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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by worriedstef on April 9, 2004, at 20:33:44
THE CHEMICAL IMBALANCE MYTH
Although each of the SSRI manufacturers admit they do not know how their respective drugs work, each claim that they help to correct a chemical imbalance of the brain. The assumption for each of these drugs is that if a person is depressed (each and every depressed person), they have a reduced number of neurotransmitters in the brain called serotonin. As one well-known psychiatrist put it: “[SSRIs] are not correcting a biochemical imbalance, these drugs create severe imbalances in the brain. ... The idea that human suffering, psychological suffering, is biochemical is strictly a promotional campaign, perhaps the most successful in the history of the world, created by the drug companies. We do not even have a technology, a scientific technology, for measuring what happens inside the brain ... it is literally a fabrication.”The next time you see a Zoloft, Prozac, or Paxil commercial, watch carefully. You will see that, when the drug company explains that depression is a serious medical illness caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain, it will be prefaced with the word "may" i.e., "depression may be caused by a biochemical imbalance in the brain." They must preface this statement with "may" because this theory has not been scientifically established. This unproven theory has been propagated by the pharmaceutical industry in order to sell psychotropic (mind-altering) drugs.
In May 2003, GlaxoSmithKline (“GSK”), the maker of Paxil, an antidepressant in the same class as Zoloft, announced in Ireland (The Irish Times, Saturday May 10, 2003) that it was withdrawing claims contained in Paxil (called Seroxat in Ireland and the UK) brochures that the drug worked by normalizing the levels of serotonin. GSK was forced to acknowledge that the link between depression and serotonin levels is unproven and that its claims “were not consistent with the scientific literature.”
If your doctor tells you that these drugs will correct an imbalance in your brain chemicals, please realize that more than likely your doctor got this from drug company representatives as part of the drug companies’ marketing activities. There is no scientific evidence to support such a statement. Just because you are depressed does not mean that there is something wrong with your brain chemicals
Posted by snapper on April 9, 2004, at 22:44:56
In reply to found on website (is any of this true), posted by worriedstef on April 9, 2004, at 20:33:44
worriedstef, can you give us the exact website, I'd be interested in checking it out!
thanks
snapper
Posted by cubbybear on April 10, 2004, at 2:12:53
In reply to found on website (is any of this true), posted by worriedstef on April 9, 2004, at 20:33:44
OK, the connecton between depression and lowered levels of serotonin may not have been firmly established empirically and conclusively, but the scientific findings certainly point in this direction. I have no problem with such claims as long as they include the powerful word of probability/possibility, i.e. "may".
Posted by worriedstef on April 10, 2004, at 10:40:46
In reply to Re: found on website (is any of this true) » worriedstef, posted by cubbybear on April 10, 2004, at 2:12:53
hi
www.zoloft-side-effects-lawyer.com/chemical
On the left hand side you will find various topics , the two that interested me the most were the chemical imbalance myth and lack of efficacy.
Posted by King Vultan on April 10, 2004, at 11:10:57
In reply to found on website (is any of this true), posted by worriedstef on April 9, 2004, at 20:33:44
Technically, it is true that the exact mechanism of how antidepressants work is the subject of theory and conjecture. For instance, people who respond to SSRIs may not necessarily have too little serotonin in absolute terms, but rather, they may actually have too many of the wrong types of serotonin receptors, or their serotonin neurons may not be firing fast enough for some other reason. However, what's indisputable is that many people do respond to these drugs. Regardless of how aggressively the drugs are marketed and sampled, antidepressants have proven clinical efficacy as indicated in changes in depression scores in double blind clinical trials against placebo.
Todd
Posted by linkadge on April 10, 2004, at 13:18:20
In reply to Re: found on website (is any of this true), posted by King Vultan on April 10, 2004, at 11:10:57
I agree with Todd. Yes it may not be a specific deficiancy of serotonin, but a depressed brain is indeed imbalenced in one way or another, and the drugs do seem to help.
Many of these med bashing pages have links at the bottom of the page to some natural product, serentity, be calmd' etc.
Even much independant research points in the direction of abnormalities in the serotonin transporter system. On study linked gene flaws in depressed people to higher levels of MAOA, etc, which would lead to depression.
Even non pharmacudical products such as St, john's wort, Omega 3, SAMe, lithium, and others have modulatory effects on the serotogenic system.
The first antidepressant drugs were discovered by accedent, and afterwards we assigned the chemical imballence theory (which is not a bad theory) to the situation.
Linkadge
Posted by worriedstef on April 10, 2004, at 17:11:30
In reply to Re: found on website (is any of this true), posted by linkadge on April 10, 2004, at 13:18:20
Thank you for answering to this post, i am just so confused as what to do. I am taking zoloft for three days now and im only taking half of twelve mg because of my anxiety I have to start out slow . I just get worried from reading all this stuff on websites. I dont want to end up crazy or have something go wrong that can cause permanate damage.
Posted by Noodle on April 12, 2004, at 0:04:22
In reply to Re: found on website (is any of this true) thanks, posted by worriedstef on April 10, 2004, at 17:11:30
Hi WorriedSteph,
Your doing all the right things. Taking it slow, and researching.
Unfortunately for Newbies, it is hard at first to determine the medically accurate info from all the bogus. Anyone, with any 'cause' can set up a Web Site. And some of those can scare the pants off of you. It does not mean they are right or wrong, just that it is ONE person's position. There is also a well known
'group' that floods the Web with their 'beliefs', and they do not identify themselves on such pages. They are the ones that scared me very badly back then. Just be aware, not everything you are viewing right now has any REAL facts... that can be proven in ACCURATLY controlled studies.When in doubt, go to PubMed and find the study discussed. Read it with a critical eye. Look for what they left out in coming to a conclusion. Who paid for this study? Who are the authors , and what is their history ?
Use your Google, and look at the sites that DO have verifiable medical information. And remember, a big red flag is any site that preys on your emotions. There is no reason to do that when presenting accurate information.
Also be sure your doctor has correctly ruled out other medical reasons for the way your emotions have become to difficult to handle right now.
Your worry is a normal reaction for right now. :-)
This is the end of the thread.
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