Published Date:
22 September 2001
ANTIDEPRESSANTS such as Prozac, the "sunshine drug", may lift the spirits but can also promote bleeding in the gut in some patients, a study has showed.
Researchers in Canada found that "new generation" antidepressant drugs known as SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) were linked to an increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding in a large group of elderly patients.
Prozac is the best known SSRI. Others include Seroxat, Cipramil, Faverin and Lustral.
The study involved almost 314,000 people aged 65 and above who had been prescribed antidepressants between 1992 and 1998.
Dr Carl van Walraven, from Ottawa Hospital, led a team which identified 974 gastrointestinal bleeds during the study.
The more powerful the drug, the higher was the bleed risk, the doctors reported in the British Medical Journal.
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Last Updated:
22 September 2001 12:00 AM
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Source:
The Scotsman
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Location:
Edinburgh
