Canadian Activist Calls For Sara Carlin Support!

This from Princess at the Death By Paxil blog.

"Dr. Evans feels that such an inquest would not benefit the general public and “a jury would not make useful recommendations that could prevent similar deaths in the future” Dr. Evans are you out of your bloody mind? Or do you have a friend that works for GSK? I have to ask this as your decision and your statement is absolute crap and you know it."

For the full rant from Princess, who is fast becoming a favourite writer of mine, go here

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

By Bob Fiddaman

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

AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE


PAPERBACK COMING SOON

Sara Carlin's Parents Call For Inquest

When I started blogging over two years ago I never knew or expected I would meet so many people who [through Seroxat/Paxil]would become very close friends. I've read many heartbreaking stories of suicides and patients who have re-lived their own personal stories with me. One such person is Neil Carlin, the father of Sara who tragically ended her own life as a result of taking Seroxat. Of course there is denial and a complete lack of sympathy/empathy from GlaxoSmithKline, one wouldn't expect anything else. If they deny any wrong doing then they have nobody to apologise to do they?

Sara was a graduate of St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic Secondary School and an Ontario Scholar when she took her own life after being prescribed Seroxat, despite the fact that this particular antidepressant had been banned for use in patients of her age group.

On Sunday, May 6, 2007, Sara, who had been suffering adverse side effects from Seroxat, took her own life. I have wrote about this case before here and here.

Her father Neil and mother Rhonda have been campaigning tirelessly for over a year to find answers so this cannot happen to other children and so good, loving parents to not have to experience the heartache of losing a child as a result of inadequate drug regulations, ignorant doctors and psychiatrists and a non caring pharmaceutical company by the name of GlaxoSmithKline.

Yesterday, their local newspaper, The Oakville Beaver, ran a story regarding Neil and Rhonda's campaigning for a full inquest to be heard regarding their daughters untimely death.

It seems the Regional Supervising Coroner, Dr. David Evans, has denied their request for a public inquest claiming that 'an inquest must serve the public interest' and 'such an inquest into Sara’s death would not do that.' He also said a jury would not make useful recommendations that could prevent similar deaths in the future.

Well, I have a question for the Regional Supervising Coroner, Dr. David Evans. Who on earth do you think you are playing Judge and Jury? How dare you take away the right of any grieving parent because YOU think this incident does not serve the public interest. How dare you voice the opinion of a jury before any such case is presented to them!

The Office of the Chief Coroner of Ontario [OCCO] should be ashamed of themselves for such a wanton disregard for protecting the public from further deaths as a result of not only Seroxat but any other SSRi that is prescribed to both minors and adults. For one, GlaxoSmithKline's Seroxat, DOES NOT correct a chemical imbalance, that in itself is a fraudulent claim and should raise alarm bells for any body set up to protect the public. It was marketed in such a way that any doctor prescribing it would feel safe in the knowledge that the patient would not suffer at the hands of it.

What is even more sickening about this whole episode is the total lack of sympathy shown by GlaxoSmithKline. There is always some Muppet who makes a statement on behalf of GlaxoSmithKline when anything bad is written or spoken about Seroxat. In this instance it's Peter Schram, of Corporate Communications, GlaxoSmithKline.

In a statement he said: " Paroxetine has been used by tens of millions of patients and has been proven to be a safe and effective treatment since its launch more than 15 years ago. The label contains instructions regarding the use of paroxetine and important safety information about the product. If patients have questions regarding the use of paroxetine, or the management of their depression, they should contact their health care professional."

“Also, it is very important that patients do not stop taking paroxetine without first consulting with their doctor.”

I've news for you Schram. Sara WAS being treated for depression with YOUR drug. It was YOUR drug that did not do what you and your company alleged it would, correct the imbalance and cure her of her depression. In fact, it did the complete opposite.

Something else I would like to pick you up on as well Schram is you recommend patients should see their health professional if they have questions regarding paroxetine [Seroxat/Paxil]. Why?

What does a health professional know about SSRi withdrawal? As far as I am aware, no doctor has ever had any training regarding Seroxat withdrawal because YOUR company won't even acknowledge that it exists! It was Mary Anne- Rhyne from GlaxoSmithKline who said in 2005, "If ‘discontinuation reactions’ occur in patients stopping [Paxil], the majority will experience symptoms that are mild to moderate in intensity, and are usually limited to two weeks."

If that is guidance for health professionals then GlaxoSmithKline are responsible for the death of Sara Carlin, not her health professional.

I sincerely hope Neil and Rhonda get the inquest they deserve and the Canadian public are warned about the dangers of Seroxat [Paxil] because if this ignorance continues then there will be a lot more parents going through the pain and suffering that Neil and Rhonda are currently experiencing.

Seroxat Sufferers Blog hereby awards The Office of the Chief Coroner of Ontario [OCCO], in particular, the Regional Supervising Coroner, Dr. David Evans, the Seroxat Sufferers Dumbass Award.

What a bunch of uncaring bastards you are!

Fid

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

By Bob Fiddaman

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

AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE


PAPERBACK COMING SOON

CHOICE & MEDICATION ASTROTURFING?

Seroxat Secrets is currently running with two stories about a website that is offering support to mental health patients. The website, Choice and medication, offers advice on Seroxat and other SSRi's that seems to be straight out of the book of Pharma:

1 How does Seroxat work?
...It is known that this serotonin is not as effective or active as normal in the brain when someone is feeling depressed...

2 Are SSRIs addictive?
...They are not addictive, but if you have taken them for eight weeks or more you may experience some mild “discontinuation” effects if you stop them suddenly...

3 Can I stop taking an SSRI suddenly?
...It is unwise to stop taking them suddenly, even if you feel better. Two things could happen. Firstly, your depression can return if treatment is stopped too early (see “How long will I need to keep taking them for?”). Secondly, you might also experience some mild “discontinuation” symptoms (see also above)...

Stephen Bazire claims to be the author of the website, he also has a number of books available on Amazon that seem to promote use of drugs used in the treatment of mental health.

Choice and medication seems to be nothing more than an agent for Pharma.

Read what Seroxat Secrets has to say about the matter here and here.

Read the definition of Astroturfing here

Hats off to Seroxat Secrets for exposing this scam

Fid

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

By Bob Fiddaman

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

AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE


PAPERBACK COMING SOON

FOR DOUG, FOR NEMEROFF... FOR EMORY

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

By Bob Fiddaman

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

AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE


PAPERBACK COMING SOON

More Correspondence with Doug Bremner MD

Doug has responded to an earlier post with comment on his blog.

I was kind of outraged to read that Doug seemed to support the study that claims that Paxil improves memory - not in my case, it actually has left me with short term memory loss, though I guess I would need a barrel of dollars/pounds and a top notch lawyer to prove that in a court of law [Holds out begging bowl to Nemeroff]. In any case, I'm a patient, and it really doesn't matter what patients have to say does it!

Okay, let's grab the bull by the horns here and try and ascertain where Doug, Emory Uni and Nemeroff stand regarding the use of Paxil.

We pretty much know Nemeroff's stance, in fact his stance has made him a bucket full of money, ironically Nemeroff's payee, GlaxoSmithKline, have also made a lot of money on the back of Nemeroff's 'talks'.

I'm not entirely sure where Doug stands. He has stood against Pharma before, quite why he or Emory refuse to make a stance against Paxil is abundantly obvious... well it is to me anyhow.

Doug responded on his blog to my post Nemeroff Defender Salutes Paxil, which was basically yet another 'study' to find out what Paxil was supposedly good for rather than what it was not good for.

I went on record by saying: "For the record Doug. You are talking complete and utter bollocks!". This was in response to Doug's comments regarding a study he directed and concluded the following: "The findings of this study indicate that Paxil may help reverse memory loss and increase hippocampal volume, leading to clinically significant improvements in memory and concentration that will improve their work and social function. It may also be true that improved memory will help trauma survivors re-integrate and work through memories of their own traumatic events."

I wrote an email to Doug and copied in interested parties. It's the only way to respond on Doug's blog as long comments are not allowed.

----- Original Message -----
From: fiddaman
To: info@REDACTED
Sent: Tuesday, October 14, 2008 5:57 PM
Subject: Re: You are joking Doug?


Thanks.

Why do you wish the brand name to be removed from the title?

Do you or your research team honestly believe that Paxil/Seroxat/paroxetine, call it what you will, actually help reverse memory loss?

Are you aware of the official and 'non-official' adverse reports of this particular drug?

Jesus Doug, when will someone from Emory come out and speak out against Paxil?

I think maybe you/Emory or GSK should research why so many people are having trouble with this drug rather than carry out studies trying to find yet another illness/ailment it can supposedly cure!

Who came up with the idea anyway?

Were scholars all sitting around one day drinking coffee and discussing Paxil then out of the blue did one suggest that you should do a study regarding Paxil and memory loss? Did GlaxoSmithKline approach you or did Charles Nemeroff suggest it to you?

Emory already has tarnished its image with the way it closed its eyes whilst Nemeroff was raking in the dollars - Did it do so because GlaxoSmithKline were kind enough to fund research such as Paxil improving memory?

I will ask you this Doug, seeing as you seem to be learned in Paxil and its effects:

Patient comes to you and it is deemed by both you and he/she that they are ready to taper off 40mgs of Paxil that they have been on for approx 6 years. How long will/should it take that person to taper off 40mgs? What regime would you recommend for the tapering Doug?

I would be interested to know your position on this.

To recap:

How long would/should it take a patient to taper off 40mg of Paxil?

What tapering system would you recommend?

Regards

Bob

*Interested partied blind copied

----

Doug has chosen to respond via his blog, which kind of makes sense albeit time consuming.

He writes:

I think the brand name should not be used because that is tantamount to advertising. The press likes to use the brand name (i.e. Paxil in this case) as opposed to the generic name (paroxetine) because it is easier for the public to remember, which is why whoever wrote this press release (not me) probably did that. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.

As for whether I think it helps memory, in our studies of PTSD diagnosed individuals (who have problems with memory) 9 months of treatment does seem to help memory measured on neuropsychological tests of memory. The 2003 was done while I was at Yale and Dr. Nemeroff was not part of the study. I came up with the idea for the study after seeing Ron Duman, PhD, present his research that SSRIs promote hippocampal nerve growth (hippocampus is a brain area involved in memory). I submitted funding requests to several makers of SSRIs and GSK was the only company interested in funding. [Bob asked why this was: answer, only Paxil and Zoloft are approved in the US for PTSD, and GSK probably was most excited about the drug.] We currently don't have funding from GSK but we do do research on the effects of medication on the brain (including paroxetine) funded by governmental agencies. We currently use generic paroxetine for our research (not Paxil).[question about that from Bob, a generic company may make their own paroxetine, it is the same active ingredient, yes, but since it is a different actualy plant it may not be identical].

As for the implication that universities may be biased toward not closely policing personal income gained by physicians from pharmaceutical companies because of funding received from pharmaceutical companies, my answer is (as I wrote in my book) I think that the medical industry in general is influenzed by pharma and the reasons are numerous, but include payments to Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) who then sit on the advisory panels for drug approval, funding of community medical education, etc. etc. I myself don't give a lot of industry funded talks, as I said before.

Bob, As for your particular situation, it looks like you took Seroxat which my understanding is not identical to Paxil [different manufacturing in UK but not sure]. In any case Kimberly [Kimberly also left a comment on Doug's blog]complains of memory problems. I had heard that as well for Lisa Van S who comments on pharmalot.com but her child was a teen. And Truthman30 [Truthman also left a comment on Doug's blog], I don't know your history, or your name for that matter. I don't treat teens, only adults with PTSD involved in research studies of the brain. I haven't seen in my own practice people complaining of memory problems, usually memory gets better, but I couldn't exclude the fact that it happens in some people. I am always open to new information from people who are actually taking the medication. Since there isn't any evidence that doses of more than 20 mg are more effective we don't go above that, and we don't treat for more than nine months. And we always taper for at least a month and work with the individual if they have side effects. However if you were on 40 you might try two months, going down 10 mg every two weeks.

And no, Kimberly, I have not taken paroxetine/Paxil.

This is for educational purposes, please don't take it as medical advice.

Doug Bremner



----

This obviously prompted a response from myself and this is the reason why I write this post now.

Personally, I think Doug is being evasive here. He and I [and millions of others] know that Paxil can be one hell of a drug to taper from. His advice at the end of his comment is typical of the ignorance that surrounds ALL SSRi's but in this instance, Paxil/Seroxat. He suggested "...we always taper for at least a month and work with the individual if they have side effects. However if you were on 40 you might try two months, going down 10 mg every two weeks."

Doug, it took me 18 months to taper from 40mg to 22mg. The breaking of a 20mg tablet [to 10mg] was way too drastic. I had to use the oral suspension form of Seroxat, a sickly orange liquid administered by a syringe. I'm not the only one, there are literally thousands of people who have had to do this. May I suggest you ask GlaxoSmithKline to fund a study as to why people are having to do this? I'm not a betting man Doug but in this case I would bet you a meal at a swanky restaurant that they would probably tell you to go forth and multiply.

Do your research Doug, check out Paxil Progress, a forum set up by patients for patients. A forum that highlights just how difficult the withdrawal process is - you will even find many stories of memory loss on there.

I've been fortunate enough to hold talks with the MHRA in the UK Doug. We discussed the withdrawal problem for ALL SSRis. They listened and agreed to sit down and talk with David Healy [Nemeroff won't like that will he?]. The whole point of my discussions with the MHRA has clearly been demonstrated by your lack of knowledge regarding tapering Doug. What you suggest could tip people over the edge.

Paxil/Seroxat is addictive Doug [for some people], make no bones about it. Emory, Nemeroff and yourself need to go back to the drawing board and start listening to patients - Like I stated above, Check out Paxil Progress, as I understand, GlaxoSmithKline check it out daily as they do my blog.

There is a real problem with withdrawal Doug on ALL SSRis, as far as I'm aware Paxil/Seroxat tops the list of adverse reactions [see meeting minutes with MHRA]

If any study needs to be done, it's the withdrawal issue one Doug. GlaxoSmithKline won't fund you because they have been paying Nemeroff thousands of dollars for years to 'big up' this particular SSRi. Quite why you wish to bury your head in the sand over this issue is why there are bloggers such as myself trying to raise awareness.

Paxil/Seroxat has had its day Doug, it has caused human suffering and in cases death yet YOU, Emory and Nemeroff promote it with studies [and I will state it again] that are complete bollocks!

You may wish to gloss over the current Online Paxil Petition, read some of the comments left by people that have signed it then ask yourself why patients are making a stand against shoddy withdrawal advice handed out by MD's such as yourself... because the advice you gave [above] was shoddy Doug!

I'm passionate about this particular issue because I experienced it. I was not depressed when tapering Doug so please don't go down that avenue with me. I was merely trying to get my life back on track. Unfortunately, GlaxoSmithKline's, Seroxat, was stopping me from doing so... and I'm not alone in that particular nightmare Doug.

Fid

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

By Bob Fiddaman

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

AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE


PAPERBACK COMING SOON

Nemeroff Defender Salutes Paxil

Last week Doug Bremner left comments on various blogs regarding the slamming of psychiatry, in particular Charles Nemeroff. He stated that Nemeroff had once backed him up when he had a 'rough ride' for speaking out against Pharma regarding his work on accutane and depression.

It comes as no surprise then to find an abstract of a study carried out by Emory researchers and one which was directed by Doug Bremner which claims that "Paxil Improves Memory and Brain Structure In Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Sufferers" [LINK]

The study is from 2003 and Bremner claims: "The findings of this study indicate that Paxil may help reverse memory loss and increase hippocampal volume, leading to clinically significant improvements in memory and concentration that will improve their work and social function. It may also be true that improved memory will help trauma survivors re-integrate and work through memories of their own traumatic events."

For the record Doug. You are talking complete and utter bollocks!

Paxil has ruined my short term memory and many more people.

Where do you people get off with these outrageous claims?

Nice to see that the study was impartially funded, no conflict of interests at all in the funders eh?

Funding for the study was provided by GlaxoSmithKline

As usual this post is open for comments, Doug included.

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

By Bob Fiddaman

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

AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE


PAPERBACK COMING SOON

Facebook Member Calls For Boycott on GSK Products

It seems someone has taken the bull by the horns on Facebook by way of setting up awareness regarding Seroxat and GlaxoSmithKline.

Due to some obsessive I am not allowed to partake on Networking sites but this page was sent to me:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2231696479

In light of the fact the original administrator left the group, I have taken over. She probably left because of all the nasty comments being hurled around on here but they'll be no more of that...So as she set this group up in good faith I leave her description in tact...

Most of my friends know that I did a summer placement in GlaxoSmithKline. Many more of them know that I was given a computer as a leaving present. What is less well known is the fact that this company tried to kill me.

Now, I know that sounds paranoid. But it's not, because I am not the only one they did this to- thousands of young people across England and America were put at risk by the cavalier capitalism of this company.

The basic story goes like this:

GlaxoSmithKline (then called SmithKlineBeecham) developed a drug called Seroxat (in England) or Paxil (in America) which they hailed as the answer to depression, anxiety, stress... it was an instant success and Glaxo felt like they had hit the jackpot.

However, the millions of pounds which Glaxo were generating were not enough. They wanted to work out how to make even more money from this wonderdrug and someone hit on the bright idea of seeing if it would work upon children (if it could be licensed for children, their patent would be extended for another 6 months AND there would be more people to give it to).

So they did a study. They invested lots and lots of money into proving that it would help children, the results of which they intended to present to the press with fanfare and excitement. That was until they read the results. Seroxat was seen to actually increase childhood self harm and suicide; the suicide risk actually increased by 600%.

So, did they back off? Did they warn people not to prescribe this drug to adolescents? No, they actually went on the offensive, burying the bad news and promoting childhood usage of the drug via indirect means (medical journals, bent experts and Glaxo sponsored drug conferences).

How does this affect me? Well, in 2003 I was prescribed Seroxat. The doctor actually pressed it on me, telling me how wonderful it was and overcame my resistance to taking an anti depressant.

Less than a fortnight later, I had to be admitted to a psychiatric ward due to my suicidal thoughts.

This might seem like a rather personal thing to post on facebook but I think it needs to be said. This company knowingly promoted this drug, knowing that it would actually massively increase the risk to young people all becuase of their desire to increase their already massive profits.

And I was lucky. Due to my vigilant parents and a doctor at the hospital who took me off the drug as soon as he saw what I was taking, I did not die. But that luck was not down to Glaxo... they were happy to see me- and thousands of other adolescents- DIE, rather than admit the flaws in their drug.

So, I suggest, refusing to buy anything made by this company. Boycott its products and hit their profit margins...


These are the products made by this horrible company:

Ribena
Lucozade
Aqua Fresh
Panadol
Solpidem
Beechams
Horlicks
Macleans
Niquittin
Nicorette
Nytol
Sensodyne
Zovirax

(if I've missed any obvious ones, please add them as a comment).

Thank you.

This is an open group. Anyone can join and invite others to join.

Admin - Samantha

Hat-Tip - The Truthman

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

By Bob Fiddaman

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

AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE


PAPERBACK COMING SOON

A bit of 'ME' time

Forgive the self indulgence but I need to get this off my chest.

'Officially' Black Ice will be available in shops from Oct 20th. As always, I will be purchasing it, probably the De Luxe edition too.

Here's my take.

Rock N' Roll...with an edge

With an 8 year absence of any new studio recording AC/DC fans have had to make do with DVD's of rare footage, most of which your average hardcore AC/DC fan already has. To hear Black Ice is refreshing. For a while Aussie unknowns, Airbourne, were taking over the kings of Aussie pub rock. Not now.

Black Ice has the usual riffs, drumbeats, heavy bass lines and screeching vocals that accompany any AC/DC record, production wise it's infallible, Brendan O'Brien did a great job and deserves a mention as do the vocals of Brian Johnson.

Track by track

1: Rock n Roll Train.
Released a few weeks ago as a single, typical AC/DC, simple and foot stomping. By no means the strongest cut on the album but for marketing 'Rock N' Roll train will probably see shops stocking miniature trains with the AC/DC logo emblazoned on the side. Hey, I'm a cynic.

2: Skies On Fire
The harmony in this is what one would expect of Cliff and Malcolm, 'SKIES ON FYYYYY YERRRR'. A mid-tempo beat which kind of gets going as it approaches its end. Brian excels with the vocals with Phil keeping things tight behind the skins.

3: Big Jack
This oozes rhythm, almost like a train rolling along, touches of Rock N' Roll Damnation. An anthemic chorus that the kids [40 years plus] will love to sing along to at the up and coming gigs.

4: Anything Goes
There are a lot of hardcore fans I know that are kind of split with this song. Personally, I think it's the best on the album. It's AC/DC meets Nazareth meets The Darkness meets 80's rock. Brian sings along Springsteen [Born in the USA] style while Phil beats the skins. It has a good feel factor about it and for some reason a Christmassy type of feel to it. Many will want to play it over and over, some will want to skip it after it's first listen. I like it... I like it a lot.

5: War Machine
Surprisingly short in length but none the less a fairly decent song. Starts off moody and builds up momentum as it steams along. Malcolm holds things together whilst Cliff picks away. The guitar work of Angus along with Brian's vocals make this a definite inclusion in any set list... Maybe the strip routine halfway through?

6: Smash n Grab
Great harmonies once again from Cliff and Malcolm, Brendan O'Brien seems to enjoy getting the backing vocals right throughout this album. It has a catchy chorus: "SMASH, GRAB AND TAKE IT". Yeh, I'll take it thank you very much.

7: Spoilin' For A Fight
Pure AC/DC, This is what they are all about. 'Shot of Love' + 10. I tend to follow Malcolm whenever I listen to AC/DC albeit on my air Gretsch. Things are picking up now on this album.

8: Wheels
Oh my! Add a piano and some brass to this little beauty and you have a masterpiece. Of course I jest, I don't think AC/DC would ever go down that route but close your eyes for a second and you can hear a piano and a fanfare of trumpets blow in appraisal of this killer track. How do the Young brothers come up with such great, yet simple riffs?

9: Decibel
Hmmm, really not sure about this one. For me, it doesn't really get going. It's not weak and certainly not a filler. Maybe it is positioned wrong on the album? Some great guitar work from Angus but it loses pace for me midway through.

10: Stormy May Day
There was a lot of talk before the 'unofficial' launch of this album via torrent sites that Angus used slide on one of the songs. This is the song, although it's not spectacular slide, it is a change for Angus Young. Imagine the mood of 'Badlands' from 'Flick of the Switch'

11: She Likes Rock n Roll
Who invented the term 'Rock N' Roll'? They should have trademarked the term, they would have made a tidy sum of money from AC/DC. Not one of my favourites though the chant in the middle is 'interesting'

12: Money Made
One has to look [listen] past the vocals of Brian to hear the genius of the Young brothers on this track. Psychic, they really work off each other on this piece. I don't know what Brendan O'Brien said to them when they laid this down but whatever it was, it worked. A song to drool over.

13: Rock n Roll Dream
Starts off very slow, unusual for a song with 'Rock N' Roll' in its title. Anyone who said Brian Johnson cannot carry a tune, listen to the opening sequence. It moves from slow to upbeat to slow to upbeat. Hard to fully let yourself go and almost definitely not one for the set-list.

14: Rocking All The Way
Ah, keep smoking those cigarettes Brian, the gravel voice at the start of this track more or less tells you what you are in for. Jump aboard the Malcolm Young showboat. This little baby rolls and is infectious. Slightly repetitive chorus line but hey, that's AC/DC.

15: Black Ice
Kept thinking of Blackmore's Rainbow when I first heard this track... until I heard Angus. To be honest, a bands title track should be remembered. 'Highway to Hell', 'Back in Black', 'Let There Be Rock' etc. Black Ice, the track, can't stand next to any of the aforementioned. Sadly, this is the one filler on what is otherwise an enjoyable album.

8.5/10

Fid

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

By Bob Fiddaman

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

AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE


PAPERBACK COMING SOON

AC/DC UK Tourdates

Music to my ears... literally.

Birmingham March 2nd 2009

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

By Bob Fiddaman

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

AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE


PAPERBACK COMING SOON

Nemeroff Comment

A comment was left by Doug Brmener MD regarding my post, Did Glaxo/Lilly pay Nemeroff to discredit David Healy? Doug works at Emory University. Here is his comment and my response that he has yet to publish on his blog

I am a professor of psychiatry at Emory. Yes, Charlie Nemeroff can be intense; but I have seen worse. Most of the bloggers writing about him have never read his papers or have any real idea of what he has done. Admit it guys...

Mind you, I am not here to justify Dr. Nemeroff's bad behavior. To not disclose the payment of more than $10,000 a year from a drug company that makes a drug you are also studying with an NIH funded grant is clearly a violation of NIH policy (although not a violation of the law).

However, if the children want to throw rocks, they should be informed about the subject.

I have some questions for Senator Grassley.

First off, why are you only investigating psychiatrists? [Answer: psychiatrists have an approval rating in medicine that is only above chiropractors. Many people blame paxil for their problems. It is low hanging fruit]

Second, why don't you look at other specialties? Take a look at cafepharma.com, where the drug reps are gossiping in relation to the Nemeroff dispute that "key opinion leaders" for advair are at the front of the gravy train. [Answer: cardiologists make life saving drugs, while psychiatrists are pseudoscientists who are trying to invent a myth about serotonin imbalance so they can help sell drugs for their cronies, the drug companies.] [Answer to answer: Not true. You have to treat 100 heart disease patients with Lipitor to prevent one heart attack, while you treat only 8-17 depressed patients with an antidepressant to prevent a recurrence. And if you don't believe that depression is as bad as a heart attack, ask someone who has been there.]

Ask anyone who works in a university hospital. If their docs have any talent, they are never there. It is because they are always away giving talks for pharma. And pretty much all of it is undisclosed. Not to try and justify it, but lets get real.

Finally, I came under full frontal attack for my opinions about accutane and depression that went against pharma and for which they tried to ruin my career, and the ONLY person at Emory to stick up for me was Nemeroff. You can read about it on my web site.

Senator Grassley, if you really want to get to the bottom of the corruption that has permeated academic medicine, do a nation wide audit. Of ALL specialties. If you don't, you are a hypocrite.

http://www.beforeyoutakethatpill.com/blog.html

My response, which has been emailed to Doug:

Doug,

Firstly, thank you for leaving your comment. I would be grateful if you would allow this comment through on your blog as I have allowed yours through.

Quite why you would think Sen. Grassley would read this blog though is a mystery to me?

You are asking 'bloggers' to read Nemeroff's papers, do you think his papers are honest opinions or opinions based on money he has received and not declared from Pharma?

You know the guy personally and I see he stood by your side when you were getting a rough deal from Pharma regarding your work on accutane and depression. It's a pity he didn't give the same support to David Healy don't you think?

Way I see it is Grassley is merely making a start. Rome wasn't built in a day.

Finally, to label people who speak out against Nemeroff as 'children throwing rocks' is rather churlish. We are merely advocates fighting back because many of us were harmed by the very same drugs that Nemeroff has been paid to support. That would be our 'conflict of interest', if you will.

Could you do me a favour and pass on this message to your friend, Nemeroff:

Dear Blingboy,

How does it feel to have your world turned upside down?

You have received huge amounts of money from drug companies and given opinions on their drugs whilst being paid to give those opinions.

You have intimidated people who have dared to speak out against SSRi's [in particular Paxil]

You now have what you crave [media attention] albeit for the wrong reasons.

You may wish to try a course of antidepressants should this heat get too much for you. Only you will know when you are ready to taper off them. You can ask GlaxoSmithKline for a tapering program if you wish? I wouldn't bother though seeing as they don't have one!

Maybe the hordes of cash you have accumulated over the years will help you through this 'sticky period'. Some of us are less fortunate than you. You see because you bigged up the drugs we have struggled with, it is very hard for doctors to believe what we [the patients] are telling them.

You have no morals and you have caused misery to thousands, if not millions of people, worldwide.

In a wonderful play on words Blingboy, What does it feel like to have a taste of your own medicine?

I sincerely hope you go down for this. Hey, you and Keller can share a cell. How quaint.

Regards

Bob Fiddaman
[A Victim of your bullshit]

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

By Bob Fiddaman

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

AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE


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THE KARMA POLICE

The Pali term Karma literally means action or doing. Any kind of intentional action whether mental, verbal, or physical, is regarded as Karma. It covers all that is included in the phrase "thought, word and deed". Generally speaking, all good and bad action constitutes Karma. In its ultimate sense Karma means all moral and immoral volition. Involuntary, unintentional or unconscious actions, though technically deeds, do not constitute Karma, because volition, the most important factor in determining Karma, is absent.

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

By Bob Fiddaman

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

AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE


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Did Glaxo/Lilly pay Nemeroff to discredit David Healy?

Why was Charles Nemeroff so concerned with David Healy's research back in 2001 regarding SSRi's? Was he told by GlaxoSmithKline and/or Eli Lilly to 'warn' Healy off? Judging by this transcript it appears that not only is Nemeroff a lying fraudulent scuzball - he's an intimidating bastard as well! - That's my opinion. Your thoughts?

"Dr. Nemeroff came up to me in the course of the meeting in what was a very scary meeting between him and me and told me that my career would be destroyed if I kept on showing results like the ones that I'd just shown, that I had no right to bring out hazards of the pills like these." - David Healy


Actual script from 'Dr. David Healy' CBC News and Current Affairs

Broadcast on Tue 12 Jun 2001

DARROW MACINTYRE: A quiet, small town in North Wales. It seems an unlikely place to find a man like David Healy, university professor and psychiatrist, renowned in medical circles from New York to Paris to London as one of Europe's eminent scientist. This time last year, Healy was about to leave Wales. Lured to Toronto by this university teaching hospital, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and the promise of his own research clinic there. Then one day last November, something strange happened. After almost two years of courting Dr. Healy and finally offering him the big job, senior staff at the centre abruptly decided to dump him. They say they found out just in a nick of time that Healy held certain unscientific views about a number of psychiatric drugs, views they say could harm patient care. But many in the academic community think their decision had less to do with science and more to do with money. What this is really about, they say, is the role drug companies play in influencing scientific debate. When it comes to anti-depressants there are few people who know more than Dr. Healy. Especially about a group of drugs called S.S.R.I. or Selective Seratonin Re-uptake Inhibitors. The best known of these is Prozac, the most widely prescribed anti-depressant in the world. But for a decade now, research has suggested that drugs like Prozac may actually cause some people to have suicidal urges. Nobody really knows how often, but Healy thinks often enough to be concerned.

DAVID HEALY: Let's say in the case of Prozac that it causes the problem, it will cause people to commit suicide at a rate of one in 1,000 people who actually go on the drug. To most people here a figure like that, that sounds like a fairly low figure. It sounds like a reasonable trade-off almost. But if 50 million people go on the drug, then that becomes 50,000 suicides which is maybe higher than there has been, but it becomes an awfully big figure. It's what the FDA call the public health multiplier which is a small hazard distributed among millions of people becomes a big problem.

MACINTYRE: Recently David Healy conducted studies aimed at trying to figure out just who is at risk and who isn't. Are you opposed to the use of S.S.R.I.'s?

HEALY: Absolutely not. No. My Ph.D. thesis was on the seratonin re-uptake system and I've been, I was one of the people when the S.S.R.I.'s came out first who would have been much quicker than most of the rest of my colleagues to use this new group of drugs. I continue to put a very large number of people that I see on the drugs. And I believe as the research that we've done indicates that if you're really going to use the drugs properly and I'm in the business of using these drugs to treat people, is you're really going to find out who does well on these drugs, what you find out at the same time is who does poorly.

MACINTYRE: Dr. Healy's not the first one to document this problem. Doctors at Harvard University raised concerns about S.S.R.I.'s and suicide years ago. Harvard lecturer and psychiatrist Joseph Glen Mullen wrote about it in his book "Prozac Backlash". He says more doctors should listen to Healy.

JOSEPH GLEN MULLEN: Dr. Healy for many, many years has been widely regarded as one of the leading psychiatrist in Europe and really in the world. His research is outstanding. And he's one of the few people who has continued to do research on the suicidality issue in particular and been a strong proponent of patients needing to get this kind of information.

MACINTYRE: Last summer, the centre made it official. They wanted Healy as the top scientist in their mood and anxiety disorders clinic. They offered him the director's job and he accepted.

HEALY: I felt very good about it. And I also brought over my family and certainly they all seemed reasonably open to the move as well. So we all began to get fairly excited.

MACINTYRE: At the time the centre had no problem with Healy's research. But someone else did.

CHARLES NEMEROFF: Hello. My name is Charles Nemeroff.

MACINTYRE: Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Atlanta's prestigious Emory University, Dr. Charles Nemeroff is a highly respected and influential scientist. And a paid consultant to a dozen drug companies. A leading psychiatric magazine recently profiled him under the headline Boss of Bosses. Is the brash and controversial Charles Nemeroff, the most powerful man in psychiatry. Inside the authors wrote, Nemeroff is among the most coveted advisors to the pharmaceutical industry. And he fully expects to lead the corporate strategies of those he advises. Those who do not heed his advice are often the recipients of his wrath. Last summer at Cambridge University in England, Healy had a brush with the boss of bosses.

HEALY: Dr. Nemeroff came up to me in the course of the meeting in what was a very scary meeting between him and me and told me that my career would be destroyed if I kept on showing results like the ones that I'd just shown, that I had no right to bring out hazards of the pills like these.

MACINTYRE: In a written statement, a doctor who witnessed the confrontation told us, when it became clear that David Healy would not back down from his points of view, Nemeroff said that what Healy was publishing might harm the drug industry, specifically Eli Lilly. He, Charles Nemeroff, said that these people were ruthless and would go to great lengths to make life hard for academics who published articles associating suicide with Prozac.

HEALY: It was a fairly short encounter. It lasted about two or three minutes but a very scary one.

MACINTYRE: James Turk is with the Canadian Association of University Teachers. He says to a drug company concerned about profits, researchers like Healy could be seen as dangerous.

JAMES TURK: I mean he's one of the world's leading scholars on anti-depressants. He's done clinical trials for some of the drug companies. But what he isn't is not in the drug companies' pockets. And Healy's argument is that S.S.R.I.'s are suitable for some patients but in fact can be very harmful for others. And the impression I get is that the drug companies want 100 percent of the market whereas if you do that research and Healy's right, that there are 40 percent or 50 percent of the people who currently get S.S.R.I.'s for whom it's not appropriate, then the market is cut in half.

FULL SCRIPT

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

By Bob Fiddaman

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

AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE


PAPERBACK COMING SOON