Posted by 49er on April 23, 2009, at 19:02:46
In reply to Re: Effects of long term SSRI use... My Story... » linkadge, posted by Jay_Bravest_Face on April 17, 2009, at 1:34:35
Hi Jay,
I am not sure how you can make the statement about drugs causing brain damage not holding up since 2 to 10% of all adverse side effects are ever reported to the FDA.
Also, drug companies have no incentive to do studies on this. To quote Laurie Yorke, the RN who runs the Paxil Progress site that New Questions refers to, the people taking the drugs are the long term studies and no one is collecting the data. I am not sure I am quoting her exactly right but close enough.
Additionally, if doctors routine dismiss complaints by psych patients as part of their illness, how do you expect side effects to ever be reported accurately? I know someone who was involuntarily committed because this person got very frustrated that the psych. wouldn't listen to a complaint about a med side effect. And this is a person who was always compliant about taking some drugs that had horrific side effects.
I don't doubt you when you talk about university students doing well on drugs. They can work great initially. But then there is poopout which happens to most people on psych meds. The brain can only adapt for so long before it starts rebelling.
As far as just dying a few years young, I guess you haven't seen the statistics that patients on psych meds are dying 25 years too early.
And even if you question it, (I don't), Joseph Glenmullen, who is not antimeds, mentions some studies in Prozac Backlash that suggest people start getting neurological damage after long term SSRI use. I don't recall the exact details and I don't claim it is strong research.
But my point is it isn't just an issue of dying a few years young. Actually, my hearing loss from Remeron use and a worsening of LD issues is a perfect example of that.
Anyway, as one who was on 4 meds at one point, I will pass on your advice of a multicocktail. You call it the anti psych meds' sites irresponsible but how is advocating a multi-drug cocktail that has a chance of greatly increasing side effects any more responsible? I know your intentions were good by the way but to be honest, as one who suffered greatly from this multicocktail, I found that very appalling.
Finally, on a different note, I read in another post that you lost your wife and kids in an accident? Sorry, my short term memory is bad.
Anyway, my condolences on your loss. I can't imagine living with that horror.
49er
> > >does worry me that the horror stories are >putting a lot of people off meds who could be >significantly helped.
> >
> > That doesn't worry me one bit. I am still suffering seemingly permanent symptoms very similar to this due to long term SSRI use.
> >
> > I think that it is absolutely critical that people come on and share the full extent of their experiences like this so that potential SSRI users will be able to make informed decisisons about using SSRI's.
> >
> > If all you hear is the rosey storeys that are filtered through drug company websites then there is no way for people to get an acurate picture of the long term safety and efficacy (or lack thereof) of these medications.
> >
> > Linkadge
>
> I think you would consider my story 'rosey' then, as many of those so-called *evil* drugs have helped me, and many others I know. The kind of proper 'cocktail' a good doctor would prescribe has nothing to do with individual drug "fancy stories" put out by drug companies. I honestly think the real reason why many people don't get well is because they don't have a doctor with a depth to use "every arsenal" in combinations that go beyond simplified drug advertising.
>
> I had obtained Abilify, and living in Canada I had to import it. I had amazing success with that med, but unfortunately it's harder to get as it isn't sold here. So, I had to stop a pretty darn good drug.
>
> About 'long term safety'. I think if people where using drugs for 150-200 years, then there may be concern. All of this 'stuff' about people believing they are braindamaged or what, doesn't seem to fold out. I find it very, very irresponsible by those websites that demonize psychiatric medications. I work with a LOT of university students who are also on numerous psychiatric medications. They are completing undergrad and graduate degrees, things that where stopped because of their illness without treatment. I am working on my second undergrad degree right now. There is a beautiful calm that I don't think I even appreciated before treatment, that keeps me focused, able to study hard and write up great research, that I get good marks in. Most of all, I feel content and, yes, happy. Not *all the time*, but quite often/most of time. We don't live much of a long life, anyways, so heck, even if these meds took a year or two off my life, and I could die contented and happy, I wouldn't mind.
>
> I personally have not heard of many people getting *very* well on just one drug. This goes for most mental illness. I knew this actually before I started meds because I had worked on a grant at the Canadian Mental Health Association back in the late 1980's. Polypharmacy, and a fair amount of testing, trial and error, were part of many who got well treatments. Of course, you have to have an openminded doc. I was once going through a REALLY bad, bad time when I first got my new doc. So, he slowly ramped up on a bit of a high dose benzo plus a high dose stimulant. He added two mood stabalizers. That *greatly* got me out of, and through, my tough time. My doc and I still keep that benzo/stim cocktail on our sides, and know it is there if needed again.
>
> Just using one drug seems to be, actually, a not-so-good choice to fight mental illness. (And yes, for all you people on one drug, I don't mean to put you down or anything like that.)
>
> Just IMHO...
> Jay
poster:49er
thread:891025
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090416/msgs/892408.html