Veterans with PTSD Often Prescribed Drugs Not Supported by Guidelines

By Join Together Staff | February 13, 2013 | 1 Comment | Filed in Mental Health, Military & Treatment

Veterans with post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) are often prescribed medications not supported by existing government guidelines, according to a new study. Most of these prescriptions are written by mental health care providers, according to UPI.

Researchers analyzed electronic pharmacy data from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) for 356,958 veterans with PTSD, who received medications from VHA prescribers. The researchers from the Iowa City Veterans Affairs Health Care System found among veterans with PTSD who had continuous VHA medication use, 65.7 percent were prescribed elective serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SSRI/SNRIs). Second-generation anti-psychotics were prescribed for 25.6 percent of the veterans, while benzodiazepines were prescribed for 37 percent.

The findings appear in the journal Psychiatric Services.

Four Loko Maker to Put “Alcohol Facts Panel” on Can

By Join Together Staff | February 13, 2013 | 4 Comments | Filed in Alcohol, Government, Prevention, Young Adults & Youth

The maker of the sweet alcoholic drink Four Loko will put an “alcohol facts panel” on the back of cans containing more than two servings of alcohol, to settle the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) charges of deceptive marketing.

The panel will be similar to the nutritional facts label found on foods, the Associated Press reports. It will disclose the alcohol by volume, and the number of servings in the can.

According to a FTC news release, the drink’s maker, Phusion Projects, must redesign cans with more than two-and-a-half servings of alcohol so they can be resealed. This new design will encourage drinkers not to consume the entire can in one sitting.

The agency noted it does not have the jurisdiction to ban Four Loko, or to force the company to limit its size or alcohol content.
The FTC had said Four Loko ads implied the 23.5-ounce can was equal to one or two regular 12-ounce beers, but is really more like four or five beers, the article notes. The cans contain up to 12 percent alcohol.

The commission had wanted to require Phusion to put new labels on drinks with more than two-and-a-half servings of alcohol, but changed the requirement to cans with more than two servings of alcohol, based on public comments about the dangers of supersized drinks.

The FTC also wanted to require a label on the front of the can that compared the amount of alcohol in Four Loko to a regular beer. It dropped that recommendation after some critics said it could lead to binge drinking, by suggesting the drink was a fast, inexpensive way to get drunk.

Four Loko originally contained caffeine and alcohol. Following warnings by the Food and Drug Administration, Phusion Projects removed caffeine from the drink.

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Accidental Poisonings from Prescription Drugs on the Rise in Pets

By Join Together Staff | February 12, 2013 | 1 Comment | Filed in Prescription Drugs

A growing number of pets are being accidentally poisoned, and prescription medicines are largely to blame, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) reports it received more than 180,000 calls about poisonous substances last year, up 7 percent from 2011. Since many pet owners rush poisoned pets to their veterinarian instead of calling a hotline, the number of accidental poisonings may be higher, the article notes.

Prescription medications for humans have accounted for the majority of calls about accidental poisonings for the past five years, increasing 2 percent last year to more than 25,200 calls. Pet owners made almost 18,500 calls about over-the-counter medications and supplements, up 2.8 percent from the previous year.

While insecticides and rodenticides are the most deadly household items for pets, common human medicines can also be fatal, depending on the pet’s weight, how much the pet consumes, and the strength of the medicine. “One acetaminophen will kill a cat,” Kevin T. Fitzgerald, a veterinarian with VCA Alameda East Veterinary Hospital in Denver, told the newspaper.

Last year, calls about prescription painkillers increased 63 percent, while calls about antidepressants rose 47.5 percent. “More and more people are on these drugs, and dogs find them on the nightstand,” Dr. Fitzgerald said.

The fatality rate among pets from accidental poisoning appears to be low, at 0.2 percent of cases, according to Tina Wismer, Director of the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center. She notes the center does not know the outcome of each call, so the rate might be higher. Dogs are more likely than cats to be accidentally poisoned. Labrador Retrievers accounted for almost 14,000 calls to the center.

To limit pets’ access to dangerous substances, keep medications in a secure location such as a medicine cabinet, and take the medication when the pet isn’t nearby.

For Problem Drinkers, Depression Often the Result of Heavy Drinking

By Join Together Staff | February 12, 2013 | 1 Comment | Filed in Alcohol, Mental Health & Research

Depressive symptoms in problem drinkers often are the result of heavy alcohol intake, a new study suggests.

The 30-year study included nearly 400 men, about half of whom were at increased risk for drinking problems because their fathers were alcoholics, MedicalXpress reports. Over the course of the study, about 41 percent of the men with alcoholic fathers developed alcohol abuse or dependence. Almost 20 percent suffered at least one bout of major depression, the article notes.

Among men with alcohol problems, almost one-third of major depressive episodes appeared only when the men were drinking heavily. The study appears in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

“I don’t know that the average person realizes that heavy drinking can induce mood problems,” lead researcher Marc A. Schuckit, MD, of the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, said in a news release.

Dr. Schuckit noted that depression caused by heavy drinking is treated differently from major depressive episodes with other causes. He said the symptoms of depression caused by heavy drinking can be the same as those seen in people who are not heavy drinkers. However, if the symptoms develop in the context of heavy drinking, they are likely to disappear within several weeks to a month after the person stops drinking, and rarely requires antidepressants.

Doctors should consider alcohol use disorders as a potential cause of depression, Dr. Schuckit said. He found no evidence that people with a history of major depression were at increased risk for developing alcohol problems. “If you’re an alcoholic, you’re going to have a lot of mood problems,” he said. “And you may be tempted to say, ‘Well, I drink a lot because I’m depressed.’ You may be right, but it’s even more likely that you’re depressed because you drink heavily.”

Teens with ADHD More Likely to Have Substance Abuse Issues

By Join Together Staff | February 12, 2013 | Leave a comment | Filed in Drugs, Mental Health, Research & Youth

Teenagers with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are significantly more likely to have substance abuse issues and to smoke cigarettes, compared with their peers without a history of the disorder, according to a nationwide study.

The study found when teens were an average of 15 years old, 35 percent of those with ADHD said they used one or more substances, compared with 20 percent of teens without a history of the disorder, Science Daily reports. Ten percent of teens with ADHD experienced significant problems from their substance abuse, compared with 3 percent of those without ADHD.

The researchers found by age 17, about 13 percent of those with ADHD experienced marijuana abuse or dependence, compared with 7 percent of those without the disorder. Daily cigarette smoking was also higher among teens with the disorder in this age group—17 percent, compared with 8 percent among teens without ADHD.

Both teens with and without ADHD had high rates of alcohol use, the study found. Teens who were treated with ADHD medication had similar substance abuse rates, compared with those who were not being treated for the disorder.

The findings appear in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

“This study underscores the significance of the substance abuse risk for both boys and girls with childhood ADHD,” lead author Brooke Molina, PhD, of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, said in a news release. “These findings also are the strongest test to date of the association between medication for ADHD and teenage substance abuse.”

Molina added, “We are working hard to understand the reasons why children with ADHD have increased risk of drug abuse. Our hypotheses, partly supported by our research and that of others, is that impulsive decision making, poor school performance, and difficulty making healthy friendships all contribute.”