- With Mayo Clinic psychiatrist
David Mrazek, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
David Mrazek, M.D.
David Mrazek, M.D.
Dr. David A. Mrazek is chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Psychology at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., and a professor of psychiatry at College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic. Dr. Mrazek has developed a federally funded psychiatric pharmacogenomics research program and implemented clinical psychiatric pharmacogenomics services at Mayo Clinic.
He has received numerous awards including the Award for Creativity in Psychiatric Education from the American College of Psychiatrists and the Agnes Purcell McGavin Award for Distinguished Career Achievement in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry from the American Psychiatric Association. He currently serves as chairman of the board of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.
Dr. Mrazek has focused his current efforts on using pharmacogenomics testing to improve clinical care. One of his specific goals is to decrease the risks of taking psychiatric medications.
Latest entries
- Depression sometimes shifts to bipolar disorder
Jan. 21, 2012
- Antidepressant use soaring among Americans 12 and over
Dec. 7, 2011
- Transcranial magnetic stimulation offers hope treating depression
Oct. 19, 2011
- New antidepressant offers hope
Sept. 3, 2011
- Sorting out the evidence for antidepressants
July 22, 2011
About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Depression blog
-
Jan. 17, 2009
FDA antidepressant warnings: Use caution when starting medication
By David Mrazek, M.D.
| Need more help? |
|
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sometimes releases warnings on medications when a medication previously approved is shown to be potentially harmful. It's possible for new side effects and other problems to come up after medications are approved and been on the market for awhile. Once a warning is issued (if the medication is not removed from the market), close monitoring continues. Why am I writing about this subject? In 2004, a warning was issued regarding antidepressant medication use in children and adolescents. This warning was later expanded to include young adults (ages 18 to 24). There was concern that antidepressants might increase the risk of suicide in these age groups (this risk was not found in those older than 24).
The FDA specifically advised:
- Anyone who starts being treated with antidepressant medicines, particularly those being treated for depression, should be watched closely for worsening of depression and for increased suicidal thinking or behavior.
- Close observation of adults may be especially important when antidepressant medications are started for the first time or when doses for their antidepressant medications have been changed.
- Adults whose symptoms worsen while being treated with antidepressants, including an increase in suicidal thinking or behavior, should be evaluated by their health care professional.
Please take the time to review potential side effects with your health care provider. It's important that you are well informed about both your illness and treatment options, including risks, benefits and alternatives.
7 comments posted
August 26, 2011 4:06 a.m.
Simone - Medications work differently for different people because of the unique makeup of the person and the medication. I was wondering--have you tried the delayed release form of Effexor? In some people, there really are physical and chemical differences in the brain that require antidepressants, but I think people need counseling to deal with the root cause (if it's known) or with learning to live with depression. I'm on Cymbalta, which was prescribed for another condition--doesn't work for that one, but is amazing for the depression! There are other things that contribute, but the changes in my brain make it necessary for me to take antidepressants as just part of handling PTSD and severe clinical depression. A huge part of dealing with anything like this is finding coping skills that work for you. That's where counseling can help...with working through past stuff or learning how to adjust current thinking patterns possibly related to the depression.
- Bethany
January 11, 2011 11:07 p.m.
I think doctors are giving antidepressants out like candy these days .I was reluctantly convienced by my doctor that Effexor would help me while my mother was dying of cancer. I wont get into all the details but to make a long awful story short it ruined my life it turned me into a crazy uncaring person I was affraid of and didnt know.When taking effexor I out ran the police in my truck ..Thought seriously about killing my awful ex and mabye after myself ...This went on for 3 weeks untill I gave up the meds told the doctor I may kill someone or my self while on this and I will never take any antidepressants as long as I live ..I recovered fully and am back to my normal self with a bit of anxiety since my mom passed away . The thoughts still haunt me about what I did while on EFFEXOR and once a clean driving record now looks like a phyco crazy drunks!! Dont take these drugs untill you have a brain scan and know for sure you need this kind of help there are alot of stories way worse than mine!!Be careful.........
- amanda
February 22, 2010 2:58 p.m.
The science around depression and its causes and cures still seems to be so vague. I was on Effexor for seven years and I can't begin to describe the toll it has taken on my life. Trying to stop the medication has been even worse, and my doctor never warned me that I might suffer this horrendous withdrawal. If you do a google search online, you will find a petition with over 21,000 signatures to the manufacturers of Effexor to start telling the truth about their drug. And yet, the author of this site still questions whether antidepressant withdrawal exists. the truth is, these drugs make people sicker than they were to begin with. they create dependency. They are too hard on the body and they are dangerous. If you are depressed, used meditation, diet, exercies, therapy. YOu will get through it. These drugs don't cure depression. They are just a crutch. When you go off, you will still be depressed if you don't solve the root cause.
- Jenelle
October 11, 2009 3:10 a.m.
Simone, You can't go by other people's experience. I see that time and again. One person may not tolerate one medication very well, and it turns out to be a miracle medication for someone else. My daughter was given effexor and said it made her feel like was on speed. I reluctantly decided to give it a try and it has been a blessing for me. So just remember, everybody is different.
- Kathy
May 1, 2009 12:44 a.m.
As the other gal said everyone is different but here is what I can tell you ( effexor ) made me jittery and couldn't sit still example I painted my entire kitchen in an afternoon i was like go go go . Prozac I did not have that problem. also if you are worried about the xanax maybe talk to your doc about klonopin. Hope this helps
- Melissa
January 24, 2009 9:44 a.m.
hi Simone. I too suffer severe depression,plus as an added bonus,I also have Bipolar. I have been on several antidepressants and now am on Prozac, i've never had any bad side effects so far...i've been on 40mg. since i started it 3 or 4 months ago. the things about all of these drugs is that each person's body reacts differently, so the only way to know, is to try it at least. good luck and keep me posted. Lainey
- lainey
January 24, 2009 9:23 a.m.
i'm dealing with unbearable anxiety for over 2.5 years now and because of this i also get severely depressed especially around my period. my doctors have tried a bunch of antidepressants, currently effexor. the problem is i cant seem to tolerate too much medicine in my body because the side effects make it impossible for me to go up to a therapeutic dose. i'm currently taking only 12.5 mg of venlafaxine, because if i try to take more i become even more anxious. i'm also taking 200 mg neurontin and 1mg xanax at night for sleep for the past 2.5 years. i also take xanax during the day as needed (not more than 1 mg). i'm so discouraged and scared because i dont want to take xanax for the rest of my life and even if i did, i still feel sick. now my doctor is thinking to put me on prozac, which i heard makes people very agitated. do i try to go up on effexor very, very slowly or do i try prozac?
- simone
7 comments posted