H's nightmare with Effexor withdrawal was laid out in last week's post. Experts on antidepressant withdrawal were asked to comment - Will Hall, Altostrata, Peter C Groot, Bob Fiddaman, Josef Witt-Doerring have generously given time to do so. James Moore, Stevie Lewis and Ed White, administrator for a Facebook venlafaxine withdrawal group, who have substantial international … [Read more...] about Managing Effexor and SSRI Withdrawal
Side Effexor Withdrawal
About 12 years ago I was diagnosed with mild depression and prescribed 75 mg effexor. I did achieve relief from my symptoms on this dose. Later, maybe a few years, my dose was increased to 150 mg when my job became more stressful. There was no discussion about duration of treatment. I used to be an excellent sleeper. Whilst I couldn't say my sleep pattern changed immediately … [Read more...] about Side Effexor Withdrawal
The Lancet, The BMJ, The NEJM and RxISK
.. The RxISK post on Medications Compromising Covid Infections resonated with many. Its basic premise that many of the drugs we are on might compromise our ability to fight the infection seems close to self-evident. It made a call to the powers that be to ensure that data was collected on the meds that people were also on at the time of death from Covid. Within the UK and … [Read more...] about The Lancet, The BMJ, The NEJM and RxISK
Children of the Cure: Fear of Lying
Samizdat has just published Children of the Cure - the Preface of which is here This Book is not a Game. Quotes from the text are in Hand of History on davidhealy.org. Most of the first chapter is below. Flying to Philadelphia Shelley Jofre was 32 when she got on a plane to Philadelphia in May 2002. People teased her about looking even younger. She is short and slight. … [Read more...] about Children of the Cure: Fear of Lying
Montelukast: Beyond the Black Box
Dozens of these buttons flooded the United States Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) headquarters at a meeting for the widely prescribed asthma/allergy medication, montelukast (brand name, Singulair). The message was simple: “The benefits did not outweigh the risks.” As each button approached the podium, the panel of experts heard gut-wrenching testimonials about the … [Read more...] about Montelukast: Beyond the Black Box
Sexually Confused or Chemically Imbalanced Cosmopolitan
April's Cosmopolitan features How Depression Stole my Orgasm - an article on Sex for sure... but Sex and Depression or Sex and Antidepressants? It's worth downloading the full article and telling us what you think the message is. It opens with some pretty clear examples of how SSRIs have immediate effects on sex and can almost immediately wipe out sex for ever. There … [Read more...] about Sexually Confused or Chemically Imbalanced Cosmopolitan
Catch San Marino if you Can
There have been some major developments on the RxISK Prize front. First we are hovering around the $66,666 point – depending on how exchange rates go we may be wandering back and forth over this line as I write. More important however is that San Marino has raced out in front as the donor leading country. This is down to one important woman and a small population. Her … [Read more...] about Catch San Marino if you Can
Starship Corona: Captain’s Log
The use of psychiatric meds in the U.S., already sky-high, is on the rise as a result of Covid-19. That’s not surprising – it happened after the 9-11 attacks, the 2008 crash and other crises. This graph comes from “America’s State of Mind,” an April 2020 report from Express Scripts. In the month from February 15 to March 15, prescriptions for depression, anxiety and … [Read more...] about Starship Corona: Captain’s Log
Covid and the Market in Research
There are 3 bits to this post - an interview with Joan-Ramon Laporte. An article by Ariane Denoyel and a Q and A with Laporte and Healy. Laporte Interview As part of a series for ROAR Magazine, Frank Barat has run some striking interviews about aspects of the Covid pandemic not usually mentioned. Here is Joan-Ramon Laporte talking about the market in … [Read more...] about Covid and the Market in Research
Medications compromising Covid Infections
IN THE MIDST OF THE SARS-CoV-2 PANDEMIA, CAUTION IS NEEDED WITH COMMONLY USED DRUGS THAT INCREASE THE RISK OF PNEUMONIA. Joan-Ramon Laporte, M.D. Emeritus Professor of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Fundació Institut Català de Farmacologia. WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training … [Read more...] about Medications compromising Covid Infections