Katinka Newman, author of the “Pill that Steals Lives” has an excellent website, Antidepressantrisks.org, that provides general info and resources. There is also a “Stolen Lives” section where people can share their own stories of prescribed harm. Relatives of those who died antidepressant-induced deaths can also post stories. We can learn much from the lived experiences of others.
“Failing to de-prescribe a benzodiazepine like Klonopin or Ativan can be harmful because these drugs can have adverse, though reversible, cognitive effects, like impaired memory and focus. They can also slow reflexes and increase the risk of falling, which is potentially hazardous for older people,” said psychiatrist, Dr. Friedman, in a recent Washington Post article about stopping psychiatric drugs.
The asthma drug, Singular, can cause akathisia and precipitate medication-induced depression, violence, and suicide. Reports show these serious risks may be higher among children. The New York Attorney General is seeking stronger warnings on Singular.
Parent reports include a 14 year old who increasingly suffered neuropsychic and physical symptoms: “She spent increasing amounts of time in my bed due to nightmares, she became fearful that she would be murdered in her bed and she took to sleeping with a knife under her pillow.”
Another parent reported, “[f]or an entire year, my family was on suicide watch for a 10-year-old boy who screamed daily in fits of anger, sadness, and depression ‘I want to die,’ ‘just kill me,’ ‘I’m so stupid and I don’t want to live anymore,’ and ‘my brain is telling me I’m dumb and I don’t deserve to live.’ Kicking. Hitting. Screaming. Hiding under covers in fits of tears.” Read more at https://www.pharmexec.com/view/ny-ag-fda-safety-labeling-singulair.
The US Department of Veterans Affairs’ electronic health records system is putting veterans at risk of medication errors, according to testimony at a recent hearing. This finding is particularly troublesome given that many vets are prescribed SSRIs and other drugs that can cause akathisia-induced self harm, violence, and suicide. The risk of suffering akathisia is increased when medication dosage is changed and/or discontinued.
“At least one veteran wasn’t given critical medication they were prescribed because their records were incorrect, and the VA has not adequately notified patients their prescription records may be wrong,” the watchdog said. Another veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder who wasn’t given the medication needed developed worsening symptoms over 5 days “and had to be transferred to a local emergency room for care, according to the testimony.”
Read the full article at https://www.military.com/daily-news/2024/02/15/250000-va-patients-are-risk-of-receiving-wrong-medication-due-electronic-health-records-issue.html.
Family members of loved ones who died akathisa-induced deaths share their experiences on our Akathisia Stories podcast so that others can be safer and better informed. Kristina, who lost her daughter, Natalie, 11 years ago today, discusses the symptoms of akathisia that were missed, the importance of informed consent prior to prescribing, and the FDA Black Box suicide warning everyone should know, but few are ever told.
Listen at https://www.studiocchicago.com/kristina-gehrki-transcript.
Knowledge is power–and knowing the signs of akathisia can save lives. The families featured in our public health video share some symptoms they unknowingly witnessed prior to their loved ones’ demise. Listen & learn.
Bereaved parents in France have joined together to file complaints about the serious and sometimes fatal adverse effects of SSRIs. Vincent Schmitt and Yoko Motohama and Gilles and Giusiana Mannoni lost sons to sudden and out-of-character death shortly after the sons were prescribed SSRIs. One in ten French people are taking drugs marketed as antidepressants. “However, these medicines are known to act on the brain under construction in adolescents and young adults, which increases the risk of side effects.”
Read the full article at https://www.lepoint.fr/sante/antidepresseurs-deux-familles-portent-plainte-apres-le-suicide-de-leurs-fils-19-01-2024-2550189_40.php#11.
Our public health video co-produced with No Shame on U is the 1st–and only–suicide prevention video to include Akathisia as a suicide risk factor. See and share. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2r9lcvh90kE&t=4s.
An article in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry Advances finds that Australian children and adolescents are increasingly being prescribed antipsychotics and antidepressants “with little to no evidence that they could treat their symptoms.”
The research, headed by Julie Klau of the University of Adelaide, “reveals that the majority of antipsychotic prescriptions written by general practitioners were for off-label complaints. Additionally, “most of the service users prescribed antipsychotics were also prescribed other psychotropic drugs simultaneously.” Read more at https://www.madinamerica.com/2024/01/antipsychotic-prescriptions-increasing-for-children-and-adolescents-in-australian-primary-care-services/.
As MISSD approaches the end of another incredible year, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude for your support that enabled us to achieve remarkable milestones in 2023. We’re excited to continue making a positive difference in the coming year. Our 2024 public health ads will reach Canada, Australia and several new cities across the US. We’ll also be presenting at multiple conferences from DC to Kansas City and points in between.
With the year-end fast approaching, there’s still time to make a tax-deductible donation for 2023. Your support is essential in helping us continue our vital work.
Together, we are increasing awareness of akathisia and related adverse drug effects that can negatively impact mental health and public safety. Once again, thank you for being an integral part of our MISSD family. We can’t wait to embark on another year of progress and change with you by our side.