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Maria Bradshaw lost her only child to SSRI induced suicide in 2008. She is the co-founder and CEO of CASPER (Community Action on Suicide Prevention Education & Research). Maria wants everyone using prescription drugs to file their own RxISK Reports, because it is the only way we are going “learn about how these drugs work on people in the general population” and then adjust prescribing practices to protect everyone’s health and well-being. Here is her statement:
You are not alone
On the 20th of March 2008, my seventeen year-old only child died by suicide, fifteen days after taking the anti-depressant Prozac.
During those fifteen days, Toran suffered a range of adverse effects to the drug, which included anger, aggression, fatigue, abnormal dreams, loss of concentration, loss of memory, restlessness, and agitation – all sorts of things that often are not indentified in clinical trials of drugs.
That’s because the clinical trial populations are really different from the populations of real people who take these medications.
In clinical trial populations, drug companies screen out anybody who uses alcohol or other substances. Anybody who has ever thought of suicide or self-harm. All sorts of people who actually present to mental health clinics or GPs.
And so the only way we’re actually going to learn about how these drugs work on people in the general population, is for people like me, and everybody else out there who is using those drugs, to file adverse reaction reports. And it doesn’t matter whether the reaction is mild, or seemingly unimportant — whether it appears unlikely it maybe as a result of the use of the drug.
The important thing is that we file the information so that we can learn about the risk and safety profile of these drugs, and adjust prescribing practices, and monitoring practices, as a result of what we know.
And so I would encourage everybody out there to fill out the RxISK Adverse Reaction Reporting form and be part of collecting the data we need to make sure that people’s health, well-being and safety is protected.
Maria Bradshaw lost her only child to SSRI induced suicide in 2008. Co-founder and CEO of CASPER (Community Action on Suicide Prevention Education & Research), Maria promotes a social model of suicide prevention focused on strengthening community cohesion, addressing the social drivers of suicide and providing communities with the knowledge and tools required to reclaim suicide prevention from mental health professionals. Maria has an MBA from Auckland University and particular interests in sociological and indigenous models of suicide prevention, prescription drug induced suicide, pharmacovigilance and alternatives to psychiatric interventions for emotional distress. Maria can be contacted at Maria
Miriam Healy says
This feels like the Arab Spring of prescription drug use.
Katherine Jaconello says
It is a horrible reality of our times to hear Maria’s story. We must go to our government officials and expose this fraud – with the affadavit from the $3 billion lawsuit, US State of Massachussetts versus GlaxoSmithKline, in hand. It says it all. We have about 20 years worth of awful stories to finally expose.
Nicole says
Hi, I’ve been suffering with Sciatic nerve pain along with lower, middle and severe neck pain for a long time. Working as a Server and carrying heavy trays since I was 16 and I’m now 43. I was RX Darvocet when I was about 20 yrs. old and they didn’t work very well, I had a high risk pregnancy when I was 28 and my team of 8 Drs. RX me Darvocet, my son has ASD now and I’ve always wondered. This is my big HUGE issue right now, I was seeing a Dr. That RX me 10mg Methadone x5 Dailey, 7.5 Norco x3 dailey, Klonopin .5 x3, Temazapam 1 nightly, Tramadol 50 x3 dailey plus Cymbalta for a bit as well. My Dr. Seemed to never ever be there when I would have to go monthly for my refills so I was stuck with a horrible Dr. That was rude never listened to me and actually screamed really loud at me in front of the whole staff and patients because Rite Aid accidentally put my name on my husbands Xanax RX and he didn’t notice it with the huge bag of meds. We always have to pick up, my Pharmacy called several several times to explain it was their fault but this Dr. Never spoke with them but dropped it. On my Birthday I went in to get my refills and I had mentioned I was pretty sick that week, he ignored me and did a drug screen, I did NOT have Norco in my system because I slept a lot that week and took my Methadone and Tramadol, I didn’t know we weren’t allowed to take a few days break from a med. also he accused me of having Roniptitrol in my system so I’m a Dr. Shopper and since that 2 infractions I’m cut off all my meds. I cried and got snippy because I know I didn’t take any other RX than what he RX me. I kept asking what the hell this drug was and he wouldn’t explain. I walked out scared to death, no weaning off or offers of what to do, he said he didn’t care it’s not his problem it mine. I got home and Temazapam is the Generic name I knew, not Roniptitrol ( I hope I’m right in the name ) so I was furious, nobody would talk to me so I could explain so I left a message saying he made a rookie mistake and 2 days later I received a certified letter from the Forum Medical center in Sterling Hts. At 59 & Mound stating they will no longer see me. WHAT????? I didn’t do anything and now I’m getting really sick from Withdrawls, I thought I was going to die. No other Dr. Would RX Methadone and my insurance doesn’t cover Suboxone unless you somehow get in a Medicaid clinic and their waiting list goes on for yrs. I had to join the Heroin addicts in a rehab, after ONLY 5 days of detox on Suboxone I was still really sick and everyone else just fine. I was rushed to the hospital in ambulance with my BP at 250/150 they thought I was having or going to have a stroke or heart attack. I have really high Blood Pressure only after I was abruptly taken off those meds. Mainly I had serious dangerous Withdrawls for about 7 or 8 months, my BP still isn’t good and I’m on BP meds. Now. I thought Drs. Took a vow to do no harm. I honestly wonder if I have permanent damage to my heart because of Dr. You know I’m so mad and sick still I only remember it starts with. M and he’s old and just nasty. I feel I should have a law suit. Thank you everyone and don’t take Methdone for pain because the Withdrawls are the worse pain and suffering I’ve ever been through and I’ve had like 7 surgerys and disc disease, Methadone gets in your bones and takes forever to get out. I think it was Dr. Martin or something. Dr. Asmar was very nice and compassionate but was never available to me. Good luck all