Antipsychotics Like Seroquel for Dementia Blamed for Deaths and Strokes
Published: November 16th, 2009 • Comments: 5
According to a new report, side effects of antipsychotics, such as Seroquel, Zyprexa, Risperdal and Abilify, could be responsible for as many as 1,800 deaths and 1,620 strokes each year among the elderly with dementia in the United Kingdom.
The report, which was commissioned by the British government, found that the use of antipsychotics for dementia has been largely ineffective, resulting in improvement in only 20% of patients. As a result of the findings, the U.K. Department of Health has initiated plans to reduce the use of atypical antipsychotic drugs like Zyprexa, Risperdal, Abilify and Serquel for dementia in its own health system, and hopes that the reduction will be picked up by other nations as well.
There are an estimated 180,000 elderly people with dementia in the United Kingdom currently being treated with the antipsychotic drugs, according to the report’s author, Professor Sube Banerjee. However, only 36,000 were found to derive any benefit from the drugs.
“The findings of my review confirm that there are indeed significant issues in terms of quality of care and patient safety,” said Banerjee, professor of mental health at King’s College London Institute of Psychiatry, in a letter to the Minister of State that accompanied the report. “These drugs appear to be used too often in dementia and, at their likely level of use, potential benefits are most probably outweighed by their risks overall.”
Banerjee recommends that the British government reduce the use of Zyprexa, Risperdal, Abilify and Seroquel in dementia patients by two-thirds, which he says can be done within 36 months. The British government has accepted Banerjee’s recommendations, and plans to create a new federal position for a National Clinical Director for Dementia to oversee the reduction of the use of antipsychotics and the proper treatment of dementia across the country.
In the United States, many of the antipsychotics prescribed to treat dementia, such as Seroquel, are not approved for that use by the FDA. This means that drug manufacturers are not supposed to market the drugs for dementia treatment, but doctors are not restricted from prescribing them. However, ongoing litigation against AstraZeneca over Seroquel produced internal documents that suggested that the company was promoting the antipsychotic drug for off-label uses, including dementia, illegally.
In 2005, the FDA required antipsychotics to carry a “black box” warning that the drugs were connected to an increased risk of premature death in elderly dementia patients. The warning is the most stringent labeling requirement possible under federal law.
In late October, the Chicago Tribune conducted an investigation and found that similar over prescription problems with antipsychotics occurred in the United States, particularly in nursing homes. An analysis of medical data from 275,000 residents with dementia found that they were more likely to suffer a nursing home fall or decline in health when prescribed antipsychotics or other psychotropic drugs. Two-thirds of all nursing homes in Illinois were cited at least once in the past eight years for violating drug use laws regarding such drugs, the investigation found.
Comment by Bill on 17 November 2009:
Zyprexa Lilly cash cow in billion dollar litigation WARNING- If a drug (Zyprexa) lists anything about the pancreas among the side effects, it probably means it can cause diabetes.
Unlike your liver, the pancreas does not regenerate itself. If it gets damaged, diabetes is very likely. Zyprexa is glorified Thorazine at ten times the price class action Eli Lilly Zyprexa lawsuit haven’t had their cases resolved yet.
Lilly made us all sign gag orders so we can’t speak out now. Everybody seems to be getting paid-out except the real victims. Lilly pays $10 million to 8 of their own EMPLOYEE so called ‘whistle-blowers’.
Comment by Maria on 17 November 2009:
Your report confirms findings in studies that have been conducted here in the US as well. There have been all sorts of studies that have found that antipsychotic drugs have deleterious effects. In particular Risperdal has been shown to increase the risk of stroke and premature death in the elderly. A friend’s mother with dementia was put on Risperdal after entering a nursing home. She died from a stroke three months later. MDs in the US continue to prescribe antipsychotic drugs as well as other drugs in spite of black box warnings. Maria, http://www.agingathome.info
Comment by MomMom on 18 November 2009:
My 82 year old father was incorrectly diagnosed with Parkinson’s and due to the medication they gave him for a disease he did NOT have, he ended up in a nursing home as a dementia patient. He was healthy as a horse, just confused with all the unnecessary medication. My father was given Abilify while in the nursing being treated as a dementia patient and two days after he was given this drug, he had a massive stroke and died. I for one believe that this drug IS definately responsible for many untimely deaths of elderly dementia patients.
Comment by Roscoe on 9 January 2010:
My mother was commited to a 72 hour psych evaluation at a University hospital where she was given Seraquiol in April 2005. She had been taking medicine for her dementia since 2002. She continued to take it after release until January 2007 when she had a stroke.
Comment by JOY on 27 January 2010:
I WAS GIVEN HALF A ZYPREXA AND WENT INTO GRAND MAL SEIZURES. I WOKE UP IN A HOSPITAL AND WAS SENT TO THE PHYSICATRIC HOSPITAL IN MY STATE. WHEN I WAS SENT HOME I WAS PUT ON RISPERDAL. I HAVE NO MEMORY, OTHER THAN A FEW FLASHES AND DON’T EVEN KNOW HOW LONG I WAS PRESCRIBED THE MEDICATION. I LOST A PART OF MY LIFE TO THIS.