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New study: 'Prozac does not work'

  2. abbym0308
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Bad news for the 40 million people who take Prozac. It and similar drugs are no better for treating depression than placebos, according to a major review of the antidepressants available today. "The study examined all available data on the drugs, including results from clinical trials that the manufacturers chose not to publish at the time. The trials compared the effect on patients taking the drugs with those given a placebo or sugar pill. When all the data was pulled together, it appeared that patients had improved - but those on placebo improved just as much as those on the drugs."

Not surprisingly, the drug companies who make a number of the drugs targeted in this study are standing behind their claims that the drugs do work, with "very positive" benefits.

So once again it's scientists versus drug companies, with a multi-billion dollar industry and people's well being in the balance. Do you think that these pills work? Or is it a case of power of the mind?
abbym0308

18 responses // New study: 'Prozac does not work'

  • http://www.marc.ucla.edu/body.cfm?id=20
    Placebos are getting a bad rap. But there is actually scientific evidence that placebos -- the power of the mind -- do have an effect, a positive one, on many types of conditions, even chronic pain.
    Julie_Soller
  • There has been a myth going around that counselling and prozac are the magic formula that beats depression. Counsellors and drug companies both make money this way. See www.popan.org.uk
    robertanthony
  • http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/Modern-life39s-pressu...
    Apparently more animals than ever are now being perscribed antidepressants. Parrots on prozac?

    "Symptoms often include plucking out their feathers or self-harming, which is obviously very dangerous."
    Simon_S
  • The decline of peoples (real life) social networks, and the increasingly individual nature we seem to be adopting are giving people less avenues to talk about their problems. In other words, a lack of real life social support.

    Combined with drug companies media push to persuade us we wont be in tip-top shape unless we self medicate, or take whatver the new "enhancment" drug of the moment is. This is just is begging for problems.

    On my visit to the US last summer I couldn't skip through channels without being shouted at by conservatives, or told i wouldn't be happy unless i bought "this new great material object", or that my penis was too small, or that i am always depressed and need pills.

    No suprise everyones so fucked up.
    Social_Fuzz
  • Check out this link and look at positive psychology there's evidence that drugs and psychotherapy dont work - that people have been given the wrong info for years. There are lots of people out there cashing in on human suffering and feelings of inadequacy. I haven't bought the penis pump, hired a counsellor or taken the pills.

    http://www.centreforconfidence.co.uk/pp/overview.php?p=...=
    robertanthony
  • Hey guys
    I think it's very easy saying pills don't work, though I've personally found out they do. I suffered from anxiety attacks after a long period doing drugs. I stopped with drugs, but my attacks were becoming stronger and stronger. I tried with many things (such as chinesse medicince, yoga and bach flowers) and nothing worked out. Everything was useful at first, probably because of the placebo effect, but finally I was forced by a friend to visit a psychiatrist. He gave me lexapro and I started therapy. Now I'm off lexapro, and I do bikram yoga almost everyday, and I think I can say I'm over panic attacks now. But it's not very responsible saying pills don't work, specially if you consider that people having depression are vey easily convinced by things like that. Some people really need treatment.
    lomper
  • Well if that's true, looks like 40 million people are "suddenly" going to complain that their medicine isn't working.
    brianjhong
  • I remember lots of evidence being published in france

    about the dangers of prozac leading to suicide and violence.

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/758763.stm

    http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CEFD9...
    robertanthony
  • The biggest problem with pharmaceutical drugs is that they are so morosely over-prescribed.
    They are a help WHERE THEY'RE NEEDED, but putting someone on Prozac to fix their depression is like giving them pain killers when their arm is fractured; they may not feel the pain of it, but their bone, if it heals, will most likely be deformed and weak, since nobody bothered to set or splint it.

    Good psychology/ meditation, chiropractic, dietary supplements, good nutrition, drinking water instead of dissolved solids, regular exercise, etc. etc. all have a hugely positive effect on both body and mind, and these things need to become the hallmark, rather than the alternative, in treating mental and physical ailments.

    I'd have to hunt down a source, but aren't most pharmaceuticals made from the bi-products of oil refinement/ production...?
    I'm 98% sure that's a fact. Makes the world seem like it's riddled with snakes.

    By the by, fat burning pills are scary. It's always something like "90% of the weight you loose is pure body fat! Happy day!" What about that 10%? Doesn't sound healthy in the slightest. You can also loose weight by hacking off one of your limbs.
    Humdrum
  • I have been trying to tell my friends and family that for years...it is easy to find this info...the media drags its feet on it because of sponsorship..they should not allow them to advertise drugs...even cold and allergy...see http://www.askapatient.com
    CarolynGillis
    1 response to this
  • There must be a NEW drug class about to come on the market...
    kennyJ
  • Good call humdrum.
    ILiveonaClock
  • Um, don't placebos work? First post guy had a good point.
    Adumbration
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychiatry:_An_Industry_of...
    Tom Cruise must feel vindicated by this study.
    mcamargo
  • stopnoise
  • The placebo effect is an interesting issue to consider, since there would be a number of the 40 million "users" of Prozac would have sworn that they were feeling "better"...

    Perhaps with the placebo effect- we are literally OBSERVING the power of HOPE?
    kennyJ
  • Well, if anything, this feeds my theory that there are alot of weak people out there who rely heavily on exterior solutions to their problems. Whether it's through religion or alcohol or drugs, people have a hard time facing themselves internally, and seriously trying to figure out why they're in the shape they're in. It's so much easier to pray or pop a pill to solve all your problems...or at least make them go away.

    Not saying that there aren't people who really need drugs. My brother's a schizophrenic who also suffers from depression. I just think that drugs are not the cure-all the way people believe them to be. Half the time they cause more damage, than if you just took the proper measures to help yourself in the first place.
    The fact that placebo's work only prove that people prefer to outsource they're issues. The power of the mind is unmeasurable. Imagine if we tried to use some of it sometime.
    Neghie

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