Gut reaction
According to a recent study, one of the most common drugs in the U.S. can put you in serious danger for gastrointestinal bleeding. But it's not the drug you might expect. The most common offenders are anti-inflammatory drugs (like NSAIDs and COX-2 inhibitors). But researchers from the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Healthcare products found that there's another culprit lurking in the shadows: antidepressant medications. The researchers compared more than 1,000 people who had been treated for gastrointestinal bleeding with another group who hadn't experienced this problem. And, according to the article I read, "they found that the risk…was significantly higher among people taking antidepressants in the popular selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) class, as well as those taking the serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) venlafaxine (marketed as Effex)." This is just one more good reason to steer clear of antidepressant drugs. But that doesn't mean you need to grin and bear it through the lows of depression. There are lots of natural mood-boosting alternatives available, including St. John's wort, which we talked about last month (12/22/08 eTip, subject line "Happy holidays?"). This herbal remedy has been proven in numerous studies to be just as effective for relieving depression as SSRIs -- but without the serious risks. Source:
"Research shows gastrointestinal bleeding linked to SSRI drugs," NaturalNews.com (www.naturalnews.com), 11/24/08 | 
