A recent Mad in America Webinar on Antidepressant Dysregulation Syndromes introduced the idea that tapering might not be the only way to solve some of the problems SSRI antidepressants can cause. Tapering supporters give the impression tapering is the only legitimate way to go, leaving little or no room for the possibility that antidotes might help. Quite aside from … [Read more...] about Antidotes for Akathisia and Dysregulation
Sex
New Article about PSSD Epidemiology
We are pleased to announce the publication of “Post-SSRI sexual dysfunction: barriers to quantifying incidence and prevalence” in Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences. The journal was an ideal fit for the article, so we’re pleased that they not only accepted it for publication but also made it an editorial and freely available. RxISK first explored the idea of PSSD … [Read more...] about New Article about PSSD Epidemiology
Madness, Normality and Antidepressant Dysregulation
Some weeks ago, Bob Whitaker asked me to do a Mad in America Continuing Education Webinar on the problems stopping Antidepressants. The talk with discussion is here Stopping Antidepressants and responses to points raised will be followed up in forthcoming posts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIlk1My4ZgQ I prerecorded the talk in case of disaster as Tapering … [Read more...] about Madness, Normality and Antidepressant Dysregulation
The Seductive Charm of Pharmacology
The Post-Finasteride Syndrome Foundation has done great work for over a decade raising the profile of the sexual dysfunction that finasteride (Propecia) can cause - Post-Finasteride Syndrome - and more recently the suicidal effects this drug can have. The clear similarities between the difficulties triggered by Finasteride/Propecia, Isotretinoin/Accutane and SSRIs often … [Read more...] about The Seductive Charm of Pharmacology
Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction and Protracted Withdrawal Syndromes
Escaping the Hell of Protracted Withdrawal Syndrome by Thomas Staczewski is a well written post on Mad in America this week. TS's post links to an attractive Protracted Withdrawal Syndrome website he has, that has eye-catching imagery of brains. The bit, however, that really caught my eye was a suggestion - not quite an outright claim - that protracted withdrawal and PSSD are … [Read more...] about Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction and Protracted Withdrawal Syndromes
Complex Sensory Imbalances: New Remedies
In the Beginning The sulfonamides transformed medicine in the 1930s. They were the first effective antibiotics and they gave rise to the first diuretics, antihypertensives and hypoglycemics. The latest medical miracle, Semaglutide – Novo-Nordisk’s Ozempic - is touted not just as an effective hypoglycemic (anti-diabetic) medicine but also a Holy Grail drug that … [Read more...] about Complex Sensory Imbalances: New Remedies
Vision Weird, Vision Blurred and Visual Snow
If you look carefully at the blue sky in mid-picture between the clouds, you will a bunch of wispy white threads. They look like they are wisps of cloud and are up in the sky and they are often best seen against a blue background but they aren't cloud wisps - they are in the cornea of your eye. These black wisps are what most of us would call floaters. We might have one … [Read more...] about Vision Weird, Vision Blurred and Visual Snow
The Fantasies of Psychopharmacology
This talk was first given at a Medicating Normal Meeting for mental health staff in Lexington Kentucky organized by Geoff Wilson and a few days later in May at the invitation of Don Marks to a group of clinical psychologists in Kean University New Jersey. I'm hoping it will lead to feedback from both groups and others. It is twinned with Truth, Trust and Health also given … [Read more...] about The Fantasies of Psychopharmacology
Challenging My Doctor to Disclose
This recently published US strategy on Suicide Prevention epitomizes all that is going wrong in medicine today. It is stuffed full of references to Shared Decision Making, Informed Consent and Lived Experience. Stuffed full of token words, window-dressing, tick-boxing. It will increase rather than reduce suicide rates. It is clear that the people behind this, and … [Read more...] about Challenging My Doctor to Disclose
FDA Sued for Failing to Act on RxISK’s Petition
In February 2018, we began work on a petition requesting warnings about post-SSRI sexual dysfunction (PSSD) and persistent genital arousal disorder (PGAD) to be added to SSRI and SNRI antidepressants. The academic literature on these conditions had been steadily increasing, and our latest case series on persistent sexual dysfunctions had just been accepted for publication - … [Read more...] about FDA Sued for Failing to Act on RxISK’s Petition