A Tale of Myths

Over the next few blog entries, I would like to tell you a tale about the little-known medical myths of Peter Breggin's 2001 book, The Anti-Depressant Fact Book.

Breggin begins his book by establishing some mechanisms by which the antidepressants he is convinced are harmful could be kept on the market. He points out that consumers are less likely to question an FDA-approved, doctor-endorsed pill than another consumer product. He reminds us that psychiatric drugs are sold for profit, which could result in less than honorable marketing.

Once Breggin is done discussing the evil of the drug companies (an argument I will return to when I review Talking Back to Prozac), he proceeds to list the myths he believes he must correct about antidepressants.

Survey (or in this case The Anti-Depressant Fact Book) says:
"'FDA approval means a drug is safe.'
'The FDA makes sure that a drug is tested on thousands of patients before it is approved.'
'Antidepressants are not mood-altering, they directly improve the disease of depression.'
'Antidepressants are like insulin for diabetes, they provide essential missing substances.'
'Antidepressants don't cause abnormalities in the brain, they correct biochemical imbalances.'
'Antidepressants aren't in any way similar to stimulants like amphetamine and cocaine.'
'Antidepressants don't cause cause withdrawal problems; you can stop them without any ill effects.'
'Antidepressants can't make you psychotic unless you have a preexisting mental illness'"

Let's start with the first two claims. What exactly does the Food and Drug Administration do to approve drugs? According to the FDA, the purpose of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research "is to ensure that drugs marketed in this country are safe and effective." This may be the reason why many civilians believe that FDA approval indicates a level of safety. However, it is true that the FDA itself is not directly responsible for the testing of a drug. The drug is tested by the pharmaceutical company and then the data is compiled and sent to the FDA for something called an Investigational New Drug application. A month after that application is submitted the company is, unless put on hold by the FDA, allowed to begin clinical trials. The results of these along with pertinent marketing information are sent to the FDA in a New Drug Application. If the results of these two applications indicate that the drug is appropriate for use, then it is approved. Therefore, for Breggin's claim to be false, the FDA must be foregoing their responsibilities or the drug companies must be falsifying information. Either way, that would be an issue much larger than the efficacy of antidepressants.
 

Breggin, Peter Roger. The Antidepressant Fact Book: What Doctors Won't Tell You about Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Celexa, and Luvox. Cambridge, MA: Perseus Pub., 2001. Print.

"How Drugs Are Developed and Approved." FDA. Web. 27 Feb. 2012. <http://www.fda.gov/drugs/developmentapprovalprocess/howdrugsaredevelopedandapproved/default.htm>.