Suicides linked to certain drugs?

[murphy1]

Have you all heard about this? My heart breaks reading from those of you who have recently lost someone to suicide and I have heard this happening to two friends IRL who knew someone that committed suicide. One thinks the person was on some stop smoking med. that increased the risk. And recently Singulair was talked about (last week). It is just scary how these meds are being linked more to suicide and severe depression.

[merlinmagic4]

Oh my gosh! I just quickly googled singulair and depression.......I had no idea. My son has been on it for years and I always notice in older pictures how joyful and happy he was. I have been noticing a lot lately that he isn't that way anymore. Thank you for that information! I'm going to see if I can get him OFF of that med!

[murphy1]

I'm of course not a dr and just wanted to inform, my dh told me, and I googled it, too. I was on Singulair and recently went off it. I am thinking about getting the shots.

[merlinmagic4]

I'm of course not a dr and just wanted to inform, my dh told me, and I googled it, too. I was on Singulair and recently went off it. I am thinking about getting the shots.

What shots? I wonder what the alternatives are. My son has been on it since about age 7 and that is exactly when he started being anxious and moody. I figured it was the cumulative effect of increasing hospitalizations/medical issues. Part of me says it couldn't have gone on for the past four years!

He is on it because he was being hospitalized with breathing problems. They were very severe (worst my doctor has seen at a big city teaching hospital!) but only occurring every 6 months. Then they were once a year and now we are at every year and a half. They hope he is outgrowing it. His pulmonologist says we can wean him off meds when he has gone a year without any problems at all (we're still having depressed oxygen levels with a cold even though we have avoided the hospital). I am seriously going to try to get him off of singulair and onto something else. I know his doctor won't want to do it but he will if I persist.

Thanks again for the information. I probably never would have looked into this if it weren't for your post. It may not be his issue but imagine if it is and we got our joyful son back!!

[DisneyDog]

Wow, I'm glad I read this thread. My DS5 is on singulair...doesn't have any symptoms, but with the genetics in our family, it's possible it could happen down the line. I just put in a call to his allergy/asthma doctor about this. I think I want him off of the medication before anything bad happens.

[Piglet822]

I recently posted that a gentleman I've known for 14 years committed suicide two weeks ago.
After speaking with one of his coworkers they believe he might have become a bit delusional due to the medication he was taking for his diabetes. I don't know what meds he was on otherwise I'd post it.

[SBETigg]

I take Singulair and haven't had any problems. I think it's important to know all the risks, but also important to realize that the facts are not all in yet on Singulair and the link to suicide/depression and it's not necessarily going to have that effect on all takers. If you or someone you know is taking that medication, be aware but don't be alarmed. It's a good idea to call the doctor and discuss alternatives, but don't do anything drastic like stop taking or administering prescribed meds suddenly because that could cause more harm than good.

[merlinmagic4]

I take Singulair and haven't had any problems. I think it's important to know all the risks, but also important to realize that the facts are not all in yet on Singulair and the link to suicide/depression and it's not necessarily going to have that effect on all takers. If you or someone you know is taking that medication, be aware but don't be alarmed. It's a good idea to call the doctor and discuss alternatives, but don't do anything drastic like stop taking or administering prescribed meds suddenly because that could cause more harm than good.

That's a good point. I would never take my child off a med without a doctor's advice. We've gotten him this far against the odds :)

[kakn7294]

:soapbox: warning! Before anyone just stops taking their medications, please see your doctor! You can do yourself or loved ones much more harm by stopping cold turkey in many cases. Education is the best policy about ANY medication, regardless of what it is - that's where most people go wrong. They don't educate themselves and their families about their medications and the potential side effects and drug - drug interactions. Okay, I'm off my soapbox now!

[SBETigg]

That's a good point. I would never take my child off a med without a doctor's advice. We've gotten him this far against the odds :)

And kudos to you! It's so hard to see them dealing with pain or illness. Best wishes with getting the right medicine to keep him at his best.

[merlinmagic4]

And kudos to you! It's so hard to see them dealing with pain or illness. Best wishes with getting the right medicine to keep him at his best.

Thanks :) Actually, the point of my long post was that he takes this med daily for a problem that occurs only every 6 months to 18 months. He doesn't have daily problems or even asthma for that matter. I'd love to see if we don't need it! If it has anything to do with his anxiety and anger I'd be thrilled to help him feel better! I've been reading people's stories online but who knows what's for real and what's not.

[Sean Riley Taylor's Mom]

Two of my kids and I are on Singulair. I have spoken to my Dr and their Asthma/Allergy Dr. I am comfortable with keeping us all on it for now.

Good luck with everyone else who is going to investigate further.

[murphy1]

ITA agree with you guys. I didn't stop the Singulair over these reports, it wasn't working for me, so my last resort is shots, since meds aren't working (I'm trying Zyrtec and nasal spray now, hoping that works better). And I think there has to be several factors, chemically or otherwise that would come into play.

[SBETigg]

ITA agree with you guys. I didn't stop the Singulair over these reports, it wasn't working for me, so my last resort is shots, since meds aren't working (I'm trying Zyrtec and nasal spray now, hoping that works better). And I think there has to be several factors, chemically or otherwise that would come into play.

But it is scary and worth noting, Shari. A young relative has bipolar disorder and threatened suicide, resulting in hospitalization, before they got his meds right. And last week, one of my son's friends, a high school senior, shot himself, no one knows why or if he even meant to do it. It's so sad and overwhelming to begin with, but then you do start wondering why and wishing you had an answer. And the commercials for medications don't help. With all the side effects they list, you begin to wonder if the cure is worse than what you're taking it to help.

[DisneyDog]

I spoke to the nurse at my DS's asthma and allergy specialist last night. He has mild, exercise induced asthma. He is a normal, very happy child. However, there is depression, bi-polar disorder and anxiety problems in the family, and we are very careful with him because of that. He had only been on the Singulair for about a month. I didn't notice any difference one way or the other. I decided, with the doctor, to take him off of the prescription. It's just not worth the risk.

[MNNHFLTX]

I think it's good for people to be aware of potential side effects of all the meds they (or their family members) are on. That way if there are any changes in behavior of the person taking the medication it will hopefully be more readily identified and changes can be made. I agree, though, that's it's best done in consultation with the doctor. Risks vs. benefits always has to be weighed for any treatment, and sometimes the benefits outweigh potential risks.

BTW, Chantix is the name of the smoking-cessation med that was mentioned in the first post. While they are finding depression a potential risk for the med, it has also been truly helpful to a lot of people in kicking the habit.

[Scar]

"If all the medicine in the world were thrown into the sea, it would be bad for the fish and good for humanity"

~ O.W. Holmes, (Professor of Medicine Harvard University)
____________

"The person who takes medicine must recover twice, once from the disease and once from the medicine."

~ William Osler, M.D

[LauraleeH]

My friend was on Singulair and she was hospitalized for a week due to it. She had the opposite reaction. She had bursts of energy and couldn't control herself. Whatever thought popped into her head, popped out of her mouth. She's normally a good girl, but she was extremely hyper and people were stunned at what was coming out of her mouth. It was due to some chemical reaction in her brain and the doctors said she is very lucky to just have the highs instead of the lows. They think if she had been low, she would have had major depression and it would have taken years to go away, even being off of the medication. I think that people on Singulair need to be aware of the possible danger.

[Here we go again...]

I take Singulair and haven't had any problems. I think it's important to know all the risks, but also important to realize that the facts are not all in yet on Singulair and the link to suicide/depression and it's not necessarily going to have that effect on all takers. If you or someone you know is taking that medication, be aware but don't be alarmed. It's a good idea to call the doctor and discuss alternatives, but don't do anything drastic like stop taking or administering prescribed meds suddenly because that could cause more harm than good.
I work in a pharmacy and you would be shocked to see how many people over react to news like this. We went through this when the study was released for Vytorin. Everyone started calling us to cancel their prescription.
Every person reacts different to every drug.


:soapbox: warning! Before anyone just stops taking their medications, please see your doctor! You can do yourself or loved ones much more harm by stopping cold turkey in many cases. Education is the best policy about ANY medication, regardless of what it is - that's where most people go wrong. They don't educate themselves and their families about their medications and the potential side effects and drug - drug interactions. Okay, I'm off my soapbox now!
We see more people that have to be treated for the side effects from stopping medication than we do for the original peoblems... If you stop some medications without tapering off you will create serious problems, from anxiety to heart failure. You never know where you will fall in that area. Please talk to you doctor to find out if the medication can be stopped before doing so.


I think it's good for people to be aware of potential side effects of all the meds they (or their family members) are on. That way if there are any changes in behavior of the person taking the medication it will hopefully be more readily identified and changes can be made. I agree, though, that's it's best done in consultation with the doctor. Risks vs. benefits always has to be weighed for any treatment, and sometimes the benefits outweight potential risks.

BTW, Chantix is the name of the smoking-cessation med that was mentioned in the first post. While they are finding depression a potential risk for the med, it has also been truly helpful to a lot of people in kicking the habit.

I think that Chantix is an amazing drug. I have seen so many of our customers that lead a better life today then ever before. Chantix is not for every one though, I agree that everyone has to weight the benefits and risks.

I am one of the people that LOVED Vioxx. It worked wonders for my RA and no other anti-inflamitory comes close to the relief Vioxx gave me. If I could find it anywhere I would by it. For me, that was one drug that the benefits out weighed the risk.

[merlinmagic4]

I work in a pharmacy and you would be shocked to see how many people over react to news like this. We went through this when the study was released for Vytorin. Everyone started calling us to cancel their prescription.
Every person reacts different to every drug.




This is a part of the problem with the medical side. I was so anxious about calling my son's doctor because I knew they would think that everyone is overreacting over this. Once I explained what we have been dealing with for at least the past five years, they said take him off. For every person that you assume is overreacting, there is probably one who is justified in their concerns.

[Here we go again...]

This is a part of the problem with the medical side. I was so anxious about calling my son's doctor because I knew they would think that everyone is overreacting over this. Once I explained what we have been dealing with for at least the past five years, they said take him off. For every person that you assume is overreacting, there is probably one who is justified in their concerns.

I did not mean that everyone overreacts, just that there are literally hundreds of calls a day when things like this are released. We see many, many people that are justified in their concerns.

I keep every drug monograph that comes with every medication my family takes. When every we see something that does not seem right, we check the monograph right away. If anything is a possible side effect we call the doctor right away.
Everyone should do this. You would be amazed to know how many times we ask how long a person has had a reaction and the answer is: Since he started taking the medication.

Anytime you take any medication (including over the counter drugs) you should always call your doctor if something just doesn't seem right.

[merlinmagic4]

I keep every drug monograph that comes with every medication my family takes. When every we see something that does not seem right, we check the monograph right away. If anything is a possible side effect we call the doctor right away.
Everyone should do this. You would be amazed to know how many times we ask how long a person has had a reaction and the answer is: Since he started taking the medication.

Anytime you take any medication (including over the counter drugs) you should always call your doctor if something just doesn't seem right.

I see your point. My situation seems to be a bit different with a young, developing child. He certainly wasn't able to tell me at that point. Emotional issues are especially hard to pinpoint. I never dreamed they could be stemming from Singulair and always attributed them to something else. He did go from a happy go lucky kid to an anxious, self conscious child with very low motivation and energy but that could have come from his feelings about his medical problems or his kidney failure. I'm pretty well informed about his medical care. I guess if I did miss this, it's a pretty bad mistake and cost him five (or more) years.

[thrillme]

I think the most important thing is to keep up to date and informed about the possible side effects of the medicine. If it's a medication that's taken regularly...just google it every now and then and be aware. If there are personality changes or other symptoms then an appointment with your doctor is necessary.

There are DOZENS of different types of drugs out there because ONE drug doesn't fit "all sizes". If it did then maybe we'd have only ONE perfume because it smelled good on EVERYBODY.

[Here we go again...]

I see your point. My situation seems to be a bit different with a young, developing child. He certainly wasn't able to tell me at that point. Emotional issues are especially hard to pinpoint. I never dreamed they could be stemming from Singulair and always attributed them to something else. He did go from a happy go lucky kid to an anxious, self conscious child with very low motivation and energy but that could have come from his feelings about his medical problems or his kidney failure. I'm pretty well informed about his medical care. I guess if I did miss this, it's a pretty bad mistake and cost him five (or more) years.

Part of the problem with this is that it seems your doctor did not warn you to watch for changes in behavior. Do not blame your self for this... Many people with young children do not know what medications can do. You thought you were doing what was right for your son and you were. Children go through stages where they will have anxiety, low motivation and the things you mentioned with out ever being on any medicine. So, I can competely understand how it could be missed.
Sometimes it is easy to overlook these changes because the health issue seems better.

I am sure once your son is off the medication for a while he will be fine. I hope you are able to find something that works as well to keep his condition under control.
Good luck.