Suicide has been linked to several medicines over the past few years. Some of these include Accutane, Chantix, Singular and Paxil. The Food and Drug Administration has received reports on at least six different drug classes that may be linked to suicidal behavior. The SSRI antidepressants were some of the first drugs linked to suicidal thoughts several years ago..
The asthma medication Singulair is a compound that has a similar chemical make-up to steroids, which can affect mood and behavior. Suicidal thoughts have also been linked to epilepsy drugs and smoking cessation drugs such as Chantix. Chantix works by blocking the pleasure receptors in the brain that make nicotine satisfying, however, it can also suppress chemicals in the brain responsible for happiness. This can lead patients to suicidal behaviors.
When the FDA originally discovered the link between suicidal thinking and antidepressants, warnings were added to the labeling on Prozac and Paxil. The number of people using antidepressants went down, which actually raised the level of suicides in the US. So there are obvious complications.
Finding a direct link between prescription drug use has proven to be much more difficult than researchers originally believed, as the above evidence clearly shows. One thing is for certain: prescription drugs do not always have positive effects. The negative effects of taking these drugs can indeed be devastating.
