FDA Archives - Bipolar Burble Blog

Do Antidepressants Increase Suicidality? Does The Black Box Warning Help or Hurt People?

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Nov 29, 2023

Because of the black box warnings (also known as boxed warnings) on antidepressants, many people think that antidepressants cause suicidal thinking, suicidal behavior, and suicide. The black box warning on antidepressants is, after all, the strongest warning the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can place on a medication. However, the black box warning on antidepressants was authored almost 20 years ago, and we have learned a lot and have synthesized a lot of data since then. Does this more recent data indicate that antidepressants increase suicidality or cause suicides, and what can we learn from this new information? Should we be scared of the risk of suicidality with antidepressants? (TL;DR here.)

New Drug Approved for Bipolar Depression – Lurasidone

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Jul 3, 2013

I’m always going on and on about how there are only two medications approved to treat bipolar depression (quetiapine and a fluoxetine/olanzapine combination) and about how we need new, novel ways of treating depression in bipolar disorder.

Well, this might not be novel, but it is new.

Lurasidone (Latuda) has now been approved both as monotherapy and as adjunct therapy (with lithium or valproate) in the treatment of bipolar depression by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Lurasidone was tested and approved for people with bipolar I.

Antipsychotic Warning, Saffron for Depression, Polypharmacy – 3 New Things

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Sep 8, 2011

It’s a bit of a short week what with the holiday and all, but still, there is time for three new things about mental health. Today’s three new things are: