A daily dose of drugs to treat depression and anxiety have become the norm for millions
Business New Haven12/27/2004
Lisa Micali
Just about everyone, or so it seems, has gotten a medical prescription to ease the strain of "mental health" days. When we're faced with stress or anxiety about a new challenge, we don't turn to vitamins like some used to in the 1980s, but to a sympathetic family doctor well acquainted with lamentations about stress, fatigue and/or sleep disturbances - complaints indicative of anxiety or depression.
Popping a pill to help soothe our nerves or calm us down has become so accepted these days - especially now that you can get them from Canadian Internet pharmacies or elsewhere online with or even without a prescription.
To some degree most of us experience brief episodes of anxiety on a frequent basis - a lump in the throat, butterflies in the stomach, a racing heart before giving a business presentation or the sudden onset of sweaty palms during a date or job interview. But ongoing, chronic symptoms like irritability, uneasiness, jumpiness, stomachache, diarrhea, nausea, sleeplessness, faintness and breathing problems may point to an anxiety disorder such as panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, social phobia (or social anxiety disorder), specific phobias, or a generalized anxiety disorder.
These are all distinct types of disorders, each with its own discrete features, but all are related by a common theme of excessive, irrational fear and dread.
There's no doubt the new generation of anti-anxiety and anti-depression drugs, which include the well-known Prozac and Zoloft, have revolutionized the way many Americans and others navigate our daily lives. Turn on any prime-time television program or flip through any popular magazine such as Bon Appetit, The New Yorker or Fortune, and you'll see legions of drug companies touting their wares as a self-help antidote to all that ails us (mentally, that is).
More than anything, many say these glossy ads are responsible for the soaring popularity of these medications. However, nearly all the major U.S. pharmaceutical companies currently have a medication on the market aimed at baby-boomers especially who are suffering from depression, anxiousness or plain old stress.
The preferred drugs of choice for most anxiety disorders are what are called benzodiazepines such as Valium, Xanax/Zanex (a trademark of Pharmacia & Upjohn), and Wyeth's Effexor or Ativan. But, most antidepressants also provide effectiveness in anxiety disorders as well as depression. This class of drugs called SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) include the popular Prozac (Eli Lilly & Co.), GlaxoSmithKline's Paxil, and Pfizer's Zoloft.
In a very brief period SSRIs have become among the most widely used drugs on the planet. Pfizer's Zoloft generated sales of $2.8 billion last year and is ranked No. 7 in NDCHealth's (a private company that provides information to the health-care industry) "Top 200 Drugs for 2003 by U.S. Sales." GlaxoSmithKline's Wellbutrin checks in at No. 22 with $1.7 billion in 2003 sales, while its Paxil ranks No. 30 with $1.5 billion in sales. The most widely prescribed sleep aid, Ambien, manufactured by Sanofi Pharm, ranked No. 31 with sales of $1.5 billion last year.
Most of these drugs have relatively few or minor side effects, the most common being drowsiness and/or loss of coordination, or fatigue. One can obtain them through a doctor, or buy them online with or without a prescription (which carries an obvious risk). Prices for these drugs range from $70 for a 30-day supply of Prozac to $150 for 30 tablets of Zoloft (Paxil is the most expensive at $190) while Ambien goes for about $140 per 30 tablets. Duration of use varies.
It is wise to abstain from alcohol when taking Ativan or Xanax, because the interaction can lead to serious and possibly life-threatening complications. Side effects of most anti-depressants include nervousness, trouble sleeping, drowsiness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, dry mouth, sweating, dizziness, lightheadedness, or changes in sexual function. Dangers include abuse, addiction and suicide. As with any drug, use with caution.