Researchers spotlight “rebound” symptoms, many of which are the same symptoms associated with prescription-drug-induced akathisia:
“Rebound with SSRIs entails worsening anxiety, insomnia, agitation, obsessions and compulsions, with peak onset between 36 and 96 hours. The timeframe for rebound relates to the duration of drug action (ie, half-life) and can last up to 6 weeks.”

Read the full article at https://www.mdlinx.com/article/are-these-common-drugs-worth-prescribing/5V1uIGBjfUgWbbvuz7rceZ

Prescriptions for psych drugs are skyrocketing in response to Covid-19 induced anxiety but medical experts point out “Many physicians have a low threshold for prescribing them. It’s very problematic,” says Bruce J. Schwartz, deputy chair and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Montefiore Medical Center in New York. “Many people do develop a dependency on these medications.”https://www.wsj.com/articles/more-people-are-taking-drugs-for-anxiety-and-insomnia-and-doctors-are-worried-11590411600?mod=hp_featst_pos1

Issues in Science and Technology highlights that professionals searching for a coronavirus cure must not “abandon the prime dictum of medicine, to do no harm, and rush into treatments that not only may not work but may well cause serious harm.”

Read the full article at https://issues.org/pandemic-science-out-of-control/

Healthcare providers and consumers can benefit from these tips to reduce normal anxiety and stress during these abnormal COVID-19 times.

See MedPage article at: https://www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/covid19/85660?xid=nl_popmed_2020-05-20&eun=g1045428d0r&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CoronaBreak_052020&utm_term=NL_Daily_Breaking_News_Active

The corona virus and a search for treatments is increasing the public’s awareness of drug side effects–something more people need to be aware of when taking any medication, whether by prescription or over-the-counter.

“Scientists, journalists and politicians have been “pointing out the drug’s ineffectiveness against the coronavirus in a few recent studies and long list of potentially dangerous side effects.” Read the full article at https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/05/19/coronavirus-side-effects-taking-hydroxychloroquine-covid-19/5218956002/

“We need to take the time to re-educate health care professionals and counsel patients,” said pharmacists Pete Kreckel, RPh, who is involved in the “Flip the Pharmacy” program designed to prevent adverse drug events and interactions.

One such example includes a patient who “had been taking escitalopram 20 mg daily, and started taking NyQuil for cough and cold symptoms. She had full-blown seizures as a result of serotonin syndrome, which occurred from the dextromethorphan/SSRI combination. The patient was life-flighted to the hospital and made a full recovery.”

Pharmacists can remind prescribers of the importance to speak with patients about taking antidepressants with cough and cold medications, especially during cough and cold season.

Read the full article at https://www.pharmacytimes.com/news/how-community-pharmacists-can-provide-excellent-patient-care-with-support

Singer Melissa Etheridge lost her son to opioid addiction, adding another victim to this epidemic. Unfortunately, thousands of opioid deaths started when victims were given prescription drugs for medical reasons–but did not receive informed consent about possible benefits vs. known risks to include the risk of drug dependency.

Read the story at https://edition.cnn.com/2020/05/13/entertainment/melissa-etheridge-beckett-cypher-dies/index.html

“I didn’t know then that the aches and pains, akathisia, and Abe’s perpetual hypothermia were side effects of the antipsychotic drugs he had been taking for too many years,” says a New Zealand father after losing his son to medication-induced death.

“Rather than enhancing his well-being and quality of life, neuroleptic drugs irrevocably damaged Abraham’s physical and mental health over the long term.”

Read the article at https://www.madinamerica.com/2020/05/eulogy-abraham-leighton-mcneill/?mc_cid=a0001c5952&mc_eid=ddd7b4b2cc&fbclid=IwAR1n1VwtJOKsRS16039XsIYl1iIyaFdHFUUEpaIAdhRigBS-AfpdacQBOIs

The FDA recently approved Eli Lilly’s product, Cymbalta, for kids with fibromyalgia despite that Eli Lilly’s self-funded, small clinical trial showed:
6 kids developed self-harm
2 attempted suicide
1 intentionally overdosed
1 injured himself
2 had suicidal thoughts, and
3 kids experienced depression, hallucinations and seizure.

Get the full story and see the clinical trial data at https://www.painnewsnetwork.org/stories/2020/5/5/should-children-be-prescribed-cymbalta

It’s Giving Tuesday and now, more than ever, the mission of MISSD is critically important given the increasing number of drugs being prescribed during COVID19. Being safe requires being well informed. Please share our free resources take Akathisia 101 and consider a donation to support our goals.

Together we can reduce avoidable deaths by educating the public about risk factors and warning signs of adverse drug effects that can cause suicidality and suicide.