Ten
million Canadians will face the
threat
of mental illness this year. For
the past fifty years major mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and more
recently bipolar disorder have been treated with a class of drugs known as
antipsychotics. The question has to be asked, does the medical profession
unfairly treat patients who are prescribed atypical antipsychotics?
The patients’ circumstances may be
this. “The doctor tells him/her that he/she has a psychiatric condition that needs
to be corrected. However, to do so will put he/she at increased risk for heart
attack, stroke and diabetes, as well as conditions including high blood
pressure, excess body fat around the waist, abnormal levels of cholesterol and
triglycerides, as well as becoming insulin resistant.” Would you take the cure?
In 1991 a new drug compound, brand
named Clozapine, ushered in the era of the (atypical or second generation)
antipsychotic in North America — heralded as a
remarkable improvement for patients with schizophrenia. Press releases
trumpeted the news. “Gone would be the awful side effects.” And yes there were
some improvements. However, it became apparent that weight gain was a major
side effect, and it has remained a health hazard. In response to this side
effect the medical profession blamed the patients pointing to a perceived life
style choice such as supposed inactivity and overeating.
The recent introduction of new ‘thin’ or obesity pills do not
answer the problems of drugs that put on weight. Thus far, medical experts who
look for the cause and effect of the national obesity epidemic seem to overlook
the fact that many times the origin of obesity may originate in the bathroom medicine
chest.
Weight gain, due to drug induced weight gain,
is among the side effects printed in official information inserts found inside
the packaging of the most frequently prescribed and over the counter drugs in North America. Among the medicines that add weight are
top-sellers like the serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as Prozac, Zoloft and
Paxil, as well as the better known atypical antipsychotics such as Clozaril and
Zyprexa. Then there are the
antihistamines found in dozens of popular cold, allergy and motion sickness
remedies.
At
first, doctors prescribed the Prozac family of popular (SSRIs) or antidepressants
for obese people trying to lose weight. However, it was soon realized that any
weight loss was short lived and that these drugs really caused long-term weight
gain. As a result, these medications actually create their own repeat dollar
revenue by keeping patients depressed and overweight.
Twenty five percent of Canadians and
more than 200 million people worldwide are considered obese, an increase from
10 years ago. A small number of these are psychiatric patients. Obesity is
usually associated with but not limited to developed nations. What causes
obesity? The traditional view is that overeating and/or lack of exercise are responsible
for obesity.
Approaching 1995, as doctors began to
routinely prescribe atypical antipsychotics, consumer/survivors began to turn
up the volume about the amount of weight the wonder pills were adding to their
waist line. At first the argument seemed to be between the patient and the
doctor, but as the screaming grew throughout society much was made of
the apparent obesity factor and the clamour invaded everyone’s life via the
print media, and electronic media.
The
problemwas exacerbated by the fact the nobody at that time, not even today,
has separated the fact that obesity from over eating, and obesity from being
over medicated are two very different things. Patient internet discussion sites carry accounts complaining
that they got fat after starting to take their medication.
Even
when the consumer/survivors do go to extraordinary lengths to loose weight,
because they cannot stop taking the medication, the weight all comes back on a
short time later — pound for pound. This was shown in an Alabama hospital study published in June
2007
One
group of patients who are experiencing the weight lose dilemma are bipolar
patients. These patients now remain in the job market — able to stay on the job
thanks to modern chemistry. As a result, they are a newer group, presenting
before medical practitioners for treatment.
Bipolar
disorder is a challenging condition. The money spent on research for both bipolar disorder and
schizophrenia does not yield adequate results and is consequently lagging far
behind research for all other serious illnesses.
These
patients are increasingly able to bring their condition under control and unlike
other conditions are less likely to fall through the socio-economic cracks. Able
to maintain their social status, and the only problem they will have after
their psychiatric issues is uncontrolled weight gain.
The
medical profession, and the pharmaceutical industry, must answer the weight
gain question candidly. Perhaps the answer is simple. The drug adds weight —
all by itself!
How
much longer must the medical profession punish the very patients they profess
that they are there to help? When will the control for their condition be free
of the weight gain side effect?