It's off topic, but I thought I'd share it with you all. Zoloft, off label, for hot flashes in men with prostate cancer. This is from Hospital Pharmacy, a Kluwer publication, November 2007 issue, volume 42, no. 11.

Two pharmacists studied 5 men (62 to 72 years of age) who were anti-androgen therapy (leuprolide alone or with flutamide) for prostate cancer. The men were experiencing hot flashes, and their mood was obviously in the dumps. Zoloft was prescribed to improve their mood. The start-up dose was 25 mg/daily, slowly titrated to 75-150 mg daily over 4 weeks. All patients got an improvement in their mood, as well as a decrease in frequency and severity of hot flashes. There was a prior case report dating back to 1998 about the usefulness of Zoloft in reducing hot flashes in prostate cancer survivors.

I wonder if these are the same ad agencies that pushed doped up US style cigarettes as a health remedy and happy teens drinking beer. It is indeed a nanny state, but the nanny's husband works for an ad agency.

Well, all I can say is the group who tackled this product with the word "Ability" as a base for the name just got a bonus.

As far as medicating the general public with an anti psychotic; that's playing a deck that will bite that company in the ass in a few years.

Personal perspective use for this drug--Abilify caused 24/7 week long manic insommia in my daughter that Klonopin couldn't even knock down. She became restless, agitated and this was in a locked up psych ward. I got a call from the doc there agreeing with me after one week of hell for her, "it's the Abilify, and I'm taking her off of it."

THAT was in 2005. Give it time, it will end up on the block with Zyprexa, Risperdal and Seroquel in lawsuits. Woot!

Red Rover, so this could be why there is a useful reason to have extended release Zoloft on the market now?

Interesting connection with hormonal stuff. For instance some antidepressants induce hot flashes/night sweats in women.

From the press release:

"Antidepressants increased the risk compared to placebo of suicidal thinking and behavior (suicidality) in children, adolescents, and young adults in short-term studies of major depressive disorder (MDD)."

I have a problem with that. Is this an antidepressant or antipsychotic? and with this black box warning in place [along with diabetes] why the hell?

This is twisted marketing at the expense of innocent people. Period. This is not hormone replacement therapy for women, it is not an anti depressant, it is an antipsychotic of which efficacy for which it was designed--schizophrenia--was less than perfect, so this is a re-intro into the market as a broad brush stroke for the new DSM.

I really wish this industry was regulated.

Excerpted from the Psychiatrist's Big Book on Mental Illness: How to Treat Major Depressive Disorder: 1) Prescribe an antidepressant, an antipsychotic and an anti-convulsant. If the patient fails his or her medications, repeat step one and increase dosages. Please feel free to add any other adjunctive medications which strike your fancy.

Should the patient assert side effects, doubt the patient's perception. Should the patient express concerns about black box warnings or any of that humbug in the press, use the shopworn line I guess you don't want to get better. Under no circumstances should you establish base line labs or perform routine testing for metabolic syndrome. Do not encourage the patient to seek any of that talk therapy nonsense, ex. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or give due consideration of the real life challenges facing the patient. Remember, these medications are perfectly safe, this is science and you are the doctor.

(It goes without saying that you should collect your fee before the patient departs.)

Joe, is your quote for real?

Joe, my (former) psychiatrist subscribed to that school of thought. Although, you left out one part. If the patient gets worse while under your care and/or questions the treatment, then she has a personality disorder. If the patient ditches you for a competent therapist and gets better, then it must be a miracle from God.