Suicidal Thoughts
Antidepressants and Suicide: Why Don’t Peo…
Antidepressants are, by definition, supposed to improve mood. They are prescribed to lift people out of psychological depression. In theory, drugs like fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil) and sert…
Doctors Still Doubt Antidepressants Can Trigger …
Most healthcare professionals have a hard time believing antidepressants can trigger suicide. It seems implausible that medications which are supposed to help relieve depression might make some people…
Trouble with Tinnitus Raises Risk of Suicide
Tinnitus (pronounced either TIN-ittis or tin-EYE-tuss) is a condition in which the victim hears sounds that others cannot perceive. Sufferers describe these noises as chirping, humming, hissing, buz…
Antidepressants and Thoughts of Suicide – Were…
We are living through some really rough times. Even before the coronavirus pandemic, tens of millions of Americans were anxious or depressed. Young adults have been hit especially hard. Many are exper…
People in Pain Need Access to Suicide Hotline Nu…
When a reader calls us on an important omission, we try to correct our error. That happened recently when we wrote about the CDC guidelines for opioid use. We were so focused on access to adequate pai…
Show 1317: Psychedelic Compounds for Healing
This week on our nationally syndicated radio show, we speak with scientists studying the potential of psychedelic compounds to help heal mental illness. Recreational use of drugs like LSD during the 1…
Show 1303: The Mental Health Crisis Affecting Am…
This week on our nationally syndicated radio show, we talk with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Matt Richtel. His latest series for The New York Times takes a long look at the mental health crisis a…
Surprising Ketamine Side Effects and Anti-Suicid…
There is tremendous confusion and controversy surrounding a very old drug called ketamine (Ketalar). The FDA first approved Ketalar in 1970 as an injectable anesthetic. It has advantages over existing…
Show 1204: How Brain Function Affects Mental Ill…
Mental health problems cause widespread disability in today’s world. Large numbers of people suffer with depression or severe anxiety. While these ailments are real, we may not be considering their …
Losartan and Suicide: Is This a Real Side Effect…
Depression can occur for many reasons. Losing a job can create anxiety and sometimes depression. Divorce or the death of a loved one can also send you into a tailspin. A surprisingly large number of m…
Ketamine for Surgery Lifts Cloud of Depression
Sometimes patients discover a new use for an old drug on their own. It’s what we call serendipity. Lexico.com defines serendipity as: “The occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy…
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…
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…
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…
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" …
Suicide and Chantix: Was There A Connection?
Chantix helps many people stop smoking. That's the good news. But there is a darker side to Chantix. There used to be a black box warning (the FDA's strongest message to doctors about drug dangers) ab…
Can Ketamine Jump Start Antidepressant Action?
When people are severely depressed they need immediate help. Sadly, most antidepressant medications take weeks to start working. That's why this reader's question is so very interesting. Q. You've wri…
Could an Old Drug (Ketamine) Stop Suicide?
Modern medicine failed Robin Williams. Even when people seek emergency help for suicidal thoughts, they rarely get adequate treatment. That's because FDA-approved medications for depression don't work…
Could Fast Acting Ketamine Help Prevent Suicide …
An old drug called ketamine (Ketalar), FDA-approved as an anesthetic, may turn out to be a fast-acting emergency treatment to reverse acute suicidal thoughts. It might become a lifeline for severely d…
Club Drug (Ketamine) Produces Exciting Benefits …
Doctors are wrestling with the ethical and legal challenges of prescribing ketamine for severely depressed or suicidal patients. The drug may help some people, but doctors worry about the possibility …
Antidepressant Triggered Suicidal Thoughts
Q. My 17-year-old son is feeling depressed. He is sad and tired and would sleep all day long if we allowed it. The doctor prescribed Prozac, but after the second day of taking it my son said he had th…