NEWS - FDA adds suicide warning to epilepsy drugs

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FDA Adds Suicide Warning to Epilepsy Drugs

By Steve Reinberg

HealthDay Reporter

Tuesday, December 16, 2008; 12:00 AM

TUESDAY, Dec. 16 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug

Administration announced Tuesday that it was adding a label warning on

heightened suicide risk for users of antiepileptic drugs.

The move, which follows the advice last summer of an FDA advisory

panel, stops short of slapping the strongest " black box " warning on

this class of drugs, which includes widely used medications such as

clonazepam (Klonopin), phenytoin (Dilantin) and topiramate (Topamax).

" Patients being treated with antiepileptic drugs for any indication

should be monitored for the emergence or worsening of depression,

suicidal thoughts or behavior, or any unusual changes in mood or

behavior, " Dr. Katz, director of the division of neurology

products in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in

an agency news release.

But, he added, " patients who are currently taking an antiepileptic

medicine should not make any treatment changes without talking to

their health care professional. "

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Read the entire article here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/16/AR2008121602240.\

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