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Latest News:
SSRI Antidepressants May Up Stroke Risk After Menopause
Date
Published: Thursday, December 17th, 2009
Post-menopausal women taking
selective
serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants have a small,
though statistically higher risk of stroke, according to a newly published
study. SSRIs include the drugs Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Lexapro, and Celexa.
Antidepressant use in the US has more than quintupled since
the early 1990s, and SSRIs have replaced older medications called tricyclic
antidepressants, which can be toxic the heart. According to a press release
announcing this latest study, SSRI antidepressants have fewer side effects in
general and are known to have aspirin-like effects on bleeding, which could
protect against clot-related cardiovascular disorders. But not much is known
about how SSRIs affect the heart. This is especially true in the case of
postmenopausal women, who are at increased risk for both heart disease and
depression.
The study, which was published in the December 14 Archives of
Internal Medicine, involved 136,000 participants in the
Women’s Health Initiative (WHI). None of
the women were taking antidepressants when they enrolled in the WHI.
The women included in the analysis had their first follow-up
visit either one or three years after enrolling in WHI. At that time, 5,500
women reported taking either tricyclic or SSRI antidepressants. After six years,
there was no association between antidepressant use and heart disease. However,
researchers did find that women taking SSRIs had a 45 percent increase in risk
of stroke and a 32 percent increase in risk of dying from any cause during
follow up, compared with nonusers. Use of older tricyclic antidepressants wasn’t
linked to stroke, but it did increase by 67 percent the risk of death during
follow-up.
The authors of the study said it wasn’t clear if the
increased risk was the result of antidepressants or depression itself.
Depression is a known risk factor for cardiovascular problems.
“There are a lot of things this study couldn’t tell us, such
as whether this risk truly is attributable to the drugs and not to depression
itself and whether participants were being treated for depression or for
anxiety, which also has cardiovascular risks,” Jordan W. Smoller, MD, ScD, of
the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Department of Psychiatry, the study’s
lead author, said in a press release. “We also don’t know whether there is any
similar association in younger women or in men, since they were not part of this
study.”
The authors of the study called for more research into the
relationship between antidepressants and death.
Lexapro - Alert from the F.D.A.
FDA ALERT [07/2005]: Suicidal Thoughts or Actions in Children and AdultsPatients with depression or other mental illnesses often think about or attempt suicide. Closely watch anyone taking antidepressants, especially early in treatment or when the dose is changed. Patients who become irritable or anxious, or have new or increased thoughts of suicide or other changes in mood or behavior (or their care givers) should contact their healthcare professional right away.
Children
Taking antidepressants may increase suicidal thoughts and actions in about 1 out of 50 people 18 years or younger. FDA has approved Zoloft for use in children only if they have obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Adults
Several recent scientific publications report the possibility of an increased risk for suicidal behavior in adults who are being treated with antidepressant medications. Even before these reports became available, FDA began a complete review of all available data to determine whether there is an increased risk of suicidal thinking or behavior in adults being treated with antidepressant medications. It is expected that this review will take a year or longer to complete. In the meantime, FDA is highlighting that adults being treated with antidepressant medication, particularly those being treated for depression, should be watched closely for worsening of depression and for increased suicidal thinking or behavior.
This information reflects FDA’s preliminary analysis of data concerning this drug. FDA is considering, but has not reached a final conclusion about, this information. FDA intends to update this sheet when additional information or analyses become available.
Lexapro
side effects
Flushing
- The skin all over the body turns red.
Lexapro side effects
Varicose Vein - Unusually swollen veins
near the surface of the skin that sometimes appear twisted and knotted, but
always enlarged. They are called hemorrhoids when they appear around the
rectum. The cause is attributed to hereditary weakness in the veins
aggravated by obesity, pregnancy, pressure from standing, aging, etc.
Severe cases may develop swelling in the legs, ankles and feet, eczema and/or
ulcers in the affected areas.
Lexapro side effects
Abdominal Cramp/Pain
-
Sudden, severe, uncontrollable and painful shortening and
thickening of the muscles in the belly. The belly includes the stomach as
well as the intestines, liver, kidneys, pancreas, spleen, gall bladder, and
urinary bladder.
Lexapro side effects
Belching
- Noisy release of gas from the stomach through the mouth; a burp.
Lexapro
side effects
Bloating
- Swelling of the belly caused by excessive intestinal gas.
Lexapro side effects
Constipation
Lexapro side effects
Diarrhea - Unusually frequent and excessive, runny bowel movements that may
result in severe dehydration and shock.
Lexapro side
effects
Dyspepsia - Indigestion. This is the discomfort you experience after eating.
It can be heartburn, gas, nausea, a bellyache or bloating.
Lexapro side effects
Flatulence
- More gas than normal in the digestive organs.
Lexapro side effects
Gagging
- Involuntary choking and/or involuntary throwing up.
Lexapro side effects
Gastritis
- A severe irritation of the mucus lining of the stomach either short in
duration or lasting for a long period of time.
Lexapro side effects
Gastroenteritis
-
A condition where the membranes
of the stomach and intestines are irritated.
Lexapro
side effects
Gastroesophageal
Reflux - A
continuous state where stomach juices flow back into the throat causing acid
indigestion and heartburn and possibly injury to the throat.
Lexapro
side effects
Heartburn
- A burning pain in the area of the breastbone caused by stomach juices flowing
back up into the throat.
Lexapro side effects
Hemorrhoids
- Small rounded
purplish swollen veins that either bleed, itch or are painful and appear around
the anus.
Lexapro side effects
Increased Stool frequency
-
Diarrhea.
Lexapro
side effects
Indigestion
- Unable to properly consume and absorb food in the digestive tract causing
constipation, nausea, stomach ache, gas, swollen belly, pain and general
discomfort or sickness.
Lexapro side effects
Nausea - Stomach irritation with a queasy sensation similar to
motion sickness and a feeling that one is going to vomit.
Lexapro
side effects
Polyposis
Gastric
- Tumors that grow on stems in the lining of the stomach, which usually become
cancerous.
Lexapro side effects
Swallowing Difficulty
- A feeling that food is stuck in the throat or upper chest area and won’t go
down, making it difficult to swallow.
Lexapro side effects
Toothache
- Pain in a tooth above and below the gum line.
Lexapro side effects
Vomiting
- Involuntarily throwing up the contents of the stomach and usually getting a
nauseated, sick feeling just prior to doing so.
Lexapro
side effects
Back
Discomfort
- Severe physical distress in the area from the neck to the pelvis along the
backbone.
Lexapro side effects
Bilirubin Increased
- Bilirubin is a waste product of the breakdown
of old blood cells. Bilirubin is sent to the liver to be made
water-soluble so it can be eliminated from the body through emptying the
bladder. A drug can interfere with or damage this normal liver function
creating liver disease.
Lexapro side effects
Decreased Weight
- Uncontrolled and measured loss of heaviness or weight.
Lexapro
side effects
Gout
- A severe arthritis condition that is caused by the dumping of a waste product
called uric acid in the tissues and joints. It can become worse and cause
the body to develop a deformity after going through stages of pain,
inflammation, severe tenderness, and stiffness.
Lexapro side effects
Hepatic Enzymes Increased - An increase in the amount of paired liver proteins that
regulate liver processes causing a condition where the liver functions
abnormally.
Lexapro side effects
Hypercholesterolemia
- Too much cholesterol in the blood cells.
Lexapro
side effects
Hyperglycemia
- An unhealthy amount of sugar in the blood.
Lexapro side effects
Increased Weight - A concentration and storage of fat in the body
accumulating over a period of time caused by unhealthy eating patterns, that can
predispose the body to many disorders and diseases.
Lexapro
side effects
Jaw Pain - The pain due to irritation and swelling of the nerves associated with
the mouth area where it opens and closes just in front of the ear. Some of
the symptoms are pain when chewing, head aches, losing your balance, stuffy ears
or ringing in the ears, and teeth grinding.
Lexapro side effects
Jaw Stiffness
- The result of squeezing and grinding the teeth while asleep that can cause
your teeth to deteriorate as well as the muscles and joints of the jaw.
Lexapro
side effects
Joint
Stiffness
- A loss of free motion and easy flexibility where any
two bones come together.
Lexapro side effects
Muscle Cramp - When muscles contract uncontrollably without warning and do not relax.
The muscles of any of the body’s organs can cramp.
Lexapro
side effects
Muscle
Stiffness
- Tightening of muscles making it difficult to bend.
Lexapro
side effects
Muscle
Weakness
- Loss of physical strength.
Lexapro side
effects
Myalgia - A general widespread pain and tenderness of the muscles.
Lexapro side effects
Carpal
Tunnel Syndrome - A
pinched nerve in the wrist that causes pain, tingling, and numbing.
Lexapro side effects
Coordination Abnormal - A lack of normal, harmonious interaction of the parts of
the body when it is in motion.
Lexapro side effects
Dizziness - Losing one’s balance while feeling unsteady and lightheaded which may
lead to fainting.
Lexapro
side effects
Disequilibrium
- Lack of mental and emotional balance.
Lexapro side effects
Faintness - A temporary condition where one is likely to go
unconscious and fall.
Lexapro side effects
Headache - A sharp or dull persistent pain in the head
Lexapro side
effects
Hyperreflexia - A not normal and involuntary increased response in the
tissues connecting the bones to the muscles.
Lexapro
side effects
Light-headed
Feeling –
Uncontrolled and usually brief loss of consciousness caused by lack of oxygen to
the brain.
Lexapro
side effects
Migraine
- Reoccurring severe head pain usually with nausea, vomiting, dizziness, flashes
or spots before the eyes, and ringing in the ears
Lexapro side effects
Muscle Contractions Involuntary
- Spontaneous and uncontrollable tightening reaction of the muscles caused by
electrical impulses from the nervous system.
Lexapro side
effects
Muscular Tone Increased - Uncontrolled and exaggeration muscle tension.
Muscles are normally partially tensed and this is what gives us muscle tone.
Lexapro side
effects
Paresthesia - Burning, prickly, itchy, or tingling skin with no obvious or
understood physical cause.
Lexapro side effects
Restless Legs
- A need to move the legs without any apparent reason. Sometimes there is
pain, twitching, jerking, cramping, burning, or a creepy-crawly sensation
associated with the movements. It worsens when a person is inactive and
can interrupt one’s sleep so one feels the need to move to gain some relief.
Lexapro
side effects
Shaking
- Uncontrolled quivering and trembling as if one is cold and chilled.
Lexapro
side effects
Sluggishness
- Lack of alertness and energy, as well as being slow to respond or perform in
life.
Lexapro side effects
Tics - A contraction of a muscle causing a repeated movement not
under the control of the person usually on the face or limbs.
Lexapro
side effects
Tremor
- A nervous and involuntary vibrating or quivering of the body.
Lexapro side effects
Twitching - Sharp, jerky and spastic motion sometimes with a
sharp sudden pain.
Lexapro
side effects
Vertigo
- A sensation of dizziness with disorientation and confusion.
Lexapro side effects
Aggravated Nervousness
- A progressively worsening, irritated and troubled state of mind.
Lexapro
side effects
Agitation
- Suddenly violent and forceful, emotionally disturbed state of mind.
Lexapro side effects
Amnesia - Long term or short term, partial or full memory loss created by
emotional or physical shock, severe illness, or a blow to the head where the
person was caused pain and became unconsciousness.
Lexapro
side effects
Anxiety
Attack
- Sudden and intense feelings of fear, terror, and dread physically creating
shortness of breath, sweating, trembling and heart palpitations.
Lexapro side effects
Apathy
- Complete lack of concern or interest for things that ordinarily would be
regarded as important or would normally cause concern.
Lexapro
side effects
Appetite
Decreased - Having a
lack of appetite despite the ordinary caloric demands of living with a resulting
unintentional loss of weight.
Lexapro
side effects
Appetite
Increased - An
unusual hunger causing one to overeat.
Lexapro
side effects
Auditory
Hallucination -
Hearing things without the voices or noises being present.
Lexapro side
effects
Bruxism
-
Grinding and clenching of teeth while sleeping.
Lexapro side effects
Carbohydrate
Craving - A drive
and craving to eat foods rich in sugar and starches (sweets, snacks and junk
foods) that intensifies as the diet becomes more and more unbalanced due to the
unbalancing of the proper nutritional requirements of the body.
Lexapro side effects
Concentration Impaired
- Unable to easily focus your attention for long periods of time.
Lexapro
side effects
Confusion
- Not able to think clearly and understand in order to make a logical decision.
Lexapro
side effects
Crying
Abnormal
- Unusual and not normal fits of weeping for short or long periods of time for
no apparent reason.
Lexapro side effects
Depersonalization
- A condition where one has lost a normal sense of personal identity.
Lexapro
side effects
Depression
- A hopeless feeling of failure, loss and sadness that can deteriorate into
thoughts of death.
Lexapro
side effects
Disorientation
- A loss of sense of direction, place, time or surroundings as well as mental
confusion on personal identity.
Lexapro
side effects
Dreaming
Abnormal
- Dreaming that leaves a very clear, detailed picture and impression when awake
that can last for a long period of time and sometimes be unpleasant.
Lexapro
side effects
Emotional
Lability
- Suddenly breaking out
in laughter or crying or doing both without being able to control the outburst
of emotion. These episodes are unstable as they are caused by things that
normally would not have this effect on an individual.
Lexapro side effects
Excitability - Uncontrollably responding to stimuli.
Lexapro side effects
Feeling Unreal - The awareness that one has an undesirable emotion like
fear but can’t seem to shake off the irrational feeling. For example,
feeling like one is going crazy but rationally knowing that it is not true.
The quality of this side effect resembles being in a bad dream and not being
able to wake up.
Lexapro
side effects
Forgetfulness
- Unable to remember what one ordinarily would remember.
Lexapro
side effects
Insomnia
- Sleeplessness caused by physical stress, mental stress or stimulants such as
coffee or medications; it is a condition of being abnormally awake when one
would ordinarily be able to fall and remain asleep.
Lexapro
side effects
Irritability
- Abnormally annoyed in response to a stimulus.
Lexapro side effects
Jitteriness - Nervous fidgeting without an apparent cause.
Lexapro
side effects
Lethargy
- Mental and physical sluggishness and apathy that can deteriorate into an
unconscious state resembling deep sleep. A numbed state of mind.
Lexapro
side effects
Libido
Decreased
- An abnormal loss of sexual energy or desire.
Lexapro side effects
Panic Reaction
- A sudden, overpowering, chaotic and confused mental state of terror resulting
in being doubt ridden often accompanied with hyperventilation, and extreme
anxiety.
Lexapro
side effects
Restlessness
Aggravated - A
constantly worsening troubled state of mind characterized by the person being
increasingly nervous, unable to relax, and easily angered.
Lexapro side
effects
Somnolence - Feeling sleepy all the time or having a condition of
semi-consciousness.
Lexapro
side effects
Suicide
Attempt
- An unsuccessful deliberate attack on one’s own life with the intention of
ending it.
Lexapro
side effects
Suicidal
Tendency
- Most likely will attempt to kill oneself.
Lexapro side effects
Tremulousness
Nervous - Very
jumpy, shaky, and uneasy while feeling fearful and timid. The condition is
characterized by thoughts of dreading the future, involuntary quivering,
trembling, and feeling distressed and suddenly upset.
Lexapro side effects
Yawning - involuntary opening of the mouth with deep inhalation of
air.
Lexapro side effects
Neck/Shoulder Pain
- Hurtful sensations
of the nerve endings caused by damage to the tissues in the neck and shoulder
signaling danger of disease.
Lexapro side effects
Alopecia -
The loss of hair or baldness.
Lexapro side effects
Dry Skin - The lack of normal moisture/oils in the
surface layer of the body. The skin is the body’s largest organ.
Lexapro side effects
Folliculitis
-
Inflammation of a follicle (small body sac) especially a hair follicle. A
hair follicle contains the root of a hair.
Lexapro side effects
Furunculosis - Skin boils that show up repeatedly.
Lexapro side effects
Lipoma - A tumor of mostly fat cells that is not health
endangering.
Lexapro side effects
Pruritus
- Extreme itching of often-undamaged skin.
Lexapro side effects
Rash - A skin eruption or discoloration that may or may not be
itching, tingling, burning, or painful. It may be caused by an allergy, an
skin irritation, a skin disease.
Lexapro side effects
Skin Nodule - A bulge, knob, swelling or outgrowth in the skin
that is a mass of tissue or cells.
Lexapro side effects
SPECIAL SENSES
Lexapro side effects
Conjunctivitis
- Infection of the membrane that covers the eyeball and lines the eyelid, caused
by a virus, allergic reaction, or an irritating chemical. It is
characterized by redness, a discharge of fluid and itching.
Lexapro side effects
Dry Eyes - Not enough moisture in the eyes.
Lexapro side effects
Earache - Pain in the ear.
Lexapro side effects
Eye Infection
- The invasion of the eye tissue by a bacteria, virus, fungus, etc, causing
damage to the tissue, with toxicity. Infection spreading in the body
progresses into disease.
Lexapro side effects
Eye Irritation
- An inflammation of the eye.
Lexapro side effects
Metallic Taste
- A range of taste impairment from distorted taste to a complete loss of taste.
Lexapro side effects
Pupils Dilated
- Abnormal expansion of the blace circular opening in the center of the eye.
Lexapro side effects
Taste alteration
- Abnormal flavor detection in food.
Lexapro side effects
Tinnitus - A buzzing, ringing, or whistling sound in one or
both ears occurring from the internal use of certain drugs.
Lexapro side effects
Vision Abnormal
- Normal images are seen differently by the viewer.
Lexapro side effects
Vision Blurred
- Eyesight is dim or indistinct and hazy in outline or appearance.
Lexapro side effects
Visual Disturbance
- Eyesight is interfered with or interrupted. Some disturbances are light
sensitivity and the inability to easily distinguish colors.
Lexapro side effects
Acute
Renal Failure - The
kidneys stop functioning properly to excrete wastes.
Lexapro side effects
Angioedema
- Intensely itching and swelling welts on the skin called hives caused by an
allergic reaction to internal or external agents. The reaction is common
to a food or a drug. Chronic cases can last for a long period of time.
Lexapro side effects
Grand Mal
Seizures (or Convulsions)
- A recurring sudden violent and involuntary attack of muscle spasms with a loss
of consciousness.
Lexapro side effects
Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome
- A life threatening, rare reaction to an anti-psychotic drug marked by fever,
muscular rigidity, changed mental status, and dysfunction of the autonomic
nervous system.
Lexapro side effects
Pancreatitis - Chemical irritation with redness, swelling, and
pain in the pancreas where digestive enzymes and hormones are secreted.
Lexapro side effects
QT Prolongation
- A very fast heart rhythm disturbance that is too fast for the heart to beat
effectively so the blood to the brain falls causing a sudden loss of
consciousness and may cause sudden cardiac death.
Lexapro side effects
Rhabdomyolysis
- The breakdown of muscle fibers that releases the fibers into the circulatory
system. Some of the fibers are poisonous to the kidney and frequently
result in kidney damage.
Lexapro side effects
Serotonin Syndrome
- A disorder brought on by excessive levels of serotonin caused by drugs and can
be fatal as death from this side effect can come very rapidly.
Lexapro side effects
Thrombocytopenia
- An abnormal decrease in the number of blood platelets in the circulatory
system. A decrease in platelets would cause a decrease in the ability of the
blood to clot when necessary.
Lexapro side effects
Torsades de Pointes
- Unusual rapid heart rhythm starting in the lower heart chambers. If the
short bursts of rapid heart rhythm continue for a prolonged period it can
degenerate into a more rapid rhythm and can be fatal.
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