Editorial: This evening a Panorama program aired on the issue of antidepressants and violence. The driving forces behind this were Andy Bell and Shelley Jofre, prompted in the first instance by Katinka Newman. The story is to my mind compelling. There have been considerable efforts to cloud the picture - see Honey I Shrunk the Shrinks on DH. Prescription for Murder was … [Read more...] about Prescription for Murder
Violence
Drug Wrecked: Where Does Change Come From?
Editorial Note: There are two elements to RxISK. One is identifying adverse events in order to keep people safe and to widen our knowledge about what drugs do. But just as important is taking on a power structure that some of us get a glimpse of when we raise the possibility of an adverse event and our doctors dismiss us, or get nasty, and close ranks. The idea behind a … [Read more...] about Drug Wrecked: Where Does Change Come From?
Are You Aware Siliq Can Cause Suicide?
There are a host of new drugs coming to market for respiratory and skin problems. These include Brodalumab, aka Siliq, Apremilast, aka Otezla, and Daliresp. Prepare to hear a lot more about Phosphodiesterase antagonists and drugs acting on Interleukin 17 or 23. These drugs can cause suicide. The companies have made strenuous efforts to hide the problem, resorting to clinical … [Read more...] about Are You Aware Siliq Can Cause Suicide?
Illnesses Worse than Side Effects?
This extraordinary image is from an advert for Clozapine. Mental illness can unquestionably bring distress - it can be haunting, dislocating and deeply disturbing. But the side effects are often more severe. Drugs like Clozapine are used by the military for torture purposes. Healthy volunteers commit suicide after a few days exposure to them. Treatment induced problems … [Read more...] about Illnesses Worse than Side Effects?
The Pill that Causes you to Steal Someone Else’s Life
Katinka Newman's The Pill that Steals Lives brings out the hazards of being put on a treatment that then becomes the problem that other treatments are used to treat. In her case she could have easily killed herself - or her children. The website 100Families.org lists 1250+ cases where mental health is linked to homicides. The thrust of the website is that mental illness is … [Read more...] about The Pill that Causes you to Steal Someone Else’s Life
Three Weeks To Prescripticide
Editorial Note: The post is by David Carmichael, who has coined the terms "Prescripticide" for a death that is caused by an adverse reaction to a prescription drug. In October and November 2015, Julie Wood published a 5-part RxISK.org series of blog posts about SSRI antidepressants and violence. It was based on the biomedical model developed to explain how someone can … [Read more...] about Three Weeks To Prescripticide
This Present Madness
This Present Madness was published in November. During the rehearsal of an all-star high school band near Dallas, Texas, a gunman enters the practice hall and starts firing with a semi-automatic shotgun. His attack is deadly. It is the worst mass shooting in US history. The blame for it, as usual, is attributed to the extensive ownership of guns in American society. After … [Read more...] about This Present Madness
Down These Mean Streets
Editorial Note: This post that neatly ties together drug induced violence and dependence and withdrawal, the theme of the next few posts, is by Mickey Nardo. It featured on OneBoringOldMan a few weeks ago. It has a ring of a Raymond Chandler novel. Hence the image and the postscript. It was towards the end of today’s clinic. He was a big guy, friendly, seemed neither anxious … [Read more...] about Down These Mean Streets
Lessons from SSRIStories #5: What Does Research Tell Us About the Connection between SSRIs and Violence?
by Julie Wood Summary of Post #4: Medication-induced violence is different from regular violence. It can manifest as bizarre and random actions without apparent motive. Sometimes, it is based on a sudden impulse without any warning. Other times, thought distortion leads to elaborate plans, but the violence still makes no rational sense. In many cases, such as school or other … [Read more...] about Lessons from SSRIStories #5: What Does Research Tell Us About the Connection between SSRIs and Violence?
Lessons from SSRIStories #4: How is SSRI-Related Violence Different?
by Julie Wood Summary of Post #3: The same mechanisms that induce violence in users of SSRIs can induce suicide. These mechanisms are akathisia, emotional blunting and delirium-psychosis. These are not uncommon effects, although the degree to which individuals experience them varies, and people may experience more than one of these side effects at once. Fortunately, severe … [Read more...] about Lessons from SSRIStories #4: How is SSRI-Related Violence Different?