The Bitter Pill

Green Mental Health Care Petition

Amy Philo — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:04:50 +0000

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/green-mental-health-care
From Genita Petralli:

Sign this petition to show your support in making non-toxic, non drug-centric Green Mental Health Care strategies the first course of action for today’s epidemic mental health conditions. Mental Health Care should be held to the ethical creed, “First, Do No Harm” and should be driven by positive patient outcomes!

Functional Medicine and many other respected bodies of medicine have established that over 90% of today’s mental health issues have an underlying PHYSICAL cause such as hypoglycemia, adrenal fatigue, thyroid disorders, allergies, toxic exposures, damage done by food chemicals, pesticides, and heavy metals, and many other assaults created by today’s over stimulating and toxic environment. None of these conditions nor the root cause of a person’s symptoms that earn them diagnostic labels such as ADD/HD, depression, anxiety, OCD, bipolar, schizophrenic are explored and treated. Instead, toxic assault in the guise of medicine is used 99 out of 100 times a person visits a psychiatrist and many times that diagnosis and prescription is determined in just 30 minutes or less!

For every mental health symptom plaguing our society today there are many Green, non-toxic approaches that have been proven to be far more effective (superior patient outcomes) at a fraction of the cost.
By signing this petition you express your support in our public medical practices ensuring that all non-toxic, and non-invasive mental health strategies are exhausted before life threatening and debilitating drugs are considered. And that the patient must sign an “informed consent” acknowledging that they have been advised as to the documented negative side effects, diseases and deaths the drug is associated with so that the person may truly consider committing to a Green Mental Health Strategy before accepting the risks involved with psychotropic drugs.

Psychiatric Drugs are associated with:

- Every mass school shooting
- Suicide
- Domestic Violence
- Violent Crimes
- Increased incarcerations
- Increased emergency room visits and hospitalizations
- Costly county support services for those debilitated by the drugs
- Car accidents
- Obesity, diabetes, cancer, aneurisms, stroke, heart attack, degenerative disease, birth defects, anxiety, depression, fatigue, panic, fear, loss of quality of life, drug withdrawal syndrome to name just a few and a documented early mortality rate of 25 years.

This pseudo medical model is costing tax payers billions of dollars yearly and is not producing positive patient outcomes. You have to get off drugs to get well. It is a for-profit treatment for life business model, not a consumer, curative patient outcome business model.

The government continues to pour billions of dollars into this treatment methodology without requesting and monitoring performance criteria. If the model worked, there would be less people in the system yearly. Not hundreds of thousands more.

DARE TO SAY NO TO DRUGS! Sign this petition to show your support for non-toxic, evidence based Green Mental Health Care therapies being the first strategy for mental illness.

This includes but is not limited to those systems that have now proven themselves in 3 counties:

- Laboratory testing of the major neuroendocrine systems responsible for mental health
- Laboratory testing for toxic exposures to pesticides, food chemicals etc…
- Education regarding toxic exposures in food chemicals such as Aspartame, MSG and over 1500 others
- Allergy testing
- Identification of toxic exposures and detoxification strategies such as chelation therapies and other aggressive detoxification strategies for pesticide accumulation
- Expert counseling – psychology and life practice coaching systems such as Integral Life Practice and Integral Recovery – proven effective counseling should be provided at every stage of a person’s healing journey
- Spiritual development

- Meditation
- Community participation
- Career development and guidance
- Nutritional education
- Nutritional supplementation – targeted nutritional therapies proven to alleviate and dismiss symptoms
- Exercise

- Tai Chi, Qi Qong, Yoga
- EFT, NLP, Biofeedback, HeartMath
- Acupuncture
- Chiropractic
- Discontinuance of treating drug addiction with legal drugs, usually the legal synthetic versions of the very same illegal drug they were using. It is criminal to give addictive drugs to a person that has demonstrated any level of propensity for addictive substances. This is bold face profiteering from an easy market!

There are many, many more adjuvant therapies to elimination of toxic substances, good nutrition, sunlight, water, detoxification, and exercise that are not listed here but have proven to be valuable in achieving full recovery from mental health conditions and it is the responsibility of our government to use tax payer money to offer and provide those services in the public health sector that do not pose health risks and possible death and instead provide solutions known to increase quality of life and success rates.

It is imperative that we refocus mental health strategies away from mind-numbing, disease and death causing methodologies as the pharmaceutical companies are acquiring so much power in our government that US citizens are now being force drugged- including our children. As soon as the people began educating themselves and turning away from psych drugs, the drug companies targeted children- especially foster children, pregnant women, and the elderly in convalescent homes whom they feel society is least concerned about. These populations are now facing forced and coerced drugging meaning that human rights such as education and other medical services are being denied if they do not comply. Other people that want to get off are being threatened by their doctors with hospital admission- psychiatric incarceration. Parents are losing their children to foster home and being charged for medical neglect and child endangerment for refusing to give thier children psychiatric drugs that have been linked to child suicide, diabetes, sudden death, obesity and violence.

Sign the petition to help us show congress that the American people want non-toxic medical care to be our first option and have those options provided in our public medical health care facilities and community services.

Remember, medical practice and philosophy is supposed to be rooted in “First, Do No Harm”! Bring the Care back in Mental Health Care – say no to Pharma profits and medical regulations and YES to Green Mental Health Care for all citizens!

We will seek congressional support for this change and are currently drafting a Green Mental Health Care Bill. Your signature will be used to show your support for that Bill which will embody what is expressed in this petition.

Shine, brothers and sisters, SHINE!
Genita Petralli H.H.P., N.C., M.H.

Posted in pharmacology Tagged: Green Body and Mind, Green Mental Health Care Bill

Psychiatrist Dr. Grace Jackson Comments on Detoxing from Antidepressants & Pregnancy Exposure, Damage to DNA/Eggs

Amy Philo — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:51:32 +0000

Psychiatrist Dr. Grace Jackson Comments on Detoxing from Antidepressants & Pregnancy Exposure, Damage to DNA/Eggs

Check out our latest informative article on BREATH, the official MADNAP Blog.

Amy

Posted in antidepressants, Pregnancy Tagged: acute withdrawal, detoxing, Dr. Grace Jackson, Drug Induced Dementia - A Perfect Crime, Effexor, eggs, intermediate withdrawal, long term, miscarriage, Pregnancy

HeART Auction Update 1: eBay Link

Amy Philo — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:55:31 +0000

The HeART Auction has been launched! It is now up and running here: http://myworld.ebay.com/iowajulz/
To donate items to this auction please email give2manie@yahoo.com.

Posted in antidepressants, antidepressants during pregnancy, artist, artwork, baby, bigpharmavictim, Birth Defects, birth defects caused by antidepressant, birth defects lawsuits, heart defects, Julie Edgington, Manie, Manie Life stories, manie's dad, Paxil birth defects trial, Paxil in pregnancy, paxil manie, Pregnancy, works of art Tagged: HeART Auction, heart defect, Julie Edgington, Manie, Paxil, Paxil birth defect

HeART Auction: Art Auction for Paxil Heart Defect Victims

Amy Philo — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:16:11 +0000

UPDATE – AUCTION HERE: http://myworld.ebay.com/iowajulz/

Attention Art Lovers!

You may know the story of Manie, the baby born with Transposition of the Great Arteries (video link – see also: footage of Manie crying after his air tube was removed – mom unable to hold him as a newborn - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHuCMcnihj8). The family has a case pending against GSK for Manie’s heart defect caused by Paxil, a case which is not moving quickly… and medical travel expenses for Manie are hitting the family hard.

Currently dad Russell is looking for work and Julie is unable to work due to caring for Manie and her other kids. The family is now auctioning off some of their artwork. Check back for updates and additional photos, paintings, and other artwork being submitted for auction.

Ten percent of the sales will be donated back to the UNITE / MADNAP cause for public awareness to help save other babies. For more information on how we utilize donations send an email to amy@uniteforlife.org.

To donate commissioned artwork or other goods to this auction, contact Julie & Russell at give2manie@yahoo.com.

We welcome artwork by children or adults, professional or not. Any other items you would like to donate to the family for an auction, as well as direct monetary donations, are appreciated. The auction will most likely run on eBay through December 25.

Here are some samples of the amazing artwork by Julie & Russell (stay tuned for updates):

Who’s America

http://wp.me/phViU-vK

Tattoo

http://wp.me/shViU-tattoo

My Nightmare by Julie

http://wp.me/phViU-vI

Heart of Gold by Russell and Julie

http://wp.me/phViU-vH

Posted in antidepressants, bigpharmavictim, birth defects caused by antidepressant, birth defects lawsuits, brave kids, Julie, Julie Edgington, life stories, Manie, Manie Life stories, manie's dad, Manie's Family, Manie's parents, Pregnancy Tagged: artwork, Auction, Heart of Gold, Julie Edgington, Manie, My Nightmare, Russell, Tattoo, Who's America

New Poll: Vote for or against HR 3962!

Amy Philo — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:48:00 +0000

Go to the UNITE website and participate in the polls on the right side of the page. A new poll asks if you think the House should pass the new health care bill that is scheduled for a vote on Saturday. Scroll to the bottom.

The U.S. House should pass health care bill HR 3962 containing The MOTHERS Act.

No

Yes

Posted in antidepressants, Congress, Melanie Stokes, mothers act, Pregnancy Tagged: HR 3962

Reps Should Remove Dangerous Psycho-Pharma Agenda From House Health Bill

Amy Philo — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:45:56 +0000

I have taken the information provided in the previous post regarding the new House Health Care bill, and put it in a printable fax. There is also a link to the MOTHERS Act information on this website inserted into the fax. Please take action ASAP.

Here is a link to a printable PDF to sign, address and fax to your representative: http://www.box.net/shared/g66igsuuvx

If you do not have a PDF reader installed you can download this Word document: http://www.box.net/shared/131md0mxdo

Re: The MOTHERS Act – If you also wish to fax in information on that bill specifically, the PDF is here: http://www.box.net/shared/810kj0b8g7

To find your Representative and get their contact information, go to http://www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/congdir.tt to look them up (you need to enter your zip code). You can also call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.

Posted in Congress Tagged: Health Care, House bill, mothers act, Reps Should Remove Dangerous Psycho-Pharma Agenda From House Health Bill

URGENT: New House Health Care Bill Contains MOTHERS Act and Other Dangerous Psych Programs

Amy Philo — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:15:09 +0000

The MOTHERS Act is in the recently introduced House Health Care bill. We need people to start faxing and calling your representatives NOW as a vote is scheduled for Saturday. Call, fax, or email immediately. Make sure your representative knows to vote NO on HR 3962. See below for information on this and other provisions of the bill. Here is a link to a printable PDF to sign, address and fax to your representative: http://www.box.net/shared/g66igsuuvx

If you do not have a PDF reader installed you can download this Word document: http://www.box.net/shared/131md0mxdo

Re: The MOTHERS Act – If you also wish to fax in information on that bill specifically, the PDF is here: http://www.box.net/shared/810kj0b8g7

New Health Care Bill Drafted by House of Representatives Filled with Psycho/Pharma Industry Agenda

Information: The newly-forged 1990-page “Affordable Health Care for America Act” (HR 3962) offered by the House of Representatives is filled with mental health provisions intended to prop up psychiatry as well as the pharmaceutical industry with billions in future income. Key mental health components of this House bill:

MOTHERS Act
The bill includes the language of the MOTHERS Act, to “expand treatment for postpartum conditions” and calls for the development of “improved screening and diagnostic techniques,” but makes no provisions to ensure any entities doing such research are free from conflicts of interest or pharmaceutical funding. For example, Screening for Mental Health, Inc., and its sub-organization Signs of Suicide, who heavily promote and conduct mental health screening, received $4,985,925 from pharmaceutical companies prior to 2008, and ten leading psychiatric researchers have been exposed in the last year for failing to disclose millions of dollars in pharmaceutical payments. Yet this bill contains no provisions for full disclosure of conflicts of interest for any “entity” that could receive federal taxpayer funded grants, do research or promotional campaigns – such as the provision in the bill calling for a national PR campaign using TV, radio public and other public service announcements to urge women be screened and seek treatment for postpartum depression. The bill also calls for “clinical research” for the development of new treatments (drugs), but again, no guidelines for ensuring that any researchers/research entities are free from pharmaceutical funding or conflicts of interest. Section 2529, Page 1418

Mental Health Parity
The bill mandates Mental Health Parity, or equal insurance coverage for mental disorders as what are covered for physical diseases, whether under their regular health insurance or whether a person gets their new coverage through the Health Insurance Exchange. Psychiatric patients are traditionally “cured” when their insurance benefits run out. In this bill, those benefits never run out. Considering there are no medical tests to verify the existence of any psychiatric disorder, and without anything other than a psychiatrist’s opinion about whether or not the person’s “illness” is “cured,” this legislation becomes nothing more than taxpayer funded billions to the psycho/pharmaceutical industry who will continue their jihad of mass drugging of Americans. This provision could easily encompass all 374 diagnoses in psychiatry’s diagnostic manual, covering everything from Phase of Life Problem to Arithmetic Disorder. Section 214, Page 100

Home Visitation Programs for Families with Young Children or Families Expecting Children
The bill creates a home visitation program for families with young children or which are expecting children or who have certain “risk factors.” The program provides assessments regarding matters of “age appropriate behaviors,” for children, prevention of family violence and referral to outside services. – Section 1904, Page 1177

School Based Health Clinics
The bill includes funding for School Based Health Clinics that will include subjective psychiatric mental health screening (called mental health assessments) of children, and “referral to a continuum of services including emergency psychiatric care, community support programs, inpatient care, and outpatient programs” as part of their “comprehensive primary health services.” This is a direct feeder line for the psycho/pharmaceutical industry directly into our schools. – Section 2511, Page 1352

Wellness Program Grants for small employers
The grants in the bill serve as an incentive for employers to include “mental health” as part of the Wellness Program Grants to businesses. Part of the program entails a “Behavioral Change Component” that encourages “healthy living through counseling” and may include programs relating to “tobacco use, obesity, stress management, depression and mental health.” – Section 112, Page 67

Federally Qualified Behavioral Health Centers
The bill creates new “Federally Qualified Behavioral Health Centers” and in order for existing community mental health centers to qualify, they have to provide, among other things, “mental health screening, assessment, and diagnosis,” as well as “outpatient clinic mental health services, including screening, assessment, diagnosis, psychotherapy and medication,” in addition to “crisis mental health services including 24-hour mobile crisis teams.” - Section 2513, Page 1367

Your voice needs to be heard in Washington on this outrageous bill. Call, fax, or email your Representative and tell them that you are opposed to the above points in the Health Care Reform bill. To find your Representative and get their contact information, go to http://www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/congdir.tt to look them up (you need to enter your zip code). You can also call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.

Posted in pharmacology

Minnesota Congresswoman Introduces Bill to Deny Pfizer & Other Criminals Federal Funding

Amy Philo — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 08:23:09 +0000

Via Pharmalot:

http://www.pharmalot.com/2009/10/congresswoman-deny-pfizer-any-federal-funding

Congresswoman: Deny Pfizer Any Federal Funding

By Ed Silverman // October 19th, 2009 // 5:24 pm

Now that Pfizer agreed to pay $2.3 billion for illegally marketing several drugs, including Bextra, Zyvox, Geodon and Lyrica, over several years, one Congresswoman wants to punish stop such behavior – at least among those that do business with the federal government (background is here).

And so Betty McCollum, a Democrat from Minnesota, has introduced a bill that prohibits companies with a felony conviction from receiving any federal funding for five years after a conviction; prohibits corporate felons from making federal campaign contributions for five years, and limits the lobbying the corporation can do during that period to $1 million.

She calls her legislation the ACORN Act, or Against Corporations Organizing to Rip-off the Nation Act of 2009. Why? A significant target of recent Congressional action is the better-known ACORN, a non-profit that trains and advocates for poor and working-class Americans. Over the past 15 years, ACORN has received $53 million in federal funds. By contrast, Pfizer won $73 million in federal contracts in 2007, as The Nation notes, but has largely escaped Congressional wrath.

In her view, corporate felons rip-off taxpayers, shower contributions on congress and continue to cash in on federal contracts. So she wants to ‘defund corporate cooks.’ And she singles out Pfizer. In her bill, the section listing ‘Additional Definitions’ notes that any company “includes Pfizer, Pharmacia & Upjohn Company Inc. and any Pfizer-related affiliate.” And the bill specifically mentions any felony of the Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act as an example of a felony violation by a company. Hint, hint.

“Why are companies that break the law as a business strategy allowed to receive taxpayer funds?” McCollum tells the mag. “A government contract is a privilege, not a right. If a company commits a felony against the people of the United States, then that privilege must end.”

Posted in Pfizer Tagged: ACORN Act, Betty McCollum, Deny Pfizer Any Federal Funding, Ed Silverman, Pharmalot

Go Vote for Natural News in Four Blogger’s Choice Categories!

Amy Philo — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 07:41:39 +0000

Please take a few minutes to go to the Blogger’s Choice awards and vote for Natural News. I’m proud to recommend this site to you because they have the best information on so many topics from cancer & depression to vaccines, swine flu, emergency preparedness, health care legislation, childbirth, breastfeeding and green living.

I nominated them for four categories:

Best Blog of All Time

Best Health Blog

Best Podcast

Best Video Blogger

In case you need evidence to support voting in these categories, I suggest visiting their site and looking at the current articles. Mike Adams’s Don’t Inject Me video even made it into the national news media. I have many friends into natural health and one practitioner in particular told me that she tells her staff, if I am ever unreachable, and you have a question, just go to Natural News and look it up. I can’t think of a better endorsement than that.

Posted in Natural News Tagged: best blog of all time, best health blog, best podcast, best video blogger, Blogger's Choice Awards, Natural News, swine flu

GSK and KOL’s Monster Mash

Amy Philo — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 05:53:16 +0000

Happy Early Halloween from Fiddy.

Awesome video please check it out.

http://fiddaman.blogspot.com/2009/10/gsk-and-kols-monster-mash.html

Posted in pharmacology Tagged: Alistair Benbow, Andrew Witty, Biederman, electroshock, Fiddy, frightening, Glaxo Smith Kline, GSK, halloween, Happy Halloween, Joseph Biederman, JP Garnier, Martin Keller, psychiatrists, scary

Kilker v. GSK Documents Available for Download

Amy Philo — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:36:45 +0000

Sadly I have not had the chance to read all of these yet so I can’t tell you what’s in them but according to Fiddy it’s some pretty amazing stuff. I encourage you to download and read the documents in the Kilker v. GSK trial in which the jury found GSK guilty and ordered a $2.5 million verdict for the heart defect they caused that poor little boy.

Download here.

Posted in antidepressants, drug "safety", mothers act, Paxil in pregnancy, Pregnancy Tagged: Birth Defects, guilty, heart defects, Kilker v. Glaxo Smith Kline, Kilker v. GSK, lawsuits

Ron Paul’s Parental Consent Act of 2009: Contact Your Reps!

Amy Philo — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 09:27:36 +0000

Please contact your Representative in Congress and ask them to sponsor H.R. 2218, The Parental Consent Act of 2009.

Here is a link to the bill text: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-2218

Here is a great article by Dr. John Breeding explaining the background of the bill and the Bush Administration’s “New Freedom Commission on Mental Health” which Dr. Breeding appropriately coins the “No Freedom” commission.

To take action against specific Orwellian psychiatric programs included in recent versions of the Federal Health legislation, see this link:

Senate Nixes Public Disclosure of Revised Health Care Language – Take Action.

For more background on some of the bills now coming up in Congress to fulfill the goals of the “Freedom Commission” see:

http://tinyurl.com/BillionsPsych

http://tinyurl.com/ykqy8e2

Posted in Barack Obama, Bush Family, Congress, Freedom Commission on Mental Health, The Future of The United States Tagged: Barack Obama, Bush, Dr. John Breeding, Federal Health Care Bill Calls for Billions in Orwellian Psych Programs and Treatments, John McCain, mental health, New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, No Freedom Commission, Parental Consent Act of 2009, Parental Rights, Ron Paul

Reports on Intra-Uterine Death, Umbilical Cord Problems; Preventing Infant Deaths

Amy Philo — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 23:12:49 +0000

Please go here http://wp.me/phViM-3u for updates on our MADNAP blog BREATH on ways to prevent threatened miscarriage and to reduce the chances of problems with umbilical cord abnormalities and placenta problems, and to reduce intra-uterine deaths.

Posted in pharmacology

October 15 is Infant and Child Death Awareness and Prevention Day

Amy Philo — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 05:51:27 +0000

As October 15 approaches (next Thursday) I want to ask all readers, what are you specifically doing to help save a baby’s life? Regular readers of this blog know the problems caused by psychiatric drugs but new readers may not know of all the risks. Aside from the risk of birth defects with antidepressants we have babies dying in utero or being stillborn or miscarried about twice as often as babies not exposed to antidepressants. Here is a stillbirth article from 2006, you can find others if you do a google search: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4886762.stm

I hope everyone will think of something that they can do over the next week to honor these babies, and either complete it by October 15 or start on October 15. You have the power to make a difference and save a baby’s life and save a family from tragedy.

For those who have lost children, The MISS Foundation is a wonderful source of support. Please consider donating to The MISS Foundation to support their efforts in advocacy, research, and education to reduce infant and child mortality.

October 15th is Infant and Child Death Awareness and Prevention Day. We honor all the children who died too soon, and the families who suffer in their absence. Together, we heal and transcend our place in the world…

The MISS Foundation provides crisis support and long term aid to families after the death of a child.

The following video covers Dr. Joanne Cacciatore’s advocacy through The MISS Foundation in successfully passing The Missing Angels Bill into law in many states. This law allows grieving parents to have a certificate of birth resulting in a stillbirth, not simply death certificates for their babies.

Her goal is to have every state pass such a law. If you can share this with your state legislators please do so. For more information on the status of this campaign throughout the U.S., go to http://www.missingangelsbill.org/

The Missing Angels Bill in Tennessee needs your support. Go here for a one click form to send yours in!: http://www.missingangelsbill.org/support.php?se_id=26

Posted in pharmacology Tagged: Infant and Child Death Awareness and Prevention Day, MISS Foundation, Missing Angels Bill, October 15

Fred A. Baughman Jr., MD Announces: Vets’ Sudden Cardiac Deaths Are Not Suicides or Overdoses

Amy Philo — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:14:42 +0000

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fred-a-baughman-jr-md-announces-vets-sudden-cardiac-deaths-are-not-suicides-or-overdoses-61912097.html

EL CAJON, Calif., May 19 /PRNewswire/ — Fred A. Baughman Jr., MD today announced the results of his research into the “series” of veterans’ deaths acknowledged by the Surgeon General of the Army.

Upon reading the May 24, 2008, Charleston (WV) Gazette article “Vets taking Post Traumatic Stress Disorder drugs die in sleep,” Baughman began to investigate why these reported deaths were “different.” And, why they were likely, the “tip of an iceberg.”

Andrew White, Eric Layne, Nicholas Endicott and Derek Johnson were four West Virginia veterans who died in their sleep in early 2008. Baughman’s research suggests that they did not commit suicide and did not overdose as suggested by the military. All were diagnosed with PTSD. All seemed “normal” when they went to bed. And, all were on Klonopin (a benzodiazepine), Paxil (an SSRI antidepressant) and Seroquel (an antipsychotic).

On January 15, 2009, the New England Journal of Medicine (Ray et al), reported that antipsychotics double the risk of sudden cardiac death.

On February 7, 2008, Surgeon General Eric B. Schoomaker, said there has been “a series of deaths in Warrior Training Units” — “often as a consequence of the use of multiple prescription and nonprescription medicines and alcohol … we all saw the unfortunate death of Heath Ledger, the ‘Brokeback Mountain’ star, who died from an accidental overdose.”

But Ledger was not on any heart-toxic medication. When found, his pulse and respirations were intact! When found, none of the veterans were breathing or had pulse. There’s, most likely, were sudden cardiac deaths!

Sudden cardiac death is an unexpected death due to cardiac causes occurring in a short time period (generally within 1 h of symptom onset) in a person with known or unknown cardiac disease in whom no previously diagnosed fatal condition is apparent. (Medscape e-Medicine 7/17/06)

As of April 16, 2009, veteran’s wife, Diane Vande Burgt, had Googled 19 “dead in bed,” 36 “dead in barracks,” or “… room,” and 19 “under investigation.” Removing reported “suicides” shortened our original list by 15 names leaving a total of 74 probable sudden cardiac deaths – most in soldiers or veterans in their 20’s. An article from the AP, San Antonio, 4/17/09, reported “The deaths of two soldiers are being investigated … both men apparently died in their sleep.”

It was reported in June, 2008, that 89% of veterans with PTSD are given antidepressants and 34% antipsychotics (Mohamed & Rosenheck, June 2008). A third, then, are exposed to the additive potential of both to cause sudden cardiac death. (Sicouri & Antzelevitch, 2008)

On April 13, 2009, Baughman wrote the Office of the Surgeon General of the Army: “the Surgeon General said there has been ‘a series, a sequence of deaths’ Has the study of these deaths been published?

On April 17, 2009, the response came: “The assessment is still pending and has not been released yet.”

There being no such thing as an essential psychiatric drug, I call upon the military for an immediate embargo of all antipsychotics and antidepressants until there has been a complete, wholly public, clarification of the extent and causes of this epidemic of probable sudden cardiac deaths.

For more information, please email Fred A. Baughman Jr., MD at fabjrmd@cox.net.

SOURCE Fred A. Baughman Jr., MD
Posted in toxicity deaths Tagged: military, sudden deaths

Intrauterine Death of Baby Schultz

Amy Philo — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:42:15 +0000

Baby Schultz, originally uploaded by MADNAP.

Effexor suspected in recent intrauterine death of Baby Schultz. http://twohours.wordpress.com/2009/10/06/devastated/
Posted in antidepressants, Congress, mothers act, pharmacology, PPD, Pregnancy Tagged: Amery, Christiane, intrauterine death of Baby Schultz, Schultz

Zoloft Frequently Causes Heart Defects in Babies: BMJ

Amy Philo — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:41:31 +0000

Another study (this time in the BMJ) finds an increased risk in heart defects, the severity of the risk depending on which SSRI you took. I see no mention of Paxil, which is curious in and of itself. (See: Paxil more powerful teratogen than Cocaine, court documents from the first Paxil birth defect trial, and other related articles concerning this trial on the Seroxat Sufferers blog. By the way, thanks to Fiddy for embedding our @pledgie “Stop Preventable Infant Deaths and Birth Defects” link!)

Also they seem anxious to let other birth defects off the hook and to regard not using SSRIs as not getting treatment. That’s ridiculous considering antidepressants can barely be considered to work at all and that they can actually make you worse and induce violence. How well do they work when your baby dies because of them? Are you supposed to feel happy if you keep taking your drugs?

This study seems to indicate that “about two” babies per 250 women who took an SSRI were born with a heart defect. I assume (though I haven’t read the study yet) that nobody looked at the heart defects leading to abortions or that they were not thinking about the babies who had so many other defects that they died in utero or after birth from some sort of “syndrome.” Probably like in other studies they would have excluded those babies with genetic problems that were linked to heart defects and multiple other defects, without considering if the rate of genetic defects was higher in the SSRI exposed group. If you don’t count all the miscarried babies either and you try to look at each individual type of heart defect and birth defect separately you can pretend the risk is small. But if you group all the risks together the supposed benefit pales in comparison to the risk. We know that antidepressants usually work about as well as a placebo (about one third of people showing mild improvement). But we also know that one third of women who expose their babies to antidepressants have a baby who is born early or underweight, who has seizures, or who dies (“women who take SSRIs have an increased risk of giving birth to a fetus who dies, having a premature delivery, giving birth to an underweight baby, and delivering babies who experience seizures. According to the study almost one-third of women on SSRIs experienced at least one of the complications”). So think about all the risks you would be exposing your baby to and then ask yourself if that’s depressing.

According to just this study, on average about two out of every 250 women taking SSRIs had a baby with a heart defect, compared to about one out of 250 who did not take SSRIs. But the same study said that the risk was more than three times higher with Zoloft than the non-exposed group, more than doubled with Celexa, and almost five times higher with more than one SSRI.

“Sertraline more than tripled the risk, while citalopram more than doubled it. Using more than one SSRI nearly quintupled the risk of the heart defect.”

According to the drug label, 1/100 to 1/1000 is an “infrequent” event, and fewer than 1/1000 is a “rare” event. “Frequent” means it occurs in at least 1/100 patients or more.

Two out of 250 is the same as .8 people per 100, or .008. That’s pretty close to bordering on the drug companies’ version of “frequent.” It’s definitely not in the rare category. But with Sertraline (Zoloft) it would be .012 or 1.2 babies per 100 babies, well into the frequent reaction zone. This is just one study and it’s hard to say without having read the whole thing how they came up with their results or what type of heart defect they looked at. I will update more later as I have time to do more research.

To see reports to the FDA of birth defects and deaths with psychiatric drug exposure go here: http://www.cchrint.org/psychdrugdangers/MothersAct.html

See Dr. Tracy’s commentary on the drugawareness.org website here.

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE58O39F20090925

Antidepressants in pregnancy up heart defect risk

Fri Sep 25, 2009 9:58am EDT

By Anthony J. Brown, MD

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – If you take antidepressants such as fluoxetine (marketed as Prozac) early in your pregnancy, you may be doubling the risk that your newborn will be born with a heart defect, according to a new study.

However, the vast majority of children born to women who take such antidepressants – known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) – do not have such defects, the researchers are quick to note.

Earlier studies have tied SSRIs during pregnancy to heart defects, but also to even more serious birth defects. According to the new study of nearly half a million children born in Denmark between 1996 and 2003, however, only heart defects are likely to be associated with the antidepressants, note co-author Dr. Lars Henning Pedersen, from Aarhus University, Denmark, and colleagues.

Along with fluoxetine, sertraline (marketed as Zoloft) and citalopram (marketed as Celexa) seemed to increase the risk more than others, as did using more than one antidepressant at a time, according to the report in the September 25th Online First issue of BMJ.

Overall, SSRI use in early pregnancy, defined as 28 days before to 112 days after conception, doubled the risk of a particular kind of heart defect involving a piece of tissue that separates parts of the heart.

Sertraline more than tripled the risk, while citalopram more than doubled it. Using more than one SSRI nearly quintupled the risk of the heart defect.

However, the number of children born with such defects was still quite small: For about every 250 pregnant women who did not take SSRIs, one infant was born with the defect, while about two were born with the defect for every 250 women who took one SSRI, and four for every 200 mothers who took more than one.

Pedersen told Reuters Health that the results surprised the team.

Still, in an accompanying editorial, Dr. Christina Chambers, from the University of California, San Diego, comments that doctors and patients “need to balance the small risks associated with SSRIs against those associated with undertreatment or no treatment.”

SOURCE: BMJ, online September 25, 2009.
Posted in antidepressants, Congress, Melanie Stokes, mothers act, pharmacology, PPD, Pregnancy, suicide Tagged: antidepressant, British Medical Journal, Celexa, citalopram, Danish, exposure, fluoxetine, heart defects, Prozac, sertraline, SSRI, SSRIs, Zoloft

Senate Nixes Public Disclosure of Revised Health Care Language: Take Action

Amy Philo — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 05:23:09 +0000

As revisions to the Health Care bill have been taking place, the Finance Committee has decided against posting the full text online. Apparently some members of this committee have not even read the final version that they will vote on. Protest the Senate Finance Committee voting on a mysterious health bill that they may not have even read and that they are not allowing the public to read. According to the Finance Committee website, they will get back to work with this Health Care bill again on Tuesday.

Fax this: http://bit.ly/yWbk1 to members of the Finance Committee: http://bit.ly/1b2GX.

Find other Senators on this list http://bit.ly/44KkNP.

Background: See archive of WSJ article here.

Senate Panel Nixes Posting Health Bill Online

WASHINGTON — The Senate Finance Committee opened a second day of debate on health-care legislation, tangling Wednesday over whether the full bill should be made available online before the panel votes on it.

The committee has a “conceptual” version of the health-care bill posted on its Web site, rather than a full legislative text of the bill. Compiling the complex language with amendments into a bill and consequently receiving an official cost estimate would take weeks, according to the committee’s chairman, Sen. Max Baucus.

By a 12-11 vote, the committee defeated a Republican amendment that would have required it to post the full bill at least 72 hours before it votes on whether to approve the measure.

The committee slogged through nearly two hours of debate on the amendment, which was offered by Sen. Jim Bunning (R., Ky.). Republicans argued that the amendment would make the committee’s process on the complicated legislation more transparent.

“It would seem crazy to most people that we vote on something when we didn’t see the legislative language,” Mr. Bunning said. “Well, they’d be right. It is crazy.”

Democrats countered that a conceptual, “plain English” version of the bill does a better job of explaining what the bill would do.

“Let’s be honest about it,” said Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts. “Legislative language is relatively arcane, very legalistic, and most people don’t read the legislative language.”

Mr. Baucus, a Montana Democrat, warned that the amendment could delay the bill’s passage by two to three weeks, which accounts for time needed for the technical work of adding amendments to the bill. Mr. Baucus also argued that the committee had taken unprecedented steps to provide information on the bill, such as posting proposed amendments to the bill to its Web site two days before the committee took up the measure.

He offered a modified version of the amendment that would require the committee to post the conceptual version of the bill online ahead of a committee vote as well as a preliminary cost estimate from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, but Mr. Bunning said that it wouldn’t provide enough information. Mr. Baucus’s version of the amendment was approved by a party-line 13-10 vote.

Only one Democrat — Sen. Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas — voted for Mr. Bunning’s version of the amendment.

Posted in Congress Tagged: "health" care reform, Baucus, Orwellian, programs, Protest Mysterious Health Care Bill, psych, psychiatric drugs, psychiatry, Senate Finance Committee, Senate Nixes Posting Health Bill Online, U.S. Senate, WSJ

FDA to Address Online Drug Content

Amy Philo — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 20:31:19 +0000

Hey maybe they can go after all the front group drug pushing as well… and the paid consultants and bloggers. Maybe the FDA should go after the New Jersey PPD website. Ya think? My would they have their hands full if they were to try to rope in all the highly compensated / conflicted drug pushers out there…

Wall Street Journal

September 22, 2009, 2:11 PM ET

What Google and Facebook Have to Do With the FDA

It looks like the FDA is finally moving toward clarifying what’s long been a gray area for drug and device makers: How to deal with the Internet.

At a public hearing in November, the agency will try to hash out tricky subjects like what companies should do about reports of drug side effects appearing online, and how/whether companies should deal with wrong or misleading information that shows up on the Internet. Some companies try to correct information on sites like Wikipedia; others stay out of the fray, for fear of being on the hook for correcting everything once they start wading in.

The hearing will also look at how rules for presenting balanced information apply to online ads and social networking sites. An overview of the hearing was published yesterday in the Federal Register, and it was picked up by the FDA Law Blog and NPR’s Health Blog.

It’s been clear for a while now that the Obama-era FDA isn’t copascetic with the online business as usual. In April, the agency sent warning letters to 14 drug companies over text ads that came up on Google searches and, the agency said, failed to include information about drug risks. Recipients of the letters included big names like Pfizer, Merck and Johnson & Johnson.

And in May, the FDA warned J&J that a video ad for its pain drug Ultram ER didn’t pay enough attention to the risks of the drug. The company told the WSJ it had removed the ad and would respond to the FDA.

http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2009/09/22/what-google-and-facebook-have-to-do-with-the-fda/tab/print/
Posted in pharmacology

Killing of Pro-Life Activist May Be Related to Psychiatric Drugs

Amy Philo — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 19:26:18 +0000

This just in from the moderator of SSRI Stories:

http://www.ssristories.com/show.php?item=3626

Paragraph two reads: “The man charged with murdering two people in Owosso was battling depression and was experiencing problems with his medication.“

Paragraph seven reads: “Drake is now back in jail after being taken to the hospital over the weekend after a suicide attempt in his cell.”

http://www.wilx.com/news/headlines/59342982.html

Posted: 12:48 PM Sep 15, 2009
Murder Suspect’s Family Speaks

The family of Harlan Drake, the man charged with murdering two people in Owosso, releases a statement about Friday’s killings.

The man charged with murdering two people in Owosso was battling depression and was experiencing problems with his medication.

That’s according to a statement released by Harlan Drake’s family.

His wife, mother and brother also don’t believe the killings were in response to any grudges Drake may have had.

“We do not feel these tragic killings were premeditated, a political statement regarding pro-life or pro-abortion factions, or out of a grudge. We have been overwhelmed by sadness and emotion as we try to understand what happened and why.”

Drake is charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of James Pouillon and Mike Fuoss.

He was arrested at his home shortly after the killings Friday morning.

Investigators say he was also planning on killing a third person.

Drake is now back in jail after being taken to the hospital over the weekend after a suicide attempt in his cell.

A service for Mike Fuoss was held in Owosso Tuesday morning. He was then taken to Chelsea to be buried.

James pouillon was cremated Monday after a private funeral service–however, there will be a public memorial for him at Owosso’s football stadium, at 1pm Wednesday.

That’s Willman Field, on the corner of S. Dewey and Grover street.

Posted in antidepressants, shootings, violence Tagged: anti-abortion, antidepressants, Harlan Drake, Joseph Poullion, no motive, pro-life, suicide attempt