According to the results of Prof. Dr. Coşkun Usta’s study on ‘antidepressant side effects’, uncontrolled use of antidepressants can lead to suicide. Usta said, “The interesting thing is that such a drug can still be sold without a prescription” and called for these drugs not to be sold without a prescription.
HE SEARCHED FOR AN ANSWER TO THE QUESTION ‘WHAT ARE THE SIDE EFFECTS OF ANTIDEPRESSANTS?’
Prof. Dr. Coşkun Usta from Akdeniz University (AU) Faculty of Medicine conducted a study on the side effects of antidepressants used to treat certain mood disorders such as major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders and chronic pain conditions. Prof. Dr. Usta and his team selected 200 people from private hospitals in the city and monitored them, completing the study on side effects.
SIDE EFFECTS ARE MOST SEEN IN WOMEN
At the end of the study, it was determined that 75 percent of the side effects of antidepressants sold without a prescription were seen in women and 43 out of 100 people experienced side effects.
“IT SHOULD NEVER BE SOLD WITHOUT A PRESCRIPTION”
Prof. Dr. Coşkun Usta said that antidepressant drugs are not simple drugs. Noting that these drugs are not only effective on the brain but also on the entire body, Prof. Dr. Usta said, “The interesting thing is that such a drug can still be sold without a prescription. These types of drugs, which have various side effects, should never be sold without a prescription. They are very commonly used.”
VERY COMMON IN THE WORLD
Prof. Dr. Usta stated that, contrary to popular belief, antidepressant drugs are not only used in cases of depression, but are also used in the treatment of eating disorders, long-term chronic pain and anxiety, and said, “There are 250 million depressed people in the world, which is the same as the population of the United States. When we include patients with anxiety, eating disorders and chronic pain, we can say that it is a very widely used drug in the world.”
43 PERCENT OF THOSE WHO USED THE MEDICINE HAVE SIDE EFFECTS
Prof. Dr. Coşkun Usta, who stated that they conducted a study on the use of frequently used antidepressant drugs, said, “There are many different factors such as age group, gender, nutritional status in the emergence of the side effects of the drug. A side effect that you see may not be seen in me. Over 200 patients were studied. We determined it on the Toronto scale. If 100 patients used this drug, side effects occurred in 43 of them. We also looked at how frequently these side effects were seen. The picture we saw was interesting. Brain problems occur in 50 percent, digestive system problems in 30 percent, and sexual function problems in 15 percent. 75 percent of the side effects occur in women.”
Emphasizing that one of the most important side effects of the tests performed is sleep disorders, Prof. Dr. Usta said, “It can decrease sleep as well as increase it. Headaches, nausea, vomiting can occur. When we look at the frequency, we see that the side effects are severe in 8 percent of the population.”
INCREASED SEROTONIN LEVELS CAN BE DANGEROUS
Prof. Dr. Usta said that antidepressant drugs increase the level of serotonin, the happiness hormone in the brain, and that differences are seen in brain activity. Prof. Dr. Coşkun Usta, who also stated that this situation can lead to unexpected results, said, “When you increase this hormone uncontrollably, you face a very important risk. If we increase its level too much, the condition we call ‘mania’ is triggered. A state of joy out of the blue, people who are enterprising and laugh for no reason. An increase in the tendency to commit suicide can be seen. It has been revealed that these drugs increase the tendency to commit suicide in some people.” (DHA)