Latest news with #suicidalideation
CTV News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Billy Joel documentary reveals he attempted suicide twice and was in a coma after affair with friend's wife
Warning: This article contains mentions of suicidal ideation. Discretion advised. Billy Joel at one point wanted to 'end it all,' according to the documentary 'Billy Joel: And So It Goes.' The new film, which premiered at Tribeca Festival in New York City this week, revisits the some of the singer's struggles, including two suicide attempts following an affair with his bandmate's wife, according to People. The first part of the documentary told the story of the Joel being in the band Attila with his best friend Jon Small, whom Joel eventually went to live with in a home occupied by Small, his wife Elizabeth Weber and their son. Weber reportedly said in the film that there was a 'slow burn' between her and Joel. Joel said he 'felt very, very guilty' about their resulting affair, which ended in a fight and the band splitting after he confessed to Small that he was in love with Weber. 'They had a child. I felt like a homewrecker,' Joel told the filmmakers. 'I was just in love with a woman and I got punched in the nose, which I deserved. Jon was very upset. I was very upset.' Weber left and Joel said he spiraled into drinking, became homeless and was 'depressed I think to the point of almost being psychotic,' he recalled. 'I figured, 'That's it. I don't want to live anymore.' I was just in a lot of pain and it was sort of like why hang out, tomorrow is going to be just like today is and today sucks,' he said. 'So, I just thought I'd end it all.' His sister, Judy Molinari, was a medical assistant at the time and gave him sleeping pills, which Joel took all of and ended up in the hospital in a coma for days. 'I went to go see him in the hospital, and he was laying there white as a sheet,' she said in the film. 'I thought that I'd killed him.' He drank a bottle of cleaning fluid the second suicide attempt, Joel said, and ironically it was Small who took him to the hospital. 'Even though our friendship was blowing up, Jon saved my life,' Joel said. He sought help, which Joel said helped him channel his emotions into his music that has brought him success. Years later, Joel and Weber reconnected and married from 1973 to 1982. She still has admiration for him and has been supportive as the superstar musician recently cancelled tour dates to seek treatment for normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), a condition that affects the brain. 'He's worked so hard all of his life,' she told E! News at the premiere. 'I've never known anybody who worked harder than he did in all those years we were together and working together.' 'Billy Joel: And So It Goes' is set to air on HBO in July. By Lisa Respers France, CNN If you or someone you know is in crisis, here are some resources that are available: If you need immediate assistance call 911 or go to the nearest hospital.
Medscape
09-05-2025
- Health
- Medscape
EMA Decision Is In: Finasteride Linked to Suicidal Ideation
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has confirmed that suicidal ideation is a potential side effect of finasteride and urged healthcare professionals to advise patients to stop treatment and seek medical advice if they experience depressed mood, depression, or suicidal thoughts. The advice follows an EU-wide review launched in February of available data on finasteride and dutasteride by the EMA's Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC). The review of the benefit-risk balance was undertaken following notification by France of a referral under Article 31 of Directive 2001/83/EC, based on pharmacovigilance data. It followed a warning by the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency in April 2024 that a comprehensive safety review prompted by patient concerns had revealed possible psychiatric and sexual side effects. PRAC said that it had assessed data from clinical trials, EudraVigilance (the European side effects database), and studies and case reports in the scientific literature, as well as information from patients, relatives, healthcare professionals, academics, and patient and consumer organizations. EudraVigilance revealed 325 relevant cases of suicidal ideation (313 for finasteride and 13 for dutasteride) considered either probably or possibly related to treatment, most of which related to patients treated for alopecia. However, PRAC pointed out that this was in the context of an estimated exposure of around 270 million patient-years for finasteride and around 82 million patient-years for dutasteride. Suicidal Ideation Side Effect Confirmed In conclusion, the committee confirmed suicidal ideation as a side effect of finasteride 1 mg and 5 mg tablets, although it said that the frequency was unknown. A link between suicidal ideation and dutasteride was not established on the basis of the reviewed data, but because dutasteride works in the same way, information about the mood changes seen with finasteride would be added to dutasteride's product information as a precautionary measure, as it already is for finasteride. However, the committee concluded that the benefits of both finasteride and dutasteride continued to outweigh their risks for all approved uses. Finasteride is an androgen blocker that acts as a competitive inhibitor of human 5-alpha reductase, an intracellular enzyme that metabolizes testosterone into the more potent androgen dihydrotestosterone. It is used to treat androgenic alopecia in males via 1 mg tablets and cutaneous spray, whereas finasteride 5 mg tablets and dutasteride 0.5 mg capsules are used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia. Patients Alerted to Risks The EMA said that most cases of suicidal ideation were reported in people using 1 mg finasteride to treat male hair loss, and patients should be advised that they should stop treatment and seek medical advice if they experience mood changes. The product information for the 1-mg oral dose will now also alert patients to the need to seek medical advice if they experience problems with sexual function (such as decreased sex drive or erectile dysfunction) that have been reported to contribute to mood alterations and suicidal ideation in some patients. A patient card will be included in the 1-mg finasteride package to remind patients of these risks and to advise them about the appropriate course of action. The review found no evidence linking suicidal ideation to finasteride skin sprays, and no new information is being included in their product information. In the EU, finasteride- and dutasteride-containing medicines are available under various trade names, including Adadut, Androfin, Andropecia, Avodart, Capila, Combodart, Duodart, Dupro, Duster, Dutaglandin, Dutalosin, Dutascar, Finahair, Finapil, Finapuren, Finaristo, Finpros, Finural, Fynzur, Gefina, Propecia, Proscar, Prosmin, Prosterid, and Tadusta.
National Post
08-05-2025
- Health
- National Post
OM1 to Present Groundbreaking Research on GLP-1 Agonists and Suicidal Ideation at ISPOR 2025
Article content Article content What: OM1, the leader in real-world data and AI-driven insights in mental health for life sciences, announced an upcoming poster presentation hosted by Jessica Probst, OM1's Principal, Real World Evidence. The poster focuses on the linkage between Glucagon-like Peptide 1 Receptor Agonists (GLP-1s) and Suicidal Ideation (SI). Consistent with other findings and despite warnings on the label, there was no significant increase in SI prevalence after GLP-1 initiation. Article content When: The poster session will be held at ISPOR 2025 on Wednesday, May 14, from 4:00 – 7:00 PM, with a discussion period from 6:00 – 7:00 PM. Article content Key Findings: Amid growing scrutiny of GLP-1 receptor agonists (used in diabetes and obesity), OM1's real-world study finds no significant change in suicidal ideation (SI) following treatment initiation across both therapeutic populations. Article content Why It Matters: GLP-1s indicated for obesity feature a package label warning for suicidal ideation, whereas those indicated for diabetes do not. This research adds to the growing body of evidence exploring whether this warning may present an unnecessary obstacle to treatment and a potential barrier to equitable access to healthcare for a long stigmatized population. Article content Suicidal ideation is often undercoded or missing entirely in claims-based datasets. By applying natural language processing (NLP) to unstructured clinician notes, OM1's study captures a richer, more nuanced view of patient mental health. This study reinforces the role of AI and real-world data (RWD) in advancing pharmacovigilance and public health safety. Article content About OM1: OM1 is pioneering cutting-edge healthcare innovation through its insights-driven technology and data. It specializes in personalized medicine, evidence generation, and real-world evidence (RWE) research powered by next-generation AI platforms, deep longitudinal data, and globally recognized thought leadership. OM1 is led by a diverse group of scientists, engineers, researchers, and clinicians with over 30 years of experience in RWE. Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content Contacts Article content Article content
