Most doctors are told headaches or nausea are the commonest side effects of drugs. Nausea for instance is very common on SSRIs – not surprising as there is a lot of serotonin in the gut. But an immediate change in sexual functioning is a lot more common than nausea. Close to everyone taking an SSRI will feel some genital numbing. A one way ticket to losing your money For … [Read more...] about Drugs and Sex Don’t Go
Antidepressants
Daily Mail Online: What is wrong with randomised trials Part 2
May 5, 2013 By Jerome Burne Could alcohol get a licence as a drug for depression? How do you test for the safety of a drug that causes the same side effects as the disease it is used to treat? These are just two of the points I didn’t have room for in my post last week on randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and why they don’t tell you what you want to know. (More on these … [Read more...] about Daily Mail Online: What is wrong with randomised trials Part 2
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
BBC Radio: The Prozac Economy
Prozac is 25 years old. It has been taken by over 40 million people around the world and made billions of dollars for Eli Lilly, the company that created it. But does it work? And what effect has the promise of a "happiness pill" had on society? Will Self examines the legacy of the so-called 'wonder drug'. As he sets off on a personal exploration of the conflicting and … [Read more...] about BBC Radio: The Prozac Economy
Sudden Cardiac Death: Vanessa’s Story
Editorial Note: This post is excerpted from After the Error: Speaking Out About Patient Safety to Save Lives by Susan McIver, Ph.D. and Robin Wyndham. © 2013 Susan McIver and Robin Wyndham. Published by ECW Press Ltd. ecwpress.com Special recognition The day after Terence Young’s 15-year-old daughter, Vanessa, suddenly died on March 19, 2000, he began his journey to find out … [Read more...] about Sudden Cardiac Death: Vanessa’s Story
Autism Awareness Day: Antidepressants in Pregnancy
Editorial Note: This post is by Adam Urato MD, the Chairman of Obstetrics and Gynecology at MetroWest Medical Center in Framingham, Massachusetts, as well as a Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialist at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. He cares for pregnant women on a daily basis. Autism rates are on the rise, with the latest report from the US Centers for Disease … [Read more...] about Autism Awareness Day: Antidepressants in Pregnancy
Buried Alive: Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction (PSSD)
Editorial Note: I saw my first case of Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction (PSSD) 15 years ago and since then have met 10 or more people with it and corresponded with many more. There is a striking consistency to the clinical picture across sufferers caught in the account below. There is no doubt that serotonin reuptake inhibiting drugs cause this and can do so after as little as one … [Read more...] about Buried Alive: Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction (PSSD)
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?
Sudden Cardiac Death: Jeannie’s Story
Editorial Note: This RxISK story written by Jeannie's mother records a growing epidemic of sudden unexplained cardiac deaths. These are linked to the effects of a range of drugs on the cardiac QTc interval. There is considerable evidence that pharmaceutical companies have known about these risks for years and sometimes before drugs like citalopram are marketed. The risks can … [Read more...] about Sudden Cardiac Death: Jeannie’s Story
RxISK founder Dr. David Healy: Side Effects – The True Story
Side Effects, the film, may well feature some great actors but in the real world of side effects, you the public, take centre stage. Bangor, Wales — Today’s UK release of the movie Side Effects should remind us of the real world drug side effect problem. Drug side effects are now a leading cause of death, disability, and illness. Experts estimate that only 1–10% of “serious” … [Read more...] about RxISK founder Dr. David Healy: Side Effects – The True Story