The Nation Newspaper

Tag: drug

  • Let them subject their methods to scientific proof

    Let them subject their methods to scientific proof

    WHAT are the causes of mental disorder?

    Factors leading to mental disorder are many. Some are genetic and can be passed from one family member to another, especially the major psychiatric disorder. We also have some biological factors, especially in pregnant women, through difficult delivery; the child may have brain disorder when growing up. Any lifestyle that can cause disorder or assault to the brain is biological.

    There are social and psychological issues. We live in an environment where we lack most social amenities; we spend hours in the traffic and return home to darkness. If you live that kind of life constantly, it will have bearing on the workings of your mind. But if you change that environment, you can see the difference when your life changes. Mental disorder can come as a result of all these factors.

    Is there an orthodox cure for mental disorder?

    It depends on the condition. There are different types of mental disorder. A patient may have generic mental disorder; grow up in a dysfunctional family with no support. Another patient may have a psychological disorder, maybe he didn’t get job on time and the two are in the peak of their mental disorder, their symptoms may appear similar but the causative factors are different and one will respond to treatment faster than the other. If the psychological case has a change of circumstances, he may not need to undergo treatment again, he will be well enough to be totally free, while the generic type may need to continue to take his drugs.

    So generic mental disorders take much longer time to cure?

    It makes the illness more severe. It depends on severity. Someone can be laughing at a patient who has mental disorder but if you look at him well, he may be having mental disorder. If you have sleep disorder and you have to be induced to sleep for more than two weeks, it is mental disorder. If you tell the thousands of people with that problem that they have mental disorder, they will deny. If I tell you the people we have managed-pastors, politicians, professionals, celebrities who have suffered mental disorder at some point and they are okay now. The people who have severe conditions are less than 10 percent of mental disorder patients.

    Can the diabolical be responsible for mental disorder?

    Some people believe that the cause is strictly spiritual like the step mum is responsible for the illness. What about the climes where they don’t practise polygamy, mental illness cuts across every race, gender, social economic group even in climes where they don’t believe in diabolical things? Let us not sweep everything under the banner of spiritual attack.

    Are you saying mental disorder cannot be caused by supernatural or diabolical means?

    Why do you have to single out mental disorder? What makes it so unique? Why not hypertension or diabetics?

    Because we can explain hypertension to some extent or even expect it…

    Does it mean what you cannot explain in our own realm must be supernatural?

    So are you saying it is not possible for spiritual forces to be responsible for mental disorder?

    You don’t rubbish people’s belief like that. Let’s look at it this way: some people believe whatever happens to you is the will of God, but does that excuse irresponsible behaviour and its consequences? We take everything that happens only on its spiritual face value; in the climes where things work, we see there is less emphasis on the spiritual.

    So the cause of mental disorder should not be seen only through the spiritual. We see the importance of knowledge, the rate of child mortality has reduced in the last 30 years because of immunisation, and sicknesses that were ascribed to demons in the past are now eradicated. Real knowledge brings fact and it is dependable.

    What is wrong with the traditional herbal treatment of mental disorder?

    We are not saying all our herbal drugs or traditional things are horrible. After all, the drugs we use are synthetic, taken from herbs and roots, but when you keep your methods close to your chest, how can we verify the truth in it? We have patients that were brought from herbalists because the man was just giving orthodox drugs to the patient.

    There was a herbalist who was using urine therapy and the patient ran back to the hospital. This is the problem we have with our people. If you are a herbalist, subject your methods to scientific experiment. If I prescribe a drug, it is open, the patients know the name and they can find out about it. But if you cannot show your methods openly, there is something fishy there.

    All these people claiming to have the cure for mental disorder, I am not rubbishing them, but let them come together; let them refine it in a scientific way. If someone is making claims of curing mental disorder, look for patients who are roaming about naked, pack 20 of them, your organisation can do it as corporate social responsibility, give the patients to the herbalist, let him treat them for one year and let’s see how many of them have been totally cured. Then we can now say scientifically, that this man truly has a cure for mental disorder and his methods can be reproduced. We are not competing with the herbalists at all.

    If they do that, they will lose their herbal secrets and how will they make money?

    Then it means he is selfish. The company that produces the drugs we are using is making money; they should come together and patent their drugs. They will make their money and the world will know it is this person that has invented this drug. It’s not difficult, it must be evidence-based.

    One herbalist said orthodox medicine only suppresses the disorder and does not cure it.

    Here, we don’t just treat, we also manage them. There are psychologists and occupational therapists that would ensure that the patient is not exposed to the conditions that caused the initial mental disorder. We train them in handcrafts.

    I have patients who have gone to become authors and those who are business people. They are doing well. Are you saying they are not totally cured? I have many high flying patients in all professions who have returned to their businesses and doing well, as long as they are still taking their medications.

    Is there an end to the taking of drugs?

    For some of them yes, just like a hypertensive patient still needs to take his medication. But for other cases like social or psychological mental disorder, such an individual may not need to take medications and you won’t know. As you are sitting there, I don’t know if you are taking medications, it’s not written on the face. The person sitting beside you may be a patient. So the duration varies just as the disorder varies.

    What will be your advice to those who may have cases like this? Come to hospital or herbalist?

    Take the patient to the hospital immediately. Don’t present late. When people have mental disorder, they should present it on time, many people shop around and hospitals are the last resort. That should not be so. When we have a problem, don’t let us be myopic and narrow our solution to spiritualism; look beyond that and ask yourself questions. You can pray and take action, but it is not a sin to come to the hospital.

  • NDLEA foils hard drug export

    NDLEA foils hard drug export

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has prevented the illegal shipment of liquid methamphetamine to South Africa.

    The methamphetamine, weighing seven kilogrammes, was disguised as a vegetable oil.

    Anti-narcotic officials made the discovery at the cargo section of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos during a routine check.

    A clearing and forwarding agent, who brought the consignment for shipment through a South African Airline flight, has been arrested by the agency.

    NDLEA Airport Commander Mr. Hamza Umar said the discovery was the first seizure of liquid methamphetamine.

    “This is the first seizure of liquid methamphetamine. There were six containers in all, but only two were found to be vegetable oil and the remaining four contained liquid methamphetamine. With the assistance of our forensic personnel, we were able to extract the crystallised methamphetamine, which weighed 7kg,” he said.

    The suspect, a 31-year-old clearing and forwarding agent, Ugochukwu Okoroji, accepted ownership of the drug in his confessional statement.

    “I have been working as a clearing and forwarding agent since 2008. Since 2003 when I came to Lagos, I have been struggling to make ends meet. I told the NDLEA officers before the examination that the consignment belonged to me. I felt bad when the drug was found and I was apprehended,” Ugochukwu said.

    He lives in Lagos with his wife and a four-month-old baby.

    Ugochukwu hails from Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State.

    The Chairman/Chief Executive of the agency, Ahmadu Giade, hailed the officers for the discovery.

    “This discovery is commendable. Drug barons may devise fresh plots, but our superior counter-strategies will always void such moves. We shall continue to prevent illegal drug trade through effective drug law enforcement as well as anti-drug abuse advocacy campaigns,” he said.

    The suspect will soon be charged to court.

  • GlaxoSmithKline drops bid to raise Nigeria’s stake

    GlaxoSmithKline drops bid to raise Nigeria’s stake

    GlaxoSmithKline (GSK.L) has dropped a scheme to increase its stake in GSK Consumer Nigeria (GLAXOSM.LG), its consumer healthcare business in the country, following opposition from minority shareholders.

    Reuters reports that the decision to abandon the scheme that would have increased its indirect ownership in the unit to 75 percent is a fresh setback for Britain’s biggest drugmaker, which is battling a corruption scandal in China.

    The company said on Monday it had agreed to consult shareholders and the Securities and Exchange Commission about the proposal, including whether it should be implemented by way of a tender offer.

     

  • Don bemoans drug misuse in Nigeria

    The avoidable loss of lives as a result of improper use of drugs by patients and lack of monitoring mechanisms by pharmaceutical and health practitioners is generating concerns among stakeholders in the health sector.

    Speaking on Saturday at a one-day seminar organised for stakeholders in the country’s health and pharmaceutical sector, Prof. Folakemi Odedina, Pharmacist and Research Professor of Radiation Oncology at the University of Florida, United States of America, said that efforts in medication management in Nigeria were too negligible and have led to improper use of drugs by patients resulting into the loss of many lives.

    She noted, “At the medication use process, the medical expert should monitor the usage of the drugs to prevent prescription error, dispensing error, medication error and administration error.”

    While commenting on the attitude of Nigerians towards drug use, she opined that a lot of Nigerians were ignorant of the contra-indications of the medicines they take, a situation, she explained, that worsens the illness being treated instead of curing it.

    “While people take medication to get better, it can even get worse if they take an overdose or underdose or if their medication interact with the food they eat, their other medication or herbal products being consumed,” she said.

    According to her, Nigeria needs to intensify research and monitoring in order to identify medication errors and develop safety measures, as there was a dearth of records and data on the magnitude of drug usage in the country.

    At the seminar tagged: “Medicine Therapy Management” held at the Department of Pharmacy, University of Ibadan, Odedina adviced pharmacists, physicians and clinicians to go beyond mere prescription, but also monitor how their patients use the drugs given to them.

    Speaking further on the purpose and objective of the seminar, the university don said, “We are here to train all stakeholders on how to manage medication therapy and this is the beginning of our relationship with the University of Ibadan and University College Hospital (UCH).

    “We are trying to build centres of excellence for medication use and those centres will then become places we can address any medication problems within Nigeria. We are hoping that by having strong partnership with the University of Florida and Kings College Hospital, London, we shall build solid information for medication therapy,” she declared.

     

  • NDLEA finds Cocaine in ceramics, buttons

    Suspects says they could not resist the monetary offers to carry the drug

    Officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have discovered cocaine industrially concealed inside ceramics meant for interior decoration and buttons.

    The discovery was made at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos when officers broke the ceramic ornaments.

    Two suspected drug traffickers who were arrested in connection with the illegal import from Brazil said that they could not resist the offer made to them by their sponsors.

    According to the NDLEA Airport Commander, Hamza Umar, the suspects that imported the narcotics are Ogbonna Chukwuemeka Moses, 38 years old and Otum Godgive Osundu, 45 years old.

    In his words, “both suspects were found to have concealed cocaine in their luggage on their way from Brazil. Ogbonna Chukwuemeka had 1.435kg of cocaine hidden in ceramics and buttons while Otum Godgive packed 1.180kg of cocaine also in ceramics. They have given us useful information and investigation is in progress”.

    Ogbonna who hails from Enugu State had lived in Brazil for two years. He said that he was asked to bring samples of the ceramics and buttons to Nigeria for marketing.

    “I am married to a Brazilian woman who is pregnant for me. I agreed to bring the drugs because I need money to take care of my pregnant wife. They promised to pay me 10,000 dollars. It was a good offer and I had planned to use the money to take care of my family” Ogbonna stated.

    Otum Godgive who had lived in Brazil for five years said that he needed the money to settle down in Nigeria with his wife and four children.

    “I went to Brazil in search of greener pastures since 2007. I have tried my best but life has been difficult. They promised to pay me one million naira and I agreed to bring the drugs. I did not imagine that the drug will be detected but unfortunately the officers broke the ceramics and found the drug” he stated. He hails from Abia State.

    Chairman/Chief Executive of the Agency, Ahmadu Giade said that the Agency is prepared to uncover the tricks drug barons adopt in smuggling drugs.

    “The Agency is prepared to uncover various tricks that drug barons adopt in concealing drugs. This seizure will serve as a warning to the cartels that they are running out of tricks” Giade stressed.

    The suspects will soon be charged to court.

  • ‘Drug abuse causes infertility in men’

    An Assistant Director, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mrs. Stella Ngwoke has warned that drug abuse can lead to infertility in men.

    Ngwoke gave the warning at The Nation CampusLife workshop organized for campus journalists on Saturday in Lagos when she spoke on drug abuse.

    According to her, “consumption of the smallest dosage of cannabis can lead to inability of men to impregnate women and become fathers.”

    She also spoke on the effects of addiction to the drugs, saying that “these drugs have grave implications on its victim including lowering the body’s immune system response, thus subjecting it to any type of infection passing by.”

    “Inhalants such as petrol, correction fluid, hair spray and rubber solution for patching tyres can also be addictive when abused by constant and concentrated sniffing, ” she stated.

    Ngwoke urged participants to dissociate themselves from drug abuse and also discourage people around them from engaging in such actions.

    She stressed that marijuana does not have any medicinal value contrary to some claims. “Marijuana does not help the hair grow nor keep the body fresh. Instead, it causes irreparable damages to the brain and body cells.”

  • Antidepressant Drug Therapy

    Brain activity, including cognition or thinking, is physically mediated through chemicals called neuro-transmitters or nerve chemicals. Such chemicals transmit information, signals, and experience. Scientists recognize that clinical depression in patients is associated with changes in certain brain chemicals. These chemicals include serotonin (also called 5-HT), norepinephrine (also called nor-adrenaline), and dopamine – that all have chemical structures known as monoamines.

    The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are a group of antidepressant drugs. They were produced by a process called rational drug design. These designer drugs act by increasing the availability of serotonin at its cellular sites of action thus enhancing its neurotransmitter function. SSRIs are used to treat major depressive disorder (MDD), anxiety and personality disorders (social anxiety, panic disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder,and eating disorders), posttraumatic stress disorder, and chronic pain.

    SSRI drugs are widely manufactured and used in different countries all over the world showing the universality and high incidence of depression. Examples of SSRIs (with their trade names) are (from Wikipedia):

    •Citalopram (Celexa, Cipramil, Cipram, Dalsan, Recital, Emocal, Sepram, Seropram, Citox, Cital)

    •Dapoxetine (Priligy)

    •Escitalopram (Lexapro, Cipralex, Seroplex, Esertia)

    •Fluoxetine (Depex, Prozac, Fontex, Seromex, Seronil, Sarafem, Ladose, Motivest, Flutop, Fluctin (EUR), Fluox (NZ), Depress (UZB), Lovan (AUS), Prodep (IND))

    •Fluvoxamine (Luvox, Fevarin, Faverin, Dumyrox, Favoxil, Movox, Floxyfral)

    •Paroxetine (Paxil, Seroxat, Sereupin, Aropax, Deroxat, Divarius, Rexetin, Xetanor, Paroxat, Loxamine, Deparoc)

    •Sertraline (Zoloft, Lustral, Serlain, Asentra, Tresleen)

    It takes about 6-8 weeks of treatment for the body to adjust to SSRIs and for the antidepressant drug action to have full effect. During the first 1-4 weeks adaptation phase various side effects may be observed – from head ache, nausea and vomiting to strange dreams, tremors, mania, and suicidal ideation, depending on the particular drug being used and the individual patient that is being treated.

    Suicidal behaviour may be seen in children or adolescents given such drugs therefore they are very risky if used for MDD in this age group.

    Many of SSRI side effects disappear by the 6th week. Sexual dysfunction is a major problem caused by SSRIs during long term use in about a third of patients and this side effect is seen after the adaptation phase and can last long after the drug is discontinued or may become permanent (this is called post SSRI sexual dysfunction). The affected patients may manifest loss of libido, erectile dysfunction, or anorgasmia (no orgasm). Couples need to be aware of this.

    Increased risk of bleeding is another side effect of SSRIs. Antidepressants are strictly controlled drugs and you should never try to obtain them without a doctor’s prescription and expert monitoring of the effects on you.

    If a pregnant woman needs to take an antidepressant, she must know that: “SSRI use during pregnancy is associated with an increased rate of miscarriages, birth defects, persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn, newborn behavioral syndrome, and possibly long term behavioral problems. The risk of spontaneous abortion is increased about 1.7 fold” (Wikipedia). Also, the drug taken by the mother reaches the baby in the womb and the baby could be born with neonatal abstinence syndrome , a withdrawal syndrome caused by the baby missing the drug, just as happens to drug addicts when they cannot have their drug.

    Antidepressants can produce dangerous effects when used together with other drugs or certain food components such as alcohol. SSRI drugs affect the liver enzymes that degrade various drugs leading to toxic effects of those drugs. You should discuss your diet and existing drug use with your doctor before startingantidepressant drugs. Because of the possibility of side effects, antidepressant drug treatment begins with small doses of a chosen antidepressant drug which may be increased safely or the patient is switched to another drug (trial-and-error approach).

    The medical history of antidepressant drug use indicates more harm than good. This is possibly because of some inappropriate use of these drugs in the initial two decades of their introduction into clinical practice. Many depression cases that could have been resolved by psychotherapy and other means were too quickly resorted to drug use. The ease of conviction of the general populace through aggressive or clever advertising shot the drugs into unparalleled popularity. Ignorant demand by patients took over rational prescribing by doctors.

    Dr. ’Bola John is a biomedical scientist based in Nigeria and in the USA. For any comments or questions on this column, please Email bolajohnwritings@yahoo.com or call 07028338910

     

  • Curbing drug abuse and trafficking

    June 26 is the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. Established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1987, this day serves as a reminder of the goals agreed to by Member States of creating an international society free of drug abuse. It aims to raise awareness of the major problems that illicit drugs present to society and at the same time, remind youths and adults not to make the mistake of experimenting with drugs.

    World Health Organization defined substance abuse as “the harmful or hazardous use of psychoactive substances, including alcohol and illicit drugs”. It is estimated that about 76.3 million people struggle with alcohol use disorders contributing to 1.8 million deaths per year. The United Nations reported that around 185 million people globally over the age of 15 were consuming drugs by the end of the 20th century.

    Drug abuse (addiction) involves compulsively seeking to use a substance, regardless of the potentially negative social, psychological and physical consequences. Certain drugs, such as narcotics and cocaine, are more physically addicting than some other drugs.

    One has control over the choice to start using drugs, but once addicted, the pleasurable effect of drugs makes one want to keep using them. There are lots of reasons why people take illegal drugs. Some use drugs to escape their problems while others are bored, curious or just want to feel good. People may be pressured into taking drugs to “fit in” with a particular crowd or they may take drugs to rebel or get attention.

    An addiction is not just measured by how many times a person use a drug. Some drugs are so addictive that they may only be used once or twice before the user loses control. A person crosses the line between abuse and addiction when he is no longer trying the drug to have fun but because he has come to depend on it.

    People can become addicted to illegal drugs as well as drugs prescribed by doctors. When prescription drugs are taken the right way, they are safe and there is usually little chance of addiction. However, prescription drugs can be dangerous if they are abused (for example, taking too much or taking them when they are not needed). Mothers and guardians most often administer drugs on their children without going to health providers. This is also drug abuse. Some of the most commonly abused prescription drugs are painkillers and anti-anxiety drugs.

    The more worrisome drugs being abused in our environment is marijuana, cocaine and alcohol. The drug abusers are mostly youth. This should be a source of concern to every one of us. While casual use of marijuana exists among the affluence, it is more common among school drop-outs, homeless and unemployed and unemployable that is acutely sensitive to all sort of criminal behaviours.

    The criminal activities of the drug users at their hide-outs (which are not hidden anyway) are now becoming too frequent for comfort. There are those who operate like cults, carving out their territories of influence where they intimidate, rape and rob innocent residents at will. Residents of areas such as Abisogun Leigh Street in Ogba, Queens drive (formerly Oyinkan Abayomi), Victoria Island, Adura field in Alagbado and ‘Kuwait’ located inside Gowon Estate in Egbeda know better of their harrowing experience from this group. There was a particular incidence I witnessed earlier this year when a whole street had to close its entrance doors when there was a fight by the omo amugbos where guns were used around 8:00 am in the morning. Some, including children fell into gutters while scrambling for safety.

    Next, are forceful beggars who illegally obtain toll from motorists at alternate roads when there is traffic on the highways. There are also those who operate on the streets that one must obtain ‘clearance’ from when one buys a new car. If much was not achieved from ‘street begging’, some do enter into mosques and churches to go and beg for money. Their tales usually range from having their wives critically ill at the hospitals, challenge to offset house rent or in need of money to eat.

    It is important to illustrate what drugs such as marijuana do to the body and minds of the users. The smoke of marijuana is toxic. It can lead to serious disorders, including cancer. The negative effects also include confusion, acute panic reactions, anxiety attacks, fear and loss of self-control. Chronic marijuana users may develop a motivational syndrome characterized by passivity, decreased motivation, and preoccupation with taking drugs. Like alcoholic intoxication, marijuana intoxication impairs judgment, comprehension, memory, speech, problem-solving abilities. Of particular worry is the permanence of its ill-effect among people who began smoking in adolescence. Aside the smokers, every one of us, as passive smoker is a potential victim of some of the ill-effects. Yet, there is hardly any area in Nigeria free of this drug problem and the subsequent criminal behaviour of its users.

    No doubt, when you give people foothold, they take a strong hold. As such the gory tale of open use of marijuana is an indictment on the part of our security operatives especially the anti-narcotic agency. The federal controlled security agency legalized this illegal drug through their own illegal act of extorting money from traders. Some of them are also criminals in uniform who smoke at same spots where criminal activities are planned and executed by hoodlums. The traditional standards and values that place additional responsibility on holder of public offices in sane society are almost nil here in Nigeria.

    The police, in particular, will in the years to come have much more to do if the trend of crime and behaviour that aids drug is not given attention it deserves now. Plainly put, our anti-drug war is still cosmetic in approach. We will be fooling ourselves if we believe we are tackling the situation by merely sensitizing motor-parks and running jingles in the media without effectively starting the war from the production and distribution outlets. Treatment of cause should be more important than its symptoms.

    In sum, anti-narcotic agency must step up the clampdown on the production, control of the sale, distribution and use of illicit drugs. Agencies of government saddled with national orientation and those with responsibility of curbing crimes must be up and doing. In this regard, Lagos State Government establishment of Drug-Free Club and plan to include drug abuse in its school curriculum is seen as right on-spot.

    As we celebrate this year’s International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking globally, the lesson for us all to learn is that breaking addiction to drug is the only way to get off the hook. It may not be easy to quit. But the efforts will be rewarded by better health, better relationships with the people in one’s life and a sense of accomplishment that only living drug-free can give. Make health your “new high” not drugs.

     

    •Musbau is of the Features Unit of Lagos State Ministry of Information and Strategy.

     

  • Antidepressant drug therapy

    Brain activity, including cognition or thinking, is physically mediated through chemicals called neuro-transmitters or nerve chemicals. Such chemicals transmit information, signals, and experience.  Scientists recognize that clinical depression in patients is associated with changes in certain brain chemicals.  These chemicals include serotonin (also called 5-HT), norepinephrine (also called nor-adrenaline), and dopamine – that all have chemical structures known as monoamines.
    The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are a group of antidepressant drugs.  They were produced by a process called rational drug design.  These designer drugs act by increasing the availability of serotonin at its cellular sites of action thus enhancing its neurotransmitter function.  SSRIs are used to treat major depressive disorder (MDD), anxiety and personality disorders (social anxiety, panic disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder,and eating disorders), posttraumatic stress disorder, and chronic pain.
    SSRI drugs are widely manufactured and used in different countries all over the world showing the universality and high incidence of depression.  Examples of SSRIs (with their trade names) are (from Wikipedia):
    •Citalopram (Celexa, Cipramil, Cipram, Dalsan, Recital, Emocal, Sepram, Seropram, Citox, Cital)
    •Dapoxetine (Priligy)
    •Escitalopram (Lexapro, Cipralex, Seroplex, Esertia)
    •Fluoxetine (Depex, Prozac, Fontex, Seromex, Seronil, Sarafem, Ladose, Motivest, Flutop, Fluctin (EUR), Fluox (NZ), Depress (UZB), Lovan (AUS), Prodep (IND))
    •Fluvoxamine (Luvox, Fevarin, Faverin, Dumyrox, Favoxil, Movox, Floxyfral)
    •Paroxetine (Paxil, Seroxat, Sereupin, Aropax, Deroxat, Divarius, Rexetin, Xetanor, Paroxat, Loxamine, Deparoc)
    •Sertraline (Zoloft, Lustral, Serlain, Asentra, Tresleen)
    It takes about 6-8 weeks of treatment for the body to adjust to SSRIs and for the antidepressant drug action to have full effect. During the first 1-4 weeks adaptation phase various side effects may be observed – from head ache, nausea and vomiting to strange dreams, tremors, mania, and suicidal ideation, depending on the particular drug being used and the individual patient that is being treated.
    Suicidal behaviour may be seen in children or adolescents given such drugs therefore they are very risky if used for MDD in this age group.
    Many of SSRI side effects disappear by the 6th week.  Sexual dysfunction is a major problem caused by SSRIs during long term use in about a third of patients and this side effect is seen after the adaptation phase and can last long after the drug is discontinued or may become permanent (this is called post SSRI sexual dysfunction). The affected patients may manifest loss of libido, erectile dysfunction, or anorgasmia (no orgasm).  Couples need to be aware of this.
    Increased risk of bleeding is another side effect of SSRIs.  Antidepressants are strictly controlled drugs and you should never try to obtain them without a doctor’s prescription and expert monitoring of the effects on you.
    If a pregnant woman needs to take an antidepressant, she must know that: “SSRI use during pregnancy is associated with an increased rate of miscarriages, birth defects, persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn, newborn behavioral syndrome, and possibly long term behavioral problems. The risk of spontaneous abortion is increased about 1.7 fold” (Wikipedia).   Also, the drug taken by the mother reaches the baby in the womb and the baby could be born with neonatal abstinence syndrome , a withdrawal syndrome caused by the baby missing the drug, just as happens to drug addicts when they cannot have their drug.
    Antidepressants can produce dangerous effects when used together with other drugs or certain food components such as alcohol.   SSRI drugs affect the liver enzymes that degrade various drugs leading to toxic effects of those drugs.  You should discuss your diet and existing drug use with your doctor before startingantidepressant drugs.  Because of the possibility of side effects, antidepressant drug treatment begins with small doses of a chosen antidepressant drug which may be increased safely or the patient is switched to another drug (trial-and-error approach).
    The medical history of antidepressant drug use indicates more harm than good. This is possibly because of some inappropriate use of these drugs in the initial two decades of their introduction into clinical practice.  Many depression cases that could have been resolved by psychotherapy and other means were too quickly resorted to drug use.  The ease of conviction of the general populace through aggressive or clever advertising shot the drugs into unparalleled popularity.  Ignorant demand by patients took over rational prescribing by doctors.

    Dr. ’Bola John is a biomedical scientist based in Nigeria and in the USA.   For any comments or questions on this column, please Email bolajohnwritings@yahoo.com or call 07028338910

  • Two ‘drug traffickers’ held at airport

    Officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have apprehended two men in connection with unlawful exportation of narcotic drugs.

    The suspects were arrested at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport

    (MMIA) Lagos with 3.700 kilogrammes of narcotics.

    A substance that tested positive to methamphetamine, weighing 1.700kg hidden in the false bottom of a luggage was detected during the outward clearance of Arik Air passengers to Monrovia, while two kilogrammes of cannabis concealed in dried bitterleaf vegetable were found during the outward search of goods meant for export on board Qatar Airline flight.

    According to NDLEA Airport Commander Mr Hamza Umar, both suspects were caught during routine checks. Umar said: “A 53-year-old, Obianwo Josiah Okwuchukwu, concealed 1.700kg of methamphetamine in his luggage on his way to Monrovia, Liberia.”

    The other suspect Ifeanyi Okafor, 38, concealed 2kg of dried weeds that tested positive to cannabis sativa in a bag containing dried bitterleaf vegetable meant for export to Doha, Qatar.

    Both suspects from Anambra State have claimed ownership of the drugs saying they were enticed by the monetary reward offered by their sponsors.

    In the words of 53-year-old Obianwo Josiah Okwuchukwu: “I have lived in Monrovia for the past five years. I work in a cinema house in order to sustain myself and family. My problem began when I lost all my savings to the war. I have been living from hand to mouth. My situation was so bad that I agreed to smuggle the drugs for 2,000 dollars.”

    The other suspect, Ifeanyi Okafor, said: “I am an importer of babies’ clothes. My business was going on fine until I lost 87,000 dollars to fraudsters. In fact, I am yet to recover from that tragic incident that reduced me to a beggar. I was smuggling the 2kg of cannabis for 1,400 dollars. It was carefully packaged but unfortunately, the officers detected it.”

    NDLEA Chairman, Ahmadu Giade said: “No doubt, stiffer penalties remain effective way of addressing the problem of drug trafficking in the country. If a 53-year-old man knows that if caught with drugs, he will spend the next 15 years in jail, there will be some restraints.”