Dr Martin Scurr - Daily Mail - Dumbass Award.

There are some doctors who just haven't got a clue when it comes to handing out advice regarding Seroxat, some of these doctors are in the public eye [TV, Newspaper columns etc]. One such doctor is Dr Martin Scurr who writes a Q&A section in the Daily Mail.

Scurr was recently contacted by an 83 year old depressive whom was enquiring about a lightbox or sunshine lamp for seasonal affective disorder [S.A.D.]

Scurr's response is jaw dropping. You can view it here. Meantime, I have selected his thoughts [advice] on Seroxat.

"You're already taking a good anti-depressant medicine and I am sorry you do not feel happier."

"You cannot conclude that Seroxat has failed until you've been taking the full prescribed dose for at least six weeks. Some would argue that the level should be as high as 60mg and you should discuss your current prescription with your doctor."

What I find difficult to believe is Scurr's failing to really delve into the heart of the question from this 83 year old woman. Part of her question was, " I am 83, a depressive and take Seroxat tablets (30mg once daily) but still don't feel all that happy." Now, wouldn't it have been better if Scurr had asked her a series of questions before advising her?

May I remind Doctor Scurr that the daily recommended dose of Seroxat is 20 mg! and point him toward the MHRA website, "A review of clinical trial data on the use of paroxetine (Seroxat) in adults has confirmed that, as stated in the summary of product characteristics, 20 mg is the recommended daily dose in adults." Not only that, the MHRA also go on to say that, "There is no evidence from clinical trials that increasing the dose above the recommended dose increases efficacy", and yet here we have a doctor handing out advice that is the complete opposite to what the regulator recommends!

This really grinds my teeth. The whole crux of my meeting with the MHRA back in September was to highlight the lack of education that many doctors have when it comes to prescribing Seroxat and other SSRi's, also a lack of understanding when it comes to spotting withdrawal as opposed to the disease [Depression etc]. This shoddy advice is a classic example of the the point I was trying to make. Dr Scurr is not only wrong here, he is DANGEROUSLY wrong and for that I hereby award him the Seroxat Sufferers Dumbass Award.

Dr Scurr you are a dumbass!

Fid

Read the new book, The Evidence, However, Is Clear...The Seroxat Scandal

By Bob Fiddaman

ISBN: 978-1-84991-120-7
CHIPMUNKA PUBLISHING

AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE


PAPERBACK COMING SOON

Seroxat Sufferers Dumbass Award

A little bit of fun here. Sometime ago I offered out a Dumbass Award for companies, doctors and generally people who had dropped one almighty clanger or acted irresponsibly.

There are two whom I would like to award today. Firstly, Ofsted.

Their hiring and firing of GSK Senior Vice President President, Paul Blackburn, was, at best, naive in the sense that they never anticipated the public outcry that would ensue. They never did their homework on Mr Blackburn's company who have a tainted history when it comes to the safeguard of children. Click on the relevant links for news stories regarding Mr Blackburns's hiring and subsequent resignation.

OFSTED YOU ARE A DUMBASS!

Secondly, the Dumbass Award must go to Dr. Fahd Chaudhry of the University Physicians Adult Medicine Clinic in Arizona.

According to patient, Shelly Hart, Chaudhry fought with her and yelled in her face that he was "unwilling to learn" and educate himself more about Paxil or Klonopin. All this while Shelly Hart was having a seizure!

Shelly pleaded with him to watch a video regarding Paxil withdrawal, she writes:

"I asked him to watch my YOUTUBE video and he refused. Note the video lasts about 3 minutes but he fought with me about watching it for over 15 minutes. We actually argued over a telemetry strip over whether or not it was v-tach....he says no, three cardiac nurses say yes. He is not a cardiologist. I asked for a cardiac consult and was not given one! I've read telemetry for well over 6 years! He said he didn't want to take care of me because i was a psych patient. He said he doesn't feel qualified. I asked him to watch the video and expand what he knows to be more qualified and understand as he will be seeing more and more patients coming off Paxil and benzos. He said, "I don't want to know about it". I told him "IT IS YOUR DUTY TO YOUR PATIENTS TO EDUCATE YOURSELF ON THE MATTER AND I AM ONE OF YOUR PATIENTS BUT YET YOU CANNOT TAKE TWO MINUTES TO EVEN WATCH WHAT ONE OF MY MYOCLONIC EVENTS LOOK LIKE" He said, "nope .I won't watch it, i don't' want to learn more either..." Now mind you this man was arguing and yelling IN MY FACE DURING my myoclonic event to the point where my husband had to step between us three times and put his arms out, while the nurse was giving me Morphine".

More can be read here

Dr. Chaudhry. You are a Dumbass!

Read the new book, The Evidence, However, Is Clear...The Seroxat Scandal

By Bob Fiddaman

ISBN: 978-1-84991-120-7
CHIPMUNKA PUBLISHING

AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE


PAPERBACK COMING SOON

GP From Hereford wins Seroxat Sufferers Dumbass Award!

Now I've known some stubborn imbeciles in my life - Kent Woods of the MHRA springs to mind but this so called Doctor from Hereford, UK really takes the biscuit. To say that he is stuck in the dark ages would be an understatement, to suggest that he is stuck up his own arse would be closer to the mark!

As a patient one expects to at least be heard by the doctor they are speaking with, one expects an understanding when explaining to a doctor whatever it is they happen to be feeling.

One such patient was 'Angie', who phoned her surgery to ask for her usual repeat prescription of Seroxat and also asked if it would be possible to go onto the liquid suspension form. She got the usual nonsensical remarks from the surgery receptionist (Why do these glorified office workers think they have the right make comments on peoples illnesses?) After explaining to the receptionist, although it baffles me why Angie would have to do this!, she was told that a duty doctor would call her back.

About an hour or so later he rang, Angie explained to him that it was difficult reducing and having an accurate dose each day, as she was having to cut the 20mg tablet in half - 10, then try and cut the other half into 5mg, then shave 0.5/1 mg again off that. SHAVE! Yes you read correctly, this poor woman was having to shave her Seroxat tablets - this is not unheard of but I thought we had gone past this stage now - I honestly thought there were doctors qualified enough to realise that any patient of theirs needing to shave a tablet had serious withdrawal problems.

Step forward Dr A Heal - Oh the irony of his surname. He told Angie that he had never heard of anyone reducing by such small amounts, and she was prolonging the agony by reducing in this way. Angie went on to remind him of her withdrawal two years ago, under the supervision of a partner of his, and of how ill she had been, and had learnt that the only way of doing this safely, and lessen the withdrawal effects was to go slowly.

He went on to tell Angie that he was the doctor, and he had had conversations with psychotherapists, who all agree that it is the "usual" to go from 20 mg-15-10-5 then off, and as he knew better than Angie, then she should do as he says!

What a pompus arse! HE is the doctor and his patient should do as HE says!

Well Dr A. Heal of Sarum House Surgery, Castle Street, Hereford let me now tell YOU as a public servant what YOU should listen to.

How dare you suggest that it is the 'usual' to drop from whatever dosage. What scientific paper claims that?

If a patient is suffering withdrawal from Heroin addiction would you tell them it is the 'usual' to drop from a certain dosage to another? There is no 'usual' Dr Heal - surely you should know that each patient that walks through your door has a different pain threshold level!

I pity the patients of Sarum House Surgery if they walk into Dr Heal's office suffering from an addiction/withdrawal.

May I suggest you read up on Seroxat and NOT ask psyhcotherapists!

Psychotherapists work with individuals on a one to one basis - because each individual is different. YOU should take note Dr Heal. Work with your patients on a one to one basis and don't ever assume that they should listen to YOU because YOU are a doctor for crying out loud!

You may have done your training in obstetrics and gynaecology, psychiatry, paediatrics and internal medicine but you left your compassion at the door.

From this end Seroxat Sufferers would like to present you with the Dumbass award - you are in good company.

Please feel free to respond - This site is always open for comments.

DR A. HEAL YOU ARE A DUMBASS!

The first 2008 Seroxat Sufferers Dumbass Award goes to...

... Covalence





Geneva-based Covalence tracks the ethical reputation of multinationals by sourcing information from companies, the media and civil society. EthicalQuote allows you to browse CSR rankings and data and it enables us to offer reputation management products to clients among multinationals, investors and institutions.





Lets have a look at the top 10 list of the most ethical Pharmas for 2007





Best EthicalQuote Score





1.GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)


2.Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)


3.Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS)


4.Abbott (ABT)


5.Novartis (NVS)


6.Roche (RHHBY.PK)


7.Boehringer Ingelheim


8.Astra Zeneca (AZN)


9.Pfizer (PFE)


10.Sanofi Aventis (SNY)





You have got to be kidding right?





GlaxoSmithKline ethical?





Ethical:- Being in accordance with the accepted principles of right and wrong that govern the conduct of a profession. See Synonyms at moral.





This is some kind of joke right?





Hang on a minute... I smell a rather large rat





Wanna smell it with me folks?





Well lookey here





Scroll down the page and you will see that the compilers of the 'ethical' list have many clients - one of whom are non other than GlaxoSmithKline!





Covalence - I hereby award you with the prestigious Seroxat Sufferers Dumbass Award

COVALENCE...YOU ARE DUMBASSES!

Previous winners

Google Adsense

Mylan Inc

Mr Keith Lyon Meloff

Depressionet Australia

Christmas Greetings from depressioNet Australia

Oh you can tell Christmas is just around the corner eh?

Your inbox cluttered with Christmas greetings from internet sites you are subscribed to etc.

Was totally surprised to find a Christmas greeting from depressioNet Australia in my inbox, particularly as I earlier this year exposed them for having tires to Pharma, Wyeth in particular as they fund depressioNet with a massive $50,000.

I tried to raise public awareness about Aropax by adding a post to their forum last year - alas it didn't get past the moderator. I also awarded depressioNET, along with www.everybody.co.nz, the Seroxat Sufferers Dumbass Award.

You know what you can do with your Christmas greetings doncha?

Dumbass Award goes to...

Yup, Google Avnosense join the host of others on here for acting rather strange by disabling the ads on Furious Seasons and cancelling the account. Their reasons? Well apparently they want to 'protect' their advertisers.

Furious Seasons is basically a site that speaks out against Pharma et al. Google AdSense obviously don't like the content of the site... or is it one of their major advertisers who don't like its content?

Full story here

Google AdSense you are a dumbass

Are Mylan Inc nuts!!!!

So Mylan Inc have entered into an agreement with GSK!!!



Mylan Inc have been provided patent licenses and the right to market all three strengths of Paroxetine Hydrochloride extended-release tablets beginning no later than Oct. 1, 2008.



This begs the question WHY????



Why on earth would Mylan Inc want patent licenses for a drug that is on its last legs?



Do they not read the papers, the blogs? Have they not witnessed the public outcry?



Do they expect to make a profit from this drug?

Kudo's to the Glaxo Team - it seems they could sell ice to an Eskimo! Though I think you would have been better off using Ebay as there is always some complete nutter wanting to buy serial killer memorabilia!



The coverted Seroxat Sufferers Dumbass award this month must therefore go to Mylan Inc.



You've been had!

Did you ever see a dream walking?

Did you ever see a dream walking?


Well, I did!


Did you ever hear a dream talking?


Well, I did!


Eddy Duchin

Glaxo CEO: Avandia can make a comeback

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A possible tighter U.S. label on GlaxoSmithKline Plc's (GSK.L: Quote, Profile, Research) troubled Avandia drug may not be a disaster for the diabetes treatment, the company's chief executive said on Monday.

When asked whether Avandia could return to its former level of profitability even with a second so-called black-box warning, Glaxo CEO Jean-Pierre Garnier said in a phone interview: "Absolutely. It all depends on what the language is."

FULL LAUGHABLE STORY HERE

Dumbass Award goes to...

A new feature on this blog is the Seroxat Sufferers Dumbass Award.



You would think the first ever award would go to someone from Glaxosmithkline or even the MHRA or even possibly the FDA... alas, those awards for dumbness will come later.



Today, I want to focus on a particular individual who made a post on the British Medical Journal (BMJ) website back in 2003.



This individual was writing in response to an editorial by the BMJ that dared to advise against the use of Paroxetine in children.



The name of this individual... Keith L Meloff, Adjunct Professor of Pediatrics (Neurology) University of Western Ontario, London Ontario.



Here's why he has won the prestigious Seroxat Sufferers Dumbass Award:



Paxil(Paroxetine) is useful in children



Your editorial advising against the use of Paroxetine in children will create havoc in the care of children and adolescents with significant neuropsychiatric problems such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, Tourette syndrome, oppositional-defiant disorder, panic/phobia, etc. Paroxetine is widely used in Canada for these problems, often with considerable success. Your advice would be more acceptable if your experts offered reasonable alternatives- a regrettable omission. In fact, none of the alternatives for treating the above disorders has been approved in children- and this is a global problem in drug development, namely the lack of suitably controlled studies of psychotropic medicines in the 6-18 age group. The BMJ owes it to its readers to offer evidence-based recommendations for the treatment of childhood mental health problems especially when issuing dire warnings. Those of us engaged in the care of these children anxiously await your response. Respectfully submitted-Keith Meloff, MD, FRCPC
Competing interests: None declared





"Those of us engaged in the care of these children anxiously await your response"





Feel compelled to write to him?



Unfortunately he never left contact details



His bio can be viewed here

Congratulations Mr Keith Lyon Meloff. You are the winner of the very first Seroxat Sufferers Dumbass Award.