from individual suits ranging to suits brought by state governments. Allegations of fraudulent marketing, kickbacks, and hiding research results are among the claims made in such suits. For example, Arkansas recently filed a lawsuit. Read it here and read my take here. The most important thing that could come from these suits in the long run is not the money that various drug companies may have to shell out in fines. No, the important piece is the information, the internal documents that I am nearly certain document numerous instances demonstrating bad science, covering up negative data, and detailing ludicrous marketing campaigns. Check out the documents on Zyprexa over at Furious Seasons and you'... Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1051232 Mon, 26 Nov 2007 15:08:00 +0100 1051232 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1043994&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2007%2F11%2F21%2Fjanssen-and-jj-sued-by-arkansas%2F The Arkansas attorney general has filed a lawsuit against Janssen Pharmaceuticals and its parent company, J&J, over numerous allegations regarding its strong-selling Risperdal drug, one of a new class of drugs called atypical antipsychotics. It is commonly prescribed to treat bipolar disorder. The allegations? According to Furious Seasons and CL Psych’s take, the lawsuit includes allegations that the pharmaceutical company: * J & J marketed Risperdal off-label for such conditions as ADHD, depression, anxiety, and aggression associated with dementia * J & J falsely represented Risperdal as cheaper and more effective than older antipsychotics * J & J did not represent their own knowledge that Risperdal is associated with weight gain * J & J offered k... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1043994 Wed, 21 Nov 2007 15:32:22 +0100 1043994 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1036905&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34800&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FClinicalPsychologyAndPsychiatryACloserLook%2F%7E3%2F187192410%2Fatypical-antipsychotics-for-elderly.html A recent report in the St. Petersburg Times has indicated that between 20-26% of atypical antipsychotic prescriptions are for elderly people. The drugs are typically given in order to help calm patients. This is interesting because the data supporting their efficacy is very weak (1, 2, 3). While the article in the Times is interesting and discusses the problems with the drugs in terms of side effects, it, along with other media coverage with which I am familiar, is missing a major point: Atypical antipsychotics show minimal effects over the benefit given by a placebo. They are also linked to an increased risk of death. So you are increasing the odds of your patients dying, but you are, according to clinical trial research, providing minimal clinical benefit.Here's a shocking snippet from t... Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1036905 Mon, 19 Nov 2007 14:32:00 +0100 1036905 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1019344&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2007%2F11%2F11%2Fself-help-with-youtube%2F I have the same routine every week to find interesting and newsworthy topics for the psychology blog; look at a variety of web publications specializing in subjects of mental health, and Google any recent newsworthy mental health topics. The articles I write about on the blog are usually based on scientific research, which is discussed in great detail in the articles. Gathering evidence based on scientific research is important. Of course I think we all realize the limitations of such scientific research, especially where matters of the human psyche are involved; meaning what works for one person won’t always hold true for another person, especially in terms of treatment. Yesterday, while reading Dr. Grohol’s blog entry on Celebrex, I was reminded that there is a wealth of interestin... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1019344 Sun, 11 Nov 2007 16:09:24 +0100 1019344 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1010411&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34800&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FClinicalPsychologyAndPsychiatryACloserLook%2F%7E3%2F181108321%2Fslap-heard-round-world-atypical.html Atypical antipsychotics just got slapped hard. A new study in the Archives of General Psychiatry delivered sizable blow to these medications by finding that they yielded no clinical benefit over "watchful waiting" (placebo) in treating dementia, while all atypical antipsychotics studies were associated with higher costs.Olanzapine (Zyprexa) did particularly poorly. Patients taking Zyprexa had higher costs, yet their activities of daily living (personal care, doing chores, household activities, etc.) score was significantly worse than patients taking placebo. Patients taking risperidone (Risperdal) and quetiapine (Seroquel) also scored worse than patients receiving placebo on this measure, though Zyprexa patients had the lowest overall scores. In addition, Zyprexa patients were rated as sig... Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1010411 Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:07:00 +0100 1010411 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1005173&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34800&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FClinicalPsychologyAndPsychiatryACloserLook%2F%7E3%2F180083599%2Frisperdal-er-invega-for-depression.html A new study (published in the Annals of Internal Medicine ) demonstrated that risperidone (Risperdal) was effective in reducing depressive symptoms in people who had not responded to a prior course of antidepressant treatment. But how effective? What is the marketing angle? How does this tie in with Invega? Let's find out...What is Effective? People who were not responding to their current antidepressant were assigned to receive risperidone or placebo as an add-on to their current antidepressant treatment. On average, people taking Risperdal improved by 2.8 points on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) relative to people taking placebo. Look over the scale and tell me if you think 2.8 points is a very meaningful difference. Decide for yourself. Yes, the difference was statisticall... Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1005173 Mon, 05 Nov 2007 15:10:00 +0100 1005173 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=998610&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2007%2F11%2F01%2Fvery-young-children-being-prescribed-antipsychotics-in-florida%2F Why are pediatricians and psychiatrists prescribing powerful antipsychotic medications to children who are under age 5? Especially when no antipsychotic (except Risperdal) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in terms of safety or efficacy for use in children. Why is the use of these unapproved-for-children medications so widespread (and growing)? A new report (PDF) from researchers at the University of South Florida examined prescribing trends for over 19,000 Florida children being prescribed atypical antipsychotics. Philip at Furious Seasons has the full story. After reviewing the report, however, these were the most disturbing excepts from our point of view (emphasis ours): The use of antipsychotic medications with children 0-5 [years old] is of concern. ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=998610 Thu, 01 Nov 2007 15:55:01 +0100 998610 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=982546&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34800&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FClinicalPsychologyAndPsychiatryACloserLook%2F%7E3%2F175415722%2Fblog-on-atypical-antipsychotics-sweet.html I have discovered a blog (simply titled Atypical Antipsychotics ) that I believe has some serious potential. It has the following things I like in a blog: SarcasmUnwillingness to blindly accept marketing department-generated BSIt disses Invega Not sure what more anyone could want in a blog, really. Only a few posts so far, but you can bet that I'll be watching it like a hawk. And I invite you to do likewise. (Source: Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look) Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=982546 Fri, 26 Oct 2007 15:23:00 +0100 982546 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=936789&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34800&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FClinicalPsychologyAndPsychiatryACloserLook%2F%7E3%2F167435838%2Fhistory-and-future-lesson.html When science, industry, and government collide, the results are often less than pretty. Aubrey Blumsohn gives a glance into several episodes, all of which apparently related to the date October 8 in various years. Either October 8 is a very bad day, or these incidents occur with regularity on many other days of the year as well. I strongly suggest (nay, I insist), that you educate yourselves over at the Scientific Misconduct Blog.When done, feel free to head over to Furious Seasons and get a reminder about how the "patient advocate group" known as the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill touted the second generation antipsychotics as life-saving. That's all fine and dandy, until one notes there is no data that schizophrenia outcomes have improved by a single iota since these drugs were f... Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=936789 Tue, 09 Oct 2007 13:00:00 +0100 936789 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=932603&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2007%2F10%2F06%2Fan-updated-zyprexa-warning-label%2F Zyprexa, the embattled antipsychotic drug made by drug giant Eli Lilly, made the news rounds again yesterday. Lilly announced it was adding more warnings to the drug regarding an increased risk of a number of side effects, including weight gain, higher blood sugar, metabolic problems and higher cholesterol. You can read Pharmalot’s take on the announcement, as well as the New York Time’s news article: Internal Lilly documents disclosed by The Times last December indicated that Lilly was aware of Zyprexa’s tendency to cause weight gain and blood sugar changes by the late 1990’s but played down the drug’s risks. Lilly said at the time of those disclosures that the drug’s risks were already reflected in the label. Ms. Lemons said the company had not delayed releasing in... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=932603 Sat, 06 Oct 2007 13:22:03 +0100 932603 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=921690&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34800&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FClinicalPsychologyAndPsychiatryACloserLook%2F%7E3%2F164213969%2Fpeer-review-is-mediocre-at-best.html Regarding bias in "science" and the utter balderdash that passes for peer-reviewed science, I sometimes feel like a lone voice in the wilderness. Well, thank God -- another blogger has thrown down the gauntlet on the topic. The Last Psychiatrist has a great post on the topic in which he notes a few huge problems with medical journals, of which I'll highlight a few in upcoming posts. Let's start with peer review... "Most people think peer review is some infallible system for evaluating knowledge. It's not. Here's what peer review does not do: it does not try to verify the accuracy of the content. They do not have access to the raw data. They don't re-run the statistical calculations to see if they're correct. They don't look up references to see if they are appropriate/accurate." Couldn't... Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=921690 Tue, 02 Oct 2007 14:20:00 +0100 921690 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=880151&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34800&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FClinicalPsychologyAndPsychiatryACloserLook%2F%7E3%2F158060588%2Fzyprexa-no-longer-gold-standard.html Decision Resources has now reported that Zyprexa is no longer the market leader in schizophrenia. In March, I noted that the same company proclaimed boldly that Zyprexa was the "gold standard" in treating schizophrenia and would remain so until 2015. So in a matter of months, the same company has gone from labeling Zyprexa as the gold standard for treating schizophrenia to indicating that Zyprexa is an also-ran. The rather quick about-face of Decision Resources makes me wonder about the credibility of its reports.According to the latest report, concerns about side effects have hurt Zyprexa's market share. Nah, really?Hat Tip: Furious Seasons, a blog that has been absolutely ablaze with great material. (Source: Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look) Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=880151 Tue, 18 Sep 2007 12:43:00 +0100 880151 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=861781&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34800&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FClinicalPsychologyAndPsychiatryACloserLook%2F%7E3%2F155030048%2Flinks-of-note-and-preview.html Many good items have appeared of late and I pass them to you below...Adverse drug event reports skyrocket. Furious Seasons has the story.AHRP goes after Lilly's potential blockbuster for schizophrenia. AHRP's take on Dr. Lieberman seems a little harsh, but it's still a good read.The Last Psychiatrist scores points with a hilarious bit on calculating a commonly used medical statistic (featuring the Flock of Seagulls) and also weighs in on Lilly's hopeful new schizophrenia drug (no Zyprexa pun intended).How 'bout some antidepressants for babies? Pharmalot has the scoop.The discredited chemical imbalance theory of depression rears its head again, courtesy of GSK, as reported by Fiddaman.A long overdue link to the Pharma Girls of Reality TV, courtesy of Cary Byrd.Coming Attractions: There were... Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=861781 Tue, 11 Sep 2007 12:44:00 +0100 861781 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=792833&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34800&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FClinicalPsychologyAndPsychiatryACloserLook%2F%7E3%2F142806053%2Fprescribing-multiple-antipsychotics-eh.html The Last Psychiatrist has a highly impressive (and hilarious) post on why prescribing multiple antipsychotics to the same person is not such a hot idea. I strongly encourage everyone to read it as soon as humanly possible. (Source: Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look) Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=792833 Fri, 10 Aug 2007 16:42:00 +0100 792833 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=792834&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34800&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FClinicalPsychologyAndPsychiatryACloserLook%2F%7E3%2F142800373%2Fis-wyeths-psychiatric-ship-sinking.html Wyeth's attempt at an antipsychotic (bifeprunox) was rejected by the FDA today. Liz Spikol has a post on the topic that I found immensely entertaining. Daniel Carlat points out why the drug was rejected -- because it does not work very well. Yes, some doses showed a bit of improvement over placebo, yet bifeprunox did not impress when tried head-to-head against risperidone or olanzapine. Adding this drug to an already crowded antipsychotic market would seemingly do little for people with schizophrenia but would help Wyeth, which is looking a little desperate these days considering it has little to replace its flagship antidepressant Effexor.What about Pristiq, the "son of Effexor," -- well, that ain't looking so promising (1, 2, 3). Good luck, Wyeth. It appears you're going to need it! (Sou... Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=792834 Fri, 10 Aug 2007 16:16:00 +0100 792834 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=792820&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2007%2F08%2F10%2Fwyeth-schizophrenia-drug-bifeprunox-suffers-setback%2F The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) let Wyeth and its partner, Solvay Pharmaceuticals, know that their newest schizophrenia drug, bifeprunox, needed further research to gain FDA approval. Pharmalot has the story. While the FDA acknowledged there was enough efficacy data to support short-term use of the drug (e.g., the drug works better than a sugar pill), it didn’t really differentiate itself from other existing schizophrenia drugs on the market. According to the entry, this likely pushes back approval for the drug to late 2008 or possibly 2009. Assuming, of course, that the new studies continue to show similar positive data for bifeprunox as the existing studies do. Here’s more information about bifeprunox. (Source: World of Psychology) World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=792820 Fri, 10 Aug 2007 13:45:09 +0100 792820 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=748901&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2007%2F07%2F21%2Fcoming-soon-abilify-for-depression%2F On Tuesday, Bristol-Myers Squibb received approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for expedited approval to review its antipsychotic medication, Abilify — already approved in the treatment of bipolar and schizophrenia — for treatment of depression in adults too. Typically such expedited approval is requested when a drug has been on the market for awhile and there is additional research data to support its use and effectiveness in another disorder. Keep in mind, “expedited approval” means little, a difference of only 4 months. CL Psych decided to look at one of the two placebo-controlled studies the revised supplemental New Drug Application for aripiprazole (Abilify) and depression is based upon. His first point, that a 3-point difference on the d... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=748901 Sat, 21 Jul 2007 14:23:32 +0100 748901 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=742590&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34800&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FClinicalPsychologyAndPsychiatryACloserLook%2F%7E3%2F134948506%2Fabilify-its-tricky-to-rock-fda.html In the "you're kidding me" category, we have a report from Forbes that Abilify (aripiprazole) is going to be going up for FDA priority review as a depression treatment. I was able to track down exactly one placebo-controlled study using this drug as an antidepressant. Participants who did not show satisfactory response to an antidepressant trial were assigned to receive either Abilify or a placebo in addition to their antidepressant. As you'll see, this was a study worthy of close examination.Study Results. I read the study results and was underwhelmed. The authors (via their ghostwriter(s) to some unknown extent) reported that the difference between those receiving add-on Abilify vs. add-on placebo was three points on the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). For perspective,... Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=742590 Wed, 18 Jul 2007 13:47:00 +0100 742590 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=688602&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34800&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FClinicalPsychologyAndPsychiatryACloserLook%2F%7E3%2F126889609%2Fantipsychotics-for-kids-update.html I posted hastily earlier regarding a story in the Edmonton Journal on a survey of Canadian child psychiatrists. The article previously cited was based on a paper in the June issue of the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. This survey investigated the frequency of prescription of newer antipsychotic medications for patients under 18 years of age.As part of the survey, psychiatrists were asked for which disorders they prescribed atypical antipsychotic medications. Among those who prescribed atypicals (Risperdal, Zyprexa, Seroquel, etc.), here's the percentage who reported prescribing them for various conditions81.8% bipolar (Go Team Biederman?)30% depression25.9% eating disorders51.2% ADHD74.7% poor frustration tolerance35.9% insomnia89.4% pervasive developmental disorder51.2% oppositional defi... Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=688602 Fri, 22 Jun 2007 02:20:00 +0100 688602 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=687719&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34800&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FClinicalPsychologyAndPsychiatryACloserLook%2F%7E3%2F126703370%2Fgood-news-for-biederman.html To quote from a report in the Edmonton Journal [all emphases added]… Ninety-four per cent of 176 child psychiatrists in Canada surveyed are prescribing powerful drugs known as atypical antipsychotics for a variety of disorders and symptoms, including anxiety, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and "poor frustration tolerance." While most prescriptions were for children 13 and older, a "surprising" number were for the very young: 12 per cent of all prescriptions were for children aged eight or under, including three-year-olds. None of the drugs has been officially approved for use in children. Risperidone (brand name Respirdal) was the most commonly prescribed atypical antipsychotic to children, followed by olanzapine (Zyprexa) and quetiapine (Seroquel). Later, the reporter writes (... Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=687719 Thu, 21 Jun 2007 12:35:00 +0100 687719 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=682598&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2007%2F06%2F17%2Fthe-growing-backlash-on-bipolar-in-kids%2F We knew it was coming, we were just waiting for it — mainstream media’s report on the fact that children are being diagnosed with a condition that isn’t considered a childhood diagnosis, bipolar disorder. Sure, it’s been going on for many, many years, but does that make it right? Scott Allen, of The Boston Globe, sheds some light on bipolar diagnoses in children today. I was disappointed to read how the article appears to paint Biederman as an egomaniac: Biederman dismisses most critics, saying that they cannot match his scientific credentials as co author of 30 scientific papers a year and director of a major research program at the psychiatry department that is top-ranked… “Not all opinions are created equal.” Nothing like bringing out one... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=682598 Sun, 17 Jun 2007 22:28:17 +0100 682598 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=631534&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2007%2F05%2F22%2Fthe-psychiatrists-are-meeting%2F It’s mid-May, so it must be time for the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association, or as we like to call them, the “little APA” (because it has one-third the membership of the American Psychological Association). And with its annual meeting comes the annual flurry of press releases sent to us to alert us to all the fascinating new studies announced that find that existing medications are useful for a whole bunch of other things too! Yay! Seroquel XR So a study was presented today by Charles Schulz, MD, Professor and Head, Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School about our good friend, Seroquel, in its latest form, Seroquel XR. (On a side note, XR is pharma-speak for “extended release,” but of course they couldn’t c... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=631534 Wed, 23 May 2007 01:05:01 +0100 631534 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=536443&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2007%2F04%2F11%2Fwill-depression-diagnoses-now-start-to-wane%2F The Last Psychiatrist has an interesting essay and commentary about a study published last week in The New England Journal of Medicine. He focuses not so much on the results of the study, which found that adding an antidepressant to existing bipolar medications didn’t much help anyone. The Last Psychiatrist focuses on the fact that the term “mood stabilizers” now goes well beyond lithium and Depakote: What’s happened here is that “mood stabilizer” now includes atypical antipsychotics; and — compare what the study was designed to show and what they spun it to show — we’ve gone from “polypharmacy is not better” to “monotherapy with mood stabilizers [read: antipsychotics] is just as good as two drugs at once.” [&... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=536443 Wed, 11 Apr 2007 14:05:34 +0100 536443 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=510899&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2007%2F03%2F30%2Fmaking-psychiatric-advance-directives%2F A Psychiatric Advance Directive (PAD) is a legal document with instructions about exactly what type of mental health treatments you prefer in an emergency. If you have an episode involving psychosis, lack of insight, and/or difficulty thinking and communicating, a PAD will tell your treatment team what you can’t. It covers things like works for you and what doesn’t, who to contact, what medications and treatments that you don’t want, how to take care of your home and pets while you’re in hospital, and other relevant info. They’re becoming popular with the rise of mental health consumer rights groups and news about risks with some drugs. PADs are helpful, for example, if you’re schizophrenic and don’t want to take a specific antipsychotic drug when ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=510899 Fri, 30 Mar 2007 10:22:47 +0100 510899 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=481571&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2007%2F03%2F18%2Fchildren-antipsychotic-medication%2F As bipolar disorder diagnoses increase for younger children and more kids are being prescribed antipsychotic drugs, a debate has emerged on whether or not kids should be taking them at all. CBS news had a brief report on the issue as well as the growing rate of serious psychiatric disorder being diagnosed in children. Child psychiatrist Jess Shatkin of New York University’s Child Study Center says drugs should only be used cautiously and in addition to behavioral therapy. “Most of these medications have not been well investigated in children and have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in children,” she says. “So by and large, there isn’t a right age.” My philosophy is that being overly-cautious to diagnose and prescribe for children is a smart r... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=481571 Sun, 18 Mar 2007 20:22:47 +0100 481571 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=467927&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2007%2F02%2F21%2Fzyprexa-marketed-for-long-term-bipolar-use%2F Furious Seasons again has a detailed analysis of more Zyprexa findings from his ongoing examination of the Zyprexa documents (it’s a long essay, but worth the read when you have a few minutes). This most recent analysis focuses on how Eli Lilly spent considerable effort marketing Zyprexa as an appropriate medication for “complex mood” disorders such as bipolar disorder and long-term use. This despite significant ongoing concerns from doctors around the country about Zyprexa and weight gain and hyperglycemia. Eli Lilly wanted to position Zyprexa as a reasonable alternative to the long-standing, standard maintenance treatments for bipolar disorder, generic lithium (which is inexpensive, safe, and a well-known side effect profile) or Depakote (a newer mood stabilizer which... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=467927 Wed, 21 Feb 2007 18:46:06 +0100 467927 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4060788&cid=t_100469_109_f&fid=34859&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.davemsw.com%2Farchives%2F2006%2F11%2Fthe_importance_of_early_and_ef.php There is an important new research study on treatment of schizophrenia. They have found delayed or interrupted treatment is associated with permanent lost brain function and less success in recovery. That is indeed my clinical experience with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Any kind of chronic brain dysfunction makes permanent changes to brain structures and functioning. PTSD has been associated with permenent changes in emotion intensity and increased difficulty in emotion regulation. Chemical abuse has been associated with brain changes as well. When the brain is involved, respond quickly, ask for help and persist to be sure the treatment is effective. Anything less will cost you in brain function. This applies to any serious mental health or neurological problem. Psychiatric Weekl... Ψ Dare To Dream... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4060788 Tue, 14 Nov 2006 01:46:53 +0100 4060788