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Thickened arteries, heart disease, depression, suicide, and now, we can add bleeding of the brain to the long list of side effects of antidepressants. Though the risk is admittedly very small, researchers declared on Wednesday that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may raise the risk of hemorrhagic strokes, which happen when the brain bleeds.
SSRIs include a wide variety of common antidepressents, including Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa, and Paxil. These drugs are also linked to an increased risk of stomach bleeding.
Platelets Can’t Clot, Hemorrhage
After analyzing 16 previous studies involving over 500,000 patients, researchers determined that SSRI users were 40 to 50 percent more likely to suffer bleeding of or around the brain. The researchers were not, however, able to collect other relevant data, like subjects’ smoking and drinking habits, diet, and whether they had diabetes. Their findings were published in the journal Neurology.
Although lead researcher Dr. Daniel G. Hackam of Western University in London, Ontario says that we “can’t infer cause and effect from this,” it isn’t exactly an unreasonable association. Blood cells (platelets) have difficulty clumping and clotting in the presence of SSRIs, causing the patient’s platelet function to stumble soon after taking SSRIs. This may be why patients experienced the greatest risk of hemorrhage within the first few months of taking the drugs.
People already at risk of brain hemorrhage would do well to stay away from SSRIs, Hackam added, as well as those on medications that reduce clotting like Coumadin or an aspirin-Plavix combination.
Psychiatrists and Financial Conflicts of Interest
It’s worth noting that Hackam also says that these drugs are, overall, “quite safe.” Perhaps he’s neglected to look at the Emory University School of Medicine’s findings that antidepressants thickened arteries 400 percent more than aging, which is the foremost factor of athersclerosis. Still other studies indicate that Cymbalta and other antidepressants cause 1 in 5 patients to feel worse than when administered placebos.
Why, then, are so many patients treated with powerful psychotactive drugs instead of a personalized combination of vitamin D, probiotis, diet, acupuncture, yoga, and other natural remedies? Perhaps because 70 percent of panel members to the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders have financial ties to pharmaceutical companies.
Additional sources:
Chicago Tribune
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It’s worth noting that Hackam also says that these drugs are, overall, “quite safe.” Perhaps he’s neglected to look at the Emory University School of Medicine’s findings that antidepressants thickened arteries 400 percent more than aging, which is the foremost factor of athersclerosis. Still other studies indicate that Cymbalta and other antidepressants cause 1 in 5 patients to feel worse than when administered placebos.
Why, then, are so many patients treated with powerful psychotactive drugs instead of a personalized combination of vitamin D, probiotis, diet, acupuncture, yoga, and other natural remedies? Perhaps because 70 percent of panel members to the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders have financial ties to pharmaceutical companies.
Additional sources:
Chicago Tribune
Explore More:
- Antidepressants Could Cause Harm to Heart, Brain, and Bones
- Antidepressants Cause Your Arteries to Thicken 400% More Than Aging
- Antidepressants Drastically Increase the Risk for Miscarriages
- Antidepressants Increase Breast Cancer Risk
- Antidepressants Proven to be Useless, Pushed on Public Anyway
- More than 1 in 10 Americans on Suicide-Linked Antidepressants
This article first appeared at Natural Society, an excellent resource for health news and vaccine information.
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5 comments:
I wrestling with depression for many years, while so called mental health care professionals (counselers) dismissed it as a "character flaw". I was all too nieve to doubt them. After going through a divorce, I again sought help and a psychiatrist diagnosed me with major depression in 1998. He prescribed Paxil and Zanex. I took these drugs for about a year and a half before realizing the cure was worse than the disease. When the shrink recommended me upping my dosage of Zanex significantly, I quite taking any of them and started smoking marijuana. It worked. It worked very well for 12 years. Then my employer initiated a drug free workplace policy. Having been with the company for 17 years and being 56 years old with a limited skill set in a dismal employment market, finding another job was a not an option. I was eventually tested and of course the result was positive. After 4 weeks of being drug free and flatly refusing to go back on the poisons they are willing to allow me to take, several things have come to light. After a week it is said that the sleep deprivation goes away. That is not true. It is said that after two weeks mental function begins to improve. That is not only false, mental function is deteriorating. Social interaction is becoming very difficult, even with close friends. Anger management is becoming an issue. I will soon be homeless even though I will soon be allowed to return to work since I am very near being able to produce a clean urine sample.
One aspect of the medical value of marijuana I had often heard but never given creedence to was the treatment of arthritis. The amount of pain I am in now is nearly debilitatiing. When I started using marijuana, my arthritis was very mild, so that aspect of the benefit of use did not become apparant to me until stopping.
Smoking less than one gram per day (more like 1/2 to 2/3) before bed was a very effective treatment for depression as well as arthritis. It allowed me to sleep and fuction very well. A little over a month ago I was considered a key asset to a small business. Now I am an unstable wretch of a drug free fool. My employer has screwed herself and for all intents and purposed ruined my quality of life. I have no apologies for anyone. I have been sacrificed, along with countless others on the altar of profit for BigPharma.
Marijuana prohibition in any form, other than witholding it from kids, is not only foolish and counterproductive, it is IMMORAL.
I stop smoking pot five time my accute rhumatism came back now i take it raw ,and you do not get hight do it show in urine do not know
I have heard these negative stories now for years,, literally, years. I suffered from manic-depression for 50yrs. and had 2 sisters on anti-depressents, when I finally went and got Zolof. Since then, I have had no 'attacks' of suicide..........(don't tell DHS)For myself, Zolof has been a life-saver, literally. My dad, the manic-depressive, committed suicide at 64. So, just go away with your negative testimonials.
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i wonder if natural treatments like st johns wort and 5-htp have the same risks???
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