Millie Kieve's Adverse Psychiatric Reactions APRILcharity blog

Relieving Emotional Stress with Robert Whitaker, Bob Johnson, Sami Timimi

2011-11-22T08:14:00.000-08:00

conference NOT TO MISS -this Saturday in London

“RELIEVING EMOTIONAL DISTRESS – WHAT’S WRONG, WHAT’S NEEDED.”
Keynote speaker Robert Whitaker author of Mad in America
Saturday 26th November 2011

Friends House, 173 Euston Road, London NW1 9:30-5pm
further info, and to register, email : conf@jnf.org.uk

Robert Whitaker's most recent book is:
Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America, Crown, April 13, 2010, ISBN 9780307452412

Medicine side-effect can be suicide

2011-11-02T01:11:00.000-07:00

One may ask how can a Suicide Prevention Strategy not include the fact that medicines adverse side effect may be suicide. Data sheets prepared by the pharmaceutical manufacturers often contain warnings of risk of suicide. These can be viewed on the British Pharmaceutical Industries Electronic Medicines Compendium at www.medicines.org.uk

A recent analysis of patient reports to the UK medicines regulator (MHRA) showed almost as many reports of suicidal thoughts as a rash on the skin. I was involved in this evaluation and the final report is large and not easy to decipher. It is worth looking at to see the quotes taken from the Yellow Card reports that were analysed.

Dianette and depression was high on the list of reported adverse drug reactions (ADRs). I have been contacted by a journalist in Australia regarding a TV programme that is to highlight a suicide linked to this drug, known as Diane-35 in Australia.

I have submitted to the UK consultation for the Suicide Prevention Strategy and if you wish to write to the D of H the link is on the APRIL Home Page www.april.org.uk

My submission was supported by 6 Professors of Clinical Pharmacology and Psychiatry. I had a response - but then responses from the head of this strategy, Professor Louis Appleby have in the past been brush offs, or the comment to me in person " I will address the omission" led to the omission NOT being addressed.

However we shall see this time if he wakes up to the fact that covering up the high number of medication induced suicides by omission of this in the strategy, taints his reputation as possibly being far from being without conflict of interest.

Cancer prevention

2011-09-08T12:16:00.000-07:00

Today I was moved to write about Cancer prevention, why?
someone sent me a circulating email asking me to 'pray' to end cancer!

I think a lot more can be done before we 'pray'. I do not dispute Praying has its place but consider the following, supported by an article I just discovered in The Guardian by the excellent Health Editor, Sarah Boseley.

My tips for cancer prevention are as follows:
(these ways to reduce risk of cancer should be taught to all children)

WAYS TO REDUCE RISK OF CANCER

*Eating plenty of fresh raw fruit and vegetables (while campaigning to increase the supply of organic veg and a reduction in harmful chemical sprays)
*Reduce intake of preserved meat (additives for preservation are carcinogenic)
*Exercise by doing sports or dancing - at least walking daily (very important for children)
*Eat a brazil nut every day (trials are being carried out as it seems selenium - found in brazil nuts - reduces risk
*Eat lentils and pulses in healthy vegetarian meals instead of meat
*Do not smoke
*Do not stand by bonfires or eat barbequed food or food cooked a high temperatures (never eat burnt scorched food) carcinogenic Acrilamides are formed in these foods.
*Only eat smoked food ocassionally as smoked food is carcinogenic
*Keep intake of alcohol to minimum - never drink alcohol every day as this leads to dependency!
*Only use pharmaceutical drugs if absolutely necessary as many kinds of medication caused cancer in rats during clinical trials and may in long term use in humans. (Long term use of drugs is not included in clinical trial data and it takes years of use to find the lethal adverse effects of some drugs).
*Keep body weight at a sensible level for your size
*Limit salt intake
*protect yourself from too much sun.

BBC radio 4 - Face the Facts - PRESCRIBED ADDICTION - 27th & 31st July 2011 The "scandal" that has left up to 1.5 million people addicted to prescription drugs.

2011-07-27T00:12:00.000-07:00

The "scandal" that has left up to 1.5 million people addicted to prescription drugs.

Prescribed Addiction:

John Waite investigates the "scandal" that has left up to 1.5 million people addicted to drugs prescribed to them by their GPs. Experts in the field tell us that addicts to benzodiazepine tranquillizers, the most popular of which are diazepam and temazepam, far outnumber those addicted to illegal drugs. There's evidence that some family doctors are ignoring guidleines by prescribing the drugs for much longer than is recommended, while successive Governments are accused of turning a blind eye to the problem and offering little by way of treatment to the victims who want to withdraw.
Producer: Kathryn Takatsuki.
Broadcasts
Wed 27 Jul 2011  12:30  BBC Radio 4
Sun 31 Jul 2011  21:00  BBC Radio 4

Overprescribing antidepressants- hear psychiatrist Joanna Moncrieff on BBC radio4

2011-07-19T00:20:00.000-07:00

Antidepressants broadcast to hear - information below taken from BBC Woman's Hour web site - Dr Joanna Moncrieff who wrote the book "The Myth of the Chemical Cure" defends the fact that antidepressants are psychoactive drugs that may affect the way we think but do not solve our problems. No mention on this broadcast of the problems of withdrawal from the SSRI antidepressants. For Professor David Healy's SSRI withdrawal protocol email APRIL and we will send you a copy.

"A third of women have taken antidepressants at some point in their lives, according to a survey carried out by the women’s group Platform 51. And nearly half of women currently on antidepressants have been on them for five years or more. Are GPs too quick to prescribe tablets for depression? Once on them, how easy is it for women to stop? How regularly do patients need to be monitored by their GPs? And what are the alternatives to drugs? Jenni will be joined by Dr Joanna Moncrieff, a Psychiatrist at University College, London and Dr Clare Gerada, Chair of the Royal College of GPs."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b012krr5#synopsis

Available now on BBC iPlayer at the above link
Listen to the latest programme 

Everyday medicines can destroy lives, conference warns

2011-07-15T12:37:00.000-07:00

Review of the ADR conference. The patient experience section that APRIL
organised moved some people to tears as they heard real stories from real people and not just statistics on a PowerPoint presentation.

Adverse drug reactions: is the patient voice loud enough? London conference June 24

2011-06-14T16:03:00.000-07:00

WHO’S LISTENING TO PATIENTS?

One of the biggest under-reported health problems is adverse drug reactions
(ADRs), the harmful effects of the medicines our doctors prescribe for us.
These can range from unpleasant rashes all the way to suicide.

In 2008, the European Commission estimated that ADRS kill 197,000 citizens
of EU member states, at a cost of€79 billion. That same year, the
centre-left think-tank Compass reckoned that the NHS alone was spending
nearly £2 billion a year treating ADRs.

And for every patient affected, there is a family in crisis, thousands of
working days lost, collapsed businesses and relationship break-ups.

Drug safety is taken very seriously by drug regulators, but there is a
crucial gap in the chain. Does anyone really listen to the one person who is
really expert: the patient who is taking the drug? What happens when
patients do get a chance to report their own symptoms directly? And do we
really know how important the patient voice could be in improving drug
safety?

Come to a special one-day conference on Friday 24 June which will address
these issues – and brainstorm suggestions about how to make the future
safer.

ADRS: Is the patient voice loud enough?
The first International Conference on patient reporting of suspected Adverse
Drug Reactions

Friends House, Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ

PAY ONLY £20 AT THE DOOR ON THE DAY!

Among the speakers will be:
* real patients, telling their own stories
* top UK academics, talking about the first study of direct patient
reporting (http://www.hta.ac.uk/fullmono/mon1520.pdf
)
* government regulators explaining their problems and concerns
* open panel discussion: what can health professionals learn from
patients?

REGISTER/COFFEE 9.30
For full programme see: www.primm.eu.com

Organised by PRIMM/Drug Safety Research Unit

SENT OUT BY MILLIE KIEVE – organizer of the patient experience section of
the conference. If you would like to speak about your own experience, please
contact me asap

MP's concern over Benzodiazepine use - vital data lost

2010-12-05T13:02:00.000-08:00

Check on benzodiazepine-use must be done, say MPs
By Nina Lakhani

The safety of tranquillising drugs prescribed to millions of people over the past 50 years must be urgently investigated, MPs and peers will demand this week.

A group of cross-party parliamentarians want publicly funded health bodies to be forced to carry out research into the dangers of benzodiazepines which they say have destroyed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.

Their demand comes as the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the drug safety watchdog, admitted issuing 26 new licences for a powerful tranquilliser, Lorazepam, despite the fact it no longer holds any safety information about the drug.

Lorazepam, manufactured under the name Ativan by John Wyeth since 1972, is 10 times stronger than Valium, the most common tranquilliser drug, and many patients find it extremely hard to withdraw from it.

The MHRA has issued generic licences for the manufacture and distribution of the drug under a European directive which allows it to "bridge back" to the safety dossier and clinical trial evidence provided by the original manufacturers in their original licence application. John Wyeth voluntarily cancelled its licence for "commercial reasons" in 2008.

However, it has now admitted that it "no longer holds" the safety information because, after 15 years, "files are destroyed unless there is a legal, regulatory or business need to keep them, or they are considered to be of lasting historic interest". No one knows when or who reviewed the safety information last.

Click on title to access full article

All Party Parliamentary Group on Tranquilliser Addiction-APPG

2010-12-02T03:13:00.000-08:00

My previous blog contained an error, and so did my response to Richard Smith.
There was no Health Committee Inquiry (I wonder why?). There were APPGs.

The two All Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) were:

1.
APPG on Drug Misuse
This is the Inquiry I was invited to give oral evidence to with Professor Ashton, Pam Armstrong
(CITA), Janice Simmons (Seroxat User Group), Mick Behan (Benzo researcher)

This APPG was followed by a Department of Health Review of Policy on Addiction to Prescribed Medicines - this included
Benzodiazepines and Z drugs and SSRIs. (Now the SSRIs seem to have dropped out of the picture).
in July 2009 it was meant to be a 3 month review yet is still not concluded.
Speak to Anne Milton MP (Public Health Minister) if you are concerned, she is responsible for medicines policy.

2.
APPG on Involuntary Tranquilliser Addiction - Chair Jim Dobbin MP ably helped by Mick Behan. They are
uncovering shocking information about loss of original safety data on benzos. Take a look at their
web site! www.appgita.com

APRIL RESPONSE TO RICHARD SMITH BLOG COMMENT ON CHRONIC ILLNESS

2010-12-01T23:34:00.000-08:00

I SUBMITTED TWO RESPONSES TO BMJ mentioning Benzo & SSRI chronic iatrogenesis. The failure of BMJ to print either is disappointing - I am not sure why, as Richard Smith when editor of BMJ led a campaign against harm from medicines.

MY RESPONSE.....can someone tell me why this is not a suitable response to Richard's Blog comments?
...................

There is no NHS initiative to help the thousands of people who suffer from chronic illness due to benzodiazepine addiction or dependence on SSRI antidepressants.

The recent Health Select Committee Inquiry into Medicines Addiction, heard evidence from Professor Heather Ashton and people involved in helping involuntary addicts.

The chronically ill include those who have suffered stokes, seizures, memory impairment or onset of psychosis or depression triggered by adverse effects of medicines or anaesthetics.

Due to the lack of Pharmacology and Therapeutics on the syllabus, many medical schools fail to address the problem of iatrogenesis which is causing chronic physical and psychological illness.

Millie Kieve
Founder/Chair APRIL www.april.org.uk

Richard Smith: The moment is coming for chronic disease

2010-12-01T23:29:00.000-08:00

Richard Smith: The moment is coming for chronic disease -WHY IS APRIL RESPONSE NOT PUBLISHED?
26 Nov, 10 | by BMJ Group

FROM RICHARD SMITH'S BLOG

After years in obscurity, those of us concerned about chronic disease are about to have our moment in the spotlight—at the United Nations High Level Meeting in New York next September. The last comparable meeting was on AIDS in 2001 and led to the Global Fund. Next year’s meeting is described as a “once in a life time opportunity,” but it’s touch and go whether we can seize the opportunity or whether we will blow it.
I wondered on this question as I attended a World Economic Forum meeting in New York on preparing for the meeting. The World Economic Forum is not just that grand meeting in Davos each January but also an organisation of private companies, mostly big multinationals, that works on all sorts of issues throughout the year. The forum has decided that chronic disease is the second major threat to the global economy — and so it’s health section is concentrating on chronic disease rather than the usual AIDS, TB, malaria, and maternal and child health.

Personal Experiences of adverse psychiatric side effects of medicines or anaesthetics, causing depression and other mood changes

2010-11-29T04:43:00.000-08:00

I have put some very personal interviews on the Vimeo web site.

These were people who attended our last conference and wanted to share with others their pain, or sometimes how they overcame the difficulties caused by ADRs. They want to help others by sharing their stories. When Jon Medland speaks about his son, who took his life shortly after starting a course of Roaccutane/isotretinoin, to treat some spots on his back, the family were devastated. I met John and his wife Pam when they came to our 2004 conference. We had invited the Coroner following the inquest, to speak too.

Jon and Pam have made efforts to get better warnings out and through their pain and with great dignity, have met with politicians and the regulatory body to try to persuade them to create awareness that a medication can change a person to the extent that they are not thinking logically. This can lead to death, which may be termed suicide. However in many cases the person is not really in command of their actions, they just happen. They do not intend to hurt the families they love.

People should always look to what happens when any form of chemical that affects brain cells is used.
Roaccutane for example goes to retinoid receptors that are in the brain, this changes the cells.

Drugs that change the way we think and feel such as antidepressants, may not always do the job we wish them to. They may change our thinking to such an extent we act totally out of character.

Drugs for physical problems may have the same chemicals as drugs for psychological problems, as in the case of drugs for sickness. These can cause physical side effects such as tardive dykinesia the same as the neuroleptic drugs. There are only a limited amount of chemicals and molecular targets that are used and juggled to create the medicines we use.

If you wish to share your experience with the world, either have a video or recording or wish to be interviewed, please contact us. The charity APRIL is focussed on psychological iatrogenic (treatement induced) illness. This includes withdrawal problems. We may be able to include your story eventually on a planned new web site to be dedicated to personal experiences of psychiatric ADRs.
We need to raise the funding for this major project, so any help or contributions will be welcomed.

NHS Deaths and harm in hospitals - mistakes go unreported - unsafe care condemned

2010-11-28T01:24:00.000-08:00

As well as the massive harm being done to tens of thousands of patients in the UK due to adverse reactions (ADRs) and withdrawal effects of medicines and anaesthetics, the following report highlights the accidents and mistakes that harm thousands more in NHS care. None of these reports cover the private sector, which from personal experience also tolerates poor practice.

A great deal of the blame must be due to failings in education standards in the area of preventing avoidable harm.

The Dr Foster hospital guide also revealed tens of thousands of patients were harmed in hospital.
Many developed avoidable blood clots, suffered obstetric tears during childbirth, accidental lacerations or puncture wounds, or post-surgery intestinal bleeding and blood poisoning, according to the report published in the Observer.
The study identified four trusts where an unexpectedly high number of patients died after surgery, including Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust where there were 33 more deaths than should have been expected.
It is not possible to say how many of these deaths could have been prevented.
Dr Foster said the mortality rates should act as a warning sign of potential problems in the quality of care.

Thousands are dying Why? We have to address failings in medical education

2010-11-28T01:06:00.000-08:00

Professor Simon Maxwell of Edinburgh University is encouraging the return of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics into the medical education curriculum in the UK.

The absence of the subject since 1993 must be a contributory factor in the high incidence of adverse reactions and interactions that harm patients. A major concern is that doctors do not understand how drugs work and fail to recognise ADRs when they occur. They often prescribe more and more drugs.

The recents findings by Dr Foster group of harm to patients occurring in hospitals that are unreported, officially reflects what is happening in the area of medicines and anaesthetics. Side effects,(ADRs) harm and deaths resulting from these, in hospitals or in Primary Care, are seldom reported.

You can hear Professor Maxwell's talk at our third conference (2008) now on the Internet.
http://vimeo.com/groups/9196/videos/16359896

or read the paper that resulted from obtaining opinions of medical students: http://smj.org.uk/1106/student.htm

Boots The Chemist web site no mention of psychiatric ADRs - my complaint to them.

2010-11-27T06:31:00.000-08:00

I emailed Boots The Chemist to complain that on their web site pages entitled Depression and another entitled Suicide, there is no mention that medicines can trigger depression and suicide.

I just received a call from the Customer Relations Department as the person wondered who I thought this complaint should be forwarded to. I stated 'not the marketing department'.

We shall wait and see the response, if any.

Twitter and why it is useful in spreading awareness

2010-11-27T05:28:00.000-08:00

I am just getting to grips with the Twitter advantages - one is that if one reads a useful article and there is a tweet button, it can be instantly added to another site. If one follows people on Twitter who are informing about a subject you are interested in this is instant updated knowledge.
Very useful - so here goes

Benzo tranquillisers and sleeping pills linked to brain damage years ago

2010-11-12T09:12:00.000-08:00

Drugs linked to brain damage 30 years ago

MPs and campaigners predict class action after failures to mount full-scale research into warnings left millions of patients at risk

By Nina Lakhani

Videos of talks on web site by David Healy, Heather Ashton, Munir Pirmohamed, Ben Goldacre, Joanna Moncrieff, Clare Milford-Haven, Simon Maxwell and more! all on APRIL web site

2010-11-01T01:12:00.000-07:00

Our 2008 conference talks are now on APRIL web site and Vimeo. The link is to Vimeo where I have also uploaded personal interviews from delegates at our 2008 conference who kindly offered to tell their stories.

The conference talks by Dr Ben Goldacre and Professor David Healy may be shocking to some people. Information about the way clinical trials are rigged and serious adverse side-effects of medicines overlooked.

Professor Simon Maxwell explains how medical education is letting down the doctors and patients and much, much more.

Hear the Coroner's comments and insight into the flaws in the inquest system and how many cases of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) may be overlooked.

WHAT HAVE THE DRUGS DONE TO DAD ? Anti-psychotic drugs effects on elderly people

2010-11-01T01:05:00.000-07:00

Tonight on BBC TV 1 at 8.30 pm PANORAMA will focus on the adverse effects of antipsychotic/ psychoactive drugs on people who are already having problems, such as those with suspected dementia.

An elderly father sedated with a 'chemical cosh' of powerful drugs and secretly filmed by his daughter. Families who care for their loved ones at home to help them come off the anti-psychotic drugs that worsen their symptoms and shorten their lives.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00vz22h

www.comingoff.com is a helpful web site with information on reducing psychotropic drugs. Input by psychologist Rufus May and MH Nurse Adam Jhugroo, both known to APRIL charity as caring people really concerned about overuse of drugs in mental health. They have also participated in our conferences.

2010-09-22T09:53:00.000-07:00

Conference 2010
International Conference 'Selling Sickness'

7 and 8 October 2010

Mövenpick Hotel Amsterdam

We offer a challenging programme with a variety of sessions, aimed at exploring the theme of 'Selling Sickness' on the first day, and working towards solutions on the second day. The conference is designed for everyone with an interest in pharmaceutical information and promotion including: health professionals, policy makers, staff of government health and regulatory departments, inspectors, staff of pharmaceutical, advertising and public relations companies, staff of NGOs and journalists.

The host is Healthy Skepticism (Netherlands) assisted by the Dutch Institute for Rational Use of Medicine and Healthy Skepticism (International). The sponsors are the Dutch Ministry of Health and the Dutch Health Care Inspectorate, the conference is co-sponsored by the World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe. We proudly present you our programme now.

http://www.gezondescepsis.nl/conference-2010.html#A1
Instituut voor Verantwoord Medicijngebruik
Telefoon: 0888 800 400

Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) 78% Increase in Hospital Admissions

2010-08-31T11:16:00.000-07:00

Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) as a reason for admission to hospital over the past 10 years to 2009 has increased by 78%. More than any other cause, according the Official
National Statistic Data Base. "Something should be done" say the researchers at Imperial College, "Our data suggest the number of ADR admissions has increased at a greater rate than the increase in total hospital admissions; in-hospital mortality due to ADR admissions also increased during the period. Our findings should prompt policymakers to implement further measures to reduce ADR incidence and their associated in-hospital mortality, and methods to improve the recording of ADRs."

I have been chairing the Advisory Group to the Evaluation of Patient Yellow Card Reporting of ADRs in England. The findings show that Patient Reports identify more 'Signals' of ADRs than relying on Health Professional reports alone. Many Health Professionals do not see the need to report. The situation is a Public Health Scandal in my opinion.

Any suggestions for action? Maybe some of you reading this could offer to help me write some letters? Maybe make an appointment to see your own MP?

Complain about the lack of independent Pharmacology and Therapeutics education for medical students and that the Pharmaceutical Industry is often behind the only source of information about drugs that students and doctors have access to.

A nation of pill poppers - article in Mail - highlights problem of over prescribing

2010-04-02T06:01:00.000-07:00

ABOUT THE ARTICLE

The NHS spent a staggering £22million a day on prescription drugs in England in 2006, a 60 per cent rise in real terms on a decade earlier.
We each pick up more than 16 prescriptions a year on average, twice as many as 20 years ago, Department of Health data reveals.

More than 50million prescriptions were written for cholesterol-busting statins in 2008, an 80 per cent rise on just four years earlier.
And more than 10,000 prescriptions a week are written for anti-hyperactivity drugs.

These facts are highlighted by Professor Joan Busfield, from Essex University, who is concerned about over prescribing and pharmaceutical industry use of ‘disease mongering’ and the re-writing of the Medical dictionary the DSM. More from her paper A Pill For Every Ill, published in the journal Social Science & Medicine are highlighted in the Daily Mail article 29 March 2010.

MILLIE'S COMMENTS

Statins and drugs for hyperactivity or ADHD diagnosis are all linked to depression and suicide, so of particular concern to APRIL charity.

Inappropriate prescribing and lack of knowledge of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) is leading to untold misery, long term ill health (iatrogenic illness) and avoidable deaths. I am faced with stories on a daily basis. Recent communications and meetings I have had with parents and sufferers have disclosed the following sad cases:

o A girl who had a stroke cause by blood clot while taking the acne drug, also used as a contraceptive that I have campaigned about. I have begged the Medicines Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to issue warnings to doctors that the drug causes depression in girls with no history of depression. Licensed for short term use for acne the drug is often prescribed for years as a contraceptive in spite of warnings (years ago) from the regulator that the risk of thrombosis is high for this drug. The reason I am not putting the name (easily found on the APRIL web site) is that the web site was hacked and brought down recently and I do not want to risk any problems.

o A mother grieving for the loss of her son who was over prescribed hundreds of morphine based pain killers, addicted and distressed, he took his own life. The consultant who was treating him for Ulcerative Colitis complications had not been informed by the GP of what he was prescribing to the patient. This highlights what I found at the inquest of Angela Lee, (see blog Oct 2009) that health professionals do not communicate with each other regarding patients being seen by more than one doctor or therapist.

o A mother told me her son killed himself after being prescribed an SSRI antidepressant. He took this for a few days and became worse, so complained to his GP. The doctor told him to double the dose and 4 hours after doing this he killed himself.

o A lady who had been addicted to tranquilisers (benzodiazepines) for 25 years had finally managed to come off the drugs with the help of Pam Armstrong who runs a support group in Liverpool. Her doctor had prescribed a drug recently assuring her it was not addictive. When I did the necessary research, I found it was an addictive drug. This highlights the need for patients to be vigilant and not to assume the doctor knows best. Pharmacology has not been an exam subject since 1993 for medical students, be warned!

o A lady was suffering from severe head aches and had not told her doctor this is since being prescribed drugs for high blood pressure. It is essential to return to the doctor if one develops new symptoms after taking any medicines.
Early warning sign of intolerance to drugs, if acted upon may prevent even more serious consequences.

Hospital suspends heart surgery after child deaths

2010-03-04T04:16:00.000-08:00

Four children died in Oxford hospital following cardiac surgery - the deaths are to be investigated.
Will they ask the following questions?

Question 1
Could the cause of the child's heart defect be a medication the mother was taking during pregnancy? http://pregnancychildbirth.suite101.com/article.cfm/ssris_linked_to_heart_defect

Question 2
Is the fact there are only 12 anaesthetists in the country qualified to do pre-surgery tests for allergies to anaesthetics, leading to avoidable deaths?
http://www.springerlink.com/content/p01g16783hp52748/

Waitrose has chosen APRIL to help this month with fundraising

2010-03-04T04:01:00.000-08:00

I was delighted to see that Waitrose partners in Marylebone High Street store, have kindly chosen APRIL to be one of the three charities they are supporting this month.
Please do ask you friends in Westminster to go in and deposit the green plastic tokens in the APRIL collecting box!

APRIL web site was hacked

2010-03-04T03:57:00.000-08:00

I have had a stressful time since the bandwidth usage that went sky high, turned out to be hackers getting into the APRIL web site. The site had to be taken down for a while and is back up now. However the data base has to be cleared of hackers droppings! So you can click on links to all pages OK but the home page has to be re-done when I can access this. My volunteer designer is very busy and as he works in his own time after a busy day, I have to be patient.

Prescribed Drug Pushing BBC investigation

2010-01-31T09:59:00.000-08:00

BBC Radio 4 File on 4 investigation into the marketing of an antipsychotic drug can be heard now.
This drug is at the centre of litigation in the USA. Hear the programme now at this link http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00q3gjj

A drug that in the UK has sales for 'off licence' usage that amount to 70% of all sales according to the File on 4 investigation. That means the drug which is licensed for those suffering psychotic illness, is being given to people who are not psychotic for any number of reasons, including sleep problems, ADHD, anxiety and other indications not approved officially but allowed at the discretion of a doctor.

The question as to how so much 'off license' usage occurs is one that has to be guessed at.

The drug reps are not meant to promote a drug for other than the use it was licensed for. Internal documentation was seen to mention the possibility of promotion for dementia.

Tamiflu BMJ concerns and neuropsychiatric ADRs in trials unreported

2009-12-14T09:28:00.000-08:00

British Medical Journal (BMJ)
Editor's Choice
We want raw data, now
Fiona Godlee, editor, BMJ

fgodlee@bmj.com

This week’s BMJ is dominated by a cluster of articles on oseltamivir (Tamiflu) (doi:10.1136/bmj.b5351, doi:10.1136/bmj.b5387, doi:10.1136/bmj.b5106, doi:10.1136/bmj.b5164, doi:10.1136/bmj.b5248, doi:10.1136/bmj.b5364). Between them the articles conclude that the evidence that oseltamivir reduces complications in otherwise healthy people with pandemic influenza is now uncertain and that we need a radical change in the rules on access to trial data.

Briefly, in updating their Cochrane review, published this week (doi:10.1136/bmj.b5106), Tom Jefferson and colleagues failed to verify claims, based on an analysis of 10 drug company trials, that oseltamivir reduced the risk of complications in healthy adults with influenza. These claims have formed a key part of decisions to stockpile the drug and make it widely available.

Only after questions were put by the BMJ and Channel 4 News has the manufacturer Roche committed to making "full study reports" available on a password protected site. Some questions remain about who did what in the Roche trials, how patients were recruited, and why some neuropsychiatric adverse events were not reported. A response from Roche is published in our letters pages (doi:10.1136/bmj.b5364) and their full point by point response is published online (doi:10.1136/bmj.b5374).

Should the BMJ be publishing the Cochrane review given that a more complete analysis of the evidence may be possible in the next few months? Yes, because Cochrane reviews are by their nature interim rather than definitive. They exist in the present tense, always to be superseded by the next update. They are based on the best information available to the reviewers at the time they complete their review. The Cochrane reviewers have told the BMJ that they will update their review to incorporate eight unpublished Roche trials when they are provided with individual patient data.

Where does this leave oseltamivir, on which governments around the world have spent billions of pounds? The papers in this week’s journal relate only to its use in healthy adults with influenza. But they say nothing about its use in patients judged to be at high risk of complications—pregnant women, children under 5, and those with underlying medical conditions; and uncertainty over its role in reducing complications in healthy adults still leaves it as a useful drug for reducing the duration of symptoms. However, as Peter Doshi points out (doi:10.1136/bmj.b5164), on this outcome it has yet to be compared in head to head trials with non-steroidal inflammatory drugs or paracetamol. And given the drug’s known side effects, the risk-benefit profile shifts considerably if we are talking only in terms of symptom relief.

We don’t know yet whether this episode will turn out to be a decisive battle or merely a skirmish in the fight for greater transparency in drug evaluation. But it is a legitimate scientific concern that data used to support important health policy strategies are held only by a commercial organisation and have not been subject to full external scrutiny and review. It can’t be right that the public should have to rely on detective work by academics and journalists to patch together the evidence for such a widely prescribed drug. Individual patient data from all trials of drugs should be readily available for scientific scrutiny.

Cite this as: BMJ 2009;339:b5405

Tiger Woods and inappropriate sexual behaviour

2009-12-13T02:47:00.001-08:00

In a week when I am trying to help a woman who has been massively over drugged with psychotropic medicines. Suffering extreme agitation, fizzing (her words) anxiety and sexual feelings causing distress. It is ironic that the sexual exploits and extreme behaviour of Tiger Woods, when he crashed his car, is so much in the news.

It may not apply to Tiger Woods but there are people who behave in this way due to the adverse effects of antidepressants and psychotropic drugs.

When I first heard about sexual dysfunction as an adverse side effect, I thought it meant loss of libido only. Loss of libido is well known in relation to Dianette and some antidepressants and psychotropic drugs. However adverse effects of some antidepressants, I was told by a top US lawyer involved in SSRI litigation, may be unexpected painful erection. He was defending a man who out of character had raped a woman.

The woman I am in touch with, is the first to contact me to be open about the kind of side effect more often linked to men and elderly people displaying inappropriate sexual behaviour.

In casual conversation with a person just this week, another woman told me of her grandmothers strange sexual behaviour, dosed on many different drugs, the doctors put the behaviour down to dementia.

When is the medical profession going to be taught about adverse drug reactions and how they change a normal person into a complete mental and physical wreck.

Dr Simon Maxwell is to hold a symposium in London shortly on the need to improve medical education. Let us hope his efforts are heard in time to save some of us from the mistreatment so many suffer at the hands of doctors with no knowledge of pharmacology and therapeutics or pharmacogenetics/ pharmacokinetics theory.

Death of respected Benzo and Zdrug activist Colin Downes-Grainger

2009-11-28T05:41:00.001-08:00

Colin died suddenly this week and had even written on his blog page about Thalidomide compensation on the day he died.

At our November 2008 conference some of you may have purchased a book by Colin Downes-Grainger PRESCRIPTION for INJURY.

Formerly a teacher,Colin was a victim of iatrogenic harm caused by Diazepam and Zopiclone addiction and withdrawal.

Sadly Colin died suddenly on 25 November 2009.
We extend our sincere condolences to Colin's wife and family.

To read Colin's blog, updated on the day he died, a 28 page book he wrote, BLAMING THE PATIENT, letters and responses to and from ministers - all an immense contribution to awareness of Banzo and Z drug addiction / withdrawal problems, please refer to www.benzo.org.uk

Angela Lee suicide

2009-10-06T16:20:00.000-07:00

Angela Lee 'staggered' and fell in front of a train according to the shocked female train driver of a train travelling at 90 miles per hour. Angela had left a note and felt that the acne drug ro-accutane (isotretionoin) had caused lasting problems. I can confirm that many people who contact me say depression, which they believe was caused by roaccutane lasts for months and years after they stop taking the drug. Angela was prescribed fluoxetine (Prozac) and Zopiclone which she was taking at the time of her death.

I sat in the Walthamstow Coroner's court and heard the evidence given to the jury and was also shocked to hear that Angela was given Dianette at the same time as she was prescribed Roaccutane. None of the journalists commented on this cocktail of drugs - all linked to causing suicidal feelings.

Another problem was the failure of health professionals who cared for Angela, to communicate by picking up a telephone to speak to each other and discuss how best to protect her from harm.

Soterias House Alaska opens, (non drug psycho-social treatment approach)

2009-09-22T09:34:00.001-07:00

I am publishing this email from Jim Gotstein in full as the content is great news!
Jim mentions psychiatrist Loren Mosher who was one of our speakers in the first APRIL conference in 2001. Loren Mosher resigned from the Americal Psychiatric Association as he felt they were controlled by the pharmaceutical industry.

From: Jim Gottstein [mailto:jim.gottstein@psychrights.org] Sent: 24 July 2009 19:14To: millie@april.org.uk

Subject: [PsychRights] Soteria-Alaska Opens With Two Residents

Hello,I wanted to let you know that Soteria-Alaska has opened its doors on a partial basis with two residents, pending receipt of its license, which will allow it to take more. This is a milestone six years in the making.

For those that don't know about Soteria, Soteria-Alaska is a replication of the original Soteria House in San Jose California. The original Soteria-House was the brain-child of Loren Mosher, psychiatrist of beloved memory who tragically passed away in 2004.

There is also no doubt that the original Soteria House's success depended on marvelous Alma Menn, its administrator, and Voyce Hendrix, its House Manager. The original Soteria House proved that outcomes for people diagnosed with schizophrenia could be dramatically improved if a psychosocial approach was used instead with neuroleptics used as a last resort and stopped as soon as possible when they were used.

The Soteria-Alaska website at http://soteria-alaska.com/ has quite a bit of information on this as does the PsychRights web page at http://psychrights.org/Research/...

While I co-founded Soteria-Alaska in 2003, I left the board in October of 2007, and this achievement can be squarely credited to god-send Susan Musante, Soteria-Alaska's Executive Director, and Dr. Aron Wolf, a well-respected long-time Alaska psychiatrist, who early in his career worked at the famous Chestnut Lodge. Susan has assembled a terrific staff of people for Soteria-Alaska, including house manager Bill Miller, and they have also been instrumental in pulling this off.

Soteria-Alaska has been lucky to have been able to consult with marvelous Alma Menn, who is so terrific with conveying how Soteria House actually worked in practice. It is anticipated that Voyce Hendrix will also be available for consultation as things go forward.

Dr. Mosher and Luc Ciompi, who ran Soteria-Berne in Switzerland for many years developed the following Soteria Critical Elements, which guide Soteria-Alaska:

SOTERIA CRITICAL ELEMENTS Luc Ciompi, Loren Mosher

1. FACILITY: a. Small, community based b. Open, voluntary home-like c. sleeping no more than 10 persons including two staff( 1 man & 1 woman) on duty d. preferably 24 - 48 hour shifts to allow prolonged intensive 1:1 contact as needed

2. SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT: a. respectful, consistent, clear and predictable with the ability to provide asylum, safety, protection, containment, control of stimulation, support and socialization as determined by individual needs b over time it will come to be experienced as a surrogate family

3. SOCIAL STRUCTURE: a. preservation of personal power to maintain autonomy, diminish the hierarchy, prevent the development of unnecessary dependency and encourage reciprocal relationships b. minimal role differentiation ( between staff and clients) to encourage flexibility of roles, relationships and responses c. daily running of house shared to the extent possible; "usual" activities carried out too maintain attachments to ordinary life - e.g. cooking, cleaning, shopping, art, excursions etc.

4. STAFF: a. may be mental health trained professionals, specifically trained and selected nonprofessionals, former clients, especially those who were treated in the program or a combination of the three types b. on the job training via supervision of work with clients, including family interventions, should be available to all staff as needed

5. RELATIONSHIPS: these are central to the program's work a. facilitated by staff being ideologically uncommitted ( i.e. to approach psychosis with an open mind) b. convey positive expectations of recovery c. validate the psychotic person's subjective experience of psychosis as real by developing an understanding of it by "being with" and "doing with" the clients d. no psychiatric jargon is used in interactions with these clients

6. THERAPY: a. all activities viewed as potentially "therapeutic" but without formal therapy sessions with the exception of work with families of those in residence b. in-house problems dealt with immediately by convening those involved in problem solving sessions

7. MEDICATIONS: a. no or low dose neuroleptic drug use to avoid their acute "dumbing down" effects and their suppression of affective expression, also avoids risk of long term toxicities b. benzodiazapines may be used short term to restore the sleep/wake cycles

8. LENGTH OF STAY: a. sufficient time spent in program for relationships to develop that allow precipitating events to be acknowledged, usually disavowed painful emotions to be experienced and expressed and put into perspective by fitting them into the continuity of a person's life

9. AFTER CARE: a. post discharge relationships encouraged (with staff and peers) to allow easy return ( if necessary) and foster development of peer based problem solving community based social networks b. the availability of these networks is critical to long term outcome as they promote community integration of former clients and the program itself

--from
James B. (Jim) Gottstein, Esq.President/CEOLaw Project for Psychiatric Rights406 G Street, Suite 206Anchorage, Alaska 99501USAPhone: (907) 274-7686)
Fax: (907) 274-9493jim.gottstein[[at]]psychrights.org http://psychrights.org/

2009-09-16T17:28:00.000-07:00

A useful web site I just came across is www.drbriffa.com

Dr john Briffa is a medical doctor who has seen the light and believes in finding causes, not just looking at symptoms. Also wary of the disease awareness campaigns and promotion of drugs by the pharmaceutical industry and those who benefit from prescribing and selling medicines.

Do listen to the pod cast on the web site.

I am busy organising Wellbeing Workshops in Westminster for October.

I submitted my views to a brainstorm meeting on Suicide Prevention and had great support for my insistance that the Strategy should include educating the doctors about the risks of ADRs and withdrawal effects.

The convenor of the meeting did take on board my concerns about medication induced suicide. I sent him a lot of medical evidence. So did Professor Heather Ashton and Professor David Healy. They both give me a lot of support for my work in the field of creating awarness and helping individuals.

Medication-Induced Violence: Homicide and Suicide

2009-09-05T04:05:00.000-07:00

8 October 2010 (Conference date changed to next year)

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Website: http://ahe6.tripod.com/medcns/

Contact name: Donald H. Marks, M.D., Ph.D.

The first conference concentrating on the potential of therapeutic medications to induce a violent state: anxiety, agitation, aggression, irritability, violent thoughts, hostility, homicidal and suicidal thoughts.

Organized by: Rush University, Department of Pharmacology

Deadline for abstracts/proposals: Not available.

Check the event website for latest details.

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Government enquiry into benzodiazepine addiction highlights a need for withdrawal services.

2009-09-04T07:09:00.000-07:00

A Press Release from Jim Dobbin MP Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Involuntary Tranquilliser Addiction discusses the need for research into and introduction of effective withdrawal services. We mentioned this in our post on 27th June 2009.

"Sky News and the Times are reporting today that Michael Jackson's death has been ruled to be a homicide and that the drugs found in his body included the anaesthetic Propofol but also the benzodiazepine tranquillisers Ativan (Lorazepam),Valium and Midazolam.

I would like to comment on the dangers of the benzodiazepine tranquillisers involved. In 2004 the Canadian Ativan data sheet contained the warning that "Use of benzodiazepines,including lorazepam may lead to potentially fatal respiratory depression." It also contained a seven day addiction warning and suicide warning ,for lorazepam.

Phil Woolas M.P. wrote to Sir Alastair Breckenbridge, Chair of the U.K. drug licensing authority the MHRA,in 2004 asking for similar warnings to be introduced into the U.K. product information.The warnings were never introduced and in fact no product information sheet for lorazepam tablets was published at all in the U.K. in 2009, despite the increased number of licenses issued.

Tranquilliser related deaths in the U.K. are running at some 300 per year,in some years they have exceeded the total number of deaths for all class A drugs added together ,according to Home Office figures.In answer to a Parliamentary question the Department of Health reported that in 2008 over 17 million tranquilliser prescriptions were issued in the U.K.,an increase on 2007. My question is how many people have died a Michael Jackson type death in the U.K.,and elsewhere, but with no homicide investigation or any other kind of investigation.

Tranquillisers are highly addictive yet the Department of Health provides no withdrawal treatment at all except for one worker in Belfast and two in Oldham. The All Party Parliamentary Group on Involuntary Tranquilliser Addiction (APPGITA) is campaigning for the introduction of specialized tranquilliser withdrawal services by the Department of Health.We are also campaigning for medical research into the damage caused by tranquillisers,a review of the benzodiazepine product licenses ,which were issued with no assessment of safety or efficacy and a no-fault drug compensation scheme for patients who suffer drug injuries.

Jim Dobbin M.P."

In light of these recommendations, we should be aware of two interesting studies which involved Professor Heather Ashton (who spoke at APRIL’s 2008 conference) and discussed two effective approaches that also save money.

The cost-effectiveness of two brief interventions for helping people to withdraw from long-term benzodiazepine use are addressed in the following two papers by Nick Heather and colleagues in 2004 and Christine Godfrey and coworkers in 2008. These interventions consisted of a letter that was sent to patients advising a gradual withdrawal as well as a brief GP consultation.

The earlier paper reports that both interventions are effective in leading to a reduced intake of benzodiazepines.

http://www.benzo.org.uk/amisc/rndoi.pdf

The later study found that of the two interventions, overall the letter was the most cost-effective. The authors estimate that the savings for that particular authority in Newcastle and North Tyneside would be a minimum of £4.9 million.

http://www.benzo.org.uk/amisc/rndce.pdf

It would be interesting to make an estimate of financial savings and reduction in human suffering and iatrogenic illness, that could be made nationally using these interventions.

More information about involuntary tranquiliser addiction :http://www.bcnc.org.uk/

Tamiflu and Relenza not recommended for children

2009-08-10T05:30:00.000-07:00

Tamifu 'unhelpful' in children

BBC reports:

"Research has cast doubt on the policy of giving antiviral drugs to children for swine flu.

Work in the British Medical Journal shows Tamiflu and Relenza rarely prevent complications in children with seasonal flu yet carry side effects."

Tamiflu is still a UK 'black triangle' drug under close vigilance for adverse side effects. Doctors and patients should report adverse reactions to the regulatory. This has not been widely publicised.

Yet an article in today's British Medical Journal recommends that children should not be automatically prescribed the anti-viral Tamiflu.

This advice is in the face of the British Goverments efforts to give everyone Tamiflu who requested it over a telephone Swine Flue help line.

Tamiflu has been on sale on Ebay as people have obtained the drug for themselves and put it up for sale.

What a scam and how can such a blatant promotion of an unproven drug take place supported by our government? I wonder !

Read the BBC web site information http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8193012.stm

I know a young girl aged about 11 who has suffered nightmares since taking Tamiflu. The girl has asthma and has Aspergers too, so hopefully the harm done will soon resolve. If anyone else has heard of nightmares (an early sign that a drug is having psychiatric side effects) from Tamiflu, please impress the importance or reporting to the MHRA who have a specific form on their web site http://www.mhra.gov.uk/ for reporting Tamiflu side effects. Also please inform APRIL charity.

BBC looks at financial links of psychiatrists with the pharmaceutical industry

2009-08-04T00:46:00.000-07:00

Tonight on BBC radio 4, at 8pm, a documentary will review the links between psychiatrists who create and determine new names for mental disorders, conditions, even quirks of personality, and the psychiatrists' financial links to the pharmaceutical industry. An industry that profits from the prescribing of drugs licensed for these conditions.

You can access the programme for the next 7 days, on the BBC iplayer via this link:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/programmes/subjects/c3ViamVjdC9waGFybWFjZXV0aWNhbCBpbmR1c3RyeQ

The DSM is the psychiatrist's bible, with such conditions as 'Social Phobia' and 'ADHD' being conditions added by members of the Americal Psychiatric Association

Matthew Hill investigates the links between psychiatrists and the industry and asks should there be increased transparency over top psychiatrists' links to the pharmaceutical industry.

The following link should take you to the information page and the broadcast on the Internet

Rewriting the Psychiatrist's Bible 8pm Tuesday 4th August 2009

http;//www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00kf117

Doctors and Psychiatrists' FINANACIAL LINKS WITH THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY

My personal awareness of the conflict of interest goes back to the year 2000 when I attended the British Association of Psychopharmacology (BAP) conference in Cambridge. The event was like a trade fair. Stands promoting drugs, food and literature provided by the pharmaceutical companies, abounded. The presence of industry representatives, standing around a room seemed to inhibit questioning about the safety of drugs in the session I attended on Suicide and antidepressants.

Following the shock of the BAPC drugs trade show, I then became aware of the efforts of psychiatirsts, Loren Mosher, David Healy, Joanna Moncrieff, psychologist Rufus May to open up the debate on drug safety and the overuse of psychotropic medicines including antidepressants.

Little attention to the harms and over emphasis on benefits, in research, has led to many drug induced illnesses (iatrogenic disease), suicides, sudden deaths, disability and misery, affecting countless millions of people across the world.

(Loren Mosher, David Healy and Rufus May attended and spoke at the APRIL charity conference in 2001)

LOREN MOSHER'S RESIGNATION FROM AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION (APA)

I invited psychiatrist Loren Mosher MD to attend the London conference I organised in 2001. He was dismayed at the Industry influence on the psychiatric profession, the Diagnostic Manual (DSM) and the APA. Loren and his wife Judy came over and it was an honour to meet them. Loren's death in 2004 was a great loss to the campaign for truth and transparency in psychiatric diagnosis and prescribing.

( At the time of his death in 2004, Loren Mosher was Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, at the University of California, San Diego.)

I had seen his letter of resignation on the Internet. I felt admiration for his courage and tenacity in the face of such power and influence.

The letter to Rodrigo Munoz, President of the APA is self explanatory:

http://www.moshersoteria.com/resig.htm

Professor DAVID HEALY

At the same conference we heard from Dr David Healy, who had a job withdrawn, in Canada, following his advice to a group of psychiatrists that they should be aware of the risk of adverse reactions that may lead to suicide for some patients, when they prescribe SSRI and similar antidepressants. The influences on the University of Toronto were clearly seen in this scenario.

(David Healy was Director and is now Professor of Psychological Medicine, Cardiff University School of Medicine.)

The full story is told on the web site www.healyprozac.com

RUFUS MAY

Psychologist Rufus May has done so much for people suffering mental distress, without using drugs. Rufus openly discusses his own episode of psychosis when a young man and this is now in the archives of BBC radio 4. A documentary film was made about his support for a medical student while she was psychotic and links to these and advice on coming off psychotropic medicines is on web sites: www.comingoff.com and www.rufusmay.com

CRITICAL PSYCHIATRY and DR JOANNA MONCRIEFF

I disoverered the group known as Critical Psychiatry and found these are psychiatrists in the UK who are concerned about the over use and harm being caused by psychotropic medicines.

Dr Joanna Moncrieff was at the conferences I organised for APRIL charity in 2004 and 2008. Films with Joanna in the Coming of Medicines sessions, is on the APRIL web site www.april.org.uk and the link is in the left hand menu.

Joanna Moncrieff has written a book called The Myth of the Chemical Cure which contains valuable facts and information about the lack of evidence for prescribing and how the drugs work.

Joanna believes the drug induced state caused by medicines is not addressing the underlying problem and that we do not know what is actually going on in the brain.

Joanna says there is very little research into the drug induced states that the drugs create and main stream views that the drugs reverse an underlying state are wrong. We do not know what the drugs actually do when they create a changed mental state. I say that there is no research into the harms caused by psychotropic medicines, polypharmacy and inapropriate prescribing.

A BBC inteview highlights some of her views and can be accessed from an article:

'The myth of the chemical cure'

http://news,bbc,co.uk/1/hi/health/8138893.stm

A compact cheaper book by Joanna Moncrieff in the Straight Talking Introductions series edited by Richard Bentall and Pete Sanders is called Psychiatric Drugs at a price under £9 is recommended by David Healy who states " This straighforward book is one that should be read by anyone currently taking or thinking about taking, a psychotropic drug, anyone prescribing them and anyone party to their use. It offers a radically different and sobering view as to what the drugs can do compared with the views on offer elsewhere." www.pccs-books.co.uk

* Deaths linked to prescribed medicines

2009-06-27T03:47:00.001-07:00

Michael Jackson’s and other deaths linked to prescribed medicines

Sudden death is difficult to cope with, and difficult to come to terms with.

The loss of a beloved family member, leaves us in a state of disbelief, asking ourselves if there is a mistake or is it a nightmare we will wake up from.

When the death was preceded by concerns for the health or lifestyle of the person we loved, we then feel guilt and wonder if there was something we could have done to prevent the tragic loss.

The death of Michael Jackson on Thursday, should not come as a surprise to those who had knowledge of the cocktail of prescribed medicines he had become dependent on. Michael’s friends expressed concern and gave warnings it seems.

Alternatives to drugs that may help some people

The human body has remarkable powers of recovery from damage and pain and the drugs no doubt help in the immediate relief following injury or surgery. Pain can be relieved, in my experience, by experts in manipulation, using a Tens machine, or I am told, acupuncture.

People under stress who cannot sleep should try first tranquillity teas and avoid caffeine drinks. Taking up Yoga and breathing exercises can help relaxation too. However in too many cases the first resort is drugs

UK Government Inquiry into prescribed drug addiction

A recent House of Commons Inquiry organised by MP Brian Iddon, highlighted that addiction to pain killers, tranquilisers and antidepressants leads to people taking them for years longer than required for the original problem. Involunatry addiction following careless prescribing leads to devastation of lives. Careers are ruined and family life destroyed in many cases.

Medicines led to deaths of ordinary folk too, my daughter, my friends brother and Helen in Manchester due to Dianette the drug I campaigned about, to name a few.

For every celebrity who’s death is linked to prescription drugs, there are thousands of ordinary folk who die and get no publicity. In many cases the drug implication is not even recorded as the cause and seldom reported to the regulator. It is estimated that over 100,000 people die in the USA due to adverse drug reactions (ADRs). A study in the UK By Liverpool professor Pirmohamed found that one in 16 emergency admission into hospital is due to ADRs. That figure excludes psychiatric, maternity, paediatric and ent admissons. So the true total may be much higher. Many prescribed drug related deaths are not even picked up by naïve coroners.

My daughter Karen’s death and a missed opportunity at the inquest

My daughter Karen died, at the age of 30, unwell and suffering dizzy spells, she slipped against a window with a faulty catch and died in an accidental fall from her bedroom window. The emphasis of the inquest was on the broken safety catch and danger of swivel windows in apartment buildings. Little attention was paid to the fact that Karen had suddenly stopped taking the highly addictive drug Temazepam and was, in error, over prescribed, for months, three times the recommended dose of a drug to deal with side effects, the anti-parkinson drug Kemadrin (procyclidine).

A verdict of ‘misadventure’ this week in Manchester at the inquest of 33 year old

A verdict of ‘misadventure’ this week in Manchester at the inquest of 33 year old Helen Schofield.

This verdict not adequately record the true cause of death or explain the inappropriate prescribing of Dianette (cyproterone acetate & ethynlestradiol) for a girl with known family cardiac risk. The drug has 4 times the risk of other drugs used for contraception, for deep vein thrombosis (dvt). Helen had lost her father at a young age due to heart attack. She had also gone with her mother to the doctor with concerns about the safey of Dianette, having read the information leaflet. She was suffering aches and pains and a sudden hacking cough. These early warning signs were dismissed by doctors in the practice. Helen was told she should stay on the drug. Her sudden death due to dvt has devastated her mother Kay who persistently asked the doctors if the drug was safe for Helen. Kay wants others to be aware of the increased risk of dvt with Dianette and is concerned that the doctors had little knowledge of the risk to her daughter.

Kay had not connected the fact that Helen had been prescribed Seroxat (paroxetine) for anxiety, another possible side effect of Dianette, as she was so perturbed about the risk of thrombosis which the health professionals ignored.

Dianette is not licensed as a contraceptive and only recommended for short courses to treat acne that failed to respond to antibiotics, or hirsuit problems. The reason for the refusal to license Dianette as a contraceptive is the 4 times greater risk of dvt, about which Helen and Kay Schofield were never warned.

APRIL’s Dianette campaign

I was distressed to hear of Helen’s death as I had campaigned for the regulatory, the Medicines Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to issue a further warning to doctors about the risks of psychiatric as well as blood clots for Dianette. For years I had been writing to the MHRA and had meetings with and told Dr June Raine that Dianette is being over prescribed and for too long without warning the patients about the side effects. They reviewed the drug in 2006 but did not issue a specific warning to GP’s as they had in 2002 in their publication ‘Current Problems in Pharmacovigilance’.

The death at 27 of Daniel Galvin

Another concerned mother was Gillian, the mother of Daniel Galvin. Gillian was introduced to me by psychiatrist Dr Phil Thomas, a member of the Critical Psychiatry Group. Gillian had concerns about Daniel's deteriorating health due to the adverse effects of psychotropic drugs. Daniel had seizures linked to Olanzapine/Zyprexa and had developed Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS), a well know side effect of psychotropic drugs that can be fatal. Gillian knew how important it was to get Daniel off the drugs and single handed, she did this. Withdrawal has to be slow and there are many problems with withdrawal effects. In the care of doctors these effects may lead to further prescribing of more and more drugs.

I think the stress and pressure led to Gillian's sudden death.

Without his mother, Daniel had to go into psychiatric care and was prescribed drugs again. I had been to visit him with his sister Ana due to her concerns that Daniel was having fits. Ana did her best to persuade the doctors to keep medication they perceived as necessary, at the lowest possible level. She told them her mother had been concerned about raised CPK levels so they agreed to do a blood test.

However Daniel was found dead in his bedroom. The drug Olanzapine / Zyprexa has been suspected of causing fits when Daniel was first treated for anxiety some years before and he was prescribed this with Sodium Valproate at the time of his death.

Bed Push Demo in memory of Daniel Galvin

I took part, with Daniel’s sister Ana, in a street demonstration in memory of Daniel. The ‘Bed Push’ demo was organised by psychologist Rufus May against the over dependence of our mental health system on the use of drugs for mental distress.

The use of psychotropic drugs may be considered by some people as helpful for an immediate crisis but suddenly stopping or increasing the doses beyond the level of human tolerance can lead to sudden death, aggressive behaviour and suicides. Cocktails of drugs are often prescribed with no reference to how the particular person can metabolise or disperse these from the body.

Pharmacogenetic tests to evaluate whether we have the enzymes and potential to successfully utilise any benefits or cope with any risk from toxicity could be used. Toxic levels of drugs not successfully dispersed by the liver enzymes can lead to the aforementioned disasters.

* First Posting - conference films and antimalarial ADRs

2009-06-23T18:09:00.000-07:00

Films from our November 2008 conference now on the web site

This is my first posting on the blog and I will record meetings, thoughts and some of the situations I am told about by people who discover the APRIL charity web site http://www.april.org.uk/

I am pleased that with the help of dear Lisa my film editor, we have put three sections of the conference on the APRIL web site http://www.april.org.uk/ for you to view.

The break - out session on 'Coming Off Medicines', was, I think, a unique event.

The edited films are discussions with Professors David Healy and Heather Ashton and Doctor Joanna Moncrieff, together with nurses Pam Armstrong and Adam Jhugroo, all experts in SSRI and Benzo withdrawal problems. Plus the inimitable Dr Bob Johnson, lovable and controversial in his protestations that schizoprenia and psychosis can be cured WITHOUT DRUGS and that psychotropic drugs cause psychosis in many people, is worth a listen.

Please email me with your name, email address and another contact address or telephone number, with a mention of whether you are a service user, health professional, pharmaceutical company employee - or all three. I will then give you the password code to view the three films.

emails from the edge

The above was the title of a Panorama programme (still available on the http://www.bbc.co.uk/ web site. It was in response to the thousands of emails the programme received following the first programme they made about the drug Seroxat /Paxil (paroxetine).

I too get thousands of emails in response to people finding the APRIL web site. As I read through the emails, I am not surprised to find problems relating to drugs that are listed on the web site.

Yesterday I received a sad story about the adverse effects of an antimalarial drug:

A young female in her early 20’s took the anti-malarial drug Avloclor /chloroquine with Paludrine. The combination is recommended and is possible the most commonly used drug for visitors to countries where there is a risk of Malaria.

The young woman wrote:

“I suffered from Stomach upsets, sleepless nights, constapation light headed, changes in my heart beat, Anxiety, depression ,hallucinations, tiredness, breathlessness, and mood changes”

She had taken the drugs for just over 3 weeks, stopped them and is now suffering severely with panic and anxiety attacks.

Sadly, as is often the case, there is no support or medical common sense shown in cases of adverse drug reactions, she has been prescribed antidepressants. This kind of adverse drug reaction (ADR) may be rarely seen by one particular doctor and there is a lack of communication about ADR's between health professionals. Recognition and treatment, let alone prevention.

Inability to tolerate a drug should alert the doctors to the fact the person may also suffer adverse effects of the drugs used to treat the first reaction. Genetic enzyme tests, as used by the pharmaceutical industry in clinical trials, should be made available for everyone.

The young woman contacted me after reading about the suicide of Dan Gater on the APRIL web site. This story can be found in the ‘Medicines List’ under anti-malarials on http://www.april.org.uk/

Although the severe psychiatric reactions are more often linked to the anti-malarial drug Lariam, chloroquine too can cause similar problems of psychosis and other psychiatric and physical effects.

Some time ago, I was contacted by the wife of a military man who recognised he was suffering adverse reactions but was advised to continue taking chloroquine during his posting to a war zone.

Drinking alcohol is risky with any medicine but if the liver is not metabolising (dispersing) the first drug then the addition of alcohol exacerbates the reactions. Sadly in this case a murder and suicide were the result.