Did Antipsychotic Drugs Contribute to Suicide?

Q. My 36 year old daughter told her doctor she was depressed so he prescribed Seroquel. She began hallucinating and after a month she became paranoid and thought demons were attacking her. She never had hallucinations in her life before taking this medication.

Her friends took her to the doctor and he took her off of the Seroquel and prescribed Abilify. Five days later she was dead from suicide. I live in another state and did not know she was on this medication or I would have stopped her from taking it.

I would like to know why a GP Physician without psychiatric knowledge would prescribe an antipsychotic to a young woman with depression who had never been on any psychiatric drugs. I would also like to know why this same doctor abruptly stopped the Seroquel when it was contraindicated and could cause suicidal ideation, rather than titrate her off the drug as indicated in the instructions. What happened to “physician do no harm”.

It is a sad time in this country when the pharmaceutical companies can advertise antipsychotic drugs on TV for depression and doctors will prescribe it so much that it was the “top drug sold in 2013”.

Why do we tolerate this!

A.We are so sorry to learn of this tragic story. Our hearts go out to you and your family.

We too find TV commercials for antipsychotic drugs a scary situation. Abilify (aripiprazole) was the top drug by sales (nearly $7 billion last year). The commercials make it seem as if antipsychotic drugs are wonderful solutions for depression. We worry that many people may not pay attention to the announcer’s warnings:

“Abilify is not for everyone.

Call your doctor if your depression worsens or if you have unusual changes in behavior or thoughts of suicide…

Elderly dementia patients taking Abilify have an increased risk of death or stroke.

Call your doctor if you have high fever, stiff muscles and confusion to address a possible life threatening condition or if you have uncontrollable muscle movements as these can become permanent. High blood sugar has been reported with Abilify and medicines like it and in extreme cases can lead to coma or death.

Other risks include increased cholesterol, weight gain,, decreases in white blood cells which can be serious, dizziness on standing, seizures, trouble swallowing, and impaired judgment or motor skills.”

Other “psychiatric disorders” mentioned in the official prescribing information for Abilify include “suicidal ideation, aggression, loss of libido, suicide attempt, hostility…delirium, intentional self injury, completed suicide, tic, homicidal ideation…”

At last count the United States and New Zealand are the only two countries that allow prescription drug advertising directly to patients. Most of the people we query about these ads agree with you that they are intolerable.

To get a better sense of the potential side effects of this and other “atypical” antipsychotics like quetiapine (Seroquel), here is a list:

ABILIFY SIDE EFFECTS

• Digestive tract distress, heartburn, nausea, vomiting, constipation, incontinence
• Weight gain, increased appetite
• Headache, dizziness, lightheadedness
• Anxiety, agitation, restlessness, tremor, akathisia: uncontrollable urge to move or pace
• Insomnia, fatigue, sedation
• Dry mouth, excessive salivation, drooling
• Blurred vision
• Arthritis, muscle pain
• Elevated cholesterol
• Fever (a potentially life-threatening symptom requiring immediate medical attention)
• Tardive dyskinesia, uncontrollable muscle movements, lip smacking, grimacing, neck twisting
• Stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA)
• Low blood pressure, especially when standing, dizziness
• Diabetes, elevated blood sugar
• Seizures
• Irregular heart rhythms, palpitations, Pancreatitis, gall bladder problems
• Blood disorders
• Low sodium, high potassium
• Worsening depression, suicidal thoughts