One of the best selling drugs of all time might cause superbug infection

What a diff

When you’re struggling with depression, it can feel like you’re drowning. And you would do anything to just be able to breathe again.

So “minor” side effects, like diarrhea, may not be a concern when your doctor tells you he has something that can help.

But it turns out that the diarrhea isn’t minor and it’s not really a side effect…it’s a sign.

Not so super

Recently, researchers identified a link between depression and risk of C. difficile infection (CDI). But they were a little off the mark.

Digging deeper, they found that the link didn’t lead to depression. It leads to antidepressant drugs.

Their work revealed two classes of antidepressants as the culprits. In one class, Remeron is the best known brand name. But the other class includes a blockbuster. One of the best selling drugs ever…Prozac.

C. diff is known as a superbug. And for good reason. It creates a super crisis…

* It causes severe diarrhea, colitis, and other intestinal problems

* Once it sets in, it’s hard to control

* It’s most common in older people

* And the worst… This superbug can be quite deadly

Just think of that. For a quarter century, millions, maybe billions of people have taken Prozac. It would be impossible to estimate how many CDI cases Prozac might have caused.

Every year, CDI complications cause the deaths of tens of thousands of patients. And this is tragic twice over, because a simple intervention could avert many of those deaths.

Antibiotic use also increases CDI risk. But the risk drops dramatically when patients take probiotic supplements. They balance good and bad bacteria in the gut. So it’s likely that probiotics can protect users of antidepressant drugs as well.

You can go here to find tips about the best sources of probiotics.

Sources:
“Antidepressant medication linked with increased risk of superbug infection” Loren Grush, Fox News, 5/7/13, foxnews.com