Pharma Marketers Should Hire the Directors of the Documentary Off Label to Do "Real Patient DTC" Ads
Coming soon (August 8 or 9) to a theater that may be near you - if you live in Missoula, MT (or in a few other lesser or greater cities) - is the documentary Off Label, which asks the question: "What's in your medicine cabinet?"If your medicine cabinet contains psychotropic drugs such as Adderall, Ambien, Zoloft, and Prozac, you may want to see this movie. "Often these drugs are combined in polypharmacy cocktails or are given out for unapproved or untested indications, leading to abuse, dangerous side effects, and heavy dependence," says the movie synopsis (here).The movie premiered last year in East and West Coast Intern...
Source: Pharma Marketing Blog - July 31, 2013 Category: Pharma Commentators Tags: off-label promotion FDA social media DTC Advertising Chantix movie Source Type: blogs
You May Likely Gain Weight on these 6 Psychiatric Medications
I had been on the drug Zyprexa (olanzapine) for four weeks and had already gained 15 pounds which, you know, didn’t help my depression.
After going to a wedding and catching a side view of myself, I called my doctor and told him that my name was now Violet Beauregarde, you know, the gum chewer in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” who becomes a blueberry balloon. Except that when I rose to the top of the room I was crying.
“The two most common questions that patients ask me are, ‘Will I become dependent on the medications?’ and ‘Will I gain weight?’” says Sanjay Gupta, M.D.
It’s a serious concern fo...
Source: World of Psychology - June 28, 2013 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: Therese J. Borchard Tags: Antidepressant Antipsychotic Disorders General Health-related Medications Mental Health and Wellness Self-Esteem Treatment Anticonvulsant Charlie And The Chocolate Charlie And The Chocolate Factory Chemical Compound Clozaril De Source Type: blogs
Coming Soon: Ever-More-Concentrated Varieties of Insulin. Buyers Beware!
Recently, Lilly held what it called its second diabetes social media summit, although in truth, the company did not fly anyone into Indianapolis for the first summit, so in reality, this was the company's first. I was not invited, which frankly doesn't surprise me, because I've been critical of the company and I honestly think they're terrified of me - seriously, they were looking for people who wouldn't challenge them on much (like their decision to outsource some insulin manufacturing away from its own plant in Indianapolis to Hospira in McPherson, Kansas only to bring it back in-house this year), and that's probab...
Source: Scott's Web Log - June 24, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Scott S Source Type: blogs
No Parking on the Dance Floor
OK, perhaps some parking is allowed. I can be reasonable.
And yeah, this post was inspired by recent events that transpired on a literal dance floor. But as usual when I have a grievance, I don't just need to bitch about it: I also gotta analyze and generalize and get all metaphorical! Plus I try to find some kind of "life lesson" and share it.
Annoying and pedantic? Of course! But it's how my brain likes to process stuff. Some people meditate or take Prozac or go pummel a punching bag; I over-think and blog.
I am sometimes amazed there are any Cranky Fitness readers left.
Wait, are there any Cranky Fit...
Source: Cranky Fitness - June 24, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Crabby McSlacker Source Type: blogs
Meet the Doctor Big Pharma Can't Shut Up
For the last 33 years, David Healy, an Irish psychiatrist and professor at Cardiff University School of Medicine in Wales, has written heavily researched university press books and academic journal articles on various aspects of psychopharmaceuticals. His output includes 20 books, 150 peer-reviewed papers and 200 other published works. He is not only well-pedigreed, with degrees and fellowships from Dublin, Galway and Cambridge medical schools, he is a widely recognized expert in both the history and the science of neurochemistry and psychopharmacology.Yet Healy says his output and reputation have ...
Source: PharmaGossip - June 3, 2013 Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: insider Source Type: blogs
Happy Fiftieth Birthday Valium - by Will Nicholl
A recent report published by the charity MIND – which paints a troubling, and important portrait of Britons driven to alcohol, cigarettes and prescription medication to differing extents by the stress of working-life – makes it a prescient moment to cast the mind back to a series of very strange goings-on.
The time was the late 1950s, the place a hospital canteen in the North of England. Perhaps pickings in that week’s British Medical Journal had been lean – or patients that day exasperating – because the topic of conversation was a newspaper article about a Swiss circus-master who had found a drug to calm his t...
Source: PharmaGossip - May 5, 2013 Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: insider Source Type: blogs
6 Steps Toward Resilience & Greater Happiness
The opposite of depression is not happiness, according to Peter Kramer, author of “Against Depression” and “Listening to Prozac,” it is resilience: the ability to cope with life’s frustrations without falling apart.
Proper treatment doesn’t suppress emotions or dull a person’s ability to feel things deeply. It builds a protective layer — an emotional resilience — to safeguard a depressive from becoming overwhelmed and disabled by the difficulties of daily life.
However, the tools found in happiness research are those I practice in my recovery from depression and anxiety, even though, theoreticall...
Source: World of Psychology - April 30, 2013 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: Therese J. Borchard Tags: Anxiety and Panic Depression General Happiness Mental Health and Wellness Relationships Self-Esteem Self-Help Treatment Appropriate Response Blood Stream California At Berkeley Chronic Sleep Deprivation Cognitive Performance De Source Type: blogs
Link feast
In case you missed them - 10 of the best psychology links from the past week:
1. Stunning video of a whole mouse brain rendered entirely transparent.
2. Brilliant article by Joseph LeDoux on the benefits to anxious people of "pro-active avoidance". "When avoidance prevents one from dealing with life, it is maladaptive. But when avoidance is proactive and part of active coping and agency, it helps the person control the accelerator, brakes, and the track switches. It is a useful adaptive activity."
3. On the 25th anniversary of Prozac, Will Self on BBC Radio Four investigated whether the drug has helped or...
Source: BPS RESEARCH DIGEST - April 12, 2013 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: Christian Jarrett Source Type: blogs
Manipulating Emotion through Technology
In the information age, personalization and customization are remarkable themes in technology, goods, and services. There is no one brand of toothpaste, or one kind of refrigerator — there are hundreds of each. There is no one kind of phone — there are hundreds of them, each able to be tailored with cases, covers, backgrounds, and apps.
And now, there are even designer babies: Parents are able to choose their children’s hair and eye color (though according to Wired, the Los Angeles clinic offering these services was recently shut down amid public outcry).
The potential for humans to modulate their emotio...
Source: World of Psychology - April 10, 2013 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: Dan Faggella, MAPP Tags: Brain and Behavior General Memory and Perception Psychology Research Case In Fact Cold Water Designer Babies Electrode Emotional Experience Eye Color Information Age Mental Health Professionals Nanotechnology New Job Personal Source Type: blogs
Eli Lilly and Co. settles Cymbalta wrongful death lawsuit
Eli Lilly and Co. has settled a long-running wrongful death lawsuit filed by the parents of a South Dakota boy who committed suicide on Christmas Eve 2004, four weeks after taking the antidepressant Cymbalta.
The settlement comes a month before a jury trial was set to begin in a South Dakota federal court.
Terms weren’t disclosed in court filings. An order filed last week by a magistrate judge said the settlement involved setting up a trust fund bearing the name of the 16-year-old boy, Peter Schilf. The order also refers to “payment by Lilly of the agreed confidential amount.”
Lilly’s marketing partner for Cymba...
Source: PharmaGossip - April 10, 2013 Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: insider Source Type: blogs
Comment Replies…
Miss Plante said... Hi Andrew, I've been reading your blog for years but have never commented. I live with depression and anxiety--especially in social situations--and it is a comfort to know I'm not alone. I'm a New Englander who has yet to visit the South, and I am envious of the green grass and flowers you have already. We still have patches of snow lingering in shady spots, and the early flowers have only just begun to poke up out of the soil. Andrew Replies… Miss Plante, it is extremely nice to meet you and thank you for introducing yourself. I know depression and social anxiety all too well so you have a...
Source: The 4th Avenue Blues - April 8, 2013 Category: Mental Illness Authors: Andrew Quixote Source Type: blogs
Keeping the Pounds On: Causes of Unexplained Weight Loss
By Amy Campbell
Our society is obsessed with weight, if you haven't noticed. More than two thirds of US adults are overweight or obese, there are more diet books published than we can count, and, of course, we have the privilege of watching shows like The Biggest Loser to help keep us in line. And according to government statistics, more than 85% of people with Type 2 diabetes are overweight. So it stands to reason that much of the focus of managing Type 2 diabetes is based on reaching and staying at a healthy weight.
It's important to note that thin people can get diabetes too, and not just Type 1 diabetes. In a 2008 stud...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - February 25, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Amy Campbell Source Type: blogs
Medications that Increase the Risks of Patient Falls
Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and non-fatal injuries for adults 65 and older.
Alzheimer's Reading Room
“Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and non-fatal injuries for adults 65 and older, and research suggests that those taking four or more medications are at an even greater risk than those who don’t – perhaps two to three times greater,” said Susan Blalock, Ph.D., an associate professor at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy.
In 2007, more than 21,700 Americans died as a result of falls and more than 7.9 million were injured by a fall including over 1.8 million older adults who had a fall-rela...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - February 14, 2013 Category: Dementia Authors: Bob DeMarco Source Type: blogs
Withdrawal from Psychiatric Meds Can Be Painful, Lengthy
This article was edited to clarify a few sentences on Feb. 14, 2013.
References
Kotzalidis, G.D. et al. (2007). The adult SSRI/SNRI withdrawal syndrome: A clinically heterogeneous entity. Clinical Neuropsychiatry: Journal of Treatment Evaluation, 4, 61-75.
Nielsen, M., Hansen, E.H., & Gøtzsche, P.C. (2012). What is the difference between dependence and withdrawal reactions? A comparison of benzodiazepines and selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors. Addiction, 107, 900-908.
Therrien, F. & Markowitz, J.S. (1997). Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and withdrawal symptoms: A review of the literature...
Source: World of Psychology - February 13, 2013 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: John M. Grohol, PsyD Tags: Antidepressant Antipsychotic General Medications Policy and Advocacy Psychiatry Research Treatment Caffeine Stimulants Celexa Cymbalta Discontinuation Fluoxetine Hand Experience Hyperactivity Illicit Drugs Lengthy Time Le Source Type: blogs
I'm still here...
Yes, I haven't posted in a while. I guess its a case of "no news is good news". I'm doing pretty well. Have slowly reduced my meds to about half of what they were 18 months ago. Did it very slowly and it has worked wonders. My next goal is to ditch the prozac altogether. Not gonna rush it tho, and I've gotta find a good sustainable positive patch to start the project in. As a result I'm not identifying so much with the "bipolarness" of BiPolar Guy. Quite honestly right now "Photographer Guy" would probably be a better handle. But I'm actually getting tired of handles. I've got so many of the friggin things. Maybe one day I...
Source: BiPolar Daily(ish) - February 13, 2013 Category: Mental Illness Authors: BiPolar Guy Source Type: blogs
