![]() ![]() However, it is proven that these drugs are not helpful to patients with dementia, and can kill them. That is especially common in nursing homes, or when family members tell doctors that the patient is difficult. They are often prescribed to try to make older patients quiet. These drugs are so dangerous for older people that they have a black box warning on the label explaining that they can cause sudden death. Warning: Do Not Prescribe for Young Children or People over 65! ![]() Such serious risks may be considered acceptable for schizophrenia treatment or for severely depressed individuals, but should not be considered acceptable when the benefits are not proven or when safer treatments are available. When the FDA approves a drug with such serious side effects, they look at the balance of risks and benefits. Despite their huge sales, Seroquel, Abilify, Zyprexa, Risperdal, Geodon and similar drugs often causes rapid weight gain, breast development in boys and men, and may also have serious adverse effects such as diabetes, hyperglycemia, pancreatitis, and sudden death. Most prescriptions for the drug are “off label”– for dementia, anxiety, insomnia, PTSD, and even for ADHD and behavior problems in children and the elderly. Some of these drugs are also approved by the FDA to use with antidepressants if the antidepressants are not effective by themselves. Things become even more confusing when doctors prescribe medications “off label,” which means that the FDA has approved the drug as safe and effective for a specific use, but the doctor is prescribing it for another use which is not FDA approved.Ī group of popular and widely advertised drugs that were approved by the FDA to treat psychotic conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (manic depression) that includes hallucinations or delusions are often prescribed for people who won’t benefit from them. It seems that every day a new “wonder drug” is introduced, often costing 10 or 20 times as much as older medications. Find out why these widely used drugs are not the best choice. For patients who suffer from depression or anxiety, it’s hard to know which medication is best. ![]()
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