Threat of suicide bans all antidepressants for children

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Thursday, 11 December 2003 14:03

Threat of suicide bans all antidepressants for children

 

 

Threat Of Suicide Bans All Major Antidepressants For Children

By Andrew Clennell

The Independent - UK

http://www.rense.com/general45/wwq.htm

12-10-3

 

 

" The Government's SSRI review group would now look at the safety and

efficacy of the drugs in adults, it was reported last night. "

 

 

All major antidepressant drugs other than Prozac, known as SSRIs,

are set to be be banned for children under 18 by the Government today, amid

concerns that the drugs cause young patients to commit suicide.

 

Sources at the Department of Health confirmed reports last night

that four antidepressant drugs would be banned for children. Two drugs in

the same group, Seroxat and Efexor, were banned in June and September

respectively. An announcement is expected in Parliament today from the

Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

 

Doctors will be told not to prescribe Lustral (chemical name

setraline), Cipramil (citalopram), Cipralex (escitalopram) and Faverin

(fluvoxamine) to under-18s. Fifty thousand children are estimated to be on

antidepressants in Britain.

 

The MHRA was said to have told doctors last night they should not

prescribe any selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), other than

Prozac. It will also warn that Prozac will help only one child out of 10.

However, the agency will say that patients already on medication should not

stop it suddenly, to avoid withdrawal symptoms.

 

The decision comes after pressure from parents and campaigners.

Health authorities have never recommended use of the drugs by under-18s but

GPs have prescribed more and more for children.

 

The ban is likely to cause problems for doctors because there are an

insufficient number of counsellors and psychotherapists to deal with mental

health problems through alternative treatment - therapy.

 

The ban was reported, by The Guardian, to have come after details of

clinical trials of depressed children that were held by drug companies in

the late 1990s were studied by the MHRA. Efexor was said to be used by about

3,000 adolescents when it was banned in September.

 

Seroxat was said to have been prescribed to up to 8,000 children by

June and was used by 600,000 to 800,000 adults. It was banned after research

showed it could trigger suicidal thoughts and thoughts of self-harm. The

drug's maker, GlaxoSmithKline, disagreed with the Government's decision at

the time, saying it would " limit the choices " available to doctors to treat

depression.

 

The Government's SSRI review group would now look at the safety and

efficacy of the drugs in adults, it was reported last night.

 

Drug companies began trials on the safety of SSRIs in children after

US government pressure in the early 1990s.

 

© 2003 Independent Digital (UK) Ltd

 

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/health/story.jsp?story=471833