[H] reporting of drug studies results

[Teresa Kramer]

From an article in today’s New York Times entitled “Antidepressant Studies Unpublished”:

“Previous research had found a similar bias toward reporting positive results for a variety of medications; and many researchers have questioned the reported effectiveness of antidepressants. But the new analysis, reviewing data from 74 trials involving 12 drugs, is the most thorough to date. And it documents a large difference: while 94 percent of the positive studies found their way into print, just 14 percent of those with disappointing or uncertain results did.”

Ah, maybe that’s why (with inherited bipolar II) I have been on numerous antidepressants over the past 8 years with no noticeable improvement in most cases and horrid side effects in most cases as well, including one incident (I won’t mention on what drug, as that is not doubt individual) hair falling out in large amounts followed closely by hives on face and throat swelling—scared the heck out of me! Needless to say, I went off THAT drug cold-turkey.

Thank God for miasmatic constitutional prescribing that has rescued me, or so it seems right now, from a succession of drugs with little-reported side effects! Teresa (Northern VA)