3 ms·
Two other interesting examples: Trazadone is one of the most commonly prescribed insomnia medications. It isn't FDA approved for that. It is a decade's old gen
by mhalle 9y ago
Two other interesting examples:
Trazadone is one of the most commonly prescribed insomnia medications. It isn't FDA approved for that. It is a decade's old generic antidepressant. The sleep dose is much less than the regulated theraputic dose.
Through mechanisms not fully understood, people with liver disease often experience intense skin itching. Standard dermatology approaches have essentially no effect. SSRIs are one well tolerated treatment.
In neither case is their obvious profit motive or overselling by drug companies.
- frgtpsswrdlame 9y agoSure but shouldn't those drugs undergo FDA approval for those uses? You make it sound as if they're very effective without many side effects so (as far as FDA approvals go) it shouldn't be too hard.
- mhalle 9y agoNo, I was just noting two other examples.
- DougWebb 9y agoMy ex-wife had intense skin itching. We didn't realize that her transplanted liver had started failing. A neighbor happened to notice her scratching, and happened to know about the liver disease connection, and happened to mention it. After some tests to confirm her liver was failing her meds were adjusted to slow the process down. It failed several years later anyway (she survived a second liver transplant) but without proper treatment it would've failed much sooner. I always say to be wary of treating symptoms instead of underlying causes. Taking an antidepressant to soothe intense skin itching can kill you, if that's all you're doing for it. Your dermatologist may not know any better, or may not care.