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
Anticonvulsants
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
Pilots and Antidepressants
Editorial Note: This post is by Julie Wood, the central figure behind SSRI Stories in its current incarnation. SSRI Stories has collected and posted 47 stories about pilots flying and crashing while on antidepressants. The majority are airplanes but several of the crashes involve helicopters. With the current focus on the possible contribution of psychoactive drugs to the … [Read more...] about Pilots and Antidepressants
Written on Water
Editorial Note: This is a brief synopsis of Dear Luise by Dorrit Cato Christensen - a story of power and powerlessness, and a most extraordinary book. Extraordinary because of the horror it outlines. Extraordinary because of Dorrit's restraint when writing about her daughter. Do things go as badly wrong as this often - yes. Are we doing anything to stop disasters like this - … [Read more...] about Written on Water
The Pre-Pregnancy Dilemma Survey: Part 1
This is the first of two five minute surveys covering dilemmas that have been thrown up by the Panorama program on antidepressants, anticonvulsants and birth defects. The dilemma arises from the fact that women going on them are kept in the dark about a number of important issues. First, they aren't told that these drugs can cause significant dependence - that they can be … [Read more...] about The Pre-Pregnancy Dilemma Survey: Part 1
Go Ask Alice
Editorial Note: RxISK is all about people discovering things for themselves and alerting others to something that can make a real difference. There have been some wonderful examples outlined in posts here on RxISK from Anne-Marie Kelly’s discovery of a cure for alcoholism – stop your SSRI and perhaps try a serotonin-3 antagonist like mianserin or ondansetron – to Samantha … [Read more...] about Go Ask Alice
Maclean’s magazine: There’s a pill for that
A B.C. class-action suit against the makers of Paxil is putting the spotlight on a controversial issue: the growing use of antidepressants during pregnancy. ...Yet a rising chorus of researchers is questioning Motherisk’s stance on SSRI use in pregnancy. One of the most vocal is psychiatrist and psychopharmacologist David Healy, director of the North Wales department of … [Read more...] about Maclean’s magazine: There’s a pill for that
RxISK asks: Are prescription drugs causing suicides?
Dr. Healy explains how prescription drugs can lead to suicide RxISK.org, the first free independent website for researching and reporting prescription drug side effects, interviews Dr. David Healy, co-founder of RxISK, on the connection between suicide and prescription drugs. In the video, Dr. Healy explains how prescription drugs can lead to suicide, and what can be done to … [Read more...] about RxISK asks: Are prescription drugs causing suicides?
RxISK asks: Are prescription drugs to blame for school shootings?
Dr. Healy explains how prescription drugs can lead to school shootings RxISK.org, the first free independent website for researching and reporting prescription drug side effects, interviewed Dr. David Healy, co-founder of RxISK.org, on the connection between school shootings and prescription drugs. In the video, Dr. Healy explains how prescription drugs can lead to school … [Read more...] about RxISK asks: Are prescription drugs to blame for school shootings?
RxISK Forum on Rx drug-induced violence (NYC)
Are common US prescription medications linked to violence? On Friday January 18, 2013 from 2 to 3pm at the Still Mind Zendo* center in New York City, RxISK.org will be hosting a free public discussion about links between school shootings, other violent acts, and common prescription medications with Dr. David Healy, MD, a world-renowned psychiatrist and psychopharmacologist … [Read more...] about RxISK Forum on Rx drug-induced violence (NYC)