SSRI stands for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. It is a drug prescribed to treat depression, anxiety disorders, panic attacks and personality disorders by manipulating particular neurotransmitting systems regulating such as serotonin, a brain chemical which regulates mood as well as appetite and mood. Serotonin is naturally produced in the body and kept at a certain level, but SSRIs can increase at level by blocking (inhibiting) the reabsorption (reuptake) of serotonin. Once considered a taboo in American culture, SSRI use has become widely accepted. This is evident both by the growth in the market and the number of available drugs, which are illustrated by 400% increase in antidepressant prescriptions since 1988. More than 1 in 10
…show more content…
A result of these cerebral adaptations, there may occur a variety of physical manifestations. If taken during pregnancy, SSRIs are shown to cause one or more birth defects. From their inception, antidepressants have been recognized as having a worrisome capacity to incite changes between episodes of depression characterized by dysphoria, insomnia, low energy, apathy, headaches, pupil dilation, poor concentration, reduced appetite, diminished libido, erectile dysfunction and difficulty achieving orgasm- for men and women, and episodes of mania characterized by euphoria, increased activity, rapid speech, racing thoughts, diminished need for sleep, hypersexuality and diminished impulse control. Another complication with the side effects caused by antidepressants that is rarely mentioned is the likelihood that additional medications will be prescribed to control them. Agitation is such a common side effect with SSRIs that the drug companies have consistently sought to hide it during clinical trials by prescribing a tranquilizer or sedative (typically a benzodiazapene) along with it. Since recent studies …show more content…
With the help of staggering profits and 1,100-plus paid lobbyists, the industry has gained powerful leverage on Capitol Hill. The pharmaceutical industry and its trade and lobbying group, (the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America or PhRMA, or “Big Pharma”) wields enormous influence over the prescription drug and medical device markets around the globe. In fact, in the United States, the industry contributes heavily to the annual budget of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is charged with regulating drugs and devices made by those same companies. Over the past two decades the pharmaceutical industry has moved very far from its original high purpose of discovering and producing useful new drugs. Now primarily a marketing machine to sell drugs of dubious benefit, this industry uses its wealth and power to co-opt every institution that might stand in its way, including the US Congress, the FDA, academic medical centers, and the medical profession itself. (Most of its marketing efforts are focused on influencing doctors, since they must write the
A result of these cerebral adaptations, there may occur a variety of physical manifestations. If taken during pregnancy, SSRIs are shown to cause one or more birth defects. From their inception, antidepressants have been recognized as having a worrisome capacity to incite changes between episodes of depression characterized by dysphoria, insomnia, low energy, apathy, headaches, pupil dilation, poor concentration, reduced appetite, diminished libido, erectile dysfunction and difficulty achieving orgasm- for men and women, and episodes of mania characterized by euphoria, increased activity, rapid speech, racing thoughts, diminished need for sleep, hypersexuality and diminished impulse control. Another complication with the side effects caused by antidepressants that is rarely mentioned is the likelihood that additional medications will be prescribed to control them. Agitation is such a common side effect with SSRIs that the drug companies have consistently sought to hide it during clinical trials by prescribing a tranquilizer or sedative (typically a benzodiazapene) along with it. Since recent studies …show more content…
With the help of staggering profits and 1,100-plus paid lobbyists, the industry has gained powerful leverage on Capitol Hill. The pharmaceutical industry and its trade and lobbying group, (the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America or PhRMA, or “Big Pharma”) wields enormous influence over the prescription drug and medical device markets around the globe. In fact, in the United States, the industry contributes heavily to the annual budget of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is charged with regulating drugs and devices made by those same companies. Over the past two decades the pharmaceutical industry has moved very far from its original high purpose of discovering and producing useful new drugs. Now primarily a marketing machine to sell drugs of dubious benefit, this industry uses its wealth and power to co-opt every institution that might stand in its way, including the US Congress, the FDA, academic medical centers, and the medical profession itself. (Most of its marketing efforts are focused on influencing doctors, since they must write the