Study uncovers truth about antidepressants

Seems like most Americans these days have bought into the lie that taking some form of pill can solve any and all emotional or mental issues. If only it were that easy! And every time I try to give people a good dose of the truth, they point to one Big Pharm study or another that "proves" me wrong. Boy, have I got a doozie for them…

According to new research from Stephen Wisniewski, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh, antidepressants are only effective in a small percentage of patients with a narrow range of psychological disorders. Patients with multiple issues - which can be as many as 60 percent of the psychiatric patients in the U.S. - may not be getting any benefit at all from antidepressants.

How's that for depressing news? It gets worse. This new study showed how Big Pharma pumps up the efficacy results of the drug trials for their antidepressants.

Wisniewski's team examined data compiled in a massive, government-funded review of more than 40 psychiatric facilities. This study, known as the "Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression" ("STAR*D" for short), is a picture of nearly the entire population of depression patients in the U.S.

Researchers compared STAR*D patients to a group of subjects for a standard antidepressant drug trial conducted by a pharmaceutical manufacturer (the trials that the FDA commonly reviews as part of the approval process for new medications).

As it turns out, the parameters for joining a typical antidepressant drug trial were so narrow that just 22 percent of the patients in the STAR*D survey would qualify to be part of the trial.

This means that Big Pharma tests its antidepressants using patients who fall within a very small range of depressive symptoms… and then markets these same drugs to EVERY depression patient in the country.

Wisniewski said that "current efficacy trials suggest a more optimistic outcome than is likely in practice." Let's cut to the chase here. What he's really saying is that Big Pharma is gaming the system to get new SSRIs approved by the FDA.

Of course he's too afraid to come right out and say that. Instead, he said that he doesn't intend his new study to be a smoking gun that proves Big Pharma is intentionally taking problematic patients out of the testing mix to get better efficacy results. He might not have "intended" it, but that's exactly what he did. And it's about time.

"If the population in a [clinical] trial were more representative, it would come at a cost," Wisniewski says. "That's why trials to determine efficacy are done on a relatively homogeneous population."

Well, he's right about one thing - experimenting with drugs does come at a cost. Either it'll cost the deep-pocketed drug companies a few bucks, or it'll cost you your health.

I know which I'd choose.

Testosterone gels endanger kids

Apparently, so many kids are suffering adverse side effects as a result of contact with their parents' testosterone gels that the FDA has actually issued their "strongest" warnings on these products - the "black box" label.

This is serious stuff - kids are at risk for things like aggressive behavior and early bone aging, not to mention the premature appearance of pubic hair, sexual drive, and enlargement of genitalia - and some of these kids have even needed to undergo surgery. All because adults who used the gel neglected to wash their hands.

The gels usually applied to the upper arms and shoulders - is to increase the sex drive of men (or women) with low or nonexistent levels of testosterone. Users are advised to wash thoroughly and cover the treated area after application, but clearly plenty of folks are ignoring these instruction. So what good is more label going to do?

Now, you already know how I feel about testosterone. If not, here's the short version: It's good for both men and women - especially when it comes to protecting against stroke, reducing heart attack risk, and, of course, keeping that spark in the bedroom.

Of course, not all testosterone is created equal. You always want to stick with the bioidentical kind - and if you're opting for any type of hormone replacement therapy, it should always be done under the careful supervision of a doctor.

If you happen to have any of this gel in your house, keep it under lock and key. And when you use it, by all means, wash your hands! You shouldn't need a black box warning to tell you that.