Originally Posted by PharmDoc-Cyrus
Well first of all. The anabolic steroids that Taylor Hooton was using were not "Illegal" drugs. If he was using Testosterone Enanthate or Nandrolone Decanoate, he was not using illegal drugs. He was in fact using FDA approved drugs without a doctors prescription. He was not using a Schedule I substance with no medicinal value what so ever. Additionally, since his cause of death was listed as a suicide, therefore it is impossible to say that abuse of anabolic steroids were a CAUSE of death. This would only be true, if perhaps, anabolic steroids caused an increase in RBC's leading to a stroke, deep vein thrombosis, myocardial infarction, etc. In which case anabolic steroid use could have been listed as a precipitating factor leading to complications which caused his death.
However, in Taylor Hooton's case, he was abusing a prescription drug, without the supervision of a doctor. He was then being treated with an anti-depressant (SSRI) which has a clear 'Black Box Warning' with regards to adolescents and depression. No, such black box warnings exist for testosterone or nandrolone treatment.
Celexa(Citalopram) - Black Box Warning - Suicidality - "Increased risk of suicidality in children, adolescents and young adults w/major depressive or other psychiatric disorders espeically during 1st months of tx w/antidepressants vs. placebo; weigh risk vs. benefit; in short-term studies of antidepressants vs. placebo, suicidality risk not increased in pts >24yo, and risk decreased in pts >65yo; observe all pts for clinical worsening, suicidality, or unusual behavior changes; not approved for pediatric use"
That comes straight from my drug dictionary for physicians, on my BlackBerry, from a program called Epocrates Rx, I was referencing the Oxford Drug Formulary guide.
SSRI's have a clear and documented history with increasing the risk of suicidality in teens, while anabolic/androgenic steroids have no such documented peer reviewed literature with which to make such assumptions. While Don Hooton may believe that his son's use of anabolic steroids "correlated" to the cause of suicide for his son, there is a stark difference between a correlation and a causative effect. You may want to point out the Black Box warning of the SSRI that his son was prescribed.
Taylor Hooton's case, while tragic, is no different than many other deaths due to misuse or prescription drugs. Anabolic steroids have a long and well documented track record of success in patients with primary and secondary hypogonadism, muscle wasting conditions, and etc. Additionally, SSRI's, SNRI's, have a long documented history with helping patients with major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, agoraphobia, and a number of other life altering mental conditions. As with any prescription drug, caution should always be exercised when using them, and a doctors supervision is always necessary. Physicians will always weigh the risk vs. the potential negative side effects of prescribing a certain drug. When a person (be they adolescents or adults) make the conscious choice to abuse those FDA approved drugs, and to do so without the supervision of a physician, who's fault is it when there is a negative outcome? Of course it is not the drugs fault, it is the user of the drug.
I would go so far as to agree that Taylor Hooton's misuse of prescription anabolic steroids most likely led to his being depressed as his hormone levels dropped to those of a hypogonadal male, and he dealt with the effects of drastic changes to his physique and abilities because he discontinued exogenous hormones. However, it was his physician who made the decision to prescribe Taylor Hooton an FDA approved drug with a known risk factor of increasing suicidality in adolescents, and therefore to view anabolic steroids as the CAUSE of Mr.Hooton's sons death is simply irresponsible and misguided.
It is irresponsible and utterly ignorant to use such buzz words as "poisin" and "illegal drugs" when referring to anabolic steroids, which have recognized and legitimate FDA approved uses for millions of people around the world who's quality of lives are improved by these hormones which are often essential for living a healthy and normal lifestyle.
It is an unfortunate tragedy with what happened to Don Hooton's son. However, it would be no different than a teenager who died from the overdose of the prescription pain killer OxyContin, and then that parent lobbying for the outright ban of that prescription pain killer, which would then cause millions of people who are treated with that drug in order that they may live a more normal quality of life to treat their chronic and often debilitating pain. Of course we do not see large crusades against Purdue Pharmaceutical company for the overdoses caused by these drugs, we see the blame aimed towards the users of these drugs, and rightly so.
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