Zantac Lawsuit


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

Monday, March 30, 2020

Mother Nature (Mother Earth) and the Invaluable Lesson



Mother Nature (sometimes referred to as Mother Earth) has been coughing for years, she needed some respite. She's also witnessed how we have been treating her domain and her creatures of all shapes and sizes. She needed something to stop the pollution, to stop the hunting, to stop the ignorance and selfishness, to stop the fighting. This invisible entity is making us all go back to school, she is teaching us the basics again because we have all forgotten

Animals have had to change their habits. Think about the wild animals that come into towns and cities in search of food that we, as humans, discard in an almost blase fashion. Rats, foxes in the UK, coyotes, bears in Canada and the US have had very little to scavenge during the lockdown. Birds have less bread to eat as it has, overnight it seems, become a currency. Mosquitos have had less blood to drink too. With less fishing, those gilled wonders will multiply, almost like a preparation for a fish feast for us all when this crisis has subsided. Mother Nature's offering to us by way of an apology for having to make us sit up and take notice.

She has a unique way of highlighting our failings, a unique way of showing us that those in charge really shouldn't be in charge at all.

She will continue to teach us lessons. Some we will listen to, others we won't, so she will strike again when the time is ready.

Some, mistakingly, refer to her as God.

The following are just some thoughts of mine, some have already been mentioned as possible outcomes but I've not let any other predictions in the way of my own thinking here. As we learn to adapt there will be yet more unscrupulous behaviour at work. The unscrupulous will never change, they can only see dollar signs.

These are just thoughts, they are not some sort of third eye predictions.


Food
Expect more people to eat less meat as we learn more about animal viruses and how they have always existed, also how they can, in the blink of an eye, be passed onto humans. This will have an economical effect on farmers etc

Travel by air
 ~ A stamp in your passport that will confirm that you have had the coronavirus and therefore unlikely to get it again.
~ A stamp in your passport that confirms you have been immunised against the coronavirus with a vaccine. (see vaccines)

Travel, as we know it, has changed forever. Expect longer queues at airports and a huge increase in airfares. Long term, economy travel will probably become a thing of the past as more and more distance between humans is requested, particularly if this virus, or another strain of it, hits us again. Less travel = less pollution

Cruise Ships
May become a thing of the past unless they can figure out why colds, flu-type viruses spread so quickly. Less traffic in our oceans = less polluted waters.

Vaccines
A vaccine will be rushed through and will be available before we know it. The safety of the vaccine will be touted as being safe in small clinical trials with no obvious side effects. The trials will probably run for 6-12 weeks. No raw data will be offered up by drug companies for scrutiny. The vaccine manufacturer/s will be offered indemnity, meaning no lawsuits against them will be allowed should the vaccines cause injury or death to those taking them. The ball has already started rolling on this.

Mental Health
New disorders or sub-types will be created. It will be claimed that many have detachment-type disorders and new phobias. Mourning the loss of loved ones will continue to be deemed as a mental disorder if that mourning process goes beyond two weeks. Psychiatric 'medication' prescriptions will increase as will cases of autoimmune diseases, ironically caused by some of 'medications' prescribed.
Expect a huge promotional push in the field of mental health - we've already seen it during the corona crisis and I expect it to increase after the 'curve' has flattened.

Suicide
Suicide figures will rise and be blamed on the aftermath of the coronavirus. Any suggestion that the increase in suicides is a result of psychiatric 'medications' will be dismissed - this has been the normal response by 'medical experts' for the past 40 years or so.

Drug Companies
New drugs to prevent any corona-type virus will be created and marketed, they will claim to help slow the process of spreading a virus. Millions will be spent on a huge scaremongering campaign that will result in more people taking substances that they don't really need to take. Cold remedies will be modified, claims of 'Super Extra Strength' versions of existing cold remedies will be heavily promoted.

Taxes/Pensions
Expect increases in taxes and expect pension saving schemes to be hard hit too. The governments around the world will need to claw back money they have spent/lost during the corona crisis.

Smoking/Vaping
Expect a worldwide ban 10 or 20 years from now. Probably a good thing but it will mean higher taxes on foodstuffs, electrical goods etc. Those suffering nicotine withdrawal will be offered patches or smoking cessation drugs, eg Champix (varenicline) and/or Zyban (bupropion), two drugs associated with suicidal thinking, the latter being an antidepressant.


Bob Fiddaman


Friday, March 27, 2020

Is an Influential Australian Psychiatrist Spreading Fear?





First off, the coronavirus doesn't cause any psychiatric 'disorders'. Let's be abundantly clear about that.

I'm astonished to see Australia's leading brain pellet spokesperson Patrick McGorry (above), spreading fear on Twitter.

It appears McGorry took umbrage to a letter (below) sent into The Guardian from Dr Lucy Johnstone. The letter from Johntsone was in response to Paul Daley’s article (We face a pandemic of mental health disorders, 24 March)


McGorry, in a rather contradictory fashion, tweeted the following in response:


If, according to McGorry, fear is "100% absolutely appropriate" why does he then add his own mix of fear with, "...severe stress, economic collapse & multiple losses in a global disaster will lead to a major increase in need for MH care..."?

It seems that in the space of just two weeks psychiatrists, such as McGorry, have become expert virologists and economists overnight. They are jumping into a situation and trying to make it appear as though they have an important role in what's going on or what may happen as a result of this global pandemic.

The truth of the matter is, they don't have a clue about what is going on, they only think they do. Yes, people are fearful, I am myself, as are many of my family and friends, in fact, every time I clear my throat mild panic sets in but do we really need the likes of McGorry spreading more unnecessary fear with his crystal ball predictions? All of his claims are natural responses to situations, they are not mental disorders, therefore they should never be treated as such. A pill won't get you a job nor will it make the economy look better either.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Let's just look at the current way psychiatrists diagnose Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

To be diagnosed with OCD, you must have obsessions:

 - worry that you will become sick or “contaminated”
 - a belief that you or someone you love is in danger 
- Sometimes the link between the compulsion and the obsession is clear, like someone who washes their hands repeatedly to fight germs or contamination.

Now, here's some food for thought.

What if residents of Wuhan, where the coronavirus purportedly originated from, had been 'obsessive' about washing their hands repeatedly to fight germs or contamination, would we still have seen such a global spread?

What if those same residents wanted to obsess about hygiene but were fearful to do so because they didn't want to be labelled by psychiatrists as having OCD?

As I understand it psychiatry views a person who washes their hands repeatedly to fight germs or contamination as possibly having a brain disorder, or the makings of one but what would an independent psychiatrist think of McGorry's latest contradictory rant on Twitter?

McGorry is famous for his Early Psychosis Prevention and Intervention Centre [EPPIC]. Over 50% of psychiatrists who took a poll believed that EPPIC put young people at risk of being over-medicated.

McGorry, with the financial assistance of Seroquel manufacturer Astra Zeneca, also wanted to carry out a clinical trial [of sorts] with children, among others, who had not yet been diagnosed with a psychotic illness. In other words, he wanted, it appears, to trial out Seroquel, a powerful antipsychotic, on subjects who, for all intents and purposes, had nothing wrong with them.

Psychiatrists, psychologists and researchers from all over the world lodged a complaint when they heard of the planned trial.

McGorry pulled the trial and now denies that the complaint had anything to do with his decision.

It begs the question of who has the obsessions here, is it the people who wish to make their own choices or the people who constantly push their choices on others?

McGorry is, in essence, fearmongering. It's almost like he and many other Twitter and media psychiatrists are experiencing schadenfreude, a pleasure that one derives from another person's misfortune.

In any event, the way we view the world is likely to have some drastic changes after all this blows over ~ leaves me wondering if the field psychiatry is going to move the goalposts on their criteria for OCD - if they do then it will be an admission of 'we got it wrong' - a hidden admission at that as they rarely apologise for getting things wrong. If they don't change the criteria then they are going to look rather stupid...not for the first time.

We, as a race, will be obsessively washing our hands for years to come.

Leave the medicine to the real doctors and the choice of wanting to be as obsessive as we want about our own hygiene, please Paddy!


Bob Fiddaman

You can read more about Paddy McGorry here 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28



Tuesday, March 24, 2020

Lift Your Spirits ~ The Virus Blues







A musical list to lift the virus blues.


I'm Gonna Be (500 miles) - Proclaimers

One Great Thing - Big Country
Little Darling - Jimmy Barnes

Heroes - David Bowie
What You Need - Inxs

Fire Your Guns - AC/DC

House Arrest - Bryan Adams
Get the Party Started - Pink


I Just Call You Mine - Martina McBride
Acquiesce - Oasis

Listen here (Spotify)


Follow me here

Stay Safe

Fid



Saturday, March 21, 2020

Coronavirus: Putting Things Into Perspective




Worrying times are upon us all as we batten down the hatches and self-isolate to prevent catching this worldwide virus that, for most, didn't seem troubling when news first broke.

Images of Wuhan, China, where the virus originated, were spread across the internet and global news channels. It, for most, was their problem and not ours ~ that, however, has changed drastically over the past few weeks/months as the virus has spread globally and the media have ramped up stories that sell - namely death.

As I write this, there are a confirmed 277,169 worldwide cases, 11,431 of those have resulted in fatalities. The current estimated population of the world is 7.7 billion.

The figures above will definitely rise and, more importantly, we will eventually see a decline just as they are in Wuhan. For the third day running Wuhan are reporting no new cases. South Korea has also seen a sharp drop in new cases, whilst in Hokkaido, Japan’s second-largest island and which has the most number of cases of COVID-19, finally lifted its State of Emergency yesterday.

Britan and the US are weeks behind these countries in terms of the actual slowing down of the spread. Some may argue that we've been slow out of the blocks to curb the spread and because of this we may face more cases per head then the above-mentioned countries.

Panama, where I live most of the year, has reported just one death out of 198 cases, 7 of which are in critical condition. Panama has a population of just under 4 million. The Panamanian authorities acted swiftly after the one death that has occurred. They closed down all the schools and banned flights from Europe and have now imposed a curfew on residents, also a total booze ban, including bars and supermarkets. The booze ban is a good idea because this prevents people from gathering at one another's houses to 'party'.

Panama has acted quickly.

Unfortunately, for me at least, I fear it may be quite a while before I am allowed entry into this beautiful country and even more beautiful populace. My long-time partner remains there and it's heartbreaking for both of us as we now contemplate spending an infinite amount of time apart. (I came back to the UK in February)

It's important that we all keep our eyes on the latest updates. It's important that we adhere to what the governments and medical experts are recommending.

On the flip-side of the coin, it's important that we don't over-obsess about what the media and social media are telling us  ~ much of it is recycled news of doom and gloom and this puts fear into most of us. Be cautious but don't be fearful. Fear spreads quicker than any virus and examples of this can be seen by supermarket shelves being stripped of their goods almost as soon as they are filled.

If one good has come out of this pandemic it's been an eye-opener of how we, as humans, behave when the chips are down. We seem to lose the power to empathise and our own survival instinct becomes more important than anyone else. We are in this together, folks, we will beat this. Remain human. Remain humane.


For Krissy

"I find I’m so excited, I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it the excitement only a free man can feel, a free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain. I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope." ~ Red, Shawshank Redemption



Bob Fiddaman




Thursday, March 12, 2020

Street Drug Charities Open Doors to Antidepressant Withdrawal Victims





BBC News: 12 March 2020

The mental health charity Mind says it is signposting people to street drug charities to help them withdraw from antidepressants because of the lack of alternatives available. Those affected can experience debilitating symptoms.

Notes of a meeting held at MHRA on 2 September 2008
Bob Fiddaman said he would like to discuss problems of withdrawing from Seroxat. He said that though his concerns centred around Seroxat, he recognised that other SSRIs posed similar problems which ought also to be addressed.

Patient perspectives on informed drug prescribing 24 November 2004
 ~ Charles Medawar
The first thing that didn’t happen was any meeting to discuss the issues with the UK regulators. For six years, they refused to meet – and this explains why ‘The Antidepressant Web’(ADWEB) displays facsimile copies of the several hundred letters we exchanged. 

Click on all three links. Pay attention to the years.

Nothing more to say.


Sincerely,


Bob Fiddaman ~ The "Pill-Shaming Activist"

Tuesday, March 03, 2020

UK NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION STRATEGY: An Open Letter





Between us all, we look back now on years and years of trying to raise awareness of the risks associated with SSRI/SNRI drugs - and all that seems to have happened is that prescribing of these drugs has continued to soar exorbitantly. Many of us have lost family members and friends and have seen for ourselves the terrible consequences of the effects of SSRI/SNRIs. Others have experienced for themselves the horrific adverse effects of these drugs and are desperately trying to warn others and to pass on their own expert experience. Many of us have voluntarily undertaken huge amounts of research and made significant contributions - and want to share what we have learned and are learning. Peter Gordon's 'Timeline of |Missed Opportunities' film summarises what has happened since 2002 - and how the National Suicide Prevention Strategy is deeply flawed by the flagrant disregard for the known (and heavily suppressed) risks of these mass-prescribed drugs.

Having been repeatedly ignored, 'blocked' and fobbed off by those with whom we have tried to communicate - we felt a need to share what we now can, and however we can, as a means of public safety education. If those in authority won't do what they are ostensibly employed to do - then we will do whatever we can do ourselves.

Lead author, Marion Brown, is a retired psychotherapist & mediator. Her late husband was a GP, who ran into severe medication difficulties himself (after 20+ yrs on Seroxat) and ended his life in 2011.



OPEN LETTER TO UK GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS OF HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE & ALL THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR PUBLIC HEALTH & SAFETY
ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, N IRELAND & WALES


3 March 2020

UK NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION STRATEGY:  SSRIs/SNRIs and AKATHISIA risks

We write to express extreme alarm at the way our concerns – expressed over more than a decade to a considerable number of individuals and groups, representing various committees, specialities, institutions and departments in the UK – have been, and are being, apparently quashed.

Current ‘expert’ advice on suicide prevention, which is now accepted government policy, is that SSRI/SNRI drugs are prescribed to any patient who indicates they may be feeling suicidal or have suicidal thoughts. Our concern is that SSRI/SNRI drugs can themselves cause such suicidal thoughts/impulses - and also a very serious adverse drug reaction called AKATHISIA, the symptoms of which are so unbearable that they can lead people to end their own lives. This fact is not recognised by governments, the NHS or the public, and is not mentioned in the national ‘Suicide Prevention Strategy’, despite our efforts to draw this important issue to the attention of responsible individuals and departments. Many people ARE INDEED dying avoidable deaths by iatrogenic suicide – when suffering known and/or extreme and unrecognised adverse prescribed drug effects.

Our efforts have been extensive, and most recently resulted in the online publication of a short film compiled by Peter Gordon, retired NHS psychiatrist, with input from several contributors: ‘A Timeline of Missed Opportunities’. This has already been widely shared on Social Media.

Please watch this short film - and also read the Replies/Comments section (found at the foot of the blogpost) where further correspondence has been added, including a letter dated 28 Feb 2020 from the UK Department of Health and Social Care (Ref: DE-1204751).

We are sharing this open letter on social media and with the press as we consider this to be a very serious matter indeed – where the lives of countless people are being knowingly and recklessly put at risk by national ‘Suicide Prevention Strategy’ and ‘Policy’. The public – and indeed prescribers - are being cruelly misled. 

We ask specifically that the KNOWN RISKS of SSRI/SNRI drugs in particular (and indeed other medications which can cause akathisia) be fully recognised NOW - and action taken by Governments cascaded to EDUCATE all prescribers, healthcare professionals and the public on how to avoid or mitigate these risks.

Examples of our appeals can be found in this collection of letters published by the BMJ a few months ago. https://www.bmj.com/content/366/bmj.l5102/rapid-responses 

Signed
Marion Brown, Beverley Thorpe Thomson, Peter Gordon, Millie Kieve, Jo Watson, John Read, Peter Gotzsche, Catherine Clarke, Janette Robb, Stevie Lewis, James Moore, Bob Fiddaman, Dierdre Doherty, Kristina Gehrki, Fiona French, Alyne Duthie

--


Further Reading

UK Suicide Expert: Akathisia Can Make People Suicidal

Louis Appleby Knew About Prescription Drug-Induced Akathisia in 2004

Suicide Expert Embroiled in Twitter Controversy

Akathisia Accredited 101 Course (Free sign-up and course)

MISSD (The Medication-Induced Suicide Prevention and Education Foundation in Memory of Stewart Dolin)

Akathisia Alliance

SSRI - Induced Extrapyramidal Side-Effects and Akathisia (J Psychopharmacol.1998;12(2):192-214.review)




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