[Research] Most widely prescribed drugs in the U.S.

[RobinN]

(NaturalNews) As NaturalNews has previously reported, the U.S. is a nation seemingly hooked on mind-altering drugs (http://www.naturalnews.com/027054_d...). A study released last fall in the Archives of General Psychiatry documented a dramatic increase in the use of antidepressant drugs like Prozac since l996. In fact, these medications are now the most widely prescribed drugs in the U.S.

Think Americans are maxed out on the number of psychiatric meds that huge numbers of them are taking? Think again. A new report says U.S. adults are increasingly being prescribed combinations of antidepressants, anti-anxiety and antipsychotic medications -- and they could be experiencing serious side effects as a result.

The study, published in the January edition of Archives of General Psychiatry, investigated patterns and trends in what is known as psychotropic polypharmacy, meaning the prescribing of two or more psychiatric drugs. Ramin Mojtabai, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., of the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and Mark Olfson, M.D., M.P.H., of Columbia University Medical Center and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, examined data gathered from a national sample of office-based psychiatry practices. In all, the researchers looked at the medications prescribed between 1996 and 2006 during more than 13,000 office visits to psychiatrists by adults.

The results showed a significant increase in the number of mind impacting drugs prescribed over these years. The percentage of doctor visits which resulted in two or more medications being prescribed increased from 42.6 percent to 59.8 percent. What's more, the percentage of visits at which three or more drugs were prescribed soared from 16.9 percent to 33.2 percent. And the median number of medications prescribed at each appointment with a psychiatrist increased on average by of 40.1 percent.

The combinations of drugs being prescribed with increasing frequency include antidepressants with sedative-hypnotics (the most prescribed combination), antidepressants given along with antipsychotics and combinations of several kinds of antidepressants. But at least the doctors prescribing these mixed drugs are only doing so based on solid research showing the combos are safe and effective, right? Wrong.

"Because scant data exist to support the efficacy of some of the most common medication combinations, such as antipsychotic combinations or combinations of antidepressants and antipsychotics, prudence suggests that renewed clinical efforts should be made to limit the use of these combinations to clearly justifiable circumstances," the authors wrote in their paper. "At the same time, a new generation of research is needed to assess the efficacy, effectiveness and safety of common concomitant medication regimens, especially in patients with multiple disorders or monotherapy-refractory conditions."

In other words, drugs are being given to patients in all sorts of combinations without sound science showing they even work well together -- much less that these drug cocktails are safe to take. In fact, the researchers point out specific dangers of taking multiple psychiatric drugs.

"While the evidence for added benefit of antipsychotic polypharmacy is limited, there is growing evidence regarding the increased adverse effects associated with such combinations," they concluded. A case in point: some combinations cause increases in body weight and total cholesterol level. Others have been associated with an increase in fasting blood glucose level.

http://www.naturalnews.com/027932_po...ric_drugs.html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2...?dopt=Abstract

[Cint]

The combinations of drugs being prescribed with increasing frequency include antidepressants with sedative-hypnotics (the most prescribed combination), antidepressants given along with antipsychotics and combinations of several kinds of antidepressants. But at least the doctors prescribing these mixed drugs are only doing so based on solid research showing the combos are safe and effective, right? Wrong.

"Because scant data exist to support the efficacy of some of the most common medication combinations, such as antipsychotic combinations or combinations of antidepressants and antipsychotics, prudence suggests that renewed clinical efforts should be made to limit the use of these combinations to clearly justifiable circumstances," the authors wrote in their paper. "At the same time, a new generation of research is needed to assess the efficacy, effectiveness and safety of common concomitant medication regimens, especially in patients with multiple disorders or monotherapy-refractory conditions."

In other words, drugs are being given to patients in all sorts of combinations without sound science showing they even work well together -- much less that these drug cocktails are safe to take. In fact, the researchers point out specific dangers of taking multiple psychiatric drugs.

"While the evidence for added benefit of antipsychotic polypharmacy is limited, there is growing evidence regarding the increased adverse effects associated with such combinations," they concluded. A case in point: some combinations cause increases in body weight and total cholesterol level. Others have been associated with an increase in fasting blood glucose level.

Some of us do suffer from depression along with temporal lobe epilepsy and an anti-depressant is sufficient. After my surgery I went into a deep depression and my neurologist-psychiatrist put me on an SSRI anti-depressant and a tri-cyclic. Many shrinks are prescribing unnecessarily anti-psychotic drugs, along with anti-depressants for depression, bi-polar disorder, anxiety disorders, etc. without letting the patient know of the dangerous side effects.
When I moved the new dr. said I was bi-polar and put me on an anti-psychotic. Next thing I started losing weight and was soooooo tired and going to the bathroom all the time. I ended up with Type 1 diabetes from this stupid anti-psychotic. IMHO, anti-psychotic/anti-depressant combos are very dangerous!

[Rae1889]

#1. Hydrocodone (with acetaminophen)
Used to treat pain (main ingrediant in Vicodin)
121.3 million prescriptions / $5.88 billion retail cost

#2. Lisinopril
Hypertension
69.8 million prescriptions / $686 million retail cost

#3. Simvastatin
High cholesterol
49.0 / $1.45 billion

#4. Levothyroxine
Hypothyroidism
58.6 / $546 million

#5. Amoxicillin
Bacterial infection (commonly Rxd for strep and mono)
52.1 / $439 million

#6. Azithromycin
Bacterial infection
49.3 / $1.28 billion

#7. Lipitor
High cholesterol
49.0 / $5.88 billion

#8. Hydrochlorothiazide
Edema/hypertension
47.1 / $288 million

#9. Alprazolam
Anxiety
43.6 / $468 million

#10. Atenolol
Hypertension
40.9 / $274 million

11. Metformin (diabetes)
12. Metoprolol succinate (hypertension)
13. Furosemide (edema, hypertension)
14. Metoprolol tartrate (hypertension)
(if both formulations of metoprolol are considered, it is the 3rd most prescribed)
15. Sertraline (depression)
16. Omeprazole (ulcers, reflux)
17. Zolpidem/Ambien (insomnia)
18. Nexium (refulx, ulcers)
19. Lexapro (depression)
20. Oxycodone (pain) (semi synthetic heroin)
21. Singulair (asthman, allergies)
22. Ibuprofen (pain, inflammation) (advil)
23. Plavix (blood clotting)
24. Prednisone (allergies, inflammation)
25. Fluoxetine (depression)
26. Synthroid (hypothyroidism)
27. Warfarin (blood clotting)
28. Cephalexin (bacterial infection)
29. Lorazepam (anxiety) (aka Ativan)
30. Clonazepam (anxiety)(aka Klonopin)
31. Citalopram (depression) (aka Celexa)
32. Tramadol (pain)
33. Gabapentin (epilepsy, pain)
34. Ciprofloxacin (bacterial infection)
35. Propoxyphene-N (pain)
36. Lisinopril (hypertension)
37. Triamterene (edema, hypertension)
38. Amoxicillin with clavulanic acid (bacterial infection)
39. Cyclobenzaprine (muscle injury, spasm)
40. Prevacid (ulcers, reflux)
41. Advair (asthma)
42. Effexor XR (depression)
43. Trazodone (depression, insomnia)
44. Fexofenadine (allergies)
45. Fluticasone nasal spray (allergies)
46. Diovan (hypertension)
47. Paroxetine (depression, anxiety)
48. Lovastatin (hypertension)
49. Crestor (high cholesterol)
50. Trimethoprim (bacterial infection)

These are the top 50 for the US in 2008. If anyone else knows any common facts to these let me know. I highlighted the ones that seem most relevant to Epilepsy or ones that I know go by other names

[BuckeyeFan]

Seems like a reflection on US society. The highest are for high blood pressure and high cholesteral.

[seizingbeauty]

It says a lot about western society that the majority of the medications on the list deal with issues that could been better handled with lifestyle changes. High cholesterol, hypertension, ulcers, insomnia are brought on by the way we live our lives. Unfortunatley, our society is designed in such a way that implementing the required changes is nearly impossible without removing yourself from society. The realization of the mess that we are in certainly doesn't help with deppression or anxiety. There definiatly people who are being treated for depression that need the meds to lead a productive life, however more and more the doctors are handing out the drugs with mentality of "Take your pills and shut up, its not any worse for you than the next guy". Interesting how without noticing we've created a society dependant on medication to get us til tomorrow and our next dose!