RxISK

Making Medicines Safer for All of Us

Antidepressants

Brian’s Story: Raising Awareness among the Police

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This was first posted on Leonie Fennell's blog. Antidepressants, irrational behaviour and “out of the blue” suicides – raising awareness among UK police officers In 2009 my son, who had never been depressed in his life, went to see a doctor over insomnia caused by temporary work-related stress. He was prescribed Citalopram, and within days he had taken his life. As a … [Read more...] about Brian’s Story: Raising Awareness among the Police

Collateral Damage

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Anonymous There is a war going on over truth in drug marketing. There have been many victims of drugs that made it to market with deadly and damaging side effects. Increasingly, drug companies have sought to expand their markets by targeting children and young people. Many young people have died and many more have been damaged by the use of drugs with negative side … [Read more...] about Collateral Damage

Listening to Parents

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Anonymous When you lose a child or a partner from a rare illness, everyone is supportive, no-one denies you. They listen. But if a child dies from suicide or a complication of treatment with a drug especially a psychotropic drug no-one listens. Our culture has no place for this kind of death. They say maybe it’s for the best. He’d never have been able to face the life he’d … [Read more...] about Listening to Parents

Driven To Drink: Antidepressants and Cravings for Alcohol

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Author: Anne-Marie (This story was first posted on davidhealy.org. It has been the most commented on post there. It epitomizes what RxISK.org is all about - one woman getting to grips with a problem she has on treatment.) I have been asked to write this story to raise awareness about a strange side effect of treatment and my efforts to get to the bottom of it. Before … [Read more...] about Driven To Drink: Antidepressants and Cravings for Alcohol

Night of the Living Cymbalta: B’s Story

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I myself had been on and off a long series of antidepressants, but never had really dramatic withdrawal symptoms until I stopped the SNRI inhibitor Cymbalta. It started when I tried to step down from 120 mg per day, back to the standard 60 mg dose. From simply feeling depressed and tired, I shifted into full meltdown mode: crying uncontrollably; unable to concentrate; … [Read more...] about Night of the Living Cymbalta: B’s Story

Gambling on the Side Effects of Antidepressants: Does Pfizer Play Dice?

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This piece by Daniel O'Sullivan was first posted on Crikey.com. Our interest was stimulated by a query to RxISK from Daniel who had been told by the Australian regulator (the TGA) that they only had one report of this. Looking for gambling in RxISK, gives 1 case in Australia, but 4 cases of pathological gambling - more than from all the rest of the world combined, and 8 cases … [Read more...] about Gambling on the Side Effects of Antidepressants: Does Pfizer Play Dice?