The fuss about ketamine has generated interest in where it has come from. There were probably multiple beginnings. One was with Stan Grof, who moved from Prague to Baltimore in 1967. His interest in therapy led him to a focus on early life experience. This stemmed from work with LSD and psilocybin in the 1950s and 1960s, under the influence of which many people volunteered … [Read more...] about Ketamine: What’s God got to do with it?
Antidepressants
Bait and Switch: the Great Ketamine “Breakthrough”
Post by Johanna Ryan Maybe you heard the exciting news last month about a game-changing new treatment for depression. It offered new hope to millions who were not helped by existing drugs, the headlines said – the first real breakthrough in depression treatment since Prozac, some thirty years ago. The product was Janssen’s esketamine nasal inhaler, described … [Read more...] about Bait and Switch: the Great Ketamine “Breakthrough”
Could your Stimulant or Antidepressant cause Dementia?
Quixotic Challenge A few years ago, a friend, Alan Baumeister, embarked on an interesting journey. Alan had been Head of Psychology in Louisiana State University. He has been actively involved in the history of the mental health field and psychological inputs to it for a long time. Louisiana is the state that hosted Robert Heath in Tulane University in the 1970s who it … [Read more...] about Could your Stimulant or Antidepressant cause Dementia?
Serotonin Syndrome
It is commonly recognized that certain medications should not be administered with some others. What is not well known is that several over the counter (OTC) medications and herbal supplements can be lethal if taken with SSRIs. I have a patient who was taking fluoxetine and, experiencing some difficulty with sleep, decided to take one tab of melatonin. He woke up with a red … [Read more...] about Serotonin Syndrome
Silent Night – in the Vatican
There is no intention in this piece to cause offence. But there seems to be no point in being anything other than blunt. Two thousand years ago, Aristotle could argue that politics should be moral - that we should govern the polis in a manner that fostered virtue in its citizens. There wasn’t then the split between public and private morality there is now. The polis was … [Read more...] about Silent Night – in the Vatican
Welsh Senate Withdrawal Seminar
Last week a seminar on dependence on and withdrawal from antidepressants took place in the Welsh Senedd, overlooking Cardiff Bay. It was the initiative of and organised by Aled Jones of Prescription Drug Awareness, Support and Treatment, under the auspices of Mark Drakeford - the First Minister. The Senedd building was a stunning setting for the event. One of the key … [Read more...] about Welsh Senate Withdrawal Seminar
Lawyer Needed
Lawyer Needed For a job that will offer no pay. The case will be in the family courts and involves a divorce petition but its not clear that the lawyer needs to have any family law experience as this will be like no prior family law case. A number of posts on RxISK and davidhealy.org over the years have raised a problem that is new to the SSRI group of drugs - treatment … [Read more...] about Lawyer Needed
Skin and Drugs and Sex
Editorial Note: This post returns to PSSD - post SSRI sexual dysfunction - PRSD - post retinoid sexual dysfunction - PFS - post finasteride sexual dysfunction and PGAD - persistent genital arousal disorder. See our RxISK PSSD page for the many prior posts on these conditions There is also post on davidhealy.org - Khashoggi and Pandemrix - which might not sound like it is … [Read more...] about Skin and Drugs and Sex
Can Antidepressants Make You Less Attractive?
In recent years, there has been increasing concern about the problem of antidepressants finding their way into the environment. These drugs aren't fully absorbed by the body and are present in human waste. Small concentrations are then flowing into rivers via wastewater treatment facilities where wildlife can be affected. In August 2018, several media outlets reported that … [Read more...] about Can Antidepressants Make You Less Attractive?
Akathisia, Depression & Suicide: The List
This post closes our series on akathisia. Along with posts on davidhealy.org, the other posts were: Akathisia Anthem 500+ Drugs that Cause Depression and Suicide – AKA Akathisia Akathisia Challenge Even Politicians get killed by Akathisia In 500 drugs that cause depression and suicide, we mentioned building a new list of drugs that can cause depression and … [Read more...] about Akathisia, Depression & Suicide: The List