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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Craig on August 24, 2000, at 2:30:08
There will be a story about withdrawal from antidepressants on 20/20 Friday August 25. ABC airs 20/20 at 10 PM Eastern time.
Posted by Cindy W on August 24, 2000, at 8:25:25
In reply to Withdrawal from antidepressants on 20/20 Friday, posted by Craig on August 24, 2000, at 2:30:08
> There will be a story about withdrawal from antidepressants on 20/20 Friday August 25. ABC airs 20/20 at 10 PM Eastern time.
Craig, wish I could see that! Would you please summarize the results here? (I don't get ABC, in fact, I don't get any channels!!!).--Cindy W
Posted by CraigF on August 25, 2000, at 14:41:36
In reply to Re: Withdrawal from antidepressants on 20/20 Friday, posted by Cindy W on August 24, 2000, at 8:25:25
I would definitely take the piece with enough salt to kill a lake full of leeches. 20/20 aims to alarm as much as any other news magazine now. It's sad. (But I'm just like everyone else so I'll probably watch too)
Posted by Craig on August 26, 2000, at 1:38:21
In reply to Re: Withdrawal from antidepressants on 20/20 Friday, posted by Cindy W on August 24, 2000, at 8:25:25
Visit http://wwww.2020.abc news.com for the most complete info on this topic, but here's a summary.
Getting Off Antidepressants
Withdrawal Side Effects of SSRIs Emerging
By Rebecca RaphaelAug. 25 — As bad as her panic attacks were,
27-year-old Melissa Hall says that going off the
medication she originally took as treatment was
also a nightmare.
Although she followed a doctor’s
advice and tapered off the Paxil, she
says she experienced severe dizziness,
nausea and electric shock sensations,
which left her virtually incapacitated.
“I didn’t work for two months,” she
says. “I just laid on my couch waiting for
the dizziness and nausea and everything
to go away.”
When doctors didn’t have answers
for her, Melissa turned to the Internet, where she found
hundreds of postings by people experiencing similar
symptoms as they discontinued Paxil, reassuring her that
she was not alone.
As patients like Melissa attempt to discontinue use of
various antidepressants, some
experts worry they are not
getting enough information about
how to deal with potential
withdrawal side effects.
Millions of people, perhaps
as many as 10 percent of the
American population, have
taken serotonin boosters, which
are often used to treat
depression, panic disorder and
compulsive behavior. Many of
them have no problem
discontinuing use, but others
experience side effects of varying degrees.
“Some of them seem to have more withdrawal side
effects than others,” says Thomas Moore, a health policy
analyst at George Washington University.
Despite anecdotal reports, there have been very few
studies, and experts can’t say how many people may
experience some form of withdrawal.
“We see withdrawal symptoms that can be so severe,”
says Dr. Joseph Glenmullen, a clinical instructor in
psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and author of
Prozac Backlash, “that patients feel held hostage to the
antidepressant.”Washing Out of the Body
Shari Loback was prescribed Paxil for chronic headaches
by her neurologist, who she says never warned her about
problems associated with getting off the drug. “I was so
dizzy and sick, and sometimes I would get out of bed and
I would just collapse because I couldn’t get up,” Loback
says. Other patients report experiencing balance
problems, flu-like symptoms, hallucinations, blurred vision,
irritability, tingling sensations, vivid dreams, nervousness
and melancholy.
While SSRIs work similarly, by adjusting the amount
of serotonin in the brain, they each have a different
half-life, which is the amount of time the drug stays in the
body. The SSRIs with shorter half-lives, such as Paxil,
wash out of the body most quickly and can cause a jolt to
the nervous system. In contrast, Prozac, which has a
longer half-life, remains in the system longer, so
withdrawal effects may be less disruptive.
“Prozac is less likely to cause acute withdrawal,” says
Dr. Robert Hedaya, psychopharmacologist and author of
The Antidepressant Survival Guide. “Withdrawal
symptoms take longer to hit, but that doesn’t mean you
won’t experience them in four or five weeks.”
Compounding the problem, some experts say, is that
many patients who go off the drug mistake withdrawal
symptoms for a return of the original symptoms they were
using the drug to treat. It is then very common for patients
to restart the medication. “This is chasing one’s tail by
medicating withdrawal side effects,” says Dr. Glenmullen,
which often results in needlessly prolonging exposure to
the drug.
The product insert for Paxil warns that “abrupt
discontinuation may lead to symptoms such as dizziness,
sensory disturbances, agitation or anxiety, nausea and
sweating, and also mentions “withdrawal syndrome” as a
rare adverse event.
“What we have seen in terms of the anecdotal reports
is that it happens very rarely,” says Dr. David Wheadon,
vice president of regulatory affairs at SmithKline
Beecham, the maker of Paxil, referring to withdrawal side
effects. After growing concern about these withdrawal
symptoms, drug companies renamed these phenomena
“antidepressant discontinuation syndrome,” avoiding the
negative connotations of the word “withdrawal.”
Wheadon says these symptoms only occur in about two
out of every 1,000 patients who discontinue the
medication in what he calls an “appropriate” way. Even
then, he says, the symptoms are mild and short-lived.
While Melissa Hall was ultimately able to get off the
antidepressant, she says her experience was far from mild
or short-lived. “Even though I had found people on the
Internet that were going through the same thing,” she says,
“no one knew how long it was going to take.”
ABCNEWS’ Alison Sesnon produced the 20/20
report.As You Go Off an Antidepressant…
Work closely with a doctor. Think of your doctor
as your partner in healing, suggests Hedaya. Don’t go off
medication without medical supervision.
Taper the medication. Experts agree that the
best way to avoid withdawal side effects is to wean off
the medication. By reducing the dosage in small
increments, the brain can gradually adjust to the change in
chemical balance and slowly adapt to living without the
drug. For some people, experts say, this process may
take up to a year.
Get psychotherapy. While drugs can often cover
up problems, therapy can help uncover and address the
underlying causes. Cognitive behavioral treatment, for
example, can work to change maladaptive behavior, bring
out stifled emotions and provide you with the tools for
dealing with future issues. In fact, extensive clinical
research has shown that for some conditions,
psychotherapy is superior to medication in the long run.
Time it right. It is best to go off medication,
Hedaya suggests, when the factors that may have led to
depression or a panic attack, for example, were resolved
or at least under your control. It may be beneficial to go off
medication when not undergoing a major life change or
enduring stress.
Exercise. Study after study provides strong
evidence that exercise plays a major role in lifting mood,
boosting energy, improving immune function, reducing
stress, anxiety and insomnia, increasing sex drive and
elevating self-esteem.
Eat a healthy, balanced diet. Consider
consulting a nutritionist who can suggest foods that will
positively impact mood, energy level or help treat (or at
least not worsen) any other conditions.
Find a “centering practice.” Dr. Richard
Mackenzie of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles recommends
a “centering practice” such as yoga or meditation to get in
touch with your inner compass, find equilibrium, reduce
stress, stabilize mood swings and relax.
Get your hormone systems tested. “Everybody
should make sure they have a very thorough evaluation of
their nutritional status, hormones, minerals, vitamins and
immune system,” says Hedaya, “to enhance possibilities
of reducing dosage or going off medicine.” Hormone
imbalances like an underactive thyroid or deficiencies of
amino acids and minerals, for example, can rob you of
energy, sexual vitality and feelings of well-being and are
easily treated.
Consider vitamin supplements. Hedaya reports
success in patients coming off Efexor, for example, by
taking 25-50 mg. of Vitamin B6 daily. He notes, however,
that excessive doses on a prolonged basis can be toxic.
Turn to friends and family. “These are people
who have been in a patient’s life far longer than a
therapist,” says Glenmullen, “and will continue to be there
long after therapy is complete.” Glenmullen also suggests
making use of community resources such as church or
support groups.
— Rebecca Raphael, ABCNEWS.comCopyright (c)2000 ABC News Internet Ventures.
**************************************************
> > There will be a story about withdrawal from antidepressants on 20/20 Friday August 25. ABC airs 20/20 at 10 PM Eastern time.
>
> Craig, wish I could see that! Would you please summarize the results here? (I don't get ABC, in fact, I don't get any channels!!!).--Cindy W
Posted by Craig on August 26, 2000, at 1:48:24
In reply to Withdrawal from antidepressants on 20/20 Friday, posted by Craig on August 24, 2000, at 2:30:08
The correct address for the transcript of Friday's program is http://abcnews.go.com/onair/2020/2020_000825_SSRIwithdrawal_feature.html
You can also find it through http://www.2020.abcnews.com
*****************************************
> There will be a story about withdrawal from antidepressants on 20/20 Friday August 25. ABC airs 20/20 at 10 PM Eastern time.
Posted by JohnB on August 26, 2000, at 3:08:56
In reply to Summary of 20/20 Withdrawal from Antidepressants, posted by Craig on August 26, 2000, at 1:38:21
Thanks for bringing us the info Craig.
>Get your hormone systems tested. “Everybody
should make sure they have a very thorough evaluation of
their nutritional status, hormones, minerals, vitamins and
immune system,” says Hedaya, “to enhance possibilities
of reducing dosage or going off medicine.” Hormone
imbalances like an underactive thyroid or deficiencies of
amino acids and minerals, for example, can rob you of
energy, sexual vitality and feelings of well-being and are
easily treated.This statement interests me. Is it true? I've never heard of a test for amino acid deficiancies. Is it a standard thing a lab can do?
Posted by Cindy W on August 26, 2000, at 10:57:31
In reply to Address correction of 20/20 summary, posted by Craig on August 26, 2000, at 1:48:24
> The correct address for the transcript of Friday's program is http://abcnews.go.com/onair/2020/2020_000825_SSRIwithdrawal_feature.html
> You can also find it through http://www.2020.abcnews.com
> *****************************************
> > There will be a story about withdrawal from antidepressants on 20/20 Friday August 25. ABC airs 20/20 at 10 PM Eastern time.Craig, thank you for posting the summary and the address! It was very interesting to me, since I take Effexor-XR (and don't get ABC). Again, thanks!!!!--Cindy W
Posted by julesvox on August 27, 2000, at 1:22:03
In reply to Re: Summary of 20/20 Withdrawal from Antidepressan, posted by JohnB on August 26, 2000, at 3:08:56
>Get your hormone systems tested. “Everybody
> should make sure they have a very thorough evaluation of
> their nutritional status, hormones, minerals, vitamins and
> immune system,” says Hedaya, “to enhance possibilities
> of reducing dosage or going off medicine.” Hormone
> imbalances like an underactive thyroid or deficiencies of
> amino acids and minerals, for example, can rob you of
> energy, sexual vitality and feelings of well-being and are
> easily treated.
>
> This statement interests me. Is it true? I've never heard of a test for amino acid deficiancies. Is it a standard thing a lab can do?i have been researching aminos & supplements based largely on a book called 'the diet cure' by julia ross. my impression is that it's still considered a fairly alternative health approach. ross says you can ask your doctor for a urine or blood plasma test for amino acid levels, but that 'the test may show you have plenty of amino acids, but your symptoms might indicate that you need more...the proof is in how the aminos [supplements] make you feel.' i've used aminos for digestive health problems, pms and depression and felt really positive about them. -julesvox
Posted by AW on September 1, 2000, at 0:19:20
In reply to Re: Withdrawal from antidepressants on 20/20 Friday, posted by Cindy W on August 24, 2000, at 8:25:25
I live in Australia. There was a 2 part show on our ABC that was presented by Geraldine Doogue but was not called 20/20. My mum saw it and said it was about similar issues with both episodes devoted to depression.
I get more details if anyone is interested.
This is the end of the thread.
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