Treating Medical Conditions through Off-Label Use of Psychiatric Drugs

An off-label use of a drug is one that has not been FDA-approved, cannot be promoted by pharmaceutical companies, and may or may not be effective because there is no requirement for clinical studies that prove effectiveness. Doctors are legally allowed to prescribe medications for off-label use.

When looking at psychiatric drugs, the drugs used can be sorted into one of a few categories. Antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers and or anticonvulsants, anti-anxiety, and "other" are recognized to be the main categories of psychiatric drugs. Through mandatory research and clinical trials, these medications carry only one or a few FDA-intended uses. The off-labeled uses can be proven safe and effective when independent research firms conduct research and clinical trials. Off-label uses can also be fabricated and have no published proof of successful treatment. The main thing to remember with off-label uses of psychiatric drugs, side effects are plentiful and can cause worse symptoms than the symptoms of the problem being treated.

There are a few classifications for the different types of antidepressant's. The class named SSRI's (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) have the most intended and off-label uses, so we'll focus on them. Prozac was the first SSRI that was FDA approved in 1987. Since then has been FDA approved for major depression in adults, panic disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, bulimia, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Some of its off-label uses are ADD/ADHD, bipolar disorder, headaches, lupus, premature ejaculation, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). As you can see and are probably questioning, this psychiatric medicine is used for non-psychiatric problems. Other off-label uses shared by other SSRI's include autism spectrum disorders, pathological gambling, Raynaud's phenomenon, arthritis, and fatigue disorders.