This is the story of Anna. My first encounter with psychiatry and the “mental health” system was in the summer of 2008. A beautiful; warm summer indeed. But unfortunately I will recall this summer for other, less glorious, reasons. I was 20 years old at the time and had moved eight times in my short life, changed countries twice and had become increasingly more lonely and … [Read more...] about Withdrawal from Sertraline
Blog
Doctors and Withdrawal from Antidepressants
This is a follow-up to Katie's post, Girl on a Hot Tin Roof, about drug withdrawal and burning feet. I have been profoundly affected by adverse events from medications. I attempted repeatedly to talk to my psychiatrist about my concerns and hoped he would believe what had occurred so that he could partner with me. This hasn’t been the case. I decided to try again, this time by … [Read more...] about Doctors and Withdrawal from Antidepressants
The Maintenance Man: Fata-nomics the cancer plaguing healthcare
Editorial Note: This post is from Johanna Ryan "You murdered my dad. You poisoned him. You tortured and murdered my dad." The sentencing hearing for Farid T. Fata, M.D. at the federal courthouse in Detroit last week did not lack for drama – and Piero Zanotti’s daughter was not the only victim to accuse him of murder. The U.S. government might well have done so, if he had not … [Read more...] about The Maintenance Man: Fata-nomics the cancer plaguing healthcare
My Trip Through the Polypharmacy Blender
By Rory Tennes I was asked by David Healy to write my own story after he read my comment on another RxISK story. I agreed but have been surprised how hard it was to sit down and do it. I knew the story, the words were in my head. Yet I avoided getting started. Perhaps it was because of the painful emotions I knew it would bring to the surface. Or maybe because it reminds me … [Read more...] about My Trip Through the Polypharmacy Blender
Drugs and Smell: Smells of SHIT
Medication can mess up your sense of Smell. This post links to the Magna Farta post on david healy, which tells the story of Zicam and Matrixx Pharmaceuticals. For anyone interested in adverse events, this is one of the most important stories in medicine. It also links to the SHIT Happens and SHIT happens 2 posts. There are three Tables. The first shows drugs that cause Anosmia … [Read more...] about Drugs and Smell: Smells of SHIT
DRESS Syndrome: No Way to Treat a Lady
Black out Five minutes into yoga class, my sixteen year old daughter Hannah blacked out. Her face, white as a ghost. When she came to, she said she couldn’t see. Her pulse was almost nothing, and panic set in. I ran to my car to grab my phone and dial the infectious disease doctor Hannah had recently seen about an allergic reaction to a commonly prescribed antibiotic acne drug … [Read more...] about DRESS Syndrome: No Way to Treat a Lady
Because Veterans Are Worth It
Editorial Note from Johanna Ryan: Cesar Ruvalcaba is a veteran of the U.S. Army, 10th Mountain Division, and served in Somalia in the early 1990’s. He’s now a dedicated antiwar activist and a member of Vietnam Veterans Against War (VVAW). He told this story May 25 at a Memorial Day rally in Chicago organized by antiwar veterans. As Cesar indicated, many Iraq-era veterans … [Read more...] about Because Veterans Are Worth It
The Year of My Life that was Stolen
This post is by Katinka Blackford-Newman, who can be seen here running a half-marathon to raise money for RxISK but who also since the events described here has been involved in several criminal trials, believing that it is important that juries get to hear stories like hers when faced with the challenge of assessing what contribution a drug might have made to a crime. There … [Read more...] about The Year of My Life that was Stolen
The Once and Future Abilify: Depot Injections for Everyone?
Written by Johanna Ryan, May 9, 2015 This column is partly a report on the marketing of Abilify, the atypical antipsychotic that has become America’s best-selling drug. It’s also an appeal for advice and feedback from the RxISK and Mad in America communities, and a call for some brainstorming about strategy. The plans laid out by drugmakers Otsuka and Lundbeck for Abilify’s … [Read more...] about The Once and Future Abilify: Depot Injections for Everyone?
Abilify, Tourette Syndrome and You
Editorial Note: This post follows on from one of the most compelling RxISK stories ever - Abilify, Tourette Syndrome and Me, posted last week. It comes in two parts. The first by last week's author and the second by the series editor, Johanna Ryan. In our efforts to get our story told, raise awareness about the dangers of antipsychotics, and fight for better treatments for … [Read more...] about Abilify, Tourette Syndrome and You