Antidepressant Drugs & Children: More Deception By The Pharmaceutical Giants

More dubious and underhand tactics have recently come to light regarding pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline. In a document leaked to the BBC's Panorama team, it was made apparent that managers of the firm deliberately held back information on the effect of their antidepressant drug Seroxat on children, in order to ensure that it wouldn't damage their huge adult market in any way.

The results of two clinical trials on the effects of Seroxat on children showed it was no better than a placebo... apparently GlaxoSmithKline were aware of these findings as far back as 1998 yet kept quiet. The drug was banned from being prescribed to children last year in the UK.

But what about the situation on the other side of the pond? In the US a recent hearing conducted by a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel, convened to examine the negative effects that antidepressant drugs have on children.

No comment was expected from the panel until summer. So it came as a surprise when the panel issued a statement last week recommending that warnings are needed immediately to elevate the level of concern for doctors who might prescribe antidepressants to treat young patients.

Far worse than finding that antidepressants worked no better than placebo in children, it has been found that a disturbing number of young people have committed suicide while taking these drugs.

Secret keepers
So what exactly has been going on?

Last October, the FDA issued a warning that doctors should be cautious in prescribing selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs, such as Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft) to children. The warning cited the possibility that SSRIs may be linked to suicides when taken by patients under the age of 18.

Then in December, regulators in the UK issued a warning that SSRIs may be unsuitable for children because of an estimated 3.2 percent increased risk of suicide among children who take these drugs. The warning also revealed that several negative studies of SSRI effects on young patients - as mentioned above - have been withheld from publication.

This supposed revelation was referred to as a 'smoking gun' by some, but no one who's familiar with the drug approval process is surprised.

When drug makers conduct trials in preparation for a mainstream medical review, such as the FDA or MCA, they routinely withhold studies that could be damaging - submitting only the studies that would encourage approval. This is their right under the current system. They fund all of the research, so they can keep any study secret if the results would negatively affect a pending approval.

The problem with this system is obvious: When negative results are withheld, doctors may end up prescribing a drug without knowing about some of the associated problems.

But because SSRIs are such popular drugs, their effects on children have also been researched in government-funded studies. And analysts have found that government studies are far more likely than industry-funded studies to conclude that antidepressants may not work well for children.

Show of hands: Is anyone really shocked by this?

Safe alternatives
For example, an FDA analysis of available SSRI studies involving children suggests that more than 100 subjects experienced suicide-related behaviours.

Advocates of SSRI use in children (and there are many) say that the number of suicides by users of the drugs are offset by the number of kids who would commit suicide without the drugs. But this argument only holds water if you completely ignore the natural alternatives to treating depression. For example, nutritional changes can often provide effective treatment for depression in young and old alike.

In a previous e-Alert, I told you how those who experience mild to moderate depression often find relief with an increased intake of omega-3 fatty acids (in fish or fish oil supplements). And people who are depressed are often deficient in magnesium, which is found in whole grains, nuts and leafy green vegetables.

Herbal supplements like valerian root, chamomile, black cohosh, and rosemary may also help manage depression. And the standout among the herbs for mild to moderate depression is, of course, St. John's wort, which is sometimes called the 'natural Prozac' for its apparent ability to help manage the proper functioning of seratonin in the brain.

High levels of B vitamins have also been shown to relieve symptoms of
depression. In addition to supplements, good dietary sources of vitamin B are: tuna, salmon, avocados, bananas, mangoes, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, poultry and meat. Note that stress (which often goes hand in hand with depression) is believed to deplete the body's store of B vitamins.

If you're the parent or grandparent of a child who's struggling with depression, I urge you to explore the dietary and supplement options.