'ANTIDEPRESSANTS TAKEN BY THOUSANDS OF BRITS DO NOT WORK

[Guest guest]

----------------------------------------------------------------------

----------

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23441710-details/Anti-

depressants%20taken%20by%20thousands%20of%20Brits%20'do%20NOT%

20work',%20major%20new%20study%20reveals/article.do

Anti-depressants taken by thousands of Brits 'do NOT work', major new

study reveals

Anti-depressant tablets taken by millions of Britons may be a waste

of time and money, research shows.

An analysis of dozens of studies involving thousands of patients

revealed that some of the most widely-prescribed anti-depressants

work little better than dummy pills.

The drugs studied - including Prozac, Seroxat and Efexor - were

little more effective than placebos in improving the mental health in

the majority of cases, the University of Hull research showed.

Scroll down for more...

New research shows that some of the most widely prescribed anti-

depressant pills are ineffective

Only in the most extreme depression did the tablets, which are taken

by around two million Britons and have been linked to a host of

sideeffects including suicide, prove substantially superior in

improving mental health.

Dr Tim Kendall, of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, described the

results as " fantastically important " .

He added that one of the study's strengths lay in the inclusion of

data which drug companies had chosen not to publicise - perhaps

because it was less favourable than they would like.

The study, published in the respected journal PLoS Medicine, suggests

hundreds of thousands of Britons are needlessly taking powerful - and

potentially dangerous - drugs.

As well as suicide and suicidal thoughts, side-effects associated

with the drugs studied and other SSRI (Selective Serotonin Reuptake

Inhibitor) anti-depressants range from self harm to anxiety,

insomnia, nausea, headaches and vomiting.

Seroxat alone has been linked to at least 50 suicides - both adult

and child - in the UK since 1990.

The research comes as prescriptionsfor anti-depressants are at record

levels, with 31million written in 2006 at a cost to the NHS of almost

£300million.

Around half of these were for Prozac, Seroxat, Efexor and other

SSRIs.

Researcher Professor Irving Kirsch said: " Given these data, there

seems little evidence to support the prescription of anti-depressant

medication to any but the most severely depressed patients, unless

alternative treatments have failed to provide benefit. "

Professor Kirsch, a psychologist, reached his conclusion after

combining the results of 35 clinical trials involving more than 5,000

patients with depression.

The data on Prozac, Seroxat, Efexor and a fourth drug not used in the

UK had been submitted to the U.S. drug watchdog ahead of the

antidepressants being licensed for sale.

Two-thirds of those taking part in the studies were prescribed the

SSRIs, while the remainder took placebo tablets.

Comparison of the two groups showed that in the majority of cases the

mental health of those taking anti-depressants improved little more

than those on dummy pills.

Only those who were extremely depressed - a very small proportion of

those studied - fared substantially better when on medication.

The results suggest that those taking the tablets mainly benefit from

the " placebo effect " - in which symptoms are eased not by medication

but by relief in diagnosis and the simple expectation a treatment

will work.

Professor Kirsch emphasised that patients should not change their

treatment without speaking to their doctor, but said other approaches

include physical exercise, psychoanalysis and self-help books.

Ley, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry,

the drug industry's trade body, said all medicines have to be proven

to be more effective than a placebo before they are put on sale.

A spokesman for the National Institute for Health and Clinical

Excellence, which draws up guidelines on the treatment of illnesses,

said routine use of anti-depressants is not recommended for mild

depression.

He added that Professor Kirsch's results would be taken into

consideration when the existing guidelines are reviewed later this

year.

How I ran off my blues

Kate spent seven years on anti-depressants before weeing

herself off them

Hailed as a miracle cure for depression when they were first

prescribed in the late 1980s, the " happy pills " known as SSRIs work

by keeping the moodboosting chemical serotonin in the brain for

longer.

Kate spent seven years on anti-depressant drugs after

suffering severe depression as a teenager.

It was only when she took up running that she was able to stop taking

the pills after finding that exercise was better at lifting her mood.

Speaking about her experiences three years ago, the 35-year-old

writer from Dorset, said: " I have always felt quite low but my

depression really hit when I was a teenager.

" By the time I was 15, my GP was prescribing betablockers to relax my

nerve impulses, slow my heartbeat down and make me feel calmer. Then,

before my A-levels, I was put on anti-depressants.

" In my final year at Sussex University, my GP moved me on to Prozac,

which was the wonder drug at the time.

" Although it improved the depression, I felt detached and numb. I had

other terrible side-effects -painful, aching joints, sleeplessness

and anxiety.

" Somehow, I managed to get a job in a finance company and struggled

on but Prozac was my constant companion. "

Things changed when she set herself the challenge of training for a

marathon.

She said: " Running was so much more effective at lifting my mood than

Prozac that I consulted the doctor and spent eight months weaning

myself off the drugs.

" The withdrawal was painful but I was determined. I have no doubt

that running took me out of my depression. "

[Guest guest]

----------------------------------------------------------------------

----------

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23441710-details/Anti-

depressants%20taken%20by%20thousands%20of%20Brits%20'do%20NOT%

20work',%20major%20new%20study%20reveals/article.do

Anti-depressants taken by thousands of Brits 'do NOT work', major new

study reveals

Anti-depressant tablets taken by millions of Britons may be a waste

of time and money, research shows.

An analysis of dozens of studies involving thousands of patients

revealed that some of the most widely-prescribed anti-depressants

work little better than dummy pills.

The drugs studied - including Prozac, Seroxat and Efexor - were

little more effective than placebos in improving the mental health in

the majority of cases, the University of Hull research showed.

Scroll down for more...

New research shows that some of the most widely prescribed anti-

depressant pills are ineffective

Only in the most extreme depression did the tablets, which are taken

by around two million Britons and have been linked to a host of

sideeffects including suicide, prove substantially superior in

improving mental health.

Dr Tim Kendall, of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, described the

results as " fantastically important " .

He added that one of the study's strengths lay in the inclusion of

data which drug companies had chosen not to publicise - perhaps

because it was less favourable than they would like.

The study, published in the respected journal PLoS Medicine, suggests

hundreds of thousands of Britons are needlessly taking powerful - and

potentially dangerous - drugs.

As well as suicide and suicidal thoughts, side-effects associated

with the drugs studied and other SSRI (Selective Serotonin Reuptake

Inhibitor) anti-depressants range from self harm to anxiety,

insomnia, nausea, headaches and vomiting.

Seroxat alone has been linked to at least 50 suicides - both adult

and child - in the UK since 1990.

The research comes as prescriptionsfor anti-depressants are at record

levels, with 31million written in 2006 at a cost to the NHS of almost

£300million.

Around half of these were for Prozac, Seroxat, Efexor and other

SSRIs.

Researcher Professor Irving Kirsch said: " Given these data, there

seems little evidence to support the prescription of anti-depressant

medication to any but the most severely depressed patients, unless

alternative treatments have failed to provide benefit. "

Professor Kirsch, a psychologist, reached his conclusion after

combining the results of 35 clinical trials involving more than 5,000

patients with depression.

The data on Prozac, Seroxat, Efexor and a fourth drug not used in the

UK had been submitted to the U.S. drug watchdog ahead of the

antidepressants being licensed for sale.

Two-thirds of those taking part in the studies were prescribed the

SSRIs, while the remainder took placebo tablets.

Comparison of the two groups showed that in the majority of cases the

mental health of those taking anti-depressants improved little more

than those on dummy pills.

Only those who were extremely depressed - a very small proportion of

those studied - fared substantially better when on medication.

The results suggest that those taking the tablets mainly benefit from

the " placebo effect " - in which symptoms are eased not by medication

but by relief in diagnosis and the simple expectation a treatment

will work.

Professor Kirsch emphasised that patients should not change their

treatment without speaking to their doctor, but said other approaches

include physical exercise, psychoanalysis and self-help books.

Ley, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry,

the drug industry's trade body, said all medicines have to be proven

to be more effective than a placebo before they are put on sale.

A spokesman for the National Institute for Health and Clinical

Excellence, which draws up guidelines on the treatment of illnesses,

said routine use of anti-depressants is not recommended for mild

depression.

He added that Professor Kirsch's results would be taken into

consideration when the existing guidelines are reviewed later this

year.

How I ran off my blues

Kate spent seven years on anti-depressants before weeing

herself off them

Hailed as a miracle cure for depression when they were first

prescribed in the late 1980s, the " happy pills " known as SSRIs work

by keeping the moodboosting chemical serotonin in the brain for

longer.

Kate spent seven years on anti-depressant drugs after

suffering severe depression as a teenager.

It was only when she took up running that she was able to stop taking

the pills after finding that exercise was better at lifting her mood.

Speaking about her experiences three years ago, the 35-year-old

writer from Dorset, said: " I have always felt quite low but my

depression really hit when I was a teenager.

" By the time I was 15, my GP was prescribing betablockers to relax my

nerve impulses, slow my heartbeat down and make me feel calmer. Then,

before my A-levels, I was put on anti-depressants.

" In my final year at Sussex University, my GP moved me on to Prozac,

which was the wonder drug at the time.

" Although it improved the depression, I felt detached and numb. I had

other terrible side-effects -painful, aching joints, sleeplessness

and anxiety.

" Somehow, I managed to get a job in a finance company and struggled

on but Prozac was my constant companion. "

Things changed when she set herself the challenge of training for a

marathon.

She said: " Running was so much more effective at lifting my mood than

Prozac that I consulted the doctor and spent eight months weaning

myself off the drugs.

" The withdrawal was painful but I was determined. I have no doubt

that running took me out of my depression. "

[Guest guest]

----------------------------------------------------------------------

----------

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23441710-details/Anti-

depressants%20taken%20by%20thousands%20of%20Brits%20'do%20NOT%

20work',%20major%20new%20study%20reveals/article.do

Anti-depressants taken by thousands of Brits 'do NOT work', major new

study reveals

Anti-depressant tablets taken by millions of Britons may be a waste

of time and money, research shows.

An analysis of dozens of studies involving thousands of patients

revealed that some of the most widely-prescribed anti-depressants

work little better than dummy pills.

The drugs studied - including Prozac, Seroxat and Efexor - were

little more effective than placebos in improving the mental health in

the majority of cases, the University of Hull research showed.

Scroll down for more...

New research shows that some of the most widely prescribed anti-

depressant pills are ineffective

Only in the most extreme depression did the tablets, which are taken

by around two million Britons and have been linked to a host of

sideeffects including suicide, prove substantially superior in

improving mental health.

Dr Tim Kendall, of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, described the

results as " fantastically important " .

He added that one of the study's strengths lay in the inclusion of

data which drug companies had chosen not to publicise - perhaps

because it was less favourable than they would like.

The study, published in the respected journal PLoS Medicine, suggests

hundreds of thousands of Britons are needlessly taking powerful - and

potentially dangerous - drugs.

As well as suicide and suicidal thoughts, side-effects associated

with the drugs studied and other SSRI (Selective Serotonin Reuptake

Inhibitor) anti-depressants range from self harm to anxiety,

insomnia, nausea, headaches and vomiting.

Seroxat alone has been linked to at least 50 suicides - both adult

and child - in the UK since 1990.

The research comes as prescriptionsfor anti-depressants are at record

levels, with 31million written in 2006 at a cost to the NHS of almost

£300million.

Around half of these were for Prozac, Seroxat, Efexor and other

SSRIs.

Researcher Professor Irving Kirsch said: " Given these data, there

seems little evidence to support the prescription of anti-depressant

medication to any but the most severely depressed patients, unless

alternative treatments have failed to provide benefit. "

Professor Kirsch, a psychologist, reached his conclusion after

combining the results of 35 clinical trials involving more than 5,000

patients with depression.

The data on Prozac, Seroxat, Efexor and a fourth drug not used in the

UK had been submitted to the U.S. drug watchdog ahead of the

antidepressants being licensed for sale.

Two-thirds of those taking part in the studies were prescribed the

SSRIs, while the remainder took placebo tablets.

Comparison of the two groups showed that in the majority of cases the

mental health of those taking anti-depressants improved little more

than those on dummy pills.

Only those who were extremely depressed - a very small proportion of

those studied - fared substantially better when on medication.

The results suggest that those taking the tablets mainly benefit from

the " placebo effect " - in which symptoms are eased not by medication

but by relief in diagnosis and the simple expectation a treatment

will work.

Professor Kirsch emphasised that patients should not change their

treatment without speaking to their doctor, but said other approaches

include physical exercise, psychoanalysis and self-help books.

Ley, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry,

the drug industry's trade body, said all medicines have to be proven

to be more effective than a placebo before they are put on sale.

A spokesman for the National Institute for Health and Clinical

Excellence, which draws up guidelines on the treatment of illnesses,

said routine use of anti-depressants is not recommended for mild

depression.

He added that Professor Kirsch's results would be taken into

consideration when the existing guidelines are reviewed later this

year.

How I ran off my blues

Kate spent seven years on anti-depressants before weeing

herself off them

Hailed as a miracle cure for depression when they were first

prescribed in the late 1980s, the " happy pills " known as SSRIs work

by keeping the moodboosting chemical serotonin in the brain for

longer.

Kate spent seven years on anti-depressant drugs after

suffering severe depression as a teenager.

It was only when she took up running that she was able to stop taking

the pills after finding that exercise was better at lifting her mood.

Speaking about her experiences three years ago, the 35-year-old

writer from Dorset, said: " I have always felt quite low but my

depression really hit when I was a teenager.

" By the time I was 15, my GP was prescribing betablockers to relax my

nerve impulses, slow my heartbeat down and make me feel calmer. Then,

before my A-levels, I was put on anti-depressants.

" In my final year at Sussex University, my GP moved me on to Prozac,

which was the wonder drug at the time.

" Although it improved the depression, I felt detached and numb. I had

other terrible side-effects -painful, aching joints, sleeplessness

and anxiety.

" Somehow, I managed to get a job in a finance company and struggled

on but Prozac was my constant companion. "

Things changed when she set herself the challenge of training for a

marathon.

She said: " Running was so much more effective at lifting my mood than

Prozac that I consulted the doctor and spent eight months weaning

myself off the drugs.

" The withdrawal was painful but I was determined. I have no doubt

that running took me out of my depression. "

[Guest guest]

----------------------------------------------------------------------

----------

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23441710-details/Anti-

depressants%20taken%20by%20thousands%20of%20Brits%20'do%20NOT%

20work',%20major%20new%20study%20reveals/article.do

Anti-depressants taken by thousands of Brits 'do NOT work', major new

study reveals

Anti-depressant tablets taken by millions of Britons may be a waste

of time and money, research shows.

An analysis of dozens of studies involving thousands of patients

revealed that some of the most widely-prescribed anti-depressants

work little better than dummy pills.

The drugs studied - including Prozac, Seroxat and Efexor - were

little more effective than placebos in improving the mental health in

the majority of cases, the University of Hull research showed.

Scroll down for more...

New research shows that some of the most widely prescribed anti-

depressant pills are ineffective

Only in the most extreme depression did the tablets, which are taken

by around two million Britons and have been linked to a host of

sideeffects including suicide, prove substantially superior in

improving mental health.

Dr Tim Kendall, of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, described the

results as " fantastically important " .

He added that one of the study's strengths lay in the inclusion of

data which drug companies had chosen not to publicise - perhaps

because it was less favourable than they would like.

The study, published in the respected journal PLoS Medicine, suggests

hundreds of thousands of Britons are needlessly taking powerful - and

potentially dangerous - drugs.

As well as suicide and suicidal thoughts, side-effects associated

with the drugs studied and other SSRI (Selective Serotonin Reuptake

Inhibitor) anti-depressants range from self harm to anxiety,

insomnia, nausea, headaches and vomiting.

Seroxat alone has been linked to at least 50 suicides - both adult

and child - in the UK since 1990.

The research comes as prescriptionsfor anti-depressants are at record

levels, with 31million written in 2006 at a cost to the NHS of almost

£300million.

Around half of these were for Prozac, Seroxat, Efexor and other

SSRIs.

Researcher Professor Irving Kirsch said: " Given these data, there

seems little evidence to support the prescription of anti-depressant

medication to any but the most severely depressed patients, unless

alternative treatments have failed to provide benefit. "

Professor Kirsch, a psychologist, reached his conclusion after

combining the results of 35 clinical trials involving more than 5,000

patients with depression.

The data on Prozac, Seroxat, Efexor and a fourth drug not used in the

UK had been submitted to the U.S. drug watchdog ahead of the

antidepressants being licensed for sale.

Two-thirds of those taking part in the studies were prescribed the

SSRIs, while the remainder took placebo tablets.

Comparison of the two groups showed that in the majority of cases the

mental health of those taking anti-depressants improved little more

than those on dummy pills.

Only those who were extremely depressed - a very small proportion of

those studied - fared substantially better when on medication.

The results suggest that those taking the tablets mainly benefit from

the " placebo effect " - in which symptoms are eased not by medication

but by relief in diagnosis and the simple expectation a treatment

will work.

Professor Kirsch emphasised that patients should not change their

treatment without speaking to their doctor, but said other approaches

include physical exercise, psychoanalysis and self-help books.

Ley, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry,

the drug industry's trade body, said all medicines have to be proven

to be more effective than a placebo before they are put on sale.

A spokesman for the National Institute for Health and Clinical

Excellence, which draws up guidelines on the treatment of illnesses,

said routine use of anti-depressants is not recommended for mild

depression.

He added that Professor Kirsch's results would be taken into

consideration when the existing guidelines are reviewed later this

year.

How I ran off my blues

Kate spent seven years on anti-depressants before weeing

herself off them

Hailed as a miracle cure for depression when they were first

prescribed in the late 1980s, the " happy pills " known as SSRIs work

by keeping the moodboosting chemical serotonin in the brain for

longer.

Kate spent seven years on anti-depressant drugs after

suffering severe depression as a teenager.

It was only when she took up running that she was able to stop taking

the pills after finding that exercise was better at lifting her mood.

Speaking about her experiences three years ago, the 35-year-old

writer from Dorset, said: " I have always felt quite low but my

depression really hit when I was a teenager.

" By the time I was 15, my GP was prescribing betablockers to relax my

nerve impulses, slow my heartbeat down and make me feel calmer. Then,

before my A-levels, I was put on anti-depressants.

" In my final year at Sussex University, my GP moved me on to Prozac,

which was the wonder drug at the time.

" Although it improved the depression, I felt detached and numb. I had

other terrible side-effects -painful, aching joints, sleeplessness

and anxiety.

" Somehow, I managed to get a job in a finance company and struggled

on but Prozac was my constant companion. "

Things changed when she set herself the challenge of training for a

marathon.

She said: " Running was so much more effective at lifting my mood than

Prozac that I consulted the doctor and spent eight months weaning

myself off the drugs.

" The withdrawal was painful but I was determined. I have no doubt

that running took me out of my depression. "