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you'd be surprised how much medically-manipulated brain chemistry can improve your quality of life Except in severe depression, antidepressants have no clinica

by gruseom 14y ago

you'd be surprised how much medically-manipulated brain chemistry can improve your quality of life Except in severe depression, antidepressants have no clinical advantage over placebos: http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2010/01/28/the-depressing-news-about-antidepressants.html http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2010/01/28/the-depress... According to Kirsch, antidepressant trials were also compromised by side-effect leakage: the drugs had side effects while the placebos did not, so patients knew when they were not taking a placebo. That's the equivalent of putting your finger on the scale. As far as I know, there has been no attempt to measure that distorting effect (Kirsch only mentions it), nor any clinical trials of antidepressants conducted on a level playing field, where the placebo had similar side effects to the drug. But I haven't searched, and if such studies exist, I'd welcome correction.

derleth 14y ago
> Except in severe depression, antidepressants have no clinical advantage over placebos: ECT can have a much better effect in these cases. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/electroconvulsive-therapy/MY00129 http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/electroconvulsive-therapy/M... http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57400793-10391704/electroconvulsive-therapy-effectively-treats-severe-depression-how/ http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57400793-10391704/ele... And, it turns out, antidepressants can help ECT: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090706161300.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090706161300.ht... But keep in mind that ECT is only for crisis-level severe depression: > ECT uses an electrical stimulus to the brain to induce seizures. It is prescribed for patients with crisis-level severe depression – who are catatonic (people who are so slowed down that they stop moving, talking and eating) or suicidal – or for patients with major depression who have not responded to medication.

by gruseom 14y ago

derleth 14y ago

> Except in severe depression, antidepressants have no clinical advantage over placebos: ECT can have a much better effect in these cases. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/electroconvulsive-therapy/MY00129 http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/electroconvulsive-therapy/M... http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57400793-10391704/electroconvulsive-therapy-effectively-treats-severe-depression-how/ http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57400793-10391704/ele... And, it turns out, antidepressants can help ECT: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090706161300.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090706161300.ht... But keep in mind that ECT is only for crisis-level severe depression: > ECT uses an electrical stimulus to the brain to induce seizures. It is prescribed for patients with crisis-level severe depression – who are catatonic (people who are so slowed down that they stop moving, talking and eating) or suicidal – or for patients with major depression who have not responded to medication.