Warning on Older Typical Antipsychotic drugs for Older people
Reported in Today's Wall Street Journal:
"This week's New England Journal of Medicine, found that the risk of death was higher with older antipsychotic medications. In the first 40 days after beginning treatment with older drugs, patients had a 56% increase in the risk of death, compared with patients taking newer drugs. Within 180 days, the increase in mortality risk was 37% for the older drugs, according to the study.
...The researchers estimated that for every 100 patients given the older drugs instead of the newer ones, there would be seven additional deaths....
Antipsychotic medications are frequently prescribed for seniors to treat problems such as agitation, delirium and dementia. A study of Medicare nursing-home patients this year found a quarter of them were on antipsychotic drugs.
Peter Rabins, a professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, said the study results, along with the FDA warning earlier this year on newer drugs, may result in a decline in the number of elderly patients who are prescribed antipsychotic medications. But he added that the drugs are overused and "sometimes they are used when nondrug approaches would be likely just as beneficial."
Note that late last year (or earlier this year) the FDA also issued a warning on the newer atypical antipsychotics in the same area (older people, non-schizophrenia applications) and the finding was very similar.
Posted by szadmin at November 30, 2005 10:39 PM
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Schizophrenia Medications
Heck I could barely tolerate anti-pyschotics at age twenty.
Now I am fourty still have to take the same old garbage,but from what I understand the newer anti-pyschotics are just as bad. Anti-pyschotics are just not any fun,but they do do the job. Getting old is not easy for anyone.
Posted by: wendysystems at December 2, 2005 03:13 PM
I was very wrong.The newer anti-pyschotic drugs are very helpful.Please accept my apology.The medical community and the universitys and government should be congradulated on their efforts to treat mental illness.I wish to thank all those who took part in developeing the newer anti-pyschotic medications for allowing me to see a brand new world with the use of modern medicine.Thanks again,and I would like to offer the advice to others not to post negative words about the efforts of those who are only trying to help.Please continue your research studies but do not publish materal that could hurt or harm the efforts of others.
Posted by: wendysystems at January 10, 2007 11:17 AM
Heck I could barely tolerate anti-pyschotics at age twenty.
Now I am fourty still have to take the same old garbage,but from what I understand the newer anti-pyschotics are just as bad. Anti-pyschotics are just not any fun,but they do do the job. Getting old is not easy for anyone.
Posted by: wendysystems at December 2, 2005 03:13 PM
I was very wrong.The newer anti-pyschotic drugs are very helpful.Please accept my apology.The medical community and the universitys and government should be congradulated on their efforts to treat mental illness.I wish to thank all those who took part in developeing the newer anti-pyschotic medications for allowing me to see a brand new world with the use of modern medicine.Thanks again,and I would like to offer the advice to others not to post negative words about the efforts of those who are only trying to help.Please continue your research studies but do not publish materal that could hurt or harm the efforts of others.
Posted by: wendysystems at January 10, 2007 11:17 AM