Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-08-05
] 4 ronquiLizer Dangers Noted
in ANA Report to Doctors
BY WILLIAM GRIGG
star star Writer

with oral eontraceptivesI
Dang reviewed for safety by
The Food and Drug Admins
ration, a second look now is
beng taken at another class
q day-in-day-out pill, the
Fanquilizer.
= One, Amphenidone, was re-
reptly withdrawn from the
market because of toxic effects.
And physicians have been
warned that under certain con-
,ditions, drug dependency ana
addiction are possible with
..Meprobamate. one of the earl
lest tranquilizers markete d
under the trade names of Mil
town and Equanil.
These effects have been re-
ported to the American Me-
.dical Association by DR.. Bur-
.trum c. Schiele, professor of
.pSychiatry at the University
of Minnesota. His report has
reached nearly every physician
in the United States through
the AMA's Journal.
. Physicians Are Briefed
When physicians are alerted
TO potential side effects from
drugs, they are better able to
prevent them or counterfeit
them if they occur. Side eff
fleets may occur in only a few
.of the persons taking the same
drug because each persons
,body is a different chemical
factory which may use a drug
'ih slightly different way.
Because Of this, DR.. Schiele
.notes, 1T may be difficult to
select the most effective soda
'tives or the minor tranquil
.zers. Much trial and error is
.often required"
$The minor tranuuilizers-I
Nose used most widely for re-
lief Of common nervous ten
,sion and NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
,ly produce untoward effects"
DIR. Schiele reported.
"Habituation." he said, has
been a problem Of some minor |
'tranquilizerS, but not to so |
great an extent or degree as
with the barbiturates."
; In susceptible persons, he
said, overdosage can cause
he said, overdosage can cause
,drowSinesS or even coma,
'slurred speech and q lack Of
coordination of Involuntary
muscles.
F. One Fatality Known
One case Of fatal anemia has
been reported with this type of
.drug, he said.
{. In spite of these effects in a
flew individuals. DR.. Schiele
said, These drugs are mild in
faction and relatively safe"
+, Another class of drug, the
oral contraceptive, also has
been tentatively associated |
with adverse side effects, includ-
ing breast tenderness, nausea
land several deaths. FDA is now
,studing the evidence to see II
.the deaths we're eoincidental
or actually caused by the con-
,traceptive, Enovid, which was
released for prescription sale
two years ago after one Of the
most extensive testing programs
Irzer made.
- Defended by Doctor I
I'm Shrewsbury, Mass, one of
e team Of three scientists who
..deFeloped the first oral con-
-f1aceptive said yesterday hel
-cAn't see how there is any re-
Mtion" between the birth con-
.trpl pill known as enovid, and
,t1le deaths of six women.
..-pr. Celso- Ramon Garcia told
She Associated Press that in
tests conducted in Haiti and
'EHerto Rico during develop
,ment of the birth control pill
dot a single case of thombo-
.pfilebitis developed.
He noted that "if you add I'D
all the cases reported in Eng
land and the United States it
still doesn't come close to the
,lpwer limits of expected ma
stlTal incidence of the disease"
: A large number of other
drugs have been linked to blood
disturbances. including anemia
and, sometimes, clothing diff
,ficulties, by the ANA. In 1855,
IT set up a study group to COL
.lect reports of all suspected
cases of drug-induced blood
problems.
-, The study group has found
direct or circumstantial evil
,dence Of blood disturbances
induced by many drugs and
chemicals. The work has been
difficult because civilized man
is exposed to so many chemi-
Gals at work and at home
food additives, detergents, SOL
vents and smog, to name a
.few-that it is hard to estab-
dish one thing as q. cause Of a
reaction.
But among the products re-
Gently listed as associated di-
rectly or circumstantially with
blood disturbances in some in
dividualS are: Benzene, chlor-
dane, streptomycin and quiz
nine.