Anticonvulsant Drugs Increase Suicide Risk

New research supports information released almost two years ago about the dangers associated with anticonvulsant drugs. This particular type of drug is used to treat a variety of conditions including depression. This new study links anticonvulsants with an increased suicide risk.

Research led by Elisabetta Patorno of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital evaluated thirteen different anticonvulsants and compared them to death records and hospital reports across the country. The study included some of the most popular drugs prescribed for those suffering from seizures, chronic pain, migraines and bipolar disorders.

One widely prescribed anti-seizure medication Topamax was used as the control drug to compare other similar anti-seizure medications. Out of the 12 prescription drugs tested, five were found to increase the risk of suicide at least twice as much in comparison to those taking Topamax. The information gathered by the FDA in 2008 had similar findings.

Some doctors are refuting this new study because it does not consider a person’s mental health history before the medications. For a better understanding of any anticonvulsant’s effects, a group of people would need to be followed over a longer period of time. The research has been published in this week’s edition of the American Medical Association journal.