Forty Winks: Insomnia and Antidepressants

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July 19, 2021 | 13 Comments

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  1. All I can say about Seroxat is the horror that ensued from stopping this drug and the ‘forty’ winks coming from Government. We are treated to Patrick Vallance, ex GSK Research and Development Head and how he stands alongside the PM, Chris Witty and JVT with not a shred of conscience when all high level executives at this Company knew how Seroxat has harmed people all over the world.

    https://davidhealy.org/cisparency-and-transparency/

    2013-06-14 — The RIAT team sends an email to GSK, Sir Andrew Witty (CEO) and Patrick Vallance (President  of Pharmaceutical R&D), notifying them of the RIAT article publication and requesting that if they plan to restore any old GSK trials, they respond as soon as possible.

    https://study329.org/correspondence-with-gsk/

    The ‘wink’ to the Government and the Public – next slide please…

  2. Are antidepressants really proclaiming to assist people to live improved quality of lives or are we being ‘hoodwinked’ by doctors and Big Pharma that these ‘golden elixirs’ can alter our life for good? In terms of being apathetic, emotionally blunt, sleep deprived and being zombified, I would rather experience all the human emotions , instead of going on a non ‘nonchalant tripper!’
    Having experienced the pitfalls of hell, I would rather experience everyday human emotions – any day, over the latter. My choice and my personal acceptance with conviction and fortitude, are part of my persona since the day I embraced my misfortune of a ‘roller coaster’ of cascade medications. Did I have to go through HELL to embrace the beauty of my human existence?
    So I’m human. Fully functioning, with all my inner and outer qualities.
    I laugh, cry, grieve, have flashes of brilliance, kick a$$, eat, sleep, drink, dream, write, sing up the top of my lungs, feel elated, feel down, moan, groan, sleep like sleeping beauty, am unable to sleep because of worries, feel fatigued, get bursts of energy, get anxious, fidgety, swear, I kiss, get emotional, get excited, love, hate, enjoy, detest, debate, get antsy-pantry, I cry, I scream, have the occasional emotional wobbly but hey…………..!!! 🥰 I’m fully alive living in the present moment and breathing every quintessential essence of life. Why would I want miss any of these human experiences that make me fully awake/alive, rather than being catatonic? However, for the ‘psych alchemist’, they would certainly find a many flaws/dysfunctions, in being human. It seems like there is a disorder for everything that is too extreme or the opposite. Sorry, can’t win! ☹️
    Perhaps, feeling down, sad or low in spirits are human emotions/experiences, that we prefer not to live with or completely blunt out because they are seen as dark sides of our persona or are just to frightening to deal with.
    When I get the urge to feel down, I sing all my worries away, Scribble my sadness away and ometimes, if I get somewhat extreme with feeling very down, I get a pen and bite on it and hum my day away. Why would I want a ‘chill pill’ to numb theses human moments that we all experience on a human level?
    After, going through the pitfalls of hell with Valium, I can come back from the other side and can say with so much gusto: I would prefer ‘ME’ any day over a person who had lost all their will to live.
    The occasional ‘forty wink’ is part of being human. If it goes on for way too long, I know that something in my life is totally out of balance.
    Any emotion or anything I feel that is less than human, is fully accepted and acknowledged. I don’t have to be worried about being human because when I went through medication iatrogenesis, I had lost all my capacity to be fully alive and living in the moment.
    I know which part of my life, I would prefer to live with rather than to bury.

  3. I’m so glad you got out of the worst of the horror Bob. Something not acknowledged by the ‘system’ is that it’s a full time job to try to get well again after the penny drops about the effect of medications and the realisation that there has been coercion into taking them. If people agree to take named meds, ( even if some go down the toilet ) there is less obstruction about claiming ‘benefits’ I read that different ADs have different timings (not sure how to put that) which is why some are to be taken at night, some in the morning some spaced during the day – and that they effect sleep in different ways. Yet it doesn’t seem people are being told that yet – just still being given higher doses of the same med. If biorhythms are not exactly a new science shown to be different for individuals surely will that should be a factor in decision making about which meds people are prescribed? They wouldn’t need to become experts on biorhythms just willing to look at the published info and be willing to try different meds for people who can’t do without them

  4. Suzanne, the following suggestion seems rxisky for anyone:

    ‘Willing to try different meds for people who can’t do without them!’ ~ this is when you totally screw with peoples minds/ lives!

    This is not helping someone. This is a recipe for disaster.
    I certainly would not want to be the prescriber messing with anyone’s hard wire, for that matter. This is putting someone in harms way!

    • Some people choose to take medication deciding that’s their best option often after trial and error of doing without. And different meds as I said have different effects one of which sleep disturbance It should obviously it should be a joint decision as to which to try if somebody decides that is the best option for themselves. I am certainly not advocating messing with anyone’s brain! Bit insulting. There is no one right way for every one .If someone decides life is more bearable with meds – that should be respected. All meds are risky, some worse for some individuals than others. To attempt to find the least harmful is keeping someone out of harms way as much as possible. People are being harmed by prescribers who are not careful enough or caring enough to take the trouble to find the most helpful way for individuals.
      susanne

  5. Antidepressed: A Breakthrough Examination of Epidemic Antidepressant Harm and Dependence 

    by Beverley Thomson

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/Antidepressed-Breakthrough-Examination-Dependence-Antidepressan-ebook/dp/B092PWSW8F

    A breakthrough examination of epidemic antidepressant harm and dependence.

    The first comprehensive guide for patients and professionals, Antidepressed describes the realities of antidepressants with evidence-based facts, up-to-date research, extensive resources and anecdotal accounts, including patient testimonies. It also investigates how to avoid antidepressant harm, dependence and suicide.

    Overtreatment with antidepressants and underestimation of risks have left millions worldwide with complex problems and no obvious solutions or easily accessible information to help them. They are often unaware of the harm antidepressants have caused, how the medication has impacted their lives and are oblivious to the dangers of their dependence on the medication they ‘take as prescribed’. Antidepressed is an essential look at these overprescribed and often harmful medications.

    About the Author

    Beverley Thomson is a writer, researcher and speaker with a focus on psychiatric medication including antidepressants, benzodiazepines and ADHD drugs; their history, how the drugs work, adverse-effects, dependence, withdrawal and development of patient support services. For the past 10 years, she has worked with organizations such as the British Medical Association, the Scottish Government, the Council for Evidence Based Psychiatry and recently the UK All Party Parliamentary Group (APPPG) for prescribed drug dependence. Beverley has written and contributed to articles published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) as well as written factual, ‘evidence-based summaries’ of past research for CEPUK (The Council for Evidence-Based Psychiatry) to be used by professionals and the general public. She is currently currently part of a Scottish Government Short Life Working Group addressing the issue of prescribed drug harm and dependence in Scotland. –This text refers to the paperback edition.

    recovery&renewal @recover2renew

    So looking forward to reading and sharing this new book by @T_A_Psupport

  6. Suzanne, I am sorry you have misinterpreted my intentions. Indeed, it is a individuals choice when it comes to choosing what suits them best. I would always exhaust other alternatives. I was suggesting that if a prescriber swaps and changes and tweaks here and there, it could do more harm than good. This is why we come here. To warn people about the perils of swapping and changing meds.

    • Anon my name is Susanne years ago there was a Suzanne who commented – she was not me I think we are all pretty clear about the ethos of Rxisk and the rxisks of careless ‘tweaking’

  7. Indeed, a prescriber has to be very careful when swapping and changing and tweaking here and tweaking there, with any type of medication.
    Once the ‘hard wire’ is messed up, you are doing more harm than good.
    Why do many commit suicides/homicides or have a complete change in personality? Rxisk is a place where we can highlight the perils of these medications and not be chastised for stating the facts.
    With many individuals, even if the prescriber is careful, one does not know what deleterious consequences comes to the surface, out of prescribing these meds.
    With so many variables, if I was a prescriber, I would still err on the side of caution.
    If some people swear by them, once again, it is their body and their choice. Just like it is our choice to highlight the dangers. If we come here to highlight the perils of these meds, we are still going to be criticized for highlighting the implications of ingesting them. It’s not a ‘one size fits all’ formula!

  8. Anon my name is Susanne years ago there was a Suzanne who commented – she was not me I think we are all pretty clear about the ethos of Rxisk and the rxisks of careless ‘tweaking’

  9. If all people are informed about the RXISKS, before they ingest a prescribed medication(s), I certainly do not have any issues with this. Some unnecessary RXISKS can certainly be avoided especially if it involves harming or ending someone’s life. Medicine to me SHOULD NOT be like giving a LOADED GUN to someone! People’s lives are not a game of Russian Roulette. MEDS should BENEFIT people, not DESTROY lives. I have known of many cases, where some people took meds to ‘so call’ benefit them however, they ended up committing suicide or it made their health condition(s) worse! If these people were informed of the RXISKS, they would certainly still be alive today.

  10. Nine years don’t take any other meds slept like a baby before seroxat when I came off I slept barely one or two hours for 18 months a night think this isn’t possible belive me it is. Nine years later I still have weeks off insomnia and get jolted out off my bed brain zaps wake up hanging on to the headboard had it the last two nights have periods where I sleep without this and then have months where I have it every night wake up sometimes gasping. It’s literally like something out the exorcist at times my partner has witnessed it in disbelief. Seen neurologists had mris told migraines absoloute rubbish. I can relate with Bob’s post totally because after my cold turkey at 10mg after 13 years use (was told safe to just stop because I was only on 10mg last year off taking had been on 20/30mg years before) it basically showed me hell on earth that has never totally ended also now have fibro which I’m sure was caused by the hell off getting off. Have lost all faith In doctors ever since how none off us got compensated begs belief sorry to anyone else who’s suffered this its no picnic.

  11. It is bloody hell when you get NO SUPPORT from the professionals who ruined your life! They just keep adding fuel to fire. As for explaining to people or professionals who are ignorant ~ to HELL with them!
    There is NO COMPENSATION for the HELL they put you though!
    You might get lucky if you have a reasonable/intelligent Doc who understands what medication iatrogenesis does to your life. The rest of the imbeciles who do not want to take responsibility for their bad a$$ behavior and ruin peoples lives, are not worth my time!

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