Depression
Can Resveratrol Help Ease Stress, Anxiety and De…
Scientists have been investigating resveratrol, a compound found in grapes, berries, peanuts, cacao beans, knotweed and many other plants for about four decades. They have discovered that this polyphe…
Show 1145: Are Big Corporations Hacking the Amer…
The distinction between pleasure and happiness might seem like a philosopher’s quibble. Fat Chance author Dr. Robert Lustig tells us why this difference is vitally important to our national wellbein…
The Beta Blocker Blahs Can Be Debilitating
Beta blockers are blood pressure medications that have been around for many decades. They include drugs like atenolol (Tenormin), metoprolol (Toprol) and propranolol (Inderal). In some instances, such…
Vegetables Linked to Improvement in Psychologica…
When you were little, did anyone tell you to eat your vegetables? Eating more fruits and vegetables, especially vegetables, may boost your sense of well-being. An analysis of ten studies that included…
Why Aren’t Docs Outraged by Inadequate Generic…
Doctors, pharmacists and nurses are directly responsible for patient care. They prescribe, dispense and oversee treatment. Why aren’t they more concerned about generic drug quality? We are confounde…
Doctor Prescribes Inexpensive Generic Ketamine N…
There’s a new drug for depression. It’s called esketamine (Spravato) and it is pricey! We’re talking thousands of dollars a month pricey. The FDA approved this nasal spray for “treatment-resis…
Generic Escitalopram (Lexapro) Bombs Out Against…
Escitalopram (Lexapro) is an SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor). That means it is a lot like fluoxetine (Prozac). We have lost confidence in the FDA’s ability monitor generic drug quality…
How To Stop Venlafaxine: Very, VERY Slowly!
It has taken the medical profession a very long time to acknowledge that many of the most popular drugs in the pharmacy can cause a kind of dependence. By that we mean such drugs can precipitate serio…
Will FDA Approve Esketamine Nasal Spray for Depr…
An FDA advisory panel voted this week that a new form of an old compound is sufficiently safe and effective to be considered for approval. The old compound is ketamine, which has been used as an intra…
Why You Can Die of a Broken Heart
Can you really die of a broken heart? This centuries-old idea may have seemed like an old wives' tale or a romantic fancy powering folk songs like "Barbara Allen." (Here's a link to Joan Baez singing …
Bupropion Helps With Mood, Sex and Quitting Smok…
Bupropion (Wellbutrin) was first approved by the FDA in 1985 to treat depression. It remains a totally unique antidepressant. There is no similar antidepressant on the market. Unlike SSRI and SNRI ant…
Getting Off Venlafaxine Can Be Incredibly Challe…
Many years ago we heard from a reader who was trying to get off alprazolam (Xanax). It was not commonly recognized that short-acting benzodiazepines (benzos) could pose unbearable withdrawal symptoms …
Could Suicide Be Prevented with Better Access to…
Anthony Bourdain, Kate Spade, Robin Williams, Kurt Cobain and Marilyn Monroe are just a few of the celebrities who have taken their own lives. To say their deaths made headlines would be an understate…
Will You Gain Weight on an Antidepressant?
People who take antidepressant medications for many years often complain that they gain weight. Is this observation merely anecdotal, or is there evidence to support it? Do People Gain Weight When The…
Commonly Prescribed Anticholinergic Drugs Linked…
Alzheimer’s disease is scary. It robs people of their memories and their ability to function. Many people think it’s brought on by bad genes or bad luck. But there is mounting evidence that our en…
Why Is Antidepressant Withdrawal So Hard?
It is estimated that one out of every eight Americans takes an antidepressant medication (JAMA Internal Medicine, Feb. 2017). According to the New York Times, roughly 25 million Americans have been ta…
Will Mindfulness Meditation Reduce the Risk of D…
Warding off major depression without medication is a big challenge. Mindfulness meditation may help, however. A study found that people with low-level depression who practiced meditation in a group we…
Enjoy a Vegetable-Rich Diet to Prevent Depressio…
A vegetable-rich diet is known as DASH, for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. This eating plan has been shown to help people control their blood pressure. That, in turn, helps reduce their risk…
Stopping Duloxetine Leads to Terrible Withdrawal…
Before anyone starts taking an antidepressant, the prescriber should give them some guidance on how to quit. As it turns out, getting off a medication like duloxetine can be extremely difficult becaus…
How Can I Find Sertraline that Works?
Sertraline (Zoloft) is one of the most popular antidepressants in the pharmacy. According to our data, over 7 million people take this medicine every day in the United States. That means it beats out …
Serotonin Syndrome From Lexapro Plus Robitussin …
Millions of people take antidepressant medications like escitalopram (Lexapro), citalopram (Celexa), fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil) or sertraline (Zoloft). These are known as SSRIs (selective…
Ketamine Zaps Suicidal Thoughts Within Hours
An old anesthetic medication is getting new attention as a fast-acting way to reverse suicidal thoughts. That's the news from a high-powered study published in The American Journal of Psychiatry, onli…
Tramadol Plus Sertraline Could be Deadly Cocktai…
Serotonin is a crucial neurotransmitter. It is found in the brain as well as the digestive tract. Serotonin is also found in blood cells called platelets. It plays a crucial role in regulating mood. T…
What To Do When a Miracle Drug for Pain Goes Sou…
Almost everyone wants a miracle drug for pain relief. Is Lyrica (pregabalin) that medicine? If you watch any television at all you have likely seen commercials for Lyrica. A few years ago there was a …
Rejecting the Idea of Antidepressants and Suicid…
There is a common belief that most depressed patients feel helpless and hopeless. The thinking goes that overwhelming sadness and debilitating despair lead to lethargy and immobilization. Health profe…
Will Sleep Deprivation Improve Your Mood?
This is a man-bites-dog story that you will probably have a hard time believing. It surprised us, that's for sure. For years, all we have heard is that a good night's sleep is essential for good healt…
Will Dangers of Antidepressants Shorten Your Lif…
Americans love antidepressants. It is estimated that between one in eight and one in ten takes an antidepressant medication. People take SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) and SNRIs (sero…
How to Stop an Antidepressant Without Difficulti…
Have you ever tried to stop an antidepressant abruptly? We have heard from many people who have found that this can trigger an extremely unpleasant experience. They report a discontinuation syndrome t…
Veterans Find Yoga Improves Their Moods
Many people think yoga appeals primarily to women. But a new study from the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center should put that myth to rest. A group of veterans discovered that yoga improve…
Can Ketamine Stop Suicidal Thoughts?
Time magazine has a cover story (August 7, 2017) titled: "THE ANTI ANTIDEPRESSANT Depression afflicts 16 million Americans. One third don't respond to treatment A surprising new drug may change that" …
Could the Antibiotic Minocycline Ease Depression…
Minocycline (Minocin) has been prescribed for decades. It belongs in the tetracycline class of antibiotics. Dermatologists have been among the most enthusiastic prescribers of minocycline for the trea…
Are Prescription Drug Ads on TV Driving You Craz…
Do you watch television? If so, you have almost inevitably seen commercials for medications we hope you will never need. If you are like a lot of our visitors you are sick and tired of prescription dr…
Balancing the Benefits and Risks of Antidepressa…
by Amy Beausang, PharmD What Is Depression? What if you could envision no future? If you felt like there were no answers to your problems, which are overwhelming and without end? Perhaps nothing feels…
Should Women Worry About Antidepressants during …
When women are pregnant, they frequently worry that something they swallow will harm the developing baby. Previous studies have suggested that mothers who take antidepressants during pregnancy might h…
Are Men Taking Prostate Drugs More Likely to Be …
Medications to shrink an enlarged prostate may contribute to depression. Doctors have not previously recognized this possible side effect for men taking prostate drugs. What Do Prostate Drugs Do? Drug…
Will Antidepressant Medications Increase Your Ri…
Antidepressants are among the most popular pills in the drugstore. A research letter in JAMA Internal Medicine (Dec. 12, 2016) noted that one in six adults take psychiatric drugs. Antidepressant medic…
Is Your Blood Pressure Medicine Making You Sad a…
Do you feel down in the dumps, sad or depressed? Have you ever considered the possibility that your medicine might be responsible for your blue mood? Health professionals rarely mention that many medi…
Curcumin Eases Both Depression and Anxiety
Curcumin is the active ingredient in the yellow spice turmeric. Numerous studies have confirmed its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. Could it help against depression and anxiety? Studying…
Birth Control Hormones Linked to Depression
For fifty years doctors have been wondering whether hormonal contraception could affect mood. A new study from Denmark suggests that the answer is yes. The researchers reviewed all the records for one…
Can Psychological Depression Be Triggered By Inf…
Health professionals have long known that depression can be brought on by challenging life events such as the loss of a loved one, marital difficulties or job loss. Genes can play a role and neuroc…