Antidepressants = Dry Mouth + Bad Breath
Wednesday, August 5th, 2009
Reuters published an article about a study that found antidepressant use has more than doubled in the US, going from 13 million to 27 million Americans, between the years 1996 and 2005. One of the reasons may be that more Americans are accepting the diagnosis of depression than ever before. An increase in use, however, has not been seen among blacks.
The researchers noticed that not only are more Americans using antidepressants, but they are also receiving more antidepressant descriptions. According to IMS Health, more than 164 million prescriptions were written last year for antidepressants, costing people $9.6 billion in the United States.
As with most medications, there are many negative symptoms. These include the obvious dry mouth and bad breath, which are symptoms in most prescription drugs. For that, patients should try out TheraBreath and ZOX Breath Mints.
These drugs affect the brain chemical serotonin, and studies found that those undergoing treatment with antipsychotic medications were less likely to undergo psychotherapy. However, the decrease in visits to therapists may be attributed to the out-of-pocket costs for visits and lower insurance coverage.
The FDA added its strongest warning on the use of all antidepressants in children and teens, called the “black box.” Unfortunately, clinical trials have showed the increase in suicidal thoughts/behaviors in people using antidepressants, especially children and teens.
