FDA crackdowns and a shortage of staff in the pharmaceutical industry are making it harder to get controlled substance prescriptions filled. On October 12, 2022, the FDA announced a shortage of instant-release Adderall. Like many companies, Teva pharmaceuticals, the leading manufacturer of generic Adderall, has had trouble hiring people resulting in shortages of medications in pharmacies. The Adderall shortage has led to …
Psychotropic Medications and Breastfeeding
80% of women in the U.S. will experience at least one pregnancy and 84% of babies will be breastfed. In addition, more than half of women use medications during lactation. There are many reasons for using medications during breastfeeding, but the post-partum period is a time of high vulnerability to mood and anxiety episodes, and the effects of a mood …
Stimulants and Geriatric Depression
Stimulants and Geriatric Depression May be Underused. A well designed study showed that adding methylphenidate (Ritalin and others) to citalopram (Celexa) improve the likelihood of complete remission from depression in older patients. In general older depressed patients are more likely to have some cognitive impairment and are less likely to respond to antidepressants. A number of reports suggests that adding stimulants to antidepressants can …
Vyvanse for Binge Eating Disorder
This past week the FDA approved the first drug for Binge-Eating Disorder. “Binge eating can cause serious health problems and difficulties with work, home, and social life,” said FDA Division of Psychiatry Products Director Mitchell Mathis, M.D. “The approval of Vyvanse provides physicians and patients with an effective option to help curb episodes of binge eating.” The drug was reviewed under the FDA’s …
Treatment of Fatigue in Patients with Depression or Bipolar
Treatment of depression in patients with depression or bipolar is often complicated. If medications are prescribed, will they make mood symptoms worse, or have other significant adverse effects? And yet fatigue is common in people with a history of depression (it occurs in up to 10% of the general population and is much more common in women, who have a …