Addicted to Legal Prescription Drugs

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Addicted to Legal Prescription Drugs

ALLIANCE FOR HUMAN RESEARCH PROTECTION (AHRP)

Promoting Openness, Full Disclosure, and Accountability

http://www.ahrp.org

FYI

" My addiction may be to legal, prescribed medication, but I am no

better than the heroin junkie on the street or the celebrity crack

addict, " said Mrs Jeanne Rankin, one of Britain's leading cooks.

Her addiciton began when she was prescribed antidepressants.

The UK Telegraph reports that " the Canadian-born cook's habit had its

beginnings eight years ago after the birth of her youngest son. When

he was nine months old she was prescribed anti-depressants. "

The scorge of drug addiction from prescribed antidepressants and pain

killers is a dirty secret which prescribing doctors and drug

manufacturers deny. The public must be warned about these drugs'

addictive potential--which pose a far greater problem than

marijuana. The dispensing of antidepression drugs should be subject

to control. When doctors accept fees from manufacturers (i.e., kick

backs) for prescribing habit forming drugs, they are partners in

crime and should be held accountable.

Contact: Vera Hassner Sharav

212-595-8974

veracare@...

http://www.news.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?

xml=/news/2005/09/24/ncoke24.xml

Celebrity chef tells of seven-year torment addicted to morphine

By Tom kin, Ireland Correspondent

24 September 2005

The Daily Telegraph (U.K. national newspaper), " News "

One of Britain's leading television cooks yesterday admitted she has

been hooked on morphine and other prescription drugs for the last

seven years and that her addiction had led to her considering suicide.

Jeanne Rankin, a regular on Ready Steady Cook and the wife of the

celebrity chef Rankin, confessed that she had been a poor mother

having spent the last few years in a " haze of drugs " .

Although Mrs Rankin was addicted to legal prescription drugs, she

likened her problem to that of the model Kate Moss, who has been

dropped by several fashion houses after it emerged she was a habitual

cocaine user.

" My addiction may be to legal, prescribed medication, but I am no

better than the heroin junkie on the street or the celebrity crack

addict, " Mrs Rankin said.

This week Moss, 31, apologised for her behaviour after yet more

revelations about her wayward behaviour including allegations that

crack cocaine was smoked at parties at her country home near

Lechlade, Glos.. Moss has denied being involved in crack cocaine, a

stronger version of the drug.

Mrs Rankin, who has made frequent television appearances with her

husband, written several cookery books and runs a world class

restaurant in Belfast, said she had thought about taking her own

life.

" I did think about ending it all, " she said. " It got so bad that if

it weren't for my kids and I probably would have attempted to

kill myself.

" I knew I had a problem but until I went into rehab., I didn't know

it was my fault. The most important thing I learnt is that I have an

illness. "

The cook, in an interview with the Belfast Telegraph, spoke of the

pain it had caused her three children Clare, 19, , 16, and

, eight. " I haven't been there for my children over the years

and that kills me, but I am learning to forgive myself and getting

help means that I will be there for them in the future.

" One of the toughest things for me was when I told the kids that I

was going away for a while to get help to make me better. Clare

said, 'That's OK mum, you haven't been here for a long time anyway'.

Imagine hearing those things as a mother. I knew what she meant, but

it broke my heart and made me even more determined to get better for

them. "

Until eight weeks ago, when she booked herself into the Priory

clinic, Mrs Rankin was taking morphine plus a cocktail of other drugs

as she battled depression, muscle spasms and sleeplessness.

Attempts to wean herself off had failed in the past.

" The truth was I was scared to death, " she said. " Every time I came

off some of the morphine I experienced severe withdrawal symptoms and

the DTs. It was terrifying and I knew I needed help. "

The Canadian-born cook's habit had its beginnings eight years ago

after the birth of her youngest son. When he was nine months old she

was prescribed anti-depressants. The drug-taking increased in 2002

when she had two major back operations following a fall from a horse

and morphine was administered to dull the pain of disintegrating

vertebrae.

" I begged my doctors to help me, but everyone seemed to think I was

coping well and that, given my injuries, I needed to be on that level

of medication, " she said.

Mrs Rankin conceded that not everyone on prescribed medication for a

long time would become addicted. But she believes that her family

history meant that she could be genetically programmed to be more

susceptible.

" My grandfather was an alcoholic, and there is also depression in the

family. I have been diagnosed with clinical depression as well -

that is what the drugs have done to me. "

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