- Long-Term Antidepressant Use in England
- Controversies and Concerns
- Unveiling Hidden Information
More than a quarter of antidepressant patients in England, or approximately two million individuals, have been taking them for five years.
This is even though there is limited evidence of the benefits of taking the medications for so long.
Some individuals may find it difficult to stop taking their medication due to withdrawal symptoms, according to a physician who directs a clinic within the National Health Service that assists patients in quitting prescription drugs.
In 2019, withdrawal guidance was revised, but according to him, little has changed.
Antidepressants are prescribed for depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and other conditions to over eight million individuals in England. According to NHS prescribing figures, this is one million more persons than five years ago.
The data provide an overall picture but do not reflect the specific circumstances of individual patients, some of whom may be taking antidepressants for an extended period for good reason.
The investigation also uncovered evidence that a prominent pharmaceutical company attempted to conceal the withdrawal side effects of a drug 27 years ago.
In the late 1980s, SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) such as Prozac were introduced as modern antidepressants. Compared to earlier medications, some of which had severe adverse effects, they were hailed as miracle drugs almost immediately.
They were believed to treat depression by correcting an imbalance of the brain’s mood-regulating chemical serotonin. Researchers are uncertain as to how they function. One theory is that they merely alter how you think or feel without addressing the underlying issue.
Antidepressants are recommended by the NHS as a treatment for severe depression. As an alternative to or in conjunction with the medication, talking therapy, exercise, and lifestyle modifications may be suggested.
In her long career, former Royal College of Psychiatrists president Prof. Wendy Burn has seen antidepressants’ benefits.
“In my clinical practice, I see them at work and transforming lives.”
She added, “People are taking antidepressants for longer, but there are no long-term studies to support this.”
Concerning the efficacy of antidepressants, there has been a lengthy debate. The most extensive research, conducted by the University of Oxford, indicates that antidepressants do help some individuals, at least temporarily.
According to the researcher who conducted the study, however, their benefits are modest on average, and individuals respond differently, with some not responding at all.
Long-term antidepressant use may also cause heart disease and diabetes. Long-term use may also increase the risk of withdrawal symptoms in certain individuals.
When a substance to which the body has become accustomed is discontinued, withdrawal can occur.
Depression and anxiety might result from abruptly stopping medication. Withdrawal symptoms can resemble relapse since they overlap with the original illness the substance was given for.
The symptoms depend on the individual, the substance, and the duration of use. Numerous patients can discontinue antidepressants without experiencing adverse effects.
Panorama has uncovered evidence indicating that beginning in the mid-1990s, a major pharmaceutical company that produced SSRI antidepressants became increasingly aware of a wide variety of withdrawal symptoms, but was reluctant to share this information with the public and medicines regulators.
A copy of a 1996 confidential memo from the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, which originally sold sertraline, now the most commonly prescribed antidepressant in the United Kingdom, shows employees debating what the company would say to Norwegian regulators.
“We should not volunteer to describe withdrawal symptoms, but we should have an agreed-upon list prepared in case they insist,” the memo states.
