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FDA Approves First Oral Treatment for Postpartum Depression

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Re: FDA Approves First Oral Treatment for Postpartum Depression

#91
post #30

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I’m in this right now, my wife has symptoms that are in a word, scary. The rug pull of hormones that happens after birth, they can turn a stable, well adjusted, incredibly good mom into someone who is afraid to hold their own baby. We’re in 3 groups, we have a private therapist for this, and if it’s anything like last time there will be another light switch at 4-6 weeks where she is suddenly back to normal. This pill…

Absolutely. My wife also has it and talk therapy was not enough. She’s now on anti depressants so I’m thrilled theres a new drug specifically for post partum.

Re: FDA Approves First Oral Treatment for Postpartum Depression

#92
post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Of all the things that seem wrong with solving this with a pill, I think this is the single most grotesquely negligent element of this approval. Is the FDA immune from suits if this results in a generation of damaged kids? Was it so hard to say "oh..... It ends up in breast milk. We should compare the kids"? Even if it defers the approval by some years?

Yes the FDA is immune from all the harm id does the the population.

The FDA mostly harms the population by not approving drugs fast enough.

Re: FDA Approves First Oral Treatment for Postpartum Depression

#93
post #30

[flagged]

Is is that crazy to think that a wild swing in steroid hormone levels can lead to depression - similar to what we observe when men come off of steroid cycles? If so, is something like post cycle therapy for women recovering from pregnancy really that crazy of an idea?

I don’t know enough to speak intelligently about the underlying biology, but an interesting theory I heard from someone more knowledgeable than me is that the sudden drop in progesterone - which tamps down neuroinflammation - sends the microglia (immune cells of the brain) into overdrive which results in rapid destruction of neural tissue which is experienced by the patient as profound feelings of unhappiness / depression. This is not unlike the runaway inflammatory response that kills people with COVID — which is why dexamethosone (an immunosuppressant) reduces mortality.

Re: FDA Approves First Oral Treatment for Postpartum Depression

#95
post #67

A little surprised at how often they repeated "in adults." Is there any reason to believe this would be ineffective for teen mothers?

A general "stopping point" for human brain development tends to be around 25 years old, iirc. It wouldn't surprise me at all to learn that antidepressants might not function as well for teenagers- I certainly went through a fair few before going without any for a few years, and ending up on (and staying on) Lexapro when I was around 30.

Not disagreeing with your idea, but the age 25 thing is basically a myth. Different brain processes do continue developing into adulthood, but many finish developing younger while others never finish developing.

https://slate.com/technology/2022/11/brain-development-25-ye...

> When we spoke, I told Steinberg his work had been referenced in this way. “Oh no,” he said, laughing. I then asked whether he had insights about where the figure 25 came from, and he said roughly the same thing as Cohen: There’s consensus among neuroscientists that brain development continues into the 20s, but there’s far from any consensus about any specific age that defines the boundary between adolescence and adulthood. “I honestly don’t know why people picked 25,” he said. “It’s a nice-sounding number? It’s divisible by five?”

> Kate Mills, a developmental neuroscientist at the University of Oregon, was equally puzzled. “This is funny to me—I don’t know why 25,” Mills said. “We’re still not there with research to really say the brain is mature at 25, because we still don’t have a good indication of what maturity even looks like.”

Re: FDA Approves First Oral Treatment for Postpartum Depression

#97
post #31

> The primary endpoint of both studies was the change in depressive symptoms using the total score from the 17-item Hamilton depression rating scale (HAMD-17), measured at day 15. Patients in the Zurzuvae groups showed significantly more improvement in their symptoms compared to those in the placebo groups. Why would you mention the number of items on the scale, but not mention the number of points the drug gained? I…

On the 17 item HAM-D here are the typical score ranges [1] Not depressed: 0–7 Mild (subthreshold): 8–13 Moderate (mild): 14–18 Severe (moderate): 19–22 Very severe (severe): >23 So, a 4 point difference vs placebo is what I would consider a "clinically significant" improvment, e.g. about the difference between mild vs. moderate, or moderate to severe. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamilton_Rating_Scale_for_Depr...

based on a look at the actual contents of the HAM-D, four points isn't exactly an impressive improvement for a $11,000 treatment

a four point improvement could be a person stops fidgeting during the interview

daily reminder that psychology is the worst science in terms of the replication crisis

Re: FDA Approves First Oral Treatment for Postpartum Depression

#98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

okay all that may have happened but HIV also causes AIDS in cases where there are no party drugs and poppers the t cell count lowers until your body isnt fighting anything anymore, due to the HIV virus’ continual rapid mutations

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Re: FDA Approves First Oral Treatment for Postpartum Depression

#99
post #63
post #30

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If you are not a researcher, or a physician, or some other expert, and if you have not given birth yourself, please don’t throw out this kind of ill-considered opinion. Post-partum depression (and anxiety for that matter) is more severe than just the effects of sleep deprivation and lack of support. Anything we can do to treat it, even partially, is worth doing.

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Re: FDA Approves First Oral Treatment for Postpartum Depression

#100
post #36

[flagged]

Of all the things that seem wrong with solving this with a pill, I think this is the single most grotesquely negligent element of this approval. Is the FDA immune from suits if this results in a generation of damaged kids? Was it so hard to say "oh..... It ends up in breast milk. We should compare the kids"? Even if it defers the approval by some years?

Should the FDA be immune from suits for the invisible graveyard of people who would otherwise be saved by drugs that take years longer than they should to get to market if at all?
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