“Until I started taking medication I hadn’t experienced any issues with sleep, apart from the typical disturbed nights that come with having a baby and toddler,” says Helen*, 30. “But my sleep worsened noticeably in the six weeks after I started taking antidepressants… I would find myself awake in the middle of the night with a cosmic feeling of unsettledness combined with a sensation similar to restless legs, but across my back. I also had severe nightmares…”

Read the full article here.

“Over the years, Golomb has collected reports from patients across the United States – tales of broken marriages, destroyed careers, and a surprising number of men who have come unnervingly close to murdering their wives. In almost every case, the symptoms began when they started taking statins, then promptly returned to normal when they stopped…”

Get the full story here.

Dr. Heather Ashton, a psychopharmacologist and author of the “Ashton Manual,” has died. The New York Times reports that Ashton’s lasting achievements include helping doctors and patients recognize and respond to benzo withdrawal and related adverse drug effects.

Dr. Ashton’s ability to listen to patients helped her collect accurate data used to develop the manual for benzo withdrawal and appropriate deprescribing.

“Patients themselves, and not the medical profession, were the first to realize that long-term use of benzodiazepines can cause problems,” wrote Dr. Ashton.

Read the full article here.

Isotretinoin, commonly marketed under the brand name, Roaccutane, is being reviewed by UK drug regulators after an increase of deaths among product consumers. The drug can cause severe “anxiety, aggression and violence, changes in mood, or suicidal thoughts,” all of which are also listed symptoms of akathisia.

Robert Reeves, the father of the late Luke Reeves, who died at age 21, said he believes his son’s death is related to  “a four-month course of Roaccutane.”  Luke “become irrational and lethargic” after taking the drug.

Mr. Reeves told an Essex Coroner’s Court that Luke’s personality changed completely after starting the drug and he believes Roche is responsible for ‘murdering people.’

Read the full article here.

May the lights & spirit of the season usher in a better world for all. Thank you for helping MISSD help others.

If you’re in NYC this weekend, please snap & share MISSD’s new akathisia subway ads and post on social media. Akathisia awareness can save lives. Here’s where to see them.

New akathisia awareness ads sponsored by MISSD have arrived in subway stations across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx. The ads were strategically chosen to run in December to reach residents and international travelers during the peak tourism season.

MISSD hopes “people who may be suffering from akathisia, or have a relative or friend showing akathisia symptoms, will see the ads and specifically mention the possibility of akathisia upon hospital admission, ” said MISSD founder, Wendy Dolin

Read more about MISSD’s NYC ad campaign here.

It’s a busy holiday season and many families are preparing for long-distance road trips. Make sure to ask your doctor if any prescription medications you are taking can impair driving. Over-the-counter drugs can do so, too.

Get the full story here.

Another important article about drug safety from the New York Times today. It’s good to see this topic in the news. Get the full story here.

MISSD is glad to see drug safety covered in today’s New York Times. Read the article here.