Suicide Warnings Raise Bigger Fears On Testing Process
Warnings that drugs such as Prozac, Paxil and Effexor can increase suicidal behavior in some children have resulted in a nearly 20 percent drop in U.S. pediatric prescriptions of the widely used antidepressants and have triggered deep concerns about the quality of current data on psychiatric drugs, doctors and regulators said.
The unprecedented fall of what were once considered wonder drugs comes as a series of taxpayer-funded analyses have systematically undermined the claims of industry-funded drug trials, raising thorny questions about the ways …

Popular antidepressants including Prozac and Paxil have little impact on most patients, according to a comprehensive review of newly released data from trials that were conducted before the drugs were approved in the U.S.
Researchers from the U.K., U.S. and Canada analyzed results for fluoxetine (better known by the brand name Prozac), venlafaxine (Effexor), nefazodone (Serzone) and paroxetine (Paxil or Seroxat) — all members of a class of drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). The researchers’ paper, published this week in the journal PLoS Medicine, claims that only patients …

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today released a list of 20 drugs that are on its adverse effect “watch list” — drugs that have potential new serious risks or had new safety information from January to March 2008. The data come from FDA’s Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS) database, its only method for gathering safety and adverse effects about drugs approved for prescribing in the U.S. Adverse events are voluntarily reported by physicians who prescribe the medications.
Two psychiatric medications made the list — Duloxetine (Cymbalta) for a serious risk …

Ritalin (methylphenidate)
How does Ritalin work? What will it do for me?
Methylphenidate belongs to the family of medications known as stimulants. It is used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy (uncontrollable need to sleep) in children over 6 years old and adults. It helps to increase attention and decrease restlessness in children and adults who have been diagnosed with ADHD. Other measures (e.g., psychological, educational, and social therapies) are used along with methylphenidate as part of an overall treatment program for ADHD. This medication also helps to stimulate …

TEGRETOL Novartis
Carbamazepine
Use:
Anticonvulsant, antimanic agent. Epilepsy: Adults and children > 12 years – initially, 100-200 mg once or twice a day; increased in divided doses until best response obtained. Optimal daily dosage: 800-1200 mg. Rarely, some adults may require 1600 mg/day. As soon as disappearance of seizures has been obtained and maintained, reduce dosage very gradually to minimum effective dose. Children 6-12 years: Initially, 100 mg in divided doses on first day; increased by 100mg/day until best response obtained. Maximum daily dosage: 1000mg.
Trigeminal neuralgia: Initially, 100 mg twice daily; increased …