Medications for Epilepsy and Depression Linked to Suicide

Bad drugs are in the news on a daily basis. As patients, we are prescribed these drugs to treat medical conditions, not cause new ones. The latest medications to be under attack for dangerous side effects are those that are commonly prescribed to treat epilepsy as well as depression.

Neurontin, Lamictal, Trileptal, Gabitril, and Depakote are all medications prescribed for epilepsy and depression, but cause suicidal tendencies. According to the Food and Drug Administration, these anti-convulsant medications are required to have a "black box" warning because of the increased risk of suicide while a patient is taking the medication. The FDA found that these anti-convulsants actually double the risk of suicide in a patient taking them for epilepsy or depression. A study published by the New England Journal of Medicine backs up these claims of increased suicide risks as a result of taking anti-convulsant medications.

Physicians groups argue that people who are epileptic tend to have suicidal thoughts and a high occurrence of depressive episodes and disorders. The doctors who prescribe these anti-convulsant medications for the treatment of epilepsy and depression claim that the untreated epileptic seizures would pose a greater risk to the patient than the suicidal thoughts caused by the medication. These physicians groups are protesting the "black box" warning for fear that patients will discontinue the use of the prescribed anti-convulsants, increasing the risk for epileptic seizures.

The risk of suicide was found by the Food and Drug Administration to be increased in about 1 of every 450 patients that were taking the anti-convulsant medications for depression or epilepsy.

While physician's groups are claiming that the risk is minimal, suicide is still a very serious side effect of these medications, and the patients need to be monitored closely by their physician, or engage in therapy if they experience thoughts of a suicidal nature.

It is important to remember that most medications have side effects. You should never stop taking a medication that has been prescribed to you by your physician, unless you are under his or her supervision. Stopping certain medications abruptly can lead to a higher occurrence of epileptic seizures, or other serious medical complications.

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