Zantac Lawsuit


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

Saturday, July 30, 2022

Finally, the Chemical Imbalance Myth Has Been Put to Bed



There is no evidence that depression is caused by lower levels or reduced activity of serotonin in the brain, according to a recent analysis of 17 previous studies. 

The analysis, carried out by Joanna Moncrieff, MD, a professor of psychiatry at University College London, and her colleagues, tells us pretty much what we've known all along. The chemical imbalance marketing myth has been used as an indicator that people need antidepressants.

The response to this analysis, by many psychiatrists at least, has been eye-opening.

The Science Media Centre (SMC), whom I've wrote about before on this blog, were rolling out their 'experts'.

Dr Michael Bloomfield, Consultant Psychiatrist and UKRI Principal Clinical Research Fellow, Translational Psychiatry Research Group Head, UCL, said:

"The findings from this umbrella review are really unsurprising. Depression has lots of different symptoms and I don’t think I’ve met any serious scientists or psychiatrists who think that all causes of depression are caused by a simple chemical imbalance in serotonin."

Bloomfield really needs to brush up on his research skills. Just two years ago, Adrienne Nagy, Board President of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), America's largest grassroots mental health organization, had this to say:

"We're continually trying to educate the public to know that mental illness is an illness like any other illness—it's a biochemical imbalance in the brain. It's no different than diabetes or heart failure."

Other examples of psychiatrists promoting the chemical imbalance theory can be viewed here.

Another SMC 'expert', Prof David Nutt, Edmond J Safra Chair and Head of the Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Imperial College London, seemed to be digging his heels in when reacting to the Moncrieff analysis with:

"It is only recently that we have developed the technology to measure serotonin release in the living human brain and in the first study of this type (currently under review) we did find decreased serotonin release capacity in people with depression. So, to dismiss the serotonin hypothesis of depression at this point is premature."

Nutt has, in the past, received grants and personal fees from Lundbeck and GSK and personal fees from Lilly, BMS, Otsuka, Servier, and Pfizer, the majority of whom market and manufacture SSRI's, the very same types of drugs promoted to correct a chemical imbalance. I think it's no coincidence that Nutt still wants to hold on to the serotonin hypothesis of depression.

The general consensus (from psychiatry) of this new analysis seems to be, 'So what, we've known all along that it was just a theory'. I think they're either missing the point or being deliberately obtuse.

Samei Huda, author and consultant psychiatrist, Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust, went one further. 

Here's a screenshot of his tweet which implies Moncrieff and her colleagues have "right-wing associations."


Huda is well-known to members of the #PrescribedHarm community on Twitter, he is also well known for baiting Twitter psychologists and others with accusations of racism or right-wing associations, myself included.

I find his above tweet was specifically constructed to be inflammatory. Huda can be followed here. I blocked him a couple of years ago.

The point many psychiatrists, on Twitter at least, seem to be missing is patients have been sold a lie. Not one single psychiatrist has been able to answer the following, Is the patient, taking SSRIs, at risk or is increasing serotonin in the brain deemed safe?

These days, Twitter psychiatrists tend to block patient accounts who raise concerns, or even questions such as mine above.

The reaction has been eye-opening particularly when you contrast it with 'expert' reactions to the Cipriani 2018 study that claimed antidepressants work and are effective. Not only were 'experts' gushing over Cipriani's study, some were even calling for more antidepressants to be prescribed.

Professor Carmine Pariante, spokesperson for the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said of the Cipriani analysis "This finally puts to bed the controversy on antidepressants, clearly showing that these drugs do work in lifting mood and helping most people with depression."

A year later, Pariante was interviewed by BBC's Angela Rippon. According to Pariante, his team "chemically induce brain cells in test tubes to mirror the state of depression. Antidepressant medication  is then added". Furthermore, according to Pariante, "There is no evidence that we are over prescribing antidepressants, yes more antidepressants are prescribed today than 10 years ago but, in fact, most people who need antidepressants are not receiving an antidepressant."

Yes, he really did say this.

You can watch the full show, Truth or Scare, here.

The SMC's 'expert' reaction can be viewed here.

Bob Fiddaman





Friday, July 29, 2022

"I don’t want this pain for other kids." ~ Victoria Trevisan, Gardasil Victim

 


Victoria Trevisan

At the age of 13, Victoria Trevisan, a straight A student, received her first dose of the Gardasil vaccine, a vaccine said to prevent cervical, vulvar, and vaginal infections and precancers caused by all seven cancer-causing HPV types. She received the second and third doses of Gardasil in February of 2016 and July of 2016.

Immediately after receiving her third shot, Victoria fainted and hit her head on the window in the examination room at her doctor’s office. Just two days later, One month later, she became severely short of breath after five minutes of a soccer game and had to stop playing. Further, around a month later, Victoria went to a cardiologist to evaluate her myriad of symptoms which included, but were not limited to, a shortness of breath, chest pains, memory loss, and insomnia. Abdominal pain and nausea, anxiety, and brain fog were added to the mix during the following two months.

Victoria was forced to drop out of high school thus giving up any hope of a career working in the field of forensic science.

Now 20, Victoria now suffers with Chronic fatigue, amongst other serious post-Gardasil adverse events that include Fibromyalgia, Mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), all of which she alleges were caused by the Gardasil vaccine.

In a press release, Victoria said, “I just want people to know that this happened to me, and it can happen to anyone,” Victoria says. “It is important for me to share my story to help make sure others understand that there are risks. There hasn’t been a day that’s gone by since I received the Gardasil vaccine that it hasn’t affected me. I don’t want this pain for other kids.”

Baum Hedlund attorneys Bijan Esfandiary, Michael L. Baum, Stephanie B. Sherman, and Monique Alarcon, along with co-counsel Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, who filed the lawsuit on behalf of Victoria, say Merck’s conduct, including its false promotion of Gardasil and its failure to issue appropriate warnings concerning the severe risks of Gardasil, created a substantial risk of significant harm to children and patients. Furthermore, Baum Hedlund attorney and shareholder Stephanie B. Sherman poses the question if Merck should be "trusted on Gardasil after causing one of the worst drug recalls in history with Vioxx, not to mention Fosamax and NuvaRing?" adding, "...evidence says no, they shouldn’t be trusted on Gardasil either,"

Up to 2019, the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) have received than more 64,000 HPV vaccine adverse event reports.

You can read more about Victoria's lawsuit here.

Bob Fiddaman

Previous Gardasil Blog Posts

Thursday, August 20, 2020 - Baum Hedlund Take a Stand Against Vaccine Maker


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