Re: Who is...Johann Hari? ........and where can...

[Guest guest]

Personally I have sustained permanent neurological damage after

taking the drug for only 6 months - 5 years on I am still suffering

the after effects which are far reaching and encompass more than just

the physical damage and mental scaring -

Dear Mardi: Okay, NOW I see why we should contact this total jackass!!!! Your letter was stellar! And when I got this the paragraph above, I burst into tears. LIke you, I took Paxil from July - December, 1997, and I still have neurological problems. To have some praise Paxil as he did, as in the following passage, makes me want to grab him by the throat and rip his face off. (Are they going to take me away for saying THAT?) He may be a journalist but he's a goddamn drug addict, praising his drug of choice as a junkie praises heroin. It made me sick to read this:

"Today is our fifth anniversary, and all the classic

anniversary questions are rattling through my mind. Is

it really five years since I walked from my local

branch of Boots, squeezing her tightly in my hand,

knowing that my life was about to be changed

completely? Is it really five years since first I felt

her on my tongue? Is it really five years since she

made me able to walk steadily and think clearly and

live again? Is it really five years since I started

taking Seroxat?"

Somehow I have to find the energy to write him. I guess I should cool off a tad, lest I tell him what I REALLY think! LOL thanks for sharing your letter Mardi. How could I have been so dense as to know understand why Morse said we should contact him. Blame it on the Paxil. It went right over my head. HUGS!

Blind Reason

a novel of espionage and pharmaceutical intrigue

Think your antidepressant is safe? Think again.

[Guest guest]

> I read that. I still don't understand why we should contact him.

Hi Glitter - is a bit odd but this guy is a journalist in the UK - he

actually writes for the articles publishing paper - the Independant

News also

" ....for the Times Literary Supplement, Attitude (Britain's main

gay magazine) and the New Statesman. His work has also appeared in Le

Monde, El Mundo, the Guardian, Ha'aretz, the Melbourne Age, the

Sydney Morning Herald, the Irish Times and a wide range of other

international newspapers and magazines. He has appeared as a

commentator on CNN, NBC's Today program, the BBC's Newsnight

and the Moral Maze, the Australian broadcasting Corporation and

others. " -

The two journalists who wrote the somewhat biased article didn't look

very far for an opinion on the drug and no-where for someone with an

opposing comment -

Brook's resignation following so closely in the wake of the

Flynn House of Commons debate has rocked the socks of the medical

world here in the UK - the MRHA

--for those who don't know the Uk version of the FDA--

and institution which along with the yellow card reporting system are

both long overdue for a complete overhall - has now been called into

question for not acting on supressed evidence about these drugs -

Oh blow it - glitter I'll post a copy of my responce to Mr Hari it

will maybe explain better - either way this is big news over here -

the one person on the committee who was effectively representing the

patients has resigned - is this bad - ? - not really -

*****

Dear Mr Hari -

I read with great interest your comments in the Independant News

article of 14 March 2004

" Calls for inquiry on dangers of Seroxat By Sophie Goodchild and

Ludgate " .

I think I was surprised by the biased reporting and on looking at

your website I am even more surprised that the contents of the article

were not more fairly represented.

Firstly I would like to point out that this is NOT a single drug

issue – although Seroxat(Paroxetine/Paxil) seems to held up as the

worst drug in the class, it is only one of 6 plus the generic

equivalents –

--The others: Fluvoxamine (Faverin/Luvox) – Fluoxetine (Prozac) –

Sertraline (Lustral/Zoloft) – Venlafaxine (Effexor/Efexor) –

Citalopram (Cipramil) – Nefazodone (Dutonin/Serzone) --

ALL have the same or similar risks and ALL have the same, or similar,

problems –

ALL should be named in every article about this issue because many

Doctors will simply change patients to another of the same class if a

question is raised on the safety of Seroxat because of the publicity

– which in itself can be devastating in a crossover of withdrawal and

starting side effects from both drugs –

Which may also lead to new symptoms being added to a diagnosis –

and further complications as other drugs are then added to counteract

these – often with little regard to drug interactions information -

Unfortunately most patients are blissfully unaware firstly that two

drugs with different names will basically be the same, i.e., Seroxat

and Lustral are both SSRIs, or that adding other drugs to combat side

effects may well jeopardize their health further -

I am an SSRI victim - one of thousands who have been adversely

affected directly or indirectly as a result of this class of drug -

Personally I have sustained permanent neurological damage after

taking the drug for only 6 months - 5 years on I am still suffering

the after effects which are far reaching and encompass more than just

the physical damage and mental scaring -

Many of us are struggling not only with these disabling issues but

with a medical profession who are in denial - a benefit system that

with no proper diagnosis is reluctant to pay appropriate benefits -

and the stigma of being viewed as liars by most people whom we dare

to be honest and open with -

I am glad that you have been helped by the drugs because I would not

wish what many people have gone through as a result of them on anyone

- but I do feel that your biased view is making very light of what is

a very serious problem with these drugs -

In taking this stand Brook -

-- who as chief executive of the mental health charity, Mind, MUST be

well aware of the problems that are caused by this class of drug – not

only in relationship to his privileged position and the records that

he has access to within the MRHA –

but –

also because of his connections with the charity Mind – who have to

try and pick up the ensuing debris of people and their lives when the

NHS turns it's back on the very people it has damaged by it's

indiscriminate over-prescribing of these drugs –-

has further brought awareness to the plight of many who's voice has

not been listened too and the flaws in a the MRHA - a system that is

supposed to protect them -

The MRHA has done very little to act on reports stretching back well

over a decade that these drugs are NOT the miracle cure that the

pharmaceutical companies purport them to be - it relies on the Yellow

Card system to keep it's records of adverse effects up to date – which

in turn relies on over-busy and often complacent Doctors and

Psychiatrists to fill in and return them -

If an adverse effect IS already listed, they do not bother believing

that they know about it so there is no point – little understanding

that IF an adverse effect IS listed the MHRA need feedback from the

prescribing practitioner to keep abreast of what is happening at

patient level – to update their data and recognise the magnitude

and severity of the problems which the drugs can cuause

but -

of cause this IS only IF the adverse effect is recognised for what it

is and not swept under the carpet in the gush of pharmaceutical

literature which mostly reports that if the patient does NOT respond

to treatment, or seems to develop further or increased symptoms, that

the dose should be INCREASED -

The MHRA has also done nothing to ensure that the prescribing Doctors

and Psychiatrists adhere to the Yellow Card system which is still only

voluntary – there is NO rule or regulation that is set out to force

them to report anything – which given the nature of what they deal

with many feel is rank negligence –

In this negligence they are behaving little better than the

pharmaceutical companies who have gone to great lengths to cover up

ALL the unfavourable trial results - which have only been brought to

light as a result of court action BECAUSE of the heinous nature of the

actions of of some of those taking the drugs – and the steadfast

persistence of a few professionals who, like , have

recognised the problem and put their careers on the line to say so -

I for one commend the actions these few professionals have taken –

they have given many the clarity, credence and strength to stand and

be counted - to say 'this is wrong' – and the thousands of victims and

victims relatives a voice against the relentless overbearing onslaught

of the medical profession's need for a quick solution and

pharmaceutical companies' need for obscene profits that milk the NHS

and medical insurance companies of funds –

Funds that would be better spent on truly life changing and saving

treatments and operations and nutritional supplementation which is

proven to be effective in the treatment of many so called and

classified 'mental' health problems – as in the case of ADHD which is

successfully treated with something as innocuous and cheap and as

simple as fish oil -

Below I am posting a list of site addresses that may be of interest

to you – especially as you are being asked to come off the drug you

are taking – please view with caution any suggested withdrawal

program suggested by any Dr or Psychiatrist as few understand the

difficulties involved – have no understanding of the relevance of the

half life of the drug in this process or the risks of what can be

devastating reactions such as strokes or neuron-receptor destruction –

and suicidal ideation and action that comes from seemingly nowhere as

the brain tries to readjust it's disrupted chemical regime -

I am not being in any way " stupidly melodramatic " with these words of

caution – I moderate on a site – one of many on the Internet and one

of the few UK based boards - which tries to help raise awareness of

the damage caused by these drugs and assist people who are having

problems whilst taking or withdrawing from them –

Our site 'ssrihelp4u' is dedicated to Kara, a child who at twelve

years old took her own life on the first day of withdrawal from

Seroxat – just ONE of many children and adults who have lost their

lives to these drugs – they were plunged into immortal " darkness " -

Respectfully

Mardi

Site URL list

http://paxilsupport.homestead.com/Index.html - ssrihelp4u - UK Board

and Info Board

Support group – links to other sites

http://www.socialaudit.org.uk/ Socialaudit – Medawar

http://www.socialaudit.org.uk/58090-DH.htm Socialaudit pages

appertaining to Healy's Antidepressant and Suicide Briefing

Paper, 20 June 2003 – which includes 'Healthy Volunteer' studies

that show that some were stopped because of side effects others were

only allowed to continue after bolt on drugs (benzodiazepines) were

administered to stabilize participants -

http://www.healyprozac.com/Trials/CriticalDocs/default.htm –

Healy's Critical Documents from murder / suicide trials in America

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/AntidepressantsFacts/

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/drugawareness/

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ProzacAwareness/

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/prozactruth/

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/SSRI-Crusaders/

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Withdrawal_and_Recovery/

*****

BTW This chap is a prolific writer -

http://argument.independent.co.

uk/regular_columnists/johann_hari/story.jsp?story=433366

The Independent. - 12/08/2003

" The highs and lows of our ecstasy hangover.

If human beings cannot change harsh market processes, we will have to

alter our brains chemically

Today is our fifth anniversary, and all the classic

anniversary questions are rattling through my mind. Is

it really five years since I walked from my local

branch of Boots, squeezing her tightly in my hand,

knowing that my life was about to be changed

completely? Is it really five years since first I felt

her on my tongue? Is it really five years since she

made me able to walk steadily and think clearly and

live again? Is it really five years since I started

taking Seroxat?

You may have heard of my beloved. She is part of the

SSRI (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors) family

of anti-depressants - Prozac is her somewhat more

famous big sister - and she is a bit of a slag, since

over 100 million people worldwide also have her in

their bloodstream..... "

http://www.johannhari.com/archive/article.php?id=297

The Independent - 26/11/2003

" Plastic surgery won't make you beautiful

......but with antidepressants. Prozac, Seroxat and family have

downsides to be sure, but I would recommend them over a facelift

every

time. Wouldn't a country of Prozac-poppers be healthier than a nation

of women volunteering to have their faces and breasts sliced open? "

http://www.varsity.cam.ac.

uk/802567B80049EF7D/Pages/18111999_Survivingdepression.html

" Surviving depression Johann Hari

......If you recognise the feelings I've talked about, I urge you as

strongly as I can, go to your doctor and explain. Don't be afraid to

ask for anti-depressants. You can be better. Somewhere, at the back

of

your mind, you suspect you can too. "

[Guest guest]

" Okay, NOW I see why we should contact this total jackass!!!!

> Your letter was stellar! And when I got this the paragraph above, I

burst into

> tears. LIke you, I took Paxil from July - December, 1997, and I

still have

> neurological problems...........

................Somehow I have to find the energy to write him. I

guess I should cool off a

> tad, lest I tell him what I REALLY think! LOL ....... "

Dear Glitter - I'm sorry my post had such an effect on you and I will

admit to realizing the similarities to our situations, as I have read

your posts over the time we have been on the boards together - and

often burst into tears as you describe something that I had gone

through too - in the beginning possibly even forgotten or not

connected with the drug related problems -

You know an 'OMG moment' like when the subjects came up about water

and skin sensitivity and not being able to shower - sleeping in

clothes – like taking days to tackle a load of laundry and more

recently about only having a few hours a day when you can function

'almost' properly - IF your lucky

AS far as finding the energy to post or cooling off - don't worry I

don't think this guy is going anywhere too soon - and although this

article pushed the right buttons to fire me into the action of

ACTUALLY writing - possible because it is a current situation on my

turf - lol - it still took me a very long full two and a half days

to put the letter together

But I think one of the things that concerns me is the fact that there

are people like this in the cutting edge of UK based media – some in

the front line of of daytime TV –

-- and you must equate this with the fact that on UK analogue TV we

only have 5 – yes lol that IS '5' - channels which have regional TV

programs slotted into the main core agenda --

Some of these people are on SSRIs - and say so not only on TV - but

also in magazine articles etc. - which means the 'stay at homes' get

the message there and 'out n abouters' get it when they read the

magazines to catch up on the gossip about people who are 'household

names' and have been for probably more than two decades -

The ones who started in their teens on children's TV and have grown

with and kept their audiences into adult-hood – and are are now the

ones who glow in the eye of their public - radiating a persona of

accomplished career and family persons who have everything – and you

can just guess which 'item' MOST will credit their success – I've even

seen the articles quoted on UK boards –

We don't have drug advertising in this country – BUT – there is

definitely more than one way to raise peoples interest in something

like a so called 'miracle drug' - the resident Dr on one of the

morning TV shows has most definitely been seen to come out in support

of this medication - and has actually been seen to side with 'Benbow'

on one such program when he appeared with Venn after the Seroxat

Panorama program was viewed – LOL –

AND he's just as smarmy and evasive when asked pertinent questions too

– I know - I actually called the 'open surgery' live TV line about a

year after coming off Lustral and asked about the Yellow Card

reporting system and whether it was obligatory for Dr's to send in

adverse reaction reports - AND I never DID actually get an answer -

Because when I was asked why I was asking the question and I told them

which drug I had had an adverse reaction too - he went off into a

spiel about how good the drugs were and how many people they helped

AND how rare any reaction to them was – at the time I did not have net

access and was already in a 'no-one believes me and it must only me

and perhaps I really am mad' situation – and yup this little

interaction with the celebrity Dr did little to help -

Oh and the day of the TV Dr – Benbow incident I was in such a state

that my very short post commenting on the whole fiasco – had to be

removed my the moderators of a board lol - although it was only

because in my 'heated moment' I had not clarified WHOM my few well

chosen words were addressing lol

But your right Glitter this really does make one " sick to read this "

stuff -

> " ....... " thanks for sharing your letter ....... "

Your welcome Glitter and thank you for your compliment about my letter

– BTW if you want to share it anywhere else the article has been

posted feel free to share it there too

> " ...... How could I have been so dense as to know understand why

Morse said

> we should contact him. Blame it on the Paxil. It went right over

my head. "

Don't be daft your not dense – mmmm oh well! - Maybe we both are -

but I blame mine on the Zoloft lol

and -

of cause you must make allowances for Morse's writing style –

which is really something else – even at times in a class of it's own

– and - can be a little ah! Mmm! 'confusing' - lol - to the

point where the point can be over looked or taken out of context

HUGS Tue

Ps – anyone reading this who is in the UK and connected to the media -

this is only an observation of how I view what is happening in the UK

and not a personal dig at anyone whom I know on these boards that

works in the media – T

Pps sorry this has turned into another long post folks