To assert psychiatry is careless in prescribing drugs for its various diagnosed disorders is a monstrous trivialization of the problem.
Many of their drugs have been directly linked to suicide and violent behavior, sometimes resulting in murder on a grand scale. In a 2011 study based on data from the FDA’s Adverse Event Reporting System, 31 drugs were linked with violent behavior.
Here are some of the worst offenders:
- Varenicline (Chantix) – Some of the side effects listed for this smoking cessation drug, which is 18 times more likely to result in violence, includes:
- Seeing things that are not there
- Suicidal Thoughts
- Anger
- Behavior Changes
- Irritability
- Mood swings
An Oregon woman found her husband and son dead, both killed by her husband (who had been prescribed Chantix by his dentist.) There have been many other instances of homicide traced back to this drug. Why Chantix has not been withdrawn from the marketplace is hard to fathom.
- Prozac – This antidepressant is 10.9 more likely to be associated with violence than other medications. This drug has over 80 side effects, ranging from merely uncomfortable, to deadly. Here a few of the worst:
- Use of extreme physical or emotional force
- Suicidal thoughts
- Paranoia
- Violent behavior
- Mania
- Panic Attacks
- Abnormal thoughts
By the year 2000, Eli Lilly had paid $50 million dollars to settle 30 prozac lawsuits involving suicide and murder by those at the mercy of this drug.
- Paxil – This antidepressant is linked to birth defects and severe withdrawal symptoms. It has a 10.3 likelihood of violence associated with it. Some other Paxil side effects include:
- Auditory Hallucinations
- Suicide attempts
- Aggravated Nervousness
- Acting aggressive or violent
- Acting on dangerous impulses
Donald Schell had been on Paxil for only 48 hours when he shot and killed his wife, daughter, his granddaughter and himself. The case came to trial, and a jury found GlaxoSmithKline liable for the deaths, and ordered the drug company to pay 6.4 million dollars to the relatives of Schell.
- Amphetamines – This includes Adderall, used to treat ADHD in children. It has been linked to suicide and violent behavior. Just a few Adderall side effects include:
- Aggression
- Anger
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Tourette’s syndrome
- Suicidal thoughts
Kyle Craig’s parents are living with the horrendous loss of their son, a victim of this drug’s suicidal side effects. At the age of 21, while a college student at Vanderbilt University, he stepped in front of a passenger train and ended his life.
- Fluvoxamine (Luvox) – This drug is used to treat obsessive compulsive disorder, and has been linked to violent behavior. Here is a partial list of its side effects:
- Impulsive behavior
- Irritability
- Agitation
- Hostility
- Aggression
- Hyperactive
- Suicidal thoughts
Eric Harris, perpetrator of the 1999 Columbine school shooting tragedy in which 12 students were murdered and another 21 were injured was on Luvox.
Why are these drugs still on the market?
It seems a mystery, since the vast number of people would be happy to see these violent inducing drugs disappear forever.
But psychiatry maintains a fondness for these drugs and their unholy alliance with big pharmaceutical companies keep violent inducing drugs in production.
It is up to each of us to educate ourselves on the side effects of these drugs. There is often a medical reason behind a so-called mental disorder, and examination by a competent (not psychiatric) medical doctor can often trace back the problem to a physical cause.
Treatment with psychiatric drugs is very much playing Russian roulette with the lives of our loved ones.
SOURCES:
http://healthland.time.com/2011/01/07/top-ten-legal-drugs-linked-to-violence/
http://www.drugs.com/sfx/chantix-side-effects.html
http://www.drugs.com/sfx/prozac-side-effects.html
http://www.theroadback.org/paxilsideeffects.aspx
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm088676.pdf
http://www.baumhedlundlaw.com/drug-injury-press-releases/paxil-maker-held-liable-in-murder-suicide.php
http://www.drugwatch.com/prozac/lawsuit.php
http://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-1089/luvox+oral/details/list-sideeffects
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/MindMoodNews/adderall-psychosis-suicide-college-students-abuse-study-drug/story?id=12066619
http://www.drugs.com/mtm/luvox.html
RX Dangers
With the possible exception of Chantix, the other 4 drugs do have legitimate uses and are helpful for SOME people. The real problems are: 1. Many doctors (most psychotropics are prescribed by non-psychiatrists) and especially psychiatrists, are inadequately trained to effectively listen to the patient, and ask the appropriate follow up questions, especially for getting nuance and subtle indicators of suicidal and/or violent thoughts and behaviors; 2. Ditto for them not having sufficient time with the patient; 3. Ditto for often not having a complete past history; 4: Ditto for grossly inadequate follow up visits (in person, by phone, or telemedicine, and phone numbers to reach the doctor. After prescribing a new medicine, there should be brief but adequate follow up in 2 days, 4 days, and 1 week, and then more extensive follow up as needed every week for at least 1 to 2 months (longer if there are any indications of problems), and, with proper information and permission, involvement of a significant other. Bob Gale, MD, JD
I have a brother in Prison for killing his wife while on Cymbalta he still will tell me today it wasn’t him it was the medicine he can’t remember a lot of that day I will say even a few days later while in jail he wasn’t himself at all,I would love to get the right Lawyer,Doctor team to look at his case but they can’t seem to get past his actions that day,know of anyone who would be good for this type of situation?were in Indiana.Thanks
So very important for all of us….