Health Alert 297
Misleading information from the big drug makers has once again allowed us to be blinded-sided by another danger from drugs like Prozac. New evidence points to a life-threatening risk when it comes to anti-depressants – especially in the elderly.
In today’s Health Alert, you’ll find that drugs to treat depression have a new potentially fatal side effect. This silent effect appears to have gone underappreciated for 20 years despite use in millions of people world wide.
The newly discovered risk is internal bleeding. For years, doctors have been concerned with this dangerous side effect, but mainly with the regular use of anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen. These painkillers claim more than sixteen thousand lives every year. (1)
Now we know that you also incur risk of hemorrhage from anti-depressants. If you’re over sixty-five, your risk is greater. More than one third of the twelve million yearly prescriptions for anti-depressants go to retirees. The highest risk, however, is for those over eighty. Researchers in Canada found a fifty percent higher risk of internal bleeding when you take an anti-depressant if you’re in this age group.(2)
Bleeding on the inside is far more dangerous than bleeding from a cut or scrape. When you bleed on the outside, you notice what’s going on and take action to fix it. If you are bleeding internally, you may not be aware of it. When you’ve lost enough blood, you pass out and fall to the ground. After you’ve blacked out, of course, you can’t do anything about it. This is how most deaths occur.
I have always considered drugs like Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Celexa, and Lexapro last resorts. Now you have a new reason to search for a less toxic treatment. When doctors are too quick to prescribe drugs, they mask the symptoms of untreated problems. If you have to take anti-depressants, don’t mix them with NSAIDs like aspirin, Advil, Motrin, ibuprofen or Aleve.
It’s concerning that we doctors did not previously have the information to warn you that this combination would put you at undue risk of bleeding to death internally. I intend to use our Wellness Research Foundation to do what we can to improve this obvious short-coming. If you’ve had any side effects from any medications, you can report them to our website. Stay tuned for reports on our results.
The two most common signs of internal bleeding are nausea and diarrhea. If you feel these symptoms while taking an anti-depressant, see your doctor. Another option is something called a stool occult blood test. Simply go to your local pharmacy and ask for a stool occult blood card. Follow the directions and take it to your doctor.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD
(1) Reuters. Anti-depressants may cause internal bleeding. http://msnbc.msn.com/id/7876902. May 16, 2005
(2) Van Walraven C. Inhibition of serotonin reuptake by antidepressants and upper gastrointestinal bleeding in elderly patients: retrospective cohort study. British Medical Journal. BMJ 2001;323:655. Sept22.