Zantac Lawsuit


Researching drug company and regulatory malfeasance for over 16 years
Humanist, humorist

Friday, July 28, 2017

Panorama: Prescription For Stigma?



By Bob Fiddaman & Kristina Gehrki

This week I watched BBC's eagerly anticipated Panorama documentary, "A Prescription For Murder?" I say 'eagerly anticipated' because on the day it was scheduled to air, organizations that routinely run from public dialogue were tweeting away in the wee morning hours. This includes the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCP) and the Medicines Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). They took to Twitter long before viewers had an opportunity to view and judge Panorama's programme on its own merits.

MHRA, RCP and other so-called "mental health" organizations, claim the show stigmatized those who use antidepressants. RCP tweets included:
#BBCPanorama claims irresponsible and unfounded. Scaremongering title alone shows real stigma people taking #antidepressants face.
More #antidepressant prescriptions=more people getting help. Not more potential murderers. Don't stigmatize people needing help #BBCPanorama 
Professor Louis Appleby later chirped:
A media throwback: sensationalist, exploitative, not even new, with stigma & risk to patients collateral damage.http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08zjyp1 …
The MHRA's limp-wristed, London-based suits tweeted:
SSRIs have been used to effectively treat millions of people worldwide & like all medicines, the safety is continually monitored. (Notice that MHRA did not state "SSRI drugs do not cause an increase in suicide or homicide.")
I immediately tweeted back:
You forgot to add that your CEO is the former World Safety Officer for @GSK
Many other mental health charities and patients tweeted their disapproval. A majority of complainers seemed annoyed by the documentary's title. I pointed out the title had a question mark after it, ergo it was posing a question, not making a statement. But this obvious fact seemed to be lost on those who bombarded Panorama's Twitter page.

Out With the Old, In With the New

For decades, Big Pharma has made wildly inaccurate claims about everything from the chemical imbalance theory to the legitimacy of their own "science." Today the old chemical imbalance campaign seems to be replaced by the new stigma campaign. It is an emotional appeal to try and convince the public that people who speak on behalf of drug safety are shaming those who consume prescription drugs. The reality is that drug safety advocates only want consumers to know the real risks so they can make an informed personal choice.

Drug companies, regulators and "mental health" organizations aggressively brand drug safety advocates as "stigmatizers." They want the word "stigma" to carry similar emotionally-charged perceptions as the word "racism." This diversion is sickly twisted, but a clever communications tactic nonetheless.

The problem is stigma isn't relevant to drug safety discussions. As Thomas Insel, former director of the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH), discusses in the documentary "Letters from GenerationRX," stigma isn't even much of an issue in seeking mental health "treatment." Insel states "The fact is that actually more people are getting more treatment than ever before" and yet the suicide rate "has not come down." The reason, surmises Insel, is "We (the mental health profession) don't know enough."

To see Insel's interview and the tragic SSRI experiences of many families, "Letters from GenerationRX" is available here.

The stigma campaign is designed to create a false public rift to hinder open dialogue about medical freedom of choice and drug safety. Drug companies don't want people to recognize it is a fundamental human right to know the real risks vs. benefits of their product before consumption. Few consumers would consciously choose to forego this right and Pharma, the MHRA, and RCP know it.

Their propaganda is a recipe for disaster. To ignore serious side effects causes thousands of deaths. These organizations create an imaginary enemy and imaginary "war" of sorts. Pit two sides against each other and stir the pot. They then sit back, enjoy the heated conflict, and stealthily pad their pockets.

Brief Summary of "A Prescription For Murder?"

Panorama's hour-long documentary mainly focused on mass murderer James Holmes. It posed the question of whether the SSRI Holmes was prescribed before the Colorado shootings played a role in his actions. The drug Holmes was prescribed in increasing doses is called sertraline, better known by its brand names of Lustral and Zoloft. It is made and marketed by Pfizer Pharmaceuticals. As Pfizer's own scientist, Dr. Roger Lane, has confirmed, Zoloft and other SSRIs can cause akathisia. Lane describes akathisia as "subjective distress" and "unbearable discomfort." He states akathisia sufferers "can feel death is a welcome result" to end their symptoms. (Source) - The source is hosted on Woody Matters, a website created by the wife of Woody Witczak, Kim. Woody died a violent death after taking sertraline for a total of 5 weeks with the dosage being doubled shortly before his death.

Panorama's investigative reporter, Shelley Jofre, interviewed many sources to include Holmes' parents, the prosecuting attorney, and several healthcare professionals. The show also briefly featured two other tragedies, that of Shane Clancy, who experienced adverse drug reactions (ADRs) from citalopram (1)  The programme's aim, as I see it, was to explore whether the connection between SSRIs and violence is legitimate.

The documentary, which hasn't yet aired outside the UK, was a year in the making and appeared well-researched. I won't give away too much program info because many people outside the UK haven't yet seen it. Suffice it to say; it was riveting.

(Note: In 2002 Jofre aired "The Secrets of Seroxat." It focused mainly on SSRI withdrawal problems but also shared the tragedy of 60-year-old Don Schell. After taking just two Seroxat tablets he killed his wife, daughter, and infant granddaughter before killing himself. ) Jurors ruled in favor of the man’s relatives and also ruled that taking Seroxat was the proximate cause of all these deaths.

Real Data Linking SSRIs to Violence

The MHRA is, according to the programme, aware of at least 28 homicides associated with SSRIs. Further, 32 additional reports have been sent to them showing an association between homicidal thinking and the use of SSRIs (Fig 1).


Fig 1

Predictably, the MHRA has never followed up these reports as it is not in their financial interests to do so. Therefore, they can then continue to claim that, "although these drugs have been associated with homicide and homicidal acts, it doesn't mean that the drugs caused the acts." It's akin to an airline ignoring reports of loose rivets and refusing to conduct any investigations in response to the reports received. After the plane crashes and innocent people die, the airline officially declares "We can't be certain loose rivets caused the crash."

This week's Panorama documentary further confirmed for me that those who cavalierly promote and push these drugs at alarming rates, while loudly crying "stigma," are actually trying to stigmatize those who have been harmed by the real effects of these drugs. Further, they don't value all human lives equally: those who suffer fatal side effects seem inconsequential.

A publicly-funded PR campaign doesn't exist for those who have suffered and/or died from these drugs. We don't have well-oiled PR machines to spin false data nor journalists ready to write misleading stories in the mainstream press. We don't take drug money in exchange for dishonest research. When we speak truth to medical power, it is we who are negatively labeled by an uncaring profession and corrupt regulators who have personally profited from drug industry ties.

But there is one thing we do have--something priceless that no marketing budget can buy: our honest and real lived experiences. If you're still uncertain about the adverse drug reactions Zoloft and other SSRIs cause, read the diary entries of a barely nineteen-year old girl who unwittingly documented her adverse drug reactions and psychiatric abuse. Natalie Gehrki, barely 5 feet tall and 110 pounds, was prescribed Zoloft in increasing doses. Her final dose was prescribed over the phone without ever being seen by her doctor. The doctor did not inform Natalie's mom that an increase had been directed and since Natalie already had the Zoloft prescription in hand, she simply took the maximum dose as her trusted doctor instructed.

Like Holmes' doctor, Natalie's doctor failed to recognize signs of SSRI-induced akathisia, and she increased the offending drug (Zoloft). Holmes was prescribed 150 milligrams of Zoloft at the time of his psychotic murders spree; Natalie was prescribed 200 milligrams and violence ensued a few days after consumption. Blood tests later showed Natalie was not an efficient metabolizer of SSRI drugs. Oh, well; perhaps the FDA might look into metabolization issues one day so other children might live?

"Netherworld," Natalie's story produced by Miller, is available for free here.

Further SSRI/Homicide related cases

Investigative reporter, Andrew Thibault, has uncovered much more through a series of Freedom of Information requests from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Many of the documents were heavily redacted, but all have one thing in common: All patients carried out an act of homicide whilst under the influence of a SSRI. The documents have been made public, and I wrote a series of blog posts about this back in 2016.

Seroxat/Paxil (paroxetine) - GlaxoSmithKline
Cipramil/Celexa (citalopram) &  Lexapro/Cipralex (escitalopram) - Lundbeck/Forest
Prozac (fluoxetine) - Lilly
Lustral/Zoloft (sertraline) - Pfizer

To view A Prescription For Murder, go to the BBC IPlayer here. (UK ONLY)

Shout out to Katinka Blackford Newman, author of The Pill That Steals Lives, who was the development researcher for this programme.

Bob Fiddaman & Kristina Gehrki


1. When Leonie and Tony Met Lundbeck (citalopram manufacturers)








Tuesday, July 25, 2017

EXCLUSIVE: MHRA Asked Sky News to Remove Antidepressant Reference





The controversy and confusion created last week by MHRA and their Sky News article continues. In the interview, MHRA enforcement officer, Danny Lee-Frost, stated, “...sleeping pills and antidepressants are a lot more dangerous. People have committed suicide as the ultimate resort to try to get off them. They are fiercely addictive.”

The original article aired on the Sky News website at 10:14 am on Thursday, July 20.

I wrote to Lee-Frost approximately an hour later asking:
Is it now the position of the MHRA that antidepressants are addictive and that "people have committed suicide as the ultimate resort to try and get off them?"
Can you clarify that this is a personal belief or one of the MHRA?
Lee-Frost promptly responded:
Dear Mr Fiddaman
Thank you for your enquiry regarding the article commissioned by Sky News on the dangers of buying medicines online.
I work in the Enforcement group and my role is concerned with investigating illegal activity involving medicines. I am not medically qualified and therefore matters of clinical diagnosis are not in my area of expertise.
The focus of this piece was the online sale and supply of medicines and the increased use of Facebook as a medium of sale.
Part of the interview concerned sleeping tablets and I referred to Zopiclone and Diazepam specifically.
We have seen an increase in the number of websites offering both of these medicines for sale. Sky presented evidence that both were available on Facebook and I asked for details of the sites they had found in order to make further enquiries.
We also discussed the dangers of purchasing large quantities of these medicines from websites without medical supervision and the increasing amounts that we are seizing as part of our enforcement activities.
My reference to suicides was in relation to a case that the MHRA is aware of involving addiction to Zopliclone.
Sky did not include the interview in its entirety in their piece.
Regards
Danny Lee-Frost MSc
Head of Operations
Enforcement Group 
What's striking here is the timeline of events.

At 3.15 pm Sky News edited its original version and omitted part of Lee-Frost's original statement. The statement had been changed to, "The sleeping pills and antidepressants are a lot more dangerous. Sleeping pills particularly, they can be addictive. People have committed suicide as the ultimate resort to try and get off them. These are fiercely addictive."

However, the video of Lee-Frost's original statement remained on the Sky News website.
Screenshots, with Sky News provided subtitles, are found below:


The original video can be viewed here, with Lee-Frost's 18-second segment here.

Puzzled as to why Sky News would change Lee-Frost's direct quotes and make edits after publication, I inquired:

Stephanie Jones, Sky News PR Manager, states:
"The changes were made after MHRA got in touch to clarify Frost's comments. They made the point that antidepressants shouldn't be included with sleeping pills."
Hmm...MHRA and Lee-Frost's original statements couldn't possibly be referring to ads such as this, now could they?



All ads still remain on Facebook today.

Lee-Frost's Email Response

Let's look at the email Lee-Frost sent me, in particular, his statement:

"My reference to suicides was in relation to a case that the MHRA is aware of involving addiction to Zopiclone."

This new info is troubling as nowhere on the product labeling does it suggest Zopiclone can be addictive. Moreover, the SPC label does not mention suicide being a result of withdrawing from Zopiclone.

The  SPC-DOC_PL 41684-0003.PDF is hosted on the MHRA website and was last updated on 02/06/2017

If Zopiclone is or can be addictive as soon as you start taking it, as Lee-Frost suggests (see video) then why does MHRA omit this info on its website? Moreover, if Zopiclone is a drug where "people have committed suicide as the ultimate resort to try to get off them," why is this relevant information not included by MHRA in the SPC?

The SPC for the other drug mentioned  in Lee-Frost's  reply, Diazepam, does not support Lee-Frost's two claims that:

1) withdrawal can lead to suicide and
2) is "fiercely addictive once you start taking them"

On the subject of dependency (addiction), the Patient Information Leaflet for Diazepam states:
Dependence: When taking this medicine there is a risk of dependence (a need to keep taking the medicine). The risk increases with the dose and length of treatment period.

As you see, the Patient Information Leaflet clearly states the risk of addiction increases with the length of the treatment period. It does not state it "can be addictive as soon as you start taking it." Therefore, it's safe to assume MHRA believes neither Zopiclone or Diazepam can cause addiction as soon one starts taking them, nor can they cause people to carry out "suicide as the ultimate resort to try to get off them" as Lee-Frost claimed.

According to MHRA's public documents, Lee-Frost's claims are false. So why would Lee-Frost believe differently than his employer, the MHRA? (Remember, Lee-Frost is the head Enforcement Officer of the MHRA!)

Why would he make repeated statements that antidepressants can be addictive and cause suicide upon withdrawal if he did not know this to be true?

Why would he later claim he was speaking about Zopiclone and Diazepam instead of antidepressants as he said in his original article?

Why would MHRA contact Sky News and direct them to change their Enforcement Officer's own statement?

I think I know why and my readers likely know why, too. I believe in his Sky News interview, Lee-Frost was speaking about antidepressants as a whole. He subconsciously told the truth, something MHRA didn't appreciate. I believe MHRA knows that drugs labeled "antidepressants" are addicting. It appears MHRA also knows "antidepressant" withdrawal is such torture that some people would rather die than suffer these drug side effects. Hence, sufferers end their lives. I don't prefer to call these drug-induced deaths "suicides" as they are iatrogenic.

Stay tuned: Next week the saga continues with the MHRA and Lee-Frost responses.

Lee-Frost now claims the suicide related to Zopiclone withdrawal he referred to in his first email to me, was simply "anecdotal."

an·ec·do·tal
[ˌanəkˈdōdl]

ADJECTIVE
(of an account) not necessarily true or reliable, because based on personal accounts rather than facts or research

Bob Fiddaman







Thursday, July 20, 2017

Danny Lee-Frost of the MHRA




UPDATE HERE

A u-turn, a misquote, a mistake?

Call it what you will but the MHRA's head of enforcement, Danny Lee-Frost, pictured above, has been quoted by Sky News today in an article about prescription drugs being sold illegally on Facebook.

Frost said,  "The sleeping pills and antidepressants are a lot more dangerous. People have committed suicide as the ultimate resort to try and get off them. These are fiercely addictive." He added, "...we are now seeing a lot more sleeping tablets, seeing a lot more anti-anxieties, diazepam and benzo-diazepam, those types of products, being available. The sleeping pills and antidepressants are a lot more dangerous, they're a lot more addictive."

Is this finally an admittance from the MHRA that antidepressants are addictive?

I wrote the following to Frost and various departments within the MHRA. I will let you know should I get a reply.

Dear Mr. Frost,

Is it now the position of the MHRA that antidepressants are addictive and that people have committed suicide as the ultimate resort to try and get off them?

I ask, because you have been quoted on Sky News today in the article here. (See update below)

Can you clarify that this is a personal belief or one of the MHRA.

Many thanks.

Bob Fiddaman

**Update**
The original article was posted on Sky News at 10.14am

I contact the MHRA aand Danny Lee-Frost at 11.38am

Sky News change their page with edits at 3.15pm


OLD PAGE - posted on Sky News at 10.14am
Click to enlarge.
Video evidence after the pictures.

And here's a video of Mr. Lee-Frost confirming that "sleeping pills and antidepressants are a lot more dangerous. People have committed suicide as the ultimate resort to try and get off them."




UPDATE HERE

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Barends Psychology Practice: The Chemical Imbalance Debate





Located in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Barends Psychology Practice brings together an international team of licensed psychologists offering a range of treatments both face-to-face and online. Our peaceful, friendly practice is an ideal setting where you’ll feel safe and confident to explore your mental health and emotional issues.

Face to face therapy: 

First session is free of charge.

Individual session of 45 – 60 mins.: € 45

Couples session of 45 – 60 mins.: € 45

Online therapy fees:

First session is free of charge.

Individual session of 45 – 60 mins.: € 45

Couples session of 45 – 60 mins.: € 45

Here's what they say about depression and the chemical imbalance.

"...depression and depression symptoms can be caused and triggered by a chemical imbalance in the brains." (Source)

So, I asked for proof of this dangerous claim.














In essence, Niels Barends, who is the owner of Barends Psychology Practice, wants proof that the chemical imbalance theory (he claimed) can be disproven. Isn't this like saying, I saw a tooth fairy last night and it's up to you to prove that I didn't?

Furthermore, Barends is claiming that he is not  a "big fan of medication" yet by touting the chemical imbalance nonsense he is showing his patients that they have something wrong in their brains. Remember, a chemical imbalance is, apparently, something that can be corrected by medication. Just pick up any patient information leaflet for any antidepressant if you don't believe me.

Barends Psychology Practice may or may not recommend antidepressant therapy. If they don't then how do they plan to change the apparent chemcal imbalance inside someone's brain?

This is basically like talking to a spirit level (pictured above) and telling it that you want the surface to be flat and not uneven.

A counsellor applying no logic is, in my opinion, a dangerous one.

Here's some constructive advice for all those who ply their trade at Barends Psychology Practice. It's an article from MastersInCounseling.org, an informational tool for students who may want to enroll in a program to obtain a master’s degree in counseling. The article, entitled, "Why Counselors Must Think Critically", highlights how there is a difference between personal opinion and reasoned thought, or critical thinking. Something, it appears, that Niels Barends is lacking in.

The aticle clearly states, "Critical thinking skills require not only a knowledge of logic, including how to avoid logical fallacies that lead to unsupported conclusions."

Enjoy sir.

Bob Fiddaman

Experts who Debunk the Chemical Imbalance Theory

 “Chemical imbalance? Well, it’s a shorthand term really, it’s probably drug-industry derived, I suppose. But it’s the idea that there are really abnormalities in the neurotransmitters … in our brains. And we don’t have the test, because to do it you’d probably have to take a chunk of brain out of someone, not a good idea. We have some blood tests that help a few things, such as lithium levels and other things we use for therapeutic drugs. But I agree, there aren’t any blood tests.” ~ Marc Graff, Psychiatrist and spokesman for the American Psychiatric Association

--

 “To date, studies have failed to demonstrate that people with the commonest psychiatric diagnoses have a brain-biochemical imbalance. The studies on all the main diagnostic categories of psychiatry are plagued by a significant problem: the people being tested have almost always already received psychotropic medication, so if there is a blood, brain or liver disorder, this may have been caused by the treatment. Physical tests on people diagnosed, but not yet treated, in the psychiatric system, would be the only way to find out if there were a difference between these people and the general public. This never happens, as most people first encounter a GP who, instead of asking for blood and other tests to demonstrate a psychiatric condition, simply prescribes a psychotropic drug or refers on to a psychiatrist.” ~ Craig Newnes, Clinical Psychologist

--

“Psychiatrists have no way of telling that someone has a chemical imbalance. The idea that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance is simply a hypothesis. There is no consistent evidence that there is any biochemical abnormality in people diagnosed as depressed. The idea has been promoted by drug companies and professional organisations, but the evidence base for it is almost non existent.”  Prof. Joanna Moncrieff

--

“There is no test for depression.  Our understanding of the brain is simply not sophisticated enough.”  ~ Dr Jim Bolton, Lecturer in Psychiatry, St. George’s Hospital, London

--

“There’s no biological imbalance. When people come to me and they say, ‘I have a biological imbalance,’ I say, ‘Show me your lab tests.’ There are no lab tests. So what’s the biochemical imbalance?” Dr. Ron Leifer, New York psychiatrist

--

“If a psychiatrist says you have a shortage of a chemical, ask for a blood test and watch the psychiatrist’s reaction. The number of people who believe that scientists have proven that depressed people have low serotonin is a glorious testament to the power of marketing.” ~ Jonathan Leo, associate professor of anatomy at Western University of Health Sciences

--

“Despite the billions of pharmaceutical company funding in support of the chemical imbalance theory, this psychiatric “disease” model is thoroughly debunked. Diabetes is a biochemical imbalance. However, “the definitive test and biochemical imbalance is a high blood sugar balance level. Treatment in severe cases is insulin injections, which restore sugar balance. The symptoms clear and retest shows the blood sugar is normal,” Nothing like a sodium imbalance or blood sugar imbalance exists for depression or any other psychiatric syndrome.” ~ Joseph Glenmullen of Harvard Medical School

--

“First, no biological etiology [cause] has been proven for any psychiatric disorder…in spite of decades of research.…So don’t accept the myth that we can make an ‘accurate diagnosis’.…Neither should you believe that your problems are due solely to a chemical imbalance.” ~ Edward Drummond, M.D., Associate Medical Director at Seacoast Mental Health Center in Portsmouth, New Hampshire

--

 “Remember that no biochemical, neurological, or genetic markers have been found for attention deficit disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, depression, schizophrenia, anxiety, compulsive alcohol and drug abuse, overeating, gambling, or any other so‐called mental illness, disease, or disorder.” ~ Psychologist Bruce Levine, Ph.D

--

“People are convinced that the origins of mental illnesses are to be found in biology, when, despite more than three decades of research, there still is no proof…The absences of any well‐defined physical causation is reflected in the absence of any laboratory tests for psychiatric diagnoses—much in contrast to diabetes and many other physical disorders.” ~ Charles E. Dean, M.D

--

“There are no tests available for assessing the chemical status of a living person’s brain.” ~ Elliot Valenstein, Ph.D.

--

“Patients have been diagnosed with ‘chemical imbalances’ despite the fact that no test exists to support such a claim, and...there is no real conception of what a correct chemical balance would look like.” ~ Psychiatrist David Kaiser

--

“Biopsychiatrists have created the myth that psychiatric ‘wonder’ drugs correct chemical imbalances. Yet there is no basis for this model because no chemical imbalance has ever been proven to be the basis of a mental illness,” ~ Ty C. Colbert, a clinical psychologist.

--

“The whole theory was invented to push drugs. “The way to sell drugs is to sell psychiatric illness.” Carl Elliot, a bioethicist, University of Minnesota.

--

“For the past twenty-five years, the psychiatric establishment has told us a false story. It told us that schizophrenia, depression, and bipolar illness are known to be brain diseases, even though—as the MindFreedom hunger strike revealed—it can’t direct us to any scientific studies that document this claim. It told us that psychiatric medications fix chemical imbalances in the brain, even though decades of research failed to find this to be so. It told us that Prozac and the other second-generation psychotropics were much better and safer than the first-generation drugs, even though the clinical studies had shown no such thing. Most important of all, the psychiatric establishment failed to tell us that the drugs worsen long-term outcomes.”  ~  Robert Whitaker, Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America

--

“The idea that depression is caused by low levels of serotonin and that certain antidepressants raise the levels of this neurotransmitter, is a myth.”  ~  Professor David Healy, professor of psychiatry and author

--

“The only biochemical imbalances in the brains of those who see a psychiatrist … are those that are put in there by a psychiatrist.”  ~  Peter R. Breggin, Psychiatrist & MD

--

“The world is engulfed in a mass delusion regarding depression.  The widespread belief that brain chemical imbalances are present in depression has no scientific basis.  In fact, this is a fixed belief that meets all the criteria of a mass delusion.  If you are one of the millions of people who believe that biochemical brain imbalances are known to occur in depression, then you too have become seriously misinformed.” ~ Dr. Terry Lynch - DEPRESSION DELUSION, Volume One: The Myth of the Brain Chemical Imbalance

--

“The one thing we do know is that the chemical imbalance theory - the theory that people get depressed when they don't have enough serotonin in their brain - we know that that's wrong.  ~ Irving Kirsch, Associate Director of the Program in Placebo Studies and a lecturer in medicine at the Harvard Medical School

--

“Both depression and anxiety disorders, for example, are repeatedly described in the media as 'chemical imbalances in the brain,' as if spontaneous neural events with no relation to anything outside a person's brain cause depression and anxiety.”  ~ Siri Hustvedt, American novelist and essayist






Monday, July 17, 2017

Paxil/Zoloft Homicide - "Unlabelled Potential Side Effects"





Last year I wrote about Andrew Thibault who, just like me, has been at loggerheads with the those who oversee the safety and efficacy of drugs on the market. Thibault has successfully obtained many documents off the FDA, which he has made public at murdermeds.com.

Earlier today a series of tweets peaked my interest. Pharmabuse is a Twitter account that has the tagline, 'Parents Against Pharmaceutical Abuse (PAPA)', and their website, pharmabuse.com is a minefield of information.

Rather brilliantly, Thibault has filed a lawsuit against the FDA because, well, because they don't seem to be playing ball with requests he made to them under the Freedom of Information Act. (Sound familiar?)

Thibault's series of FOIA's involved questions relating to documents that the FDA had in their possession regarding psychiatric medication and homicide, moreover whether or not there was a link to the two.

A 25 page document highlights the FDA's obvious stonewalling of Thibault, a game that drug regulators like to play with anyone who asks for records that may show them in a bad light. The document is a fascinating read and I urge you all to read and share it, if only to see the outcome :-)

So, what has the title of my blog post got to do with the MHRA?

Well, earlier today Thibault made another document publicly available, a document which he obtained under the FOIA from the FDA. It involves two antidepressants, namely setraline (Zoloft) and paroxetine (Paxil/Seroxat). The document is AERS Case Number 6330848 and is just 4 pages in length. It's an adverse event report from an unknown person (it's been redacted) who experienced the following side effects whilst taking both paroxetine and sertraline...

Agitation
Depression
Homicide
Restlessness
Suicidal ideation
Suicide attempt
Tension

As you will note, there is one adverse event in the list that sticks out like a sore thumb: Homicide.

The causality assessment regarding homicide reads "possible."

When carrying out an assessment of the adverse reaction report the MHRA , according to the tweet I recieved earlier, had this to say about both drugs. Pay particular attention to the last paragraph.



CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE



I'm not quite sure what "unlabelled potential side effects" means? According to Pfizer  an unlabelled side effect is an unexpected adverse event. Begs the question, how many more have they had?

It's interesting, to me at least, that the MHRA have thrown in the word 'potential' which, in essence, means possible, likely, or probable.

It's quite bizarre that, in its assessment, the MHRA can state quite clearly that agitation
depression, restlessness, suicidal ideation and a suicide attempt were assessed and rated as possibly related to paroxetine use yet, despite this, they claim there is insufficient evidence to assess the causality regarding the homicide, opting instead to label it as an "unlabelled potential side effect." They do pretty much the same in their assessment of sertraline.

When you read this four page adverse event in conjunction with the 25-page court document filed by Thibault all, it seems, becomes crystal clear. In filing his lawsuit Thibault claims that the FDA told him in a telephone conversation the subject matter he had requested "did not make for fun reading", adding that he (Thibault) "should take into account "psychiatric diagnoses of the patients."

It's almost as if they have resigned themselves to the fact that the information is explosive yet, on the same hand, they are guiding Thibault away from the medication causing the adverse events and leading him toward their blame the patient mantra which they have spewed for many years.

Both the FDA and the MHRA maintain that SSRIs do not cause a person to carry out a homicidal act. This despite a large number of high profile cases that implicate many SSRIs. I covered many of Thibault's FOIA documents last year that, to me at least, show a very worrying link. Back stories at the foot of this post.

For years they have covered up the withdrawal problems patients face when taking these drugs, they have covered up the suicide links regarding these drugs. Safe to assume then they are sitting on more information regarding the homicide link with these drugs. But hey ho, I'm just a smeary conspiracy theorist.

The full 4-page document is now available here.

Thibault's lawsuit against the FDA can be accessed here.

Well done Mr. Thibault. I salute you, sir.

On Wednesday July 26, 2017 Panorama will air in the UK in an hour long special and will reveal the devastating side effects that can lead to psychosis, violence, possibly even murder.

The BBC website reads...

With exclusive access to psychiatric reports, court footage and drug company data, reporter Shelley Jofre investigates the mass killings at the 2012 midnight premiere of a Batman movie in Aurora, Colorado. 24-year-old PhD student James Holmes, who had no record of violence or gun ownership, murdered 12 and injured 70. Did the SSRI anti-depressant he had been prescribed play a part in the killings?
Panorama has uncovered other cases of murder and extreme violence which could be linked to psychosis developed after the taking of SSRIs- including a father who strangled his 11-year-old son.
Panorama asks if enough is known about this rare side effect, and if doctors are unwittingly prescribing what could be a prescription for murder.

I, for one, will be watching it.

Bob Fiddaman



Previously in the Homicide Files series.







MHRA: No Deaths in Pediatric Trials, But What About Adults?





Back in June I wrote to the MHRA regarding a Freedom of Information request I had submitted to them (originally in May 2017)

My request stemmed from evidence submitted during the Dolin Vs GSK trial where it was learned that 22 consumers of Paxil (Seroxat) died, 20 of whom died by suicide, 80% of whom were over the age of 30 - All subjects were taking Paxil at the time of their suicide.

My question, or rather a number of questions, I put to the MHRA was an effort to seek more information regarding other drugs in the SSRI class that were used on both pediatrics and those over the age of 24.

As many of you know, the MHRA wrote me and suggested that such a search performed by them would exceed £600 and take them longer than 24 hours to complete. I wrote back to them the following...

I received your claim that releasing the information requested would be too costly for your office. Given that human lives are at stake (a value far greater than your work hours), I request the following:
1) Please estimate the amount of money you require in exchange for obtaining this information.
2) Please separately estimate the number of hours of work you might have to complete to "research" and answer each of my Freedom of Information questions.
I will set the wheels in motion for public crowd-funding so the answers to these questions can be in the public domain. The same public that have a right to fully informed consent can then decide whether or not they think antidepressants are safe and effective based on the information you seem reluctant to release.
I look forward to working with the public to raise your requested funds.

It would appear that the MHRA are now suggesting that my request isn't actually about money. Their response to me does, however, answer a number of questions regarding pediatric trials and SSRIs. They have now told me no person under the age of 24 has ever died in any of the SSRI clinical trials, except for trials involving Lundbeck's two SSRI's, citalopran and escitalopram. The MHRA claim they don't have that information.

So, what about the adult trials?

We know through litigation that GSK's Paxil clinical trials showed 22 people died, 20 of which were death by suicide. But what about the other clinical trials for other SSRIs?

This seems to be an question that the MHRA are, for whatever reason, failing to answer.

With this in mind, and also the time it will take the MHRA to 'research' this information I have, once again, responded to their latest reply to me.

First, here's their latest...


My latest response is short.

Dear MHRA,

I wish to narrow my request.

To save you time (and money)

Here is my first.


How many deaths occurred in the persons aged 24 or over in clinical trials for Prozac. How many were by suicide and how many of those patients were taking Prozac at the time of their death?


--

It seems an arse about face way to request all the information on all the SSRI clinical trials in adults but if they wish for me to send them one request at a time, which it appears they do, then I shall comply so we can eventually get to the bottom of this question and, at the same time, maybe save some lives.

I will, of course, update this blog when the MHRA respond, which, judging by previous correspondence with them, will take approximately one month.

Bob Fiddaman





Sunday, July 16, 2017

YOU GOT IT WRONG - Priory

The aim of this blog is to highlight persons in the media who tout the chemical imbalance theory as a fact. It's highly unprofessional and misleading to do so and this blog demands that any statements relating to the 'chemical imbalance' myth should either be backed up with supporting evidence or redacted.

Where possible, each person featured on this blog has been contacted via Twitter, email, and/or Facebook and asked to redact their statements or provide supporting evidence.

Once supporting evidence has been shown they will be removed from this blog. Moreover, if they redact their original statements they will also be removed from this blog.

As you will see from these lists, many of the authors are household names and influence those who follow them. This has to stop. The chemical imbalance line was created by the pharmaceutical industry, moreover, Eli Lilly, who launched the first of the SSRIs, Prozac.

Those featured on this list need to do their research.

Bob Fiddaman (Author of the Fiddaman Blog)



Priory
(FACEBOOK)

Priory is the leading independent provider of behavioural care in the UK. The Group currently treats more than 70 different conditions through a nationwide network of over 450 facilities that support service user’s health, care, education and specialised needs.

Article Depression treatment and help



Quote At the Priory we offer tailored depression treatment programmes for individuals, based on their medical history and personal experience. A specialist consultant will oversee your treatment, which will usually include a course of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and may also include medication to restore the chemical imbalance in your brain’s limbic system.”


Publication Priory



Read what the experts say HERE

More here. New blog highlighting celebrities, health care professionals and other waks of life who claim that mental illness is caused by a chemical imbalance...whilst offering no proof to support their claims.

Bob Fiddaman

Saturday, July 15, 2017

Stewart Dolin






On July 15, 2010 the world lost a great man. His legacy remains as, I'm sure, do the many memories that were shared to me by his wife, children and friends.

Stewart Dolin was 57.

I will always cherish those memories that were shared with me.

I am offering this wonderful peice of music by composer Thomas Newman. It's from the movie, The Shawshank Redemption, a movie about hope and finding justice in a corrupt system. It's apt under the circumstances.

Rest in peace, Stew.


For Wendy, her children and friends.

For Stewart.




Bob Fiddaman

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

DEMAND CHEMICAL IMBALANCE REDACTION





A sister blog, if you will.

I am highlighting celebrities, journalists, organisations who continue to spout the chemical imbalance nonsense. The response, thus far, has been pretty good. It's a work in progress but already has "chemical imbalance" quotes by the following...

 - Hopewell Chin’ono, a Harvard trained Zimbabwean journalist.

 - Dr. Janice Cooper, head of Project Liberia Mental Health Program.

- Dr. JoAnn Pinkerton, an Obstetrician-gynecologist in Albemarle County, Virginia.

- Dr. Rhigel Alforque Tan, an expert in clinical training in medical surgical, mental health, emergency room, intensive care, and palliative nursing.

- Hailey Jutz, a Volunteer Field Advocate for the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention.

- The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

- Niall Breslin, an Irish musician and former Westmeath Gaelic footballer and Leinster.

- NHS Choices,  the UK's biggest health website.

- Jimmy Carr, a British comedian.

- India Benjamin, who  writes for the Huff Post (UK Edition).

- Bruce Springsteen, an American singer-songwriter.

- Doyin Richards, an author and keynote speaker.

- Grace Brown, a PT & Strength Coach living in London.

- Rachel Kelly, the author of The Happy Kitchen: Good Mood Food.

- Carol Vorderman, a Welsh media personality.

- John Thomson, an English comedian and actor.

- Aaron Corria, who runs a mens mental health website.

- Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA)

- Mental Health America, a leading community-based nonprofit dedicated to addressing the needs of those living with mental illness.

- Beverley Callard,  loved by millions of viewers for the last twenty years in her role as feisty Rovers Return landlady Liz McDonald on Coronation Street.

- International Bipolar Foundation.

- Morningside Recovery, a Campus and Residential Pavilion in Orange County, CA who provide the full spectrum of addiction and mental health treatment.

- Dr. Chris Steele, a British medical doctor, and the resident doctor on ITV's This Morning daytime magazine show.

Some of these quotes have to been seen to be believed!

More coming soon.

New blog - HERE

Bob Fiddaman



Monday, July 10, 2017

Targeting Young Minds With Mythical Fairytales





I've found a cause for depression and other related 'mental health' issues. It came to me last night. I've cracked this age-old question.

I witnessed it myself, so I know it is concrete evidence.

Okay, so this is what happens.

Whilst a normal person is sleeping bad fairies visit and sprinkle bad dust on their heads. This destructive dust seeps into the heads and makes people have dark thoughts. These fairies are 6-inch creatures from the planet Zog; they are sent down as part of an intergalactic experiment created by more bad fairies who are higher in authority than the 'visitors'. Their leader, Major Larry Junk, created these 'bad dust' experiments in the 10th century and has been sending down visitors ever since. He was born in the late 950's and was great friends with Burchard of Worms, the bishop of the Imperial City of Worms, in the Holy Roman Empire. He died in the year 1025 but was resurrected a year later in 1026.

Of course, I have no proof of this, but you'll just have to accept it. Depression is caused by bad fairies sprinkling bad dust.

If you don't believe my fairy tale, here's another by YoungMindsUK

Compare my theory to the one touted by YoungMinds UK, a charity, according to their website, that, "champion the wellbeing and mental health of young people."

They claim, amongst other things, that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. Not only do they know the cause of depression they also know a good treatment for it. They write...

There is help and treatment available for people with mental health problems. Usually, they’ll see their GP first, who’ll arrange for them to see a specialist like a psychiatrist, counsellor or psychotherapist. They’ll decide together on the best treatment for them. This can include:

Medication – these can help to address chemical imbalances and make someone feel more ‘normal’

So, the opposite of normal is abnormal, correct? So, in essence, YoungMinds UK are telling its target audience (children) that having a 'mental health problem' is abnormal, furthermore the person experiencing the 'mental health problem' is abnormal.

Major Larry Junk doesn't do that.

YoungMinds UK go much further than I do though. They have a health care professional who oversees all their claims and she, along with her colleagues, have checked all the claims made by Young Minds UK and found them to be factual. YoungMinds UK apparently doesn't understand that fairy tales are supposed to entertain children, not end their lives.

Their brochure specifically thanks "Dr Andrea Gnanadurai and her colleagues at the Child and Family Public Engagement Board, Royal College of Psychiatry for fact checking this booklet."

I disagree with Dr Andrea Gnanadurai and her colleagues because I know that depression is caused by bad fairies sprinkling bad dust.

Dr Andrea Gnanadurai (pictured below) holds a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery. Safe to assume then that she knows a lot more than I, or indeed Dr Larry Junk, Head of the Intergalactic Bad Dust Fairies Operation Unit on planet Zog.





Dr Larry Junk is over 1000 years-old. Judging by Dr Andrea Gnanadurai's Twitter profile photo she is considerably younger. I tweeted her the following earlier...


Depression, they claim, is caused by a chemical imbalance and, according to them, is treatable with either talking therapy or medication, or indeed both.

I find this bizarre. If my drain was blocked, for example, would talking to it unblock it or would I need to pour a chemical into it to unblock it?

If a chemical imbalance was present in the brain then how would talking about it make it go away?

YoungMinds UK don't stop there. Their website is calling for 'Youth Activists' to raise awareness of mental health. They write...

If you’re aged 14 to 25 and have experience related to mental health – including caring for someone with a mental health problem – then you can apply to become an activist.

Amongst its partners are Heads Together, an initiative spearheaded by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry. Other partners/supporters include the National Lottery, but gambling addiction doesn't seem to be addressed by YoungMinds UK.

On the subject of ADHD they claim, "Children under 5 shouldn't be given ADHD medication." So, okay if you are 5 years of age or older then?

Regarding a BMJ publication, 'Suicidality and aggression during antidepressant treatment', YoungMinds UK offer the following...

This new report is very worrying and its very concerning that some clinical trials have been misreported or poorly designed. Children and their parents must have solid and comprehensive information about the effects that antidepressants can have, so they can make informed decisions about treatment.

Ironic considering their website claims medication "can help to address chemical imbalances and make someone feel more ‘normal." Apparently, YoungMinds UK is worried about misreported clinical trials, but they aren't worried about their own unproven claim regarding "chemical imbalance" marketing.

If YoungMinds UK can provide evidence that a; depression is caused by a chemical imbalance and b; antidepressants address a chemical imbalance, then, I'm sure, both children and parents will be able to make informed decisions about treatment.

The booklet, 'Young Minds: Mental Illness In Your Family', can be downloaded here.

I spoke with Major Larry Junk earlier, he told me that, just like his surname, the chemical imbalance claims made by Young Minds UK are 'junk science.'


Bob Fiddaman





Please contact me if you would like a guest post considered for publication on my blog.