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There are drinking laws in the UK whereby a person under the age of 18 cannot buy alcohol. I think we can take it as a given that alcohol is a drug and that no matter your age it has the same desired effect on a person who is under 18 to one who is over 18. Admittedly, one can be expected to consume much more according to their age... but the end result is the same isn't it?
So why are people 25 or under the only ones at risk to suicidal behaviour/thoughts when taking antidepressants?
To make a statement like this the MHRA surely must have read through the raw data, if they haven't then why make such a statement?
You have to sit back and take stock of the new wording on patient information leaflets for ALL antidepressants here in the UK. It smacks of a huge corporate cover-up and is a slap in the face to anyone over the age of 25 who has ever felt suicidal or had suicidal thoughts whilst on prescribed antidepressants... but more importantly it is basically telling new patients over the age of 25 that they will not have suicidal thoughts when taking these drugs - and that people is scandalous.
Let me take alcohol as an example. It has side effects in people PERIOD!
Any mind altering drug (of which Seroxat clearly is) has side effects - whether you be 6 or 76 it works in the same way.
The MHRA are merely fanning the coals and are leaving the door open for pharmaceutical companies to make yet more money by promoting these drugs to psychiatrists and family practitioners.
Dr Smith will be reading through his 'Dear Doctor' letter this morning and think to himself... Hey, it's perfectly safe to prescribe Seroxat to Jack Jones because he is 27. The MHRA say he won't have suicidal thoughts because of the drug - if he does then it will be purely down to the depression he is suffering from.
Yeh right.
When will the MHRA learn that the yellow card system (they set up) is real people reporting side effects. They only have to take a trip over to the Paxil Progress forum to see countless stories of folk having such a torrid time on this drug - the majority of which are well over the age of 25.
And then there is the question of withdrawal - why has this not been addressed?
Seroxat in particular should come with a warning regarding the withdrawal - something along the lines of:
It may take you some considerable time to withdraw from Seroxat. We highly suggest you taper using the Seroxat liquid. This may take from 6 months to 3 years... or even longer.
The MHRA have failed yet again to protect the public. Take it from me - Seroxat can cause people over the age of 25 to have suicidal/homicidal thoughts, to suggest otherwise is patronising.
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