MentalHealthDaily

Long-Term Antidepressant (SSRI) Use Increasing: Overprescription & Withdrawal Hesitancy

by GLOOM

The rise in antidepressant prescribing, especially selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) since the 1980s, is a complex phenomenon with broad implications for public health. While these medications are crucial for many, the increase in long-term use has raised concerns about overprescription, side effects, and withdrawal challenges. Key Facts: Rising Prescriptions: Antidepressant prescriptions, particularly SSRIs, have …

Metformin Prevents Antipsychotic-Induced Weight Gain: A Saudi Study Finds

by GLOOM

Research suggests that metformin may reduce weight gain associated with antipsychotic medications. Key facts: Antipsychotics are linked to weight gain, especially clozapine and olanzapine. Metformin may counteract antipsychotic-induced weight gain through effects on insulin resistance and appetite. Study found metformin reduced mean weight gain on antipsychotics from 2.5 kg to -0.04 kg. Younger patients ages …

Clonidine For Opiate Withdrawal Symptoms: Does It Help?

by GLOOM

Clonidine is an antihypertensive drug originally synthesized in the early 1960s by chemists employed under the pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim. At the time, the chemists intended to develop a peripherally-active adrenergic nasal decongestant to be administered in the form of nose drops. In the process, the chemists sought to modify amidines to fit the chemical …

Gabapentin For Opiate Withdrawal

by GLOOM

Gabapentin is rumored to have been synthesized by chemists in the 1970s in attempt to develop an antispasmodic agent. After its synthesis, rights to gabapentin were acquired by Parke-Davis (a subsidiary of Pfizer) whereafter it underwent clinical trials that evaluated its safety and anticonvulsant efficacy in the treatment of seizures. Clinical trial data indicated that …

Taking Lamictal (Lamotrigine) For Anxiety Disorders: Does It Help?

by GLOOM

Lamotrigine is a synthetic phenyltriazine chemical with anticonvulsant and analgesic properties initially sold by GlaxoSmithKline under the brand name Lamictal. It was first approved by the FDA in 1994 for the treatment of partial seizures in adults, and was subsequently approved in 1998 for the management of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome – a severe form of epilepsy …

Seroquel (Quetiapine) For Anxiety Disorders: An “Atypical” Treatment

by GLOOM

Seroquel (Quetiapine) is an atypical antipsychotic engineered in the early 1990s by the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca. It was first approved by the FDA in 1997 for the treatment of schizophrenia, and was sequentially approved by the FDA in 2004 for the management of bipolar mania. Seroquel would also receive subsequent FDA approval in 2009 as …

Lithium For Anxiety Disorders: An Unconventional, Underinvestigated Intervention

by GLOOM

Elemental lithium was first discovered by Johann August Arfvedson in 1817 and was later isolated via electrolysis of lithium oxide (Li2O) through a joint effort of William Thomas Brande and Sir Humphrey Davy. In the 19th century, scientists discovered that lithium was capable of dissolving uric acid crystals isolated from kidneys, and for this reason, …