All Aboard the Schizo Shuttle.. But Only if You're Left-Handed

"Left-handed people are more likely to develop psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia, than mood disorders such as depression, research suggests."

Ah, the British tabloids at their very best.

The Daily Mail, a UK tabloid, ran with a story yesterday that had me in a state of complete apoplexy [quick pass the Paxil to dumb me down]

Emma Innes, who wrote the article, claimed that a new study found that among people with mental illnesses, left-handed people are more likely to suffer from psychotic disorders than illnesses such as depression.

Oh God, No - I'm left handed, although these days it does not really matter if one is left or right-handed thanks to the marvelous invention of the keyboard. (Do kids still use pens at school?)

Innes also mentions previous research that showed that left-handed women are also more likely to get breast cancer and other research that implied that left-handed people are more prone to dyslexia and also anxiety.

Oh for fcuk skae!

The "Left-handed people are more likely to develop psychotic disorders" nonsense came about as a result of a study carried out by 8 authors, 5 of whom are involved with Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Ah, those wonderful folk trying desperately hard to lift the "not recommended for children" warning on psychiatric drugs, eh.

Neither of the author(s) declared any potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this particular article. Whilst this may be true the institutions they work for DO receive vast amounts of money from the pharmaceutical industry.

Jadon R. Webb is Senior Clinical Fellow in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Yale University.

Pro Publica's 'Dollars For Docs' database is a wonderful search tool.

Let's just look at payments Yale have received over the past couple of years.

51 payments to Yale, the highest being $839,304 made by Pfizer in 2010 for "research". The breakdown of payments made to Yale can be seen here.

Mary I. Schroeder has a PhD in economics from Emory University.

55 Disclosures Found for Payments to Emory University, the highest being $189,697, once again, made by  Pfizer in 2010 for "research".

Christopher Chee is Clinical Fellow in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of California.

398 Disclosures Found for Payments to University of California, the highest being $673,859 made by, you've guessed it, Pfizer in 2010 for "research".

Deanna Dial graduated from Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, completing her last year of Child and Adolscent fellowship at UT Southwestern  Psychiatric program in Dallas.

7 Disclosures Found for Payments to UT Southwestern, the highest being $31,353 made in 2010 by Cephalon.

Rebecca Hanna trained at Emory university school of medicine and completed her psychiatry residency at UT southwestern. [see above]

Hussam Jeffe is currently a psychosomatic medicine clinical fellow at Yale School of Medicine. [see above]

Jacob Mays is currently a Child and Adolescent Psychiatry fellow at the UT Southwestern program in Austin, TX. [see above]

Patrick Molitor is a senior fellow in the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry program at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, GA

15 Disclosures Found for Payments to Medical College of Georgia, the highest being $30,424 made in 2012 by Merck.

I'm not suggesting for one minute that the above authors received payments from pharma, just saying that the institutions they are connected to have, in the past, received huge amounts of money from pharmaceutical companies.


This, of course, isn't the first time it's been suggested that left-handed people are disadvantaged. In 1983 The New York Times ran with a similar headline to that of the UK's Daily Mail, "SOME DISORDERS APPEAR TO BE LINKED TO BEING LEFT-HANDED"

LEFT— HANDED people, already burdened by minor inconveniences in a right-handed world and by a language full of such ego-deflating figures of speech as two left feet, out in left field and left-handed compliment, also seem to face an increased risk of certain disorders that can further impair the quality of their lives.

A series of new studies show that left-handed people are more likely to suffer from learning disabilities, stuttering, migraine headaches and, according to the latest findings, autoimmune diseases, like ulcerative colitis, myasthenia gravis and celiac disease, in which the body attacks its own tissues.

Gadzooks! us lefties are doomed I tell ya, doomed.

The Bible contains about 25 unfavorable references to the left hand. The best being, in the Gospel of Matthew.

Jesus says: "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all nations: And he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, 'Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.' ... Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, 'Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.'" (Matthew 25:31-34, 41)

And how old is that book?

Nothing has really changed, has it?

Left-Handed U.S. Presidents who are/were more likely to develop psychotic disorders:

James A. Garfield

Herbert Hoover

Harry S. Truman

Gerald Ford

Ronald Reagan

George H.W. Bush

Bill Clinton

Barack Obama 

Bob Fiddaman [left-handed and reporting from everlasting fire]


**Footnote/Thought

Does this now mean that men who masturbate with their left-hand can now claim that somebody else was doing it?

Poking Phun at Pharma

I'm fed up of writing about needless deaths.

I need a pick-me-up tonic that isn't in the shape of a pill, that doesn't come with a suicide warning, that isn't addictive.

I listen to music when I'm feeling the blues, it kinda lifts me up be it the raw guitar sound of AC/DC, the beautiful harmonies of the Dixie Chicks or just some 'lose yourself in the moment' music by Hans Zimmer. I have many more bands to pick me up.

Tonight, however, I feel inclined to have a bit of fun with some jokes.

**Contains profanity**

Let's  start with one of my Facebook statuses of today:

Following the conviction of the Chinese politician Bo Xilai on charges of corruption, abuse of power, embezzlement and bribery, we wish him all the best in his campaign to become the next CEO of GlaxoSmithKline.

---

My psychiatrist tried analysing me by putting a glass of water in front of me and asking "Would you say this is half empty or half full?"

I said "Two thirds of its capacity is currently in use, so I'd say nethier".

Turns out I have Anal Prick Disorder.

 ---

"I have a foot fetish", I told my psychiatrist.

"That doesn't make you crazy", he replied, "in fact, I also get turned on by looking at beautiful women's feet."

"Really?" I said. "Do you want to come over to mine and see my collection?"

 --- 

I went to see my psychiatrist yesterday and he said, "I want to try a little reverse psychology on you in this session."

I said, "That's fine but I charge £45 an hour."

That fucked him up.

---

Psychiatrist: "Well, Catherine, it appears you may be suffering a treatable mental illness known as "Bi-polar 2", but to confirm my suspicions, I will need to see you naked...."

---

"Doctor, I keep hearing voices asking me stupid questions."

"Do you have a history of mental illness?"

"There they go again."

---

SSRi's have been called the new "wonder drugs" because any time the doctor wonders what you have, that's what you get.

---

A spokesperson for the pharmaceutical company denied that the product was habit forming, he added, "I know someone who has been taking it for twelve years."

---

---

---

And finally...

 “Today brings to resolution difficult, long-standing matters for (Glaxo). Whilst these originate in a different era for the company, they cannot and will not be ignored." - Andrew Witty, CEO GlaxoSmithKline

Bob Fiddaman 

Update: Dr. Vernon L. Kliewer and the 3 year-old

3 year-old Destiny Hager was prescribed Seroquel and Geodon after being diagnosed with bi-polar by pediatric psychiatrist Dr. Vernon L. Kliewer of Kansas.

Following on from my previous post about 3 year-old Destiny Hager. [Pictured]

Destiny was prescribed Seroquel and Geodon after being diagnosed with bi-polar by pediatric psychiatrist Dr. Vernon L. Kliewer of Kansas.

Destiny died of fecal impaction and had “antipsychotic drugs present in concentrations considered therapeutic in adults.” The dosage of Seroquel was ramped up to 600 milligrams per day by Kliewer.

Kliewer subsequently entered into an agreement with the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts that would restrict his license to practice medicine and surgery by placing that licence on probation.

Kliewer voluntary excluded treating children under the age of six and was ordered to pay costs to the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts of $13,079, about £8,000. [Back Story]

Both Seroquel and Geodon were prescribed off-label in this particular case.

Seroquel is sold and marked in the United States by AstraZeneca.

Geodon is sold and marked in the United States by Pfizer.

Dine and Dash

The drug industry last updated its marketing code in 2002, when it banned “dine and dash” events in which drug makers provided free dinners to doctors who agreed to listen to brief sales pitches.

On the scale of things Kliewer hasn't really received much from the drug industry but he certainly has been entertained by both makers of Seroquel and Geodon.

Statistics, from 2010 to 2012 show that Kliewer was taken for three meals by Geodon reps [Pfizer] and was given a gift or item to the value of $99.

The same statistics show that Kliewer was taken for two meals by Seroquel reps [AstraZeneca].

Here's the list [taken from ProPublica Dollars For Docs Database]

Pfizer - 2010 - Meals - $6
Pfizer - 2010 - Items, Gifts - $99
Pfizer - 2011 - Meals - $85
Pfizer - 2012 - Meals - $99
AstraZeneca - 2011 - Meals - $36
AstraZeneca - 2012 - Meals - $276

Unfortunately the database only starts from 2010. 3 year-old Desting Hager died in 2006. Is it safe to assume that Kliewer had already been targeted by both Pfizer and AstraZeneca reps?

The money isn't really an issue here, it's more of the motive.

Why would Pfizer and AstraZeneca reps entertain a pediatric psychiatrist?


Answers on a postcard please to:

Off-Label Promotional Tactics
A.N.Y Pharmaceutical Company
PO Box 666


Bob Fiddaman

How Much For a 3 Year-old?

Destiny Hager, Aged 3

On April 3, 2006 three year-old Destiny Hager was carried through the doors of Morris County Hospital at 11:20 p.m, she had been complaining of a stomach ache.

An X-ray revealed her colon was blocked.

The following morning at 7:40 a.m., Destiny stopped breathing inside Room 11. A minister was called.

She was briefly resuscitated, just long enough for her to utter the words, "I love you", to her parents Greg and Angela Hager. Shortly after, Morris County called for a helicopter to transfer Destiny to Children’s Mercy.

Destiny was pronounced dead at 10:34 a.m. on April 4 following a 45-minute flight.

Could destiny's death have been prevented?

Let's look at some of the facts:

Destiny died of fecal impaction and had “antipsychotic drugs present in concentrations considered therapeutic in adults.”

Destiny had been diagnosed with diagnosed with bipolar disorder, she was prescribed Geodon and Seroquel. The dosage of Seroquel was ramped up to 600 milligrams per day by her treating pediatric psychiatrist Dr. Vernon L. Kliewer, MD.

Disciplinary action has since been imposed upon Kliewer.

So, what kind of action?

Well, he wasn't charged with anything, it was the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts who, along with Kliewer, entered into an agreement that would restrict his license to practice medicine and surgery by placing that licence on probation.

Kliewer voluntary excluded treating children under the age of six and was ordered to pay costs to the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts of $13,079, about £8,000. (final figure not seen in documents below)

This after it was found that Kliewer allegedly, with regard to the care and treatment of six patients, Destiny and five other children ranging in age from 2 to 5, deviated from the standard of care, inappropriately prescribed prescription medications, and failed to properly document the patients medical records. Kliewer did not admit to the allegations but for the purpose of the consent order did not contest the allegations.

Kliewer was ordered to complete the CPEP Patient Care Documenation Seminar, an interactive, eight-hour small group course.

Geodon has not been shown to be safe or effective in the treatment of children and teenagers under the age of 18 years old. [1]

The effects of Seroquel have only been studied in children aged between 10 and 17 years with mania and in children aged between 13 and 17 years with schizophrenia. There is not enough information on its effects in children to recommend its use in other age groups or for other conditions. [2]

Yet they were both prescribed by Kliewer to a 3 year-old girl.

Here's a tribute video I found on YouTube.

Rest in Peace little one.

Bob Fiddaman

[1] GEODON® Patient Information Leaflet
[2] SEROQUEL® Patient Information Leaflet

Depression: Cases Number 4, 5 and 6

Following on from Part I [Depression: Cases Number 1, 2 and 3] today sees a further 3 cases that fall outside of the NHS definition of depression. All subjects in these case histories were originally diagnosed with depression, however, I argue that their acts (whilst being treated for depression) do not fall under the umbrella of depressive symptoms.

So, what made cases 4, 5 and 6 carry out the following acts?

Case # 4

Leonard O. Parker Thursday was found guilty of all 10 counts in the bank robbery of two banks in January 2006, including the First Citizens Bank branch in the Peachtree section of Cherokee County.

Parker, who previously owned Mountain Max Auto Superstore on the Murphy Highway in Union County, was charged with bank robbery and kidnapping in connection with the January 11, 2006 robbery of the Peachtree bank and the January 6 robbery of the Mooresville Savings Bank in Cornelius, North Carolina. Parker resided in Morganton, GA at the time of the robberies.

A federal Grand Jury in Bryson City took only an hour and 15 minutes to find Parker guilty of all 10 counts against him. It will be two months or longer before Parker is sentenced, prosecutor Don Gast said. [1]

Question: How does someone who according to the NHS 'symptoms of depression checklist', takes part in fewer activities, have no motivation or interest in things, have continuous low moods and sadness, all of a sudden feel the urge to rob two banks and kidnap?

The article continues with...

Parker was found guilty of five charges for each of the two bank robberies. He was found guilty of bank robbery, assaulting a teller in a bank robbery, taking a teller in a bank robbery (kidnapping), use of a firearm during a bank robbery and possession of a firearm while being a convicted felon. Both robberies were similar, in that Parker used a pistol and forced tellers to drive him away from the bank to his getaway vehicle.

I'll ask again, where does it stipulate in the NHS 'symptoms of depression checklist' that symptoms of depression include robbing banks, kidnapping, assaulting people and threatening to use a gun?

What also came out at trial was...

Parker testified that he went on buying sprees including getting up at 3 a.m. to go to Wal Mart.

Photos of Parker in the bank show him smiling and cutting up with the tellers.

Parker's former wife testified that Parker called her up and asked her to go gambling with him and he didn't act different than normal, even though he had just robbed two banks.

Parker testified that he quit taking Paxil [Seroxat] at the end of December, 2005, shortly before the bank robberies.

So, what caused this bizarre behaviour? Did Parker carry out these bizarre acts because he was in debt, if so, why was he prescribed an antidepressant like Paxil - is debt a mental illness?

If he stopped taking his Paxil then maybe one could argue that his depression had returned, however, as I've said, behaviour like the above is not a symptom of depression.

Could it be that Parker was suffering severe Paxil withdrawal which made him delusional, fearless, irrational?

It's worth looking into, don't you think?




Case # 5

A Parma man is facing charges after he impersonated a police officer, and is caught by a real police officer he tried to pull over.

Micahel Gustafson, 50, faces a five-count grand jury indictment stemming from the Dec. 17 incident.

According to police, Gustafson put a blinking blue police light on his dashboard at around 2:30 a.m. He then shined a high-beam flashlight at a woman in a car at the intersection of East 110th Street and St. Clair, in Cleveland.

Gustafson reportedly told the woman he was a police officer, and that he stopped her for driving erratically.

However, the woman turned out to be a Cleveland police detective, and she quickly called for backup.

Police found Gustafson was carrying a gun and had a stolen police radio in his car. A search of his home also revealed more police and law enforcement paraphernalia.

Gustafson faces five counts, including impersonating a police officer and carrying a concealed weapon. [2]

All seems like Gustafson was a slightly wacky character. However, it later emerged, in another article [3], that Gustafson was "put in jail for three days, without access to his medication for depression."

So, Gustafson was depressed at the time of his actions. Impersonation and theft are not mentioned in the NHS 'symptoms of depression checklist', so why did he exhibit this bizarre behaviour. Did his behaviour merit what the NHS state about depressive symptoms, namely; takes part in fewer activities, have no motivation or interest in things, have continuous low moods and sadness?

If this bizarre behaviour was not depression then what could have caused it, his medication for depression perhaps?



Case # 6

Mark Douglas-Hamilton, 30, used a pair of wire cutters to hold up a garage in Oxford where he walked away with a packet of cigarettes. A CCTV recording of the event shows his bizarre behaviour, where he joked with customers. Two weeks later, the theatre stage manager stole some CDs from a record shop.

Douglas-Hamilton, who lives near Hereford, was due to face trial  in Oxford on two charges of theft. But the case was unexpectedly dropped by the CPS, which did not give a reason for the discontinuance .

This story intrigues me as I have covered it before on this blog after being contacted by Mark via Twitter.

Douglas-Hamilton told me in a private conversation that his medical records seem to have gone missing and he cannot get access to any of the evidence provided in court. His defence lawyer is, according to Douglas-Hamilton, not returning his calls.

He was diagnosed as having anxiety and depression, neither of which claim holding up garages is a symptom.

An expert witness, Dr David Taylor, then working as head of pharmacology at the British psychiatric hospital, Maudsley, had prepared a report for the defence, passed to the CPS, which concluded that the effects of Seroxat could have contributed to his behaviour.

Upon seeing this, it is alleged by Douglas-Hamilton, Crown Prosecution decided to throw the case out.

Furthermore, Douglas-Hamilton  is alleging that lawyers for GlaxoSmithKline approached his defence lawyer who was told to keep his client quiet.

Why did the Crown Prosecution pull the case, up until the point of Dr David Taylor's evidence they must have thought they had a good case, right? CCTV footage, witnesses, they had Douglas-Hamilton bang to rights, as they say. Why was Dr Taylor's evidence deemed so detrimental to the Crown's case, more importantly what was that evidence and why has Douglas-Hamilton never been allowed access to it?

Did GlaxoSmithKline's lawyers really tell Douglas-Hamilton's defence lawyer to tell his client to keep quiet?

Why did the Crown Prosecution offer no explanation as to why they dropped all charges?

Douglas-Hamilton was due to plead not guilty using non-insane automatism as his defence. The defence of non-insane automatism exists where a person commits a crime in circumstances where their actions can be said to be involuntary. A finding of non-insane automatism may also exist where the defendant is not conscious of their actions due to an external factor often as a result of medication.

A spokeswoman for GlaxoSmithKline said, at the time: "Violence and aggression are a feature of anxiety and depression disorders. Seroxat will reduce levels of these, and neither violence or aggression are withdrawal symptoms."

She has to be kidding, right?

A survey carried out by the mental health charity MIND, in collaboration with bbc TV's Panorama, found that 97% of respondents knew of someone who had experienced unwanted or uncomfortable reactions to Seroxat [Paxil]. These included: reduced sexual desire, sleep problems, fatigue, irritability and sweating. One in five reported violent behaviour. Half who had experienced a reaction had feelings of self harm or suicide and more than four out of five experienced withdrawal problems. [4]

Given that the above cases cannot be explained away by 'depression' it could be safe to assume, one would think, that the medication caused the out of character and bizarre behaviour... unless there's any psychiatrists out there who would like to explain the reasons for me?

Bob Fiddaman

Previous Case Files - Depression: Cases Number 1, 2 and 3




[1] Parker guilty on all counts
[2] Man Impersonates Cop, Pulls Over Real Officer
[3] Alleged Cop Impersonator Says He Wanted To Stop Erratic Driver
[4] Dark secrets lurking in the drugs cabinet

Sparks Middle School Shooter Named

Despite the blanket news coverage surrounding the identity of the shooter in the recent Sparks Middle School slaying, News4, who work in partnership with KRNV News 4, have identified the shooter as Jose Reyes.

They write:

Sparks City Attorney Chet Adams has confirmed to Ralston Reports Producer Dana Gentry that the name of the Sparks Middle School shooter is Jose Reyes.

Earlier reports suggested the shooter's name was being kept under wraps, the Sparks police and their legal team refused to release the name of the 12-year-old boy who took a gun to Sparks Middle School on Monday, killed teacher Michael Landsberry and wounded two other students before killing himself.

Landsberry is said to have confronted the shooter and has since been hailed a hero by children, colleagues and professionals worldwide. A tribute to the former marine, who served in Afghanistan, can be found via a Facebook remembrance page here.

It's a bold move by News4 to name the shooter.

There's been much speculation surrounding the shooting, some suggest that the shooter had previously been bullied, other reports suggested that he was autistic.

It's unknown if the shooter was on medication leading up to or at the time of the shooting.

I've recently wrote about Sandy Hook Elementary School shooter, Adam Lanza, here and, only yesterday, uploaded a video to YouTube regarding school shootings and other bizarre behaviour.


Bob Fiddaman.

Depression: Cases Number 1, 2 and 3

Over the next couple of weeks I am going to focus on depression, moreover, on media reports of bizarre behavior by people who have been diagnosed with depression. First it's important to understand how depression is defined.


Definition of depression according the National Health Service [NHS] in the UK [1]

Psychological symptoms include:

• continuous low mood or sadness
• feeling hopeless and helpless
• having low self-esteem 
• feeling tearful
• feeling guilt-ridden
• feeling irritable and intolerant of others 
• having no motivation or interest in things
• finding it difficult to make decisions
• not getting any enjoyment out of life
• feeling anxious or worried 
• having suicidal thoughts or thoughts of harming yourself

Social symptoms include:

• not doing well at work
• taking part in fewer social activities and avoiding contact with friends
• neglecting your hobbies and interests
• having difficulties in your home and family life

Question I'm putting out is simple really. Given that all the above are actually symptoms of depression how do depressed people, who remember, take part in fewer activities, have no motivation or interest in things, have continuous low moods and sadness, get from that to the following...

Case # 1

October 16, 2003 A Boonville, Ind., man remained in recovery Wednesday after shooting himself in the leg on Victoria National Golf Course, officials reported. The 21-year-old man, who police refused to identify during their investigation, is believed to have fired the shots between midnight Saturday and 7 a.m. Sunday. He also allegedly stole a golf cart, and shot one of the greens multiple times. [2]

Question: How does someone who remember, takes part in fewer activities, have no motivation or interest in things, have continuous low moods and sadness, all of a sudden feel the urge to travel to a golf course, steal a golf cart then start randomly shooting?

Another part of the story reads:

"We got a call about (the golf cart), and a deputy went to investigate it," said Warrick County Sheriff Marvin Heilman. "Apparently, someone at the golf course stole a golf cart and wrecked it against a tree, (and) they found several areas of one of the greens had been damaged by gunshots." On the green, deputies also found erratic tracks from a golf cart and shells from several different guns. All of those guns - a shotgun and three handguns, a .357 Magnum, a 9mm and a .22-caliber - allegedly belonged to the shooter's family, Heilman said. All were purchased legally. "Shortly after (that run), the sheriff's office received a call from St. Mary's, where a subject was being treated for multiple gunshot wounds to his legs," Heilman said. "There is some reason to believe from the investigation that those wounds were self-inflicted." Deputies believe that, as he shot up the green, the suspect also put three shots into his leg, Heilman said. He then made his way home, where his mother drove him to the hospital, officials said. 

There is no mention in the NHS symptoms of depression 'checker' of an impulsive urge to steal golf carts then drive them erratically around a golf course, when that golf course was closed to the public. Furthermore, there is no mention in the NHS symptoms of depression 'checker' that a sign of depression is someone who feels the sudden need to shoot at a green on a golf course.

The 21 year old's mother is also quoted in the article:

She later told investigators her son had been taking medication for depression, which may have contributed to Sunday's incident.

Given that none of the above behavior, apart from self-harm, is included in the NHS checklist could we take it that the medication made the 21 year old carry out these random bizarre acts?



Case # 2

November 4, 2011

A man who stole shopping and milk trolleys has been slapped with a community service order.

Thomas Rainey was found to have a stash of shopping and milk trolleys worth £5,000 at his home in Stockport.

The retired council flagger, 52, denied he had taken the trolleys to sell them for scrap – claiming he used them to help his businesswoman ex-partner transfer goods from warehouses to her three shops.

And he blamed his hoarding behaviour on severe depression and diabetes, a court heard. [3]

Question: How does someone who remember, takes part in fewer activities, have no motivation or interest in things, have continuous low moods and sadness, all of a sudden feel the urge to steal 54 supermarket trolleys and stack them neatly in his backyard?

The newspaper article continues with...

In court, Rainey told the bench that he believed a change in his medication had affected his behaviour. Mrs Parrot added: “I also think his health and mental problems have had some effect on his behaviour."

I find it bizarre that Mrs Parrot would add that his mental health problems, which was 'depression' had some effect on his behaviour particularly when the NHS checklist does not mention random acts of stealing supermarket and milk trolleys... and stacking them neatly at ones home address. Mrs Parrot was Thomas Rainey's defence lawyer.

Given that none of the above behavior is included in the NHS checklist could we take it that the medication made Thomas Rainey carry out these random bizarre acts?


Case # 3

09 September 2009

A MAN who admitted running around the Waterside with an axe has been given a three month jail term suspended for three years.

Gary Keith Millar, 40, pleaded guilty to possessing an offensive weapon on July 19, 2009.

A previous hearing, the court heard that police were called to the Bonds Street area to investigate reports of a man 'running round with an axe in an agitated state.

The 40-year-old went into his brother's house and family members were able to remove the top of the axe and give it to police. [4]

Question: How does someone who remember, takes part in fewer activities, have no motivation or interest in things, have continuous low moods and sadness, all of a sudden feel the urge to run around with an axe?

The article confirms Millar's diagnosis of depression with, "During sentencing at the City’s Magistrate’s Court, defence solicitor Maeliosa Barr said Millar was a “very vulnerable man” and suffered from depression."

Again, I find it bizarre that a defence lawyer would use her client's depression as an excuse particularly as there is no mention of randomly running around a waterside waving an axe in the NHS depression checklist.

The article also states the following:

"He realised that by not taking his medication he got himself into the difficulty he now faces."

I find this striking. Is he suggesting that his illness caused the axe incident, is he blaming the missing of a dose?

Again, running around with an axe is not part of the NHS symptom checker for depression so why would he think his medication was so important?

We all know that missing doses of antidepressant-type medications can cause a whole heap of bizarre patterns of behaviour. Why was this overlooked?

Could we take it that the medication, or sudden withdrawal from it, made Gary Keith Millar run around the waterside waving an axe?

If it can be proven that the above bizarre acts were caused by a reaction to the medication then surely we could go a step further and make claims that people who kill whilst on these medications for depression could also claim that it was a reaction to the medication? There is nothing more bizarre than a depressed person killing someone else, I mean, it's not even listed as a symptom is it?


More case reports coming soon.



Bob Fiddaman.





[1] Clinical depression - Symptoms
[2] Man shoots self in leg at golf course
[3] In the cart: Man from Stockport who stole 54 supermarket trolleys
[4] Waterside man ran around with axe

School Shootings and Other Bizarre Incidents

Bob Fiddaman

Adam Lanza - Why the Secrecy Over His Medical Records?

Adam Lanza

On December 14, 2012, 20-year-old Adam Lanza (pictured above) fatally shot twenty children and six adult staff members in a mass murder at Sandy Hook Elementary School in the village of Sandy Hook in Newtown, Connecticut. He then took his own life by shooting himself in the head.

There's been a lot of debate surrounding the medications Lanza was taking prior to his killing spree. All we have is speculation and with speculation comes uncertainty.

Authorities have previously told the press that the autopsy investigation revealed no such substances in Lanza's body but never actually released the full toxicology report to back up their claims.

There is, of course, one way to end this speculation. Release his medical records.

Ablechild, a a national parents’ rights organization, founded in 2001 by Patricia Weathers and Sheila Matthews, have been trying to end such speculation. Their mission being Informed Consent.

On March 5 Ablechild hand delivered a letter to H. Wayne Carver II, M.D. requesting the immediate release of the complete autopsy report, toxicology report, and prescription drug history of Adam Lanza.

A fair enough request considering the indisputable link between psychiatric medication and school shootings and other homicidal events. However, Ablechild were denied access without cause, despite federal and state laws requiring transparency and disclosure.

They took their request further, right to the desk of Assistant Attorney General for Connecticut, Patrick B. Kwanashie.

Watch the following two minute video and you will see one of the most bizarre excuses littered with contradictions. Was Kwanashie's statement scripted? If it was it was a very poor delivery on his part.

Here's the video:

"No matter how the outcome of the use of antidepressants, or the causal link between the use of antidepressants and kind of violence that took place in Newtown, that's not a legitimate use of information, that information. You can't generalize just from one case. Even if you can conclusively establish that Adam Lanza - his murderous actions - were caused by antidepressants.

"You can't logically from that conclude that, you know, others would commit the same actions as a result of taking antidepressants. So it's simply not legitimate, and not only is it not the use to which they are proposing to put the information, not legitimate. It is harmful, because they you can cause a lot of people to stop taking their medications; stop cooperating with their treating physicians. Just because of the heinousness of what Adam Lanza did."

So, You can keep a toxicology report from the public because you are afraid the public will jump to conclusions?

What sort of legislation is that?

The full 1 hour 20 minute video of the hearing is even more bizarre. Kwanashie claims the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner does not have any records on Adam Lanza's prescription drugs because the police did not find any. He later claims that they cannot release the toxicology report because people might quit taking their meds.

Why would people stop taking their meds if a toxicology report showed no meds?

The video can be seen its entirety here.

Bob Fiddaman

Are GSK Concerned About the Zofran Noise?

A week or so ago I was contacted by Tomisha LeClair who educated me on a GSK drug called Zofran.

Zofran (Ondansetron)  is a serotonin 5-HT3 receptor antagonist used mainly as an antiemetic (to treat nausea and vomiting), often following chemotherapy, it's also used to treat morning sickness in pregnant mothers, albeit off-label.

Tomisha LeClair, from Dorchester, Massachusetts, fell pregnant in 1999 and like many women developed  nausea and vomiting and was prescribed GlaxoSmithKline's Zofran.

At seven months gestation Tomisha was given an ultrasound and was told by doctors that her unborn daughter had a renal cyst; a fluid filled sac on one of her kidneys. The medical staff explained there are many children born with this complication and if necessary she could be treated with antibiotics upon birth.

Shortly after, Tomisha was referred to genetic counseling by the same staff to explore the medical backgrounds of herself and her daughter’s father. The counselling was trying to determine if either Tomisha or her husband had any family history of birth defects.

Tomisha was closely monitored with ultrasounds and weekly visits with her midwife who continued to prescribe Zofran to her during her last trimester of pregnancy.

In May, 2000 Tomisha gave birth to her daughter Ahjanee.

Tomisha takes up the story...

After giving birth to Ahjanee I knew something was amiss; the medical staff did not convey much information at that time. I waited six hours to see and hold her I was then told she had a genetic syndrome called Smith Lemli Opitz syndrome. The obstetrician’s explained children diagnosed with this syndrome do not live to age 10.

A few days into our stay at the hospital, some Dr.’s approached me for consent to test my daughter’s blood for the syndrome characteristics of smith Lemli Opitz to positively confirm diagnosis. This test as explained to me would indicate whether Ahjanee’s blood revealed an elevated de-cholesterol level common in children with this syndrome. Agreeing to the test several days later I was informed the testing indicated my daughter did not have this genetic syndrome. While visiting with my daughter during her stay at the (NICU) Newborn Intensive Care Unit, and speaking daily with medical staff for updates; a new genetic syndrome had come to the minds of the Dr.’s and so they suggested my daughter Ahjanee may have Schinzel-Gideon syndrome.                                                                                               

Again the medical staff requested permission to perform a test this time a full body bone scan to compare Ahjanee’s bony findings to that of children with this syndrome, again I complied.

After this syndrome was ruled out, my baby was finally discharged after staying eleven days in the NICU.

The geneticist’s at Children’s Hospital now proposed my daughter may be suffering from Pallister-Killian disease. This disease, Pallister-Killian caused children to have stunted dwarf-like growth, and poor circulation throughout their bodies. For the third time I agreed and consented to testing this time in the form of a brain-scan to examine my daughter’s brain size, make-up, structure, activity, and brain function. Though none of this testing was painful to Ahjanee it had a deep impact on my daily functioning due to the fact I was certain they would diagnose her with some untreatable disease or syndrome.

After three attempts to find a proper diagnosis for my daughter the genetic specialist’s told me “We are not sure what her condition is at this time, there is a strong likelihood that the problem is genetic and may take years to diagnose”. At this point, I began to do some research of my own to find out more about the medication I was prescribed throughout the pregnancy. After all, I had no genetic indicators in my family or the family of my daughter’s father. The fact that both he and I had other children without any genetic abnormalities I felt the Zofran was worth looking into. Discharged from the hospital after eleven days of the Newborn Intensive Care Unit, Ahjanee was given the diagnoses “multiple congenital anomalies”; meaning one born with many abnormalities.

In the latter part of 2000 I wrote to the (FDA) the Food and Drug Administration to complete a Med-Watch form reporting my daughter’s “abnormalities”. I initiated a (FOIA) a Freedom of Information Act request to the Food and Drug Administration inquiring about the adverse reactions reported by other patients who had also been prescribed this drug, to compare them to Ahjanee’s abnormalities. My suspicions were that the “wonder drug” had caused Ahjanee’s abnormality’s. Several weeks later I received a 20 page alphabetical list of all the reported adverse reactions reported by other patients, compiled into percentiles. 

Skip forward to October 2007. Ahjanee, who at the time was just 7, had to undergo a dental surgical procedure to correct oral abnormalities. Just before the surgical procedure Tomisha met with Ahjanee's physician and expressed her concerns regarding the medication they may use on her daughter  to prevent nausea and vomiting. She expressed that she did not want her daughter to be given Zofran as she believed that it was the Zofran that she was prescribed during her pregnancy that caused Ahjanee's abnormalities in the first place.

Nightmare Comes True

Ahjanee underwent the surgery and all, it appeared, went well. Whilst in the waiting room Tomisha was greeted by the surgical nurse who informed her, “The surgery is over, Ahjanee is doing well, and we gave her Zofran to prevent nausea.” 

Two months after Ahjanee’s oral procedure at Children’s Hospital Boston, Tomisha received a letter of apology from the anesthesiologist which mentioned the mishap and some suggestions on why it may have occurred, by pointing fingers at someone on his team.

As a mother Tomisha has extensively researched Glaxo's Zofran. She has even been contacted by other mother's who have also given birth to children with abnormalities, all of whom were taken Zofran during their pregnancy.

The Role of GSK's Global Clinical Safety and Pharmacovigilance.

Tomisha has kindly showed me the emails she received from Shannon Anderson, clinical safety specialist for GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK) Global Clinical Safety and Pharmacovigilance Division.

Tomisha has been quite vocal regarding the dangers of taking Zofran during pregnancy, something that Glaxo picked up on:

Dear Ms. LeClair, 

This email is to follow-up on your previous report regarding Zofran (ondansetron hydrochloride). 

Your experience was brought to GSK’s attention after you discussed the use of the product on the internet. When we hear about an adverse experience with one of our products, we request permission to collect medical records so that we may learn as much as possible about the circumstances of the event. 

This information allows us to continually assess the safety of our products.

 
While you are under no obligation to do so, if you do choose to provide GSK with an authorization for the collection of medical records, GSK will evaluate the records and keep the information confidential, but we would provide a report based on the records to the United States Food and Drug Administration, in accordance with federal regulations.
 
If you choose to provide GSK with an authorization for the collection of medical records, please reply to this email or call us with your complete mailing address, so that we may mail you an “Authorization To Contact Physician” form to be completed and returned to us in an enclosed postage-paid envelope.
 
Thank you for your assistance. If you have further questions, please contact us toll-free at 1-888-825-5249 during our business hours, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Sincerely,
Global Clinical Safety and Pharmacovigilance

GSK were refering to the Facebook Page Tomisha had set up to create awareness about Zofran, namely MA'Z (Mother's Against Zofran Birth Defects)

The Facebook community is an excellent way to make connections, it's also a great way to spread a message and to seek other people who may have endured medical mishaps or injury as a result of being prescribed prescription medication.

In an email Tomisha told me:

The "adverse reaction" list from the FDA is 26 pages long and contains every "abnormality/anomaly" my daughter and many of the other children have.The Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER)  Report is alarming to say the least! If I had to be scientifically specific regarding what Zofran has caused within the children, I would say that Zofran prescription during pregnancy causes clusters of symptoms such as cranial abnormalities; my daughter has microcephaly [Fig 1], and another child hascutis cutis aplasia (characterized by the absence of a portion of skin in a localized or widespread area at birth), and there is one more cranial/skull abnormality that I can't recall by name. One child has Ebstein anomaly (a congenital abnormality that is present from birth and affects flaps that make up the tricuspid heart valve) and another has Hirschsprung syndrome (missing nerve cells in the muscles of part or all of the baby's colon) and another has clubfoot.(Fig 2)

Zofran, appears to mutate gene's of the children and many are born; premature, low birth-weight, failure to thrive, and learning delays. A few of the children have suffered limb abnormalities such as one child has a missing hand, the arm formed properly up to the hand, where the mother explains circulates no blood flow, another child, a boy, whose mother reports he did not form bone in his leg, and one other child who is missing some portions of her scalp. At least five or more children have suffered cardiac abnormalities such as arterial stenosis, murmur's, and more. Groups of the children have been diagnosed with varying levels of hearing loss. Some of the children were born with genital abnormalities, one woman reported her son is 3 and has undergone 24 surgeries thus far, and will need monthly hospital visits throughout his life! Another woman has a daughter whose organs were developed in the wrong locations of the body such as her kidney's, and liver; this same young lady also does not have a spleen! She was born without one, and therefore takes antibiotics daily.

Fig 1 - Microcephaly

Fig 2 - Clubfoot

I'm left wondering if Glaxo monitor all patient advocacy groups and whether or not they contact people who claim to have been harmed by their drugs. The Paxil Protest Petition amassed over 10,000 signatures. Are we to believe that GSK contacted every one of these individuals too?

Zofran, just like Paxil, certainly seems to be linked to birth defects and I have to commend Tomisha for creating such a great awareness about yet another drug manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline.

Glaxo will, of course, claim that Zofran is not meant to be given during pregnancy. Question is, did Glaxo reps promote it's use for women who were pregnant? Glaxo will also no doubt point to the many studies that have concluded that Zofran does not cause harm to the fetus.

One has to remember that they said all this when they defended their corner in the Kilker v GSK birth defect case, a case which they lost.

One thing is for sure, Tomisha LeClair seems to have ruffled the feathers of GSK.


Bob Fiddaman.


MA'Z (Mother's Against Zofran Birth Defects

The GSK Comedy Club

I've just witnessed one of the best stand-up comedy routines of all time, so funny that it puts the likes of Billy Connolly and George Carlin to shame.

GlaxoSmithKline's CEO and knight, Sir Andrew "All part of an era" Witty, certainly lives up to his surname in this side-splitting look at transparency and clinical trial data.

Witty was interviewed by Fox News, the 5 minute video can be seen here.

Witty's performance reminds me of fellow British stand-up comedian Jack Dee in as much that both Dee and Witty have the uncanny ability to keep a straight face [dead-pan] when delivering the punchlines.

Witty's delivery is slick and he will have you in a complete state of apoplexy from the start.

"What we're trying to do at GSK, we're trying to make sure every decision is based on value to the company, making sure every single employee understands what is expected of them, they are trained right, all of those things".

On the subject of clinical trial transparency Witty had this to say:

"We're publishing clinical crime summaries for a while, we're committed to publish all the clinical trial reports, detailed reports of those trials and patient level data, nobody else in the world is committed to doing that."

He was then asked, "even unfavorable, even if the drug doesn't work?"

To which he answered, "absolutely"

Next, Witty mused...

"We do it because we believe it is in the interest of patient safety, first of all, as many people want to look at data to make sure absolutely the right conclusions are being drawn, if we miss something, we want to hear about it."



I'm left wondering if, when uttering the word 'we', Witty includes himself on that?

Here's a post I wrote back in 2011. Witty had been contacted by Janice Simmons, who operates the Seroxat User Group.  Janice requested a meeting with Witty to discuss the 60,000 emails she has received over the years from members of the public who have struggled tapering from Seroxat. To her surprise, GSK’s UK medical director Dr Pim Kon wrote back asking what she wished to discuss... adding that they cannot give advice to patients, they need to seek that from their healthcare professionals. [Yawn]

Janice informed Dr Kon that she wished to discuss the issue of Seroxat withdrawal. Kon wrote back telling Janice that they was not allowed to discuss personal matters with patients and that they should 'talk to their doctor'. [Another yawn]

Kon added that the Seroxat patient information leaflet had been updated with information about [ahem] 'discontinuation' .

Had Witty been brave enough to meet with Janice Simmons I would have just loved to have been present. I would have liked him to help people come to terms with their Seroxat addiction.

"We do it because we believe it is in the interest of patient safety"


Rumour has it that Witty was approached to discuss the current Seroxat litigation in the UK. Rumour also has it that Witty cried off, leaving it in the hands of his lawyers to deal with the approach.

Patient safety eh Andy? This particular knight does not practice what he preaches it appears, preferring instead to ignore patients and patient representatives regarding their concerns and their addictions to one of his company's drugs.

Way to go Andy baby, you may have those at Fox news duped by your apparent openness but we all know you like to shut the door on Seroxat patients harmed by the drug your company manufacture.

Wolf in sheep's clothing anyone?

I think so.




Bob Fiddaman

Psychiatry, the 5 Year Old and His Friends

I want to tell you a story about a young boy. His age is unknown but he was believed to be around the age of 5, some say he was 6. His exact age is irrelevant. His name, at this moment, is not important but all will be revealed at the end of this post.

He had a pleasant, cheerful and compassionate personality which, some believe, made him 'normal' compared to his friends.

His friends

Again, names are not important at this stage. All I will reveal at this moment in time is that (his friends) were all roughly the same age. They were, however, 'different', all of whom were diagnosed with various mental disorders.

Friend number one:

Slow-witted, he was a friendly, thoughtful and sometimes insightful character. He loved a particular kind of food, so much so that he would stop at nothing to get his hands on this particular kind of food which sometimes got him into trouble.

Diagnosis: Binge Eating Disorder.

Medication - It was unknown whether he was prescribed Luvox (fluvoxamine) or Zoloft (sertraline). Both drugs, according to a 1999 presentation at the Eating Disorders Research Society Annual Meeting in San Diego, led to overall improvement of Binge Eating Disorder when compared with a placebo.

Friend number two:

A gentle and small male who was ordinarily quite shy. He loved beautiful things like flowers, was very kindhearted and was obsessed with keeping things neat and tidy.

Diagnosis: Obsessive-compulsive disorder

He was told that his OCD would never go away without treatment. He was also told that if he wasn't treated his condition would worsen and lead to depression. He was tried on a number of drugs, Clomipramine, Luvox, Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft. All of which, he had been told, would help his obsession with keeping things neat and tidy.


Friend number three:

Best described by his friends as ever-glum, slow-talking, sarcastic and pessimistic.

Diagnosis: Major Depressive Disorder

He was tried out on Prozac first, it didn't seem to help him. Sources claim he was sleeping for hours on end. He was then prescribed Lexapro. His condition remained the same, at times it worsened, particularly when skipping his medication.


Friend number four:

Was tough, fearless, optimistic and resourceful. However, he had a less than responsible attitude and trouble-making qualities. People, particularly his friends, loved to be around him as he was always full of energy and liked to have fun.

Diagnosis: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

He was prescribed Ritalin, a powerful stimulant. He lost his optimism and became morose. His friends said he wasn't fun to be around anymore.




Not much is known about the above apart from the fact that they were all very good friends and all liked to go on adventures together.

Each of them had their own personalities which made them charming in their own unique way.

Each of them had a good understanding of the way children thought and played.

Like I said, I don't have their names, the story was sent to me by a reader, he kindly sent me photos of these youngsters in the hope that someone out there could recognise them.

I sincerely hope you can help.

Patient One - Diagnosis: Binge Eating Disorder. [Photo]

Patient Two - Diagnosis: Obsessive-compulsive disorder [Photo]

Patient Three - Diagnosis: Major Depressive Disorder [Photo]

Patient Four - Diagnosis: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder [Photo]


If readers can find the whereabouts of these youngsters and, to put my mind at ease, just drop me a line to let me know that they are alive and well.

I'd like to thank Chris Robin for sending on the photo's to me.

Much thanks.


Bob Fiddaman

GlaxoSmithKline: The Era of Transparency

Transparent

: able to be seen through

: easy to notice or understand

: honest and open : not secretive

: characterized by visibility or accessibility of information especially concerning business practices


So, yesterday I, along with others, was invited along to the House of Commons in Westminster to hear a talk given by David Healy. If you are reading this blog then chances are you already know who Healy is, if not, check out his website and list of published books he has written on the subject of antidepressant medication and/or the corruption that exists in the world of the pharmaceutical industry.

I've watched David Healy's presentations many times through the medium of Vimeo and YouTube. Yesterday's was pretty easy to follow for the attending crowd as analogies were often used to hammer home the point that we, as consumers, are being totally misled about the safety and efficacy of antidepressant type medication. Flawed clinical trial results, ghostwritten papers and promised transparency that is, in itself, so murky that it's less clear than the Cumbrian skies that GlaxoSmithKline polluted after being accused of  releasing 773 tonnes of waste chemicals back in 2001. [1]

GlaxoSmithKline were used by Healy as an example yesterday, hey, they are, after all, a British company.

You see, Glaxo have promised to be more transparent with their clinical trial results. Yay, big pat on the back for Sir Andrew. After listening to Healy one would suggest a cow pat on the back for GSK's knight.

It transpired that Glaxo's announcement that they are going to be more transparent is nothing more than a good will gesture in the shape of a chastity belt.

Glaxo are opening their doors to the world, they claim...but only if you have Willy Wonka's golden ticket, only if you are prepared to jump through the loopholes put in place for the sole reason of deterring you from getting to the truth.

What's worse is that the UK government have accepted a proposal put forward by GlaxoSmithKline, a proposal which includes the following:

“We are not in favour of placing anonymised individual patient-level data (IPD) in the public domain in an unrestricted manner…  specific individuals should be provided with controlled access to IPD through carefully managed and secure “safe havens”. Access should be facilitated by an independent gatekeeper responsible for ensuring that the data … makes a useful contribution to scientific understanding”. [2]

In other words, we [GSK] have the information you need but we [GSK] have found a way in which you can't have access to it unless you can prove that the data we provide you would make a useful contribution to scientific understanding... even then, we [GSK] would argue that the only people allowed access would be those who would show favoritism toward our company.

The UK government, which incidentally has a Business Council where GSK's Andrew Witty sits [3] will now have to decide whether Glaxo's proposal is the way forward.

Forgive my flippancy. We are talking about a government who fought tooth and nail not to have MP's expenses in the public domain.

GSK - Ball Squeezing the UK Government

Here's the real deal folks.

Glaxo have cupped the testicles of the British government. They are slowly twisting those testicles, with each twist they are threatening/bribing the UK government - let's face it, Glaxo are the past-masters at bribing, right?

The message is clear from Glaxo, either you do business our way or we will leave these shores and conduct our business elsewhere.

Case in point, the UK Seroxat litigation. Glaxo have settled over 3,000 addiction cases in the US. They won't settle similar claims in the UK because, it's my belief, they have the backing of the UK government, a new chief at the helm of all drug-making decisions, Ian Hudson [4] and a UK legal system that has failed on more than one occasion to bring pharmaceutical companies to justice, not because of incompetent lawyers but because the way the system is designed to offer legal aid, or not as the case may be, to victims harmed by pharmaceutical products.

Invites to the meeting yesterday were sent out to both the MHRA and GSK. Neither of them showed.

Bob Fiddaman


[1] North's top polluters named
[2] “Antidepressants and the Politics of Health”
[3] Cameron’s Business Council: the official line-up
[4] Former Glaxo Safety Officer Becomes Head of MHRA

So, Do You Care About Children?

Every now and again something comes along that really needs no introduction. Something as simple as a two minute video kinda sums up the needless over-prescribing of powerful antidepressant-type medications to the most vulnerable.

This two minute video was put together by the Citizens Commission on Human Rights [CCHR]. They've been banging the drum for years regarding the dangers of these types of medications.

I've wrote about the CCHR before on this blog [here and here] and in my book. They are an organisation who pretty much kick ass and an organisation that recognise that others kick ass too.

Any healthcare professional with a conscience should see that handing out powerful drugs to kids whose brains have not yet fully developed is wrong on so many levels.


Here's the video and also the accompanying message I put on Facebook too.

"Check it out. If it moves you then share it. If it doesn't then continue posting fluffy kittens or bunnies to your Facebook wall. Truth is 280,000 babies, from 0 to 12 months of age, are being prescribed psychiatric drugs. Truth is almost 200,000 children, under the age of 5, are taking ADHD drugs. Truth is.... well, just watch the video."

Please share.

Bob Fiddaman

Exclusive: Interview With Kevin P. Miller (Letters From Generation RX)

International Award Winning Film Director, Kevin P. Miller

Yesterday I interviewed Internationally acclaimed filmmaker Kevin P. Miller.

Kevin has been instrumental in creating awareness regarding the way psychiatric prescription medications are handed out willy-nilly to patients whom are rarely informed about the side-effects.

In Kevin's ground-breaking first movie, Generation RX, he showed the infiltration of the DSM and FDA by pharmaceutical companies and the volume of people who seem to be profiting from the sales of these drugs.

Generation RX also challenged the labelling of children with psychiatric disorders and featured many experts who also challenged the model of using psychiatric medication as a first line treatment in children.

Footage was also shown from an FDA hearing where parents, husbands and wives, who had lost loved ones to suicide as a result of antidepressants, were given a chance [3 minutes] to try to convince the FDA that there was a suicide link with these drugs. It's well worth the watch and can be ordered here.

One would think, after watching Generation RX, that Miller had made his point. Job done so to speak. But Miller has more to say on the subject and his latest offering, Letters from Generation RX, is due for release next year.

I spoke with him yesterday about his new movie. The result of which is below.


BF: Firstly, congratulations on the success of Generation RX, It has received much critical acclaim, is this the reason that prompted you to make the second movie, Letters From Generation Rx?

KM: Thanks Bob. Letters From Generation RX really came about because I received about 2000 emails, letters and more from family members, teens, and others after I released Generation RX. Some said "Generation RX told the story of my life," others shared truly tragic tales of how their life went off the rails or loved ones died once they started using psychotropics. The outpouring of support and the avalanche of the emotional letters I received really motivated me to produce Letters From Generation RX.

BF: As an International award-winning filmmaker your work takes you all over the world. Do you feel that medicine regulators, such as the FDA, MHRA, Health Canada etc are doing enough to warn the public about the dangers of psychiatric medication?

KM: No I do not. What Generation RX revealed was that the FDA and others were actually helping the drug companies behind closed doors by strategizing to counter the negative publicity associated with the serious adverse events surrounding Prozac and the antidepressants in general. They plotted and schemed, even after they discovered the violence and suicidality these drugs can cause. That's what I really resent...that they would put all this energy and PR into protecting the drug companies without first rushing to make the public aware of the serious potential consequences. That is so unethical it's mind blowing. I've been following the FDA for 25 years. Over that time, I've constantly heard people say, "FDA does not have enough funding to do its job properly." What nonsense. Instead of protecting the public, FDA has colluded with the very groups they are charged to regulate. It is unconscionable.

BF: Have you faced opposition from medicine regulators, psychiatrists or the pharmaceutical industry?

KM: It's funny you ask that, Bob. On the first day that Generation RX was released, 12 drug companies and/or their PR firms purchased a copy of the film. So I knew immediately that the drug companies were going to do their utmost to try to discredit the film. They took the film apart like the competition does with a new iPhone, too see how it was assembled. They did their best to find inaccuracies and to deflect the science I included in GenRx. But they could not.

This is why it is so vital to produce films with integrity to force Pharma to deal with the cold, hard truths.

So, yes, I'm definitely on their radar. Do I care? No.

BF: There's been a lot of talk in the media over the years regarding the mass school shootings and the link to psychiatric medication. Does your new movie, Letters From Generation Rx, cover this subject?

KM: Letters From Generation RX does cover some of the tragic shootings over the past three years, but it is not the main emphasis of my new film. my main focus on real people and how their lives were altered by these drugs, in addition to what alternatives exist.

BF: Healthcare professionals, on average, spend about 5-10 minutes with a patient, more often than not they then use antidepressants as a first line treatment. How do you believe we can change the shift in healthcare professionals thinking?

KM: I had a scientist contact me recently who saw the teaser for Letters From Generation RX. She said she was moved to write because of the video. It was a long and effusive letter, a beautiful letter, truly. She said that my video forced her to examine the way her own science is conducted; how it affects patients’ outcomes...real people. I think that is the way forward. We need to move medical doctors and others who are prescribing these drugs to "put themselves and their neighbors shoes," or to at least to listen to the voices of their neighbors, and learn from them. Remove the arrogance from science.

There has been so much blow-back on psychiatric medicines since the release of Generation RX that many doctors are beginning to understand the unnecessary tragedies that are occurring and are questioning whether these drugs are appropriate for their patients. I don't think that's ever happened before on this kind of scale. In order to create meaningful change, this is vital.

BF: As an author and blogger I sometimes feel that I am preaching to the converted. In Letters From Generation Rx do you talk to people who were shocked when they learned the truth about some of the dangers with psychiatric medications?

KM: Absolutely. As a matter of fact, I always aim for the widest audience humanly possible. I often ask "how can I entice someone to examine this issue, particularly if they have no vested interest in it?" I have determined that it is through telling stories to the eyes of our neighbors.

BF: This time around your movie is accompanied by a book. Why did you decide to write a book and what is the book about?

KM: Again, I received 2000 emails and letters following the release of Generation RX. As you will see in the new film, so many of them are so powerful, so powerful, in fact, that I could not fit nearly the number of stories into the film that I wanted to. There will be dozens of other stories in the book, which will be released after the film has been completed. It’s just one more way to educate others and share stories that I think are so tragically important.

BF: Tell me a little bit about the Indiegogo campaign and how people can help with donations.

KM: We are in the middle of an Indiegogo campaign to raise the finishing funds for the film. This is the New Way, Bob. I have never enjoyed "Michael Moore budgets," so I must rely on real people who care about these issues. I see it as an opportunity for people to make their voices heard. I've never done this before, so it is a bit like throwing yourself at the feet of the public worldwide. It is daunting and humbling, because we are depending upon others to get involved so that we can finish the film. And make people proud they did so.

BF: Thanks for talking to me Kev.


Below is a trailer for Letters From Generation RX. It's a movie that will make pharmaceutical companies and medicine regulators squirm. It's a movie where those harmed by psychiatric medications or those left behind to pick up the pieces of a suicide get their chance to tell it like it is.

It's also a movie that should be seen by healthcare professionals. It's a wake-up call and the clear message is that this problem is not going to be tackled by the likes of the FDA or MHRA, it has to be tackled by the agents [doctors] who hand these drugs out blindly.

I've never really been a fan of global regulators, they've had many years to get their house in order and they have constantly failed on a huge scale to protect the public from unsafe drugs.

The only thing regulators seem to be efficient at is closing down websites that offer cheap generics because, apparently, these cheaper generics, are poorly made. They have no concern about the content of these drugs, they close down and target these websites because the pharmaceutical industry are losing money to such competition. If the regulators really cared about the content of these drugs then they would never have granted them a licence in the first place. They are also very good at telling us that safety committees have reviewed the evidence regarding the safety and efficacy of psychiatric medications. What they fail to tell us is that members of those committees have financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

The British drug regulator, the MHRA, recently announced the retirement of its CEO Kent Woods. He was replaced by Ian Hudson. Hudson was World Safety Officer at SmithKline Beecham, who later became known as GlaxoSmithKline. It's almost like a movie itself. If you've ever watched The Omen trilogy you'll know exactly what I mean.

Miller's new offering, Letters From Generation RX, should be on your list of things to watch... if only to protect yourselves and your children from the harm these drugs can cause.

Here's the trailer. [Opens in new window]

For more information go to lettersfromgenerationrx.com/

Kevin P. Miller can be followed on Twitter here and the 'Letters' Facebook page is here.

Bob Fiddaman