The VA freaked out when I told them I would no longer take this garbage (several types) around 17 years ago--I would rather be depressed. Since then I have used vitamin D, sunshine and forced myself to reengage with the world. The final cure was walking the Camino de Santiago in 2024 (500 miles). There is something about living life at a walking pace for well over a month that reset me. I walked it again last year and have gotten even better and so I will walk again this year. The key I think is being to damn stubborn to give up.
So thankful to hear that! My husband and I are both veterans and I’ve gotten real used to saying “No,” to them for years. They never admit side effects. And especially now with these Asian doctors being hired, who push drugs and don’t listen, it gets real old. Especially trying to force statins on us. They really hate it when you tell them our bodies need cholesterol, especially the brain and our nerves. I love watching their reaction 😉.
And the one thing the article doesn’t want to say much about is the spiritual aspect.
Then there's the HbA1c panic-mongering. Mine has been 5.6-5.8 for the past 10 years of bloodwork. It's been there when I was eating a bunch of stupid carbs, 20 lbs heavier, and been there now that I've lost 20 lbs and don't eat carbs. Been that level when I sat on my butt all day, and now when I do weight lifting 3-5 times a week.
I tell the idiots that's just my set point. Have also started to lecture the docs about how the standards have been lowered from 9 to 7 to 6 by pharma and its new patent insulins that it has to peddle to make money
And it's the exact same bullshit with cholesterol. I flip it back at the doc and ask why the people I know who take statins are so unhealthy mentally and physically. Then they suggest ezetimibe, which simply does the same damage as statins, by a different mechanism.
It’s hard not to say anything at times, but if they push me hard enough, yeah, there’s no stopping it lol. I decided we had to change teams. Skip has hearing problems and I asked her to speak louder, and she wouldn’t. She’s from Thailand, heavy accent and I had a hard time understanding her, and she talks really fast. Her excuse was, “I was born with this heavy accent and I can’t change it.” 🤦🏼♀️ Um, ok, you’ve been here for 20 years. And they wonder why his BP is “high.”
Last year I thought I was going to lose him. Looked up side effects and decided to wean him off all the BP meds and the Amlodopine. He was like a new person after. He had had all the side effects. But every single time I mention side effects, “Oh, it can’t be from the side effects, why was he dizzy? We need to find out.” Let’s see, all 3 meds have a dizziness side effects. This doctor is from India. It took everything I had not to lose it after the 3rd time. After that I ignored her. I found out she’s a real problem at our VA. I told the nurse to make sure on our records, she is not to come near us 😉 Anyway, if you have problems at your VA, send a letter to Sec. Collins. He gets enough of them, he will have to do something.
I am hard of hearing - have been since childhood. The best solution is not to speak LOUDER, but to speak more SLOWLY. No, she can't change her accent, but she can slow down, and give deaf people a chance to interpret what she is saying.
Diversity hire VA doctors? Like the one I tried to talk to about my weight? (I've had a minor-major to me weight problem since Iraq) This "doctor" was at least 100 pounds overweight and first told me, "I wish I had your weight problem!" And then told me it was because I had high cholesterol--my fat cells couldn't get around the high cholesterol and so stuck inside me. Really? I really had a hard time keeping my mouth shut. I am glad to hear of at least one other American who doesn't believe the cholesterol is evil narrative.
Bruce, that obnoxious and haughty Dr. Patel, ugh, awful. And I tell people, and I’m sure you know this. They have a caste system, so in her mind, she’s above all of us lowly veterans, and could care less about real care.
The funny thing is India produces some great doctors. I just spent three weeks there and got better dental care and vision care than in the US--less than $30 for a good teeth cleaning and a little over $100 for two pair of progressive lens glasses. I just seriously doubt that any decent doctor, no matter their background would work for the VA. The reality is that it is not the caste system, it is her sensing your mistrust of the medical industry, I get it all the time from any medical personnel anywhere because they instinctively know we are "hostile witnesses". What could we know after all since we haven't had their "flawless" training. Almost any "professional" gets an attitude toward an outsider that doubts their field.
It’s hard not to say anything at times, but if they push me hard enough, yeah, there’s no stopping it lol. I decided we had to change teams. Skip has hearing problems and I asked her to speak louder, and she wouldn’t. She’s from Thailand, heavy accent and I had a hard time understanding her, and she talks really fast. Her excuse was, “I was born with this heavy accent and I can’t change it.” 🤦🏼♀️ Um, ok, you’ve been here for 20 years. And they wonder why his BP is “high.”
Last year I thought I was going to lose him. Looked up side effects and decided to wean him off all the BP meds and the Amlodopine. He was like a new person after. He had had all the side effects. But every single time I mention side effects, “Oh, it can’t be from the side effects, why was he dizzy? We need to find out.” Let’s see, all 3 meds have a dizziness side effects. This doctor is from India. It took everything I had not to lose it after the 3rd time. After that I ignored her. I found out she’s a real problem at our VA. I told the nurse to make sure on our records, she is not to come near us 😉 Anyway, if you have problems at your VA, send a letter to Sec. Collins. He gets enough of them, he will have to do something.
walking is great not just for physical health, but also mental and emotional. Something I've gotten into recently is trail "running" which for me is about 80 percent fast walking and 20 percent slow running. I like to have a goal so I sign up for trail running events. The goal gets me out of the house for "training" and the events are fun. In the two I've participated in so far, I've been the oldest but not the slowest! ;-) Maybe someday I think about doing the Camino. But I do like backpacking in the high mountains, so my trips away from home are usually to do that.
Walking and hiking keeps me sane. I get cabin fever quickly in the depths of cold winter so I try and get out anyway. Just a short walk in our local conservation area is balm for the soul and body. I can walk great for an old gal.
Lots of different Camino routes, from easy to harder. It's not just the walking, it's the length of time spent walking really resets your internal clock.
That's almost as funny as asking if my mother had any kids that lived. I saw your pediatrician post (Dr. Lauren Hughes), which if she is correct then the answer is 0.
There's another "coincidence"! The word RAPIST is contained within the word therapist. Mental rapists. Patients find out the hard way if they happen to get a therapist who violates the ethics codes they are supposed to follow.
worse than corrupt, they are violent sociopaths and mass murderers. And they laugh about it! After Vioxx killed thousands and Merck paid the largest fine ever paid by a drug company, the joke at the office was the acronym for new HPV vaccine they were developing (that also killed thousands) really meant Help Pay for Vioxx.
Fines - for killing people. No-one goes to jail. No company gets shut down. This is insane, yet nothing is done. How is it that nothing is done ? Because we have become accustomed to living on a planet run immorally, via the tools of fear. If we realized the insanity of allowing this to continue, we'd be shutting down those companies ourselves. There'd be protests. Those companies wouldn't have a chance. But, what do we do when our loved ones are killed by them ? Tell it to some congressional committee where nothing really happens. Insanity.
This goes back to the evil of corporations and corporate law. US Founders saw how evil a corporation could be with the East India company, so they severely limited corporations in the new republic. When US was founded, one corporation could not own another corporation and there was no "corporate shield" (no Limited Liability corporation). They had the right idea but they should have banned corporations altogether and written that ban into the Constitution because over time the rich bought off the law makers and had them change corporate law to what we have today.
There was no corporate shield originally....now that's interesting. Do you know of a history of the elimination of responsibility on the part of corporate owners and the creation of the shield?
As a Christian, we are given spiritual discernment. I knew something wasn't right about the covid hoax-- no jabs for our family and we are doing fine without!
Friend of a friend has insurance (USA) and took her teenager for a "well teen visit" (I had never heard of this) and sure enough they pushed an HPV on her - and - charged her $600 (if she had been uninsured, the vax would've been free)
I think it is more appropriate to describe the Pharmaceutical industry as Satanic.
Etymology
“Pharmakeia” (φαρμακεία) is a Greek term appearing in several New Testament passages conveying the idea of sorcery, witchcraft, or the use of magical potions. It is related to the words φάρμακον (pharmakon), meaning “drug” or “poison,” and φαρμακεύς (pharmakeus), meaning “one who prepares or uses magical potions.” From these roots, English derives “pharmacy,” although in biblical contexts the emphasis is consistently on harmful, misleading, or occult practices rather than morally neutral medical use."
Dr Peter Breggin has written and spoken out about the horrors of taking ssri's and I lived them for almost 30 yrs! I was browbeaten and shamed into taking them and finally said "No More". I stopped abruptly and my body would NOT stop moving for days!!! Long story without enough time or space to write about the nightmare that had taken over my body and erupted when I stopped! I started researching and taking sufficient vitamins and minerals and finally found an effective Psychologist and yoga instructor/Reiki healer and managed to heal from the debilitating depressing trauma of childhood abuse. I am so grateful every day for amazing therapies and the ability to heal. And as my amazing son told me, "you are my hero, Mama and not everyone is able to survive either of the traumas!" Praise God🙏 and may God bless all who are suffering from the horror that is big pharma🙏 Thank you all for listening🥰
I took them for a while in the 90s. Worse in winter. I got a light box for obvious SAD and started going to college as an older student. The lightbox worked within a week and I loved school. Bingo! Depression gone. I had no problems going off them and they were a small dose compared to now. I think it was only a couple of years. Any improvements taking them I now see as just placebo action.
you are fortunate to have had the insight to research what you needed to do and to work with healers who could help. I agree with your son: not everyone is able to survive either of the traumas! And that's why these drugs are so so evil because most people cannot stop once they start taking them.
Kudos to you, Midwestern Doctor, for being the only credentialed MD I’ve ever known to actually report on SSRIs and their ill effects. It seems your colleagues are to enslaved by the profit motive to speak out on them.
I fully believe SSRIs are behind most of America’s health and societal ailments. I’ve had short run-ins with Paxil, personally. And my wife was prescribed Zoloft and Xanax for anxiety and inability to sleep. And yes, those zombie-induced feelings and lack of sex drive were common between us.
CRIMINALITY is the only descriptive word we need to use for BIGPHARMA and its “doctors” who make and prescribe their poisons.
I find that when I serve my purpose in life, depression disappears. When I turn off my phone and stop comparing my life to others on social media, depression disappears. When I take my dog for a walk or go hiking in the woods or jam out with friends making music, the depression disappears.
In other words, depression is largely bullshit. A state of mind that requires a change in habit. Not synthetic drugs pushed on us for a bunch of scumbags’ profits.
Thanks for all you do. You are an American Treasure (assuming you’re “American” lol).
After I saw your comment, I realized I'd always assumed there was no other part of the world with a Midwest besides America but never actually verified that assumption was true. I checked, and to the best of my knowledge, the only "midwest" is in the USA.
I replied to your reply but it got pushed down the thread a bit. Seems substack is acting a little wonky tonight. Probably a further sign that more people are flocking to truthsayers, as opposed to CNN & MSNBC.
According to a substacker, Bill Rice Jr. he has been studying substack growth as he’s losing visibility and influence. Dodgy comments, etc. he believes the growth in substack is that the left loonies are flocking there now and we contrarians will be a minority soon. Substack may be increasing the lefts visibility. Left Stackers have thousands of subs in short timeframes but few comments and likes. He’s suspicious. But yes, I think some are waking up.
That’s what lefties do. Destroy destroy destroy! But I would imagine that the paywall that Substack offers its premium subscribers would separate much of the wheat from the chaff (i.e. only the most vile and determined trolls would actually pay a subscription to have their petty “voices” heard).
I’m glad you found something that worked. I almost instantly recognized the inhuman feelings Paxil gave me and thankfully never gave it the chance to fully control me. But I see what it does to others and despise it.
I felt the smoothed out emotions too. I quit after 2 years when my circumstances changed and i got active and started college as an older student. I also had a spiritual awakening getting closer to God.
Rather than pick on SSRIs, The title should be, "The Truth About Pharmaceuticals."
After adjusting for under- and over-reporting there is a consistent range of 150,000–250,000 U.S. deaths per year from pharmaceuticals - correctly prescribed and used as directed (excluding overdose and misuse).
Thus prescription medicine is the 3rd leading cause of death in the US. One has to ask; how many tens or hundreds of thousands of lives would be saved every year (not to mention billions of dollars) if the entire pharmaceutical industry was razed to the ground?
If you want an antidepressant that actually works, and is cheap and harmless, try Saffron.
Even St. John's Wort is safer than pharmaceuticals - IF you are SSRI naive (I do not recommend them to people whose brains have been stirred with the SSRI "stick").
Thank you so much for this article. My daughter was put on Zoloft at 9 yrs old for obsessive compulsive disorder and an eating disorder. They added klonapin for panic attacks when she was 13 but she refused to take it after a few days because of how it made her feel. I’m so thankful she refused it. She just turned 42 last month. She started taking herself off this evil drug Zoloft about a year and a half ago. It’s been very hard on her, but she is down to 50 mgs daily. I’m so proud of her. It is devastating to learn the pharmaceutical industry knew the truth about the harm and life altering side effects of this drug and hid it for all these years. She was assured by her OB doctors during 2 pregnancies that it was fine to take Zoloft during pregnancy. She has suffered so much for over 30 yrs with feeling numb, always tired, sleep issues, anxiety, inability to cope with stress and sexual dysfunction. I’m heartbroken as her mom for unwittingly allowing this to happen to her at such a young age. She was robbed of a normal life. Thank God, as far as we can tell so far, her 14 yr old son and 10 yr old son are okay. Her youngest did have breathing issues at birth and has asthma. I wish all those harmed by these SSRIs could sue Big Pharma for their Crimes Against Humanity! It’s so good that you are telling the truth about this. My daughter was misunderstood so much of her life because we did not understand her behavior issues were directly related to this horrible drug. God bless you for helping give a voice to those who have been irreparably harmed by SSRIs.
OH it is especially hard for those who started the drugs before adulthood - and this was before puberty. Safe and effective - you trusted. We had NO idea what was being done to us! Well done her for coming off them - at 42, she has a chance to have some life back. Many of us didn't get off until our 50's or 60's (I was 50 when I started tapering).
A doctor put me on them when I started having panic attacks and crying a lot after my oldest sister died at age 48. I was 40 I think.
Paxil. 15mg. I hate this drug. I am afraid to stop it.
I do not know what to do. I told my husband that if I am ever hospitalized or unable to communicate (I am 71 now) that he needs to tell medical ppl that I am taking this shitty drug so they do not stop giving it to me and I might go crazy.
I do not see a future without this shitty pill. It is like part of me. It sucks. Tell your loved ones to never take these poisons.
Thank you Kelly for sharing your burden. Terrified is the right descriptor.
I know it is on many of my medical records but I worry that if something happens to me and I am unable to communicate.
I feel like - I could live with out my stupid metoprolol but I fear the consequences of sudden withdrawal of this poison. I wish you peace and please keep in touch, you have a friend. rosemary bolton at icloud dot com
Paxil is a bear to come off, but you can sneak out from under it - 10% of prior dose at a time. Whether you do this with microgram scale, crushing and making a liquid to taper with, or even shaving the tablets with a nail file - or paying a compounding chemist to formulate your tapers - you can sneak away from the bear.
As I started to go through the article, just the beginning statements about the association with violent and suicidal behavior and what has been happening in our "civilization" is a real eye opener. The increase in violent and psychotic behavior has got to be directly related to the increased use of pharmaceuticals. No wonder we are in a world of trouble. Keep up the information and education loud and clear!
That and repeated Covid jabs plus all the rest. The wild eyed and obviously disturbed women we see all over now—screaming and crying on TikTok. That is not normal. Something has been unleashed and damaged in these poor souls. I’m old. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. Even the feminists of the 60s and 70s look sane compared to this. I suppose social media has given them permission to “let the b@#ches out”.
Serotonine imbalance, just the dose that is right for you and all turns out to go smoothly. Psychiatry will never find out that you are short or too many of some neurons, it reminds me of the most underestimated book, a shot in the dark.
Then there's that curve of harm that Doc keeps showing us - for all the extreme reactions, there are myriads of minor reactions that may not catch your attention until it's too late.
The ones I've run into are SSRI induced CFS, Fibromyalgia, chronic headaches, akathisia, destruction to the gut biome = IBS, even cardiac malfunctions. People get these things and go to their docs, and the docs NEVER look at SSRI's contribution to these problems.
I have a friend who is in her 60s. She lost her husband and son within a few years. She was already on SSRIS and benzos, and her prescription was increased. She takes 4-5 drugs and doesn't seen any better now than she did when I met her 10 years ago. She said she's tried to get off the benzos and can't because she "must sleep" and can't without them, plus the withdrawals are too bad. She's also resigned herself to the SSRIs, saying there's something wrong with her brain and must take them for life.
It's very sad. She won't listen to me. I took SSRIs for years when I was naive and believed they were necessary for me depression. I made the mistake of believing my doctors. But over time I noticed I felt worse, not better, so I started investigating on my own. I'm so grateful I was able to get off them. I will never take another psychiatric drug.
These drugs are advertised CONSTANTLY. And so are GLP1s. (Don't get me started on those.) And I'll see ads to take another drugs to help with the Tardive dyskinesia you're getting from your psychiatric drug. I'm shouting at the TV. How about just stop taking the first drug that's making your body jerk!
About six years ago, I was put on cymbalta for fibromyalgia. The first couple of months were great-I felt so much better. But then I started feeling really depressed and suicidal. I ended up quitting cold turkey and had to deal with almost two months of brain zaps ⚡️. Now I avoid taking any pharmaceuticals!
After many years of heling patients get off SSRIs, I found that the suicidal ideation is largely due to Vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency, indirectly induced by SSRIs. Since then, I use high dose thiamine supplementation (500 - 1000 mg daily) to help overcome this suicidality during withdrawal
Some patients need this therapy for a long time after SSRIs have been discontinued.
Also, I do not withdraw my patients using dose tapering. You will note that this is the only option on offer to patients, likely because it is the worst. Instead, I use dose oscillation, what I call the "knit one slip one" approach. This is not the space to describe it, but it is rapid and with little side effects.
Lastly, I've found that about 5% or my patient population suffers from a CYP2D6 dysfunction in the liver. In about 1 in 5000, there is no functionality of the CYP2D6. These patients are depressed by nature (so much for the serotonin hypothesis). If given SSRIs (and a number of other psychoactive drugs), this subsection shows severe side effects and no benefit. Often, they are then accused of confabulating side effects and prescribed higher doses.
Mmmm. At Surviving Antidepressants we would never do alternate day dose changes, because that could throw people into a worse state - however, we are the internet, and cannot monitor them as "patients" in a clinic could be monitored.
There are maths and charts explaining why we don't do it this way - half lives, spacing out the doses can cause gaps in the dosing which causes problems.
10% of current dose per month reduction. Cut and use microgram scale, or crush and make a liquid, or hire a compounder to give you correct dosages for your taper.
OR - if you're really terrified, do a 5% drop. The higher end of the doses aren't really doing much (if you look at those serotonin occupancy charts, you will see that the lowest dose is above the top of the curve - those curves work both ways - the lowest part of the dose is the hardest to taper, and the doses are always way higher than the curve).
Surviving Antidepressants has a lot of topics on Micro Tapers. There's one called the BrassMonkey Slide which is especially sneaky for getting out from under the drug. (BrassMonkey is a moderator at SA, and this was his technique for getting off). If you want out from under the drug - go to SA.
Sorry you lost a “friend”. Never interfere in their choices to take poison. The white coat told them to take it. I have a friend who is taking a drug for osteoporosis. A new kind but just like the old kind, only given by a $800 shot every six months not covered by insurance. There are law suits ramping up about it already. It makes bones more dense but also more brittle. Spontaneous shattering of the femur may occur. Plus the same doc has scared this very fit 73 yo NOT to go out at all if there is ice or snow because of risk of fall. Or she has perceived she heard that. She becomes practically a shut in. The odd thing is she still jogs. I have read that is not the greatest thing for osteoporosis. You can walk faster without the extra stress on the bones of jogging as an older person. When I jogged up until my late 30s I fell several times jogging. Saved my knees by stopping that. I decided I have never seen a jogger or runner who looks good or happy doing it. Nor very healthy looking either. Walkers, however, seem happier and more engaged with the world around them. We camp in Wyoming off the grid for a month in the summer. Lots of hills there. Lol. I’ll be 78 this year. Just my observations. . Best to you, Dan.
I pleaded with my friend: why didn't you talk to me? I would listen. Why are you reporting your mood to a doctor? Mood really is none of their business.
She's been stuck on the drugs for at least 5-10 years now. I even sent a letter to her doc about "how to taper" with charts & pictures. Her doc was surprised: "where did you get this?" LOL
The VA freaked out when I told them I would no longer take this garbage (several types) around 17 years ago--I would rather be depressed. Since then I have used vitamin D, sunshine and forced myself to reengage with the world. The final cure was walking the Camino de Santiago in 2024 (500 miles). There is something about living life at a walking pace for well over a month that reset me. I walked it again last year and have gotten even better and so I will walk again this year. The key I think is being to damn stubborn to give up.
So thankful to hear that! My husband and I are both veterans and I’ve gotten real used to saying “No,” to them for years. They never admit side effects. And especially now with these Asian doctors being hired, who push drugs and don’t listen, it gets real old. Especially trying to force statins on us. They really hate it when you tell them our bodies need cholesterol, especially the brain and our nerves. I love watching their reaction 😉.
And the one thing the article doesn’t want to say much about is the spiritual aspect.
Then there's the HbA1c panic-mongering. Mine has been 5.6-5.8 for the past 10 years of bloodwork. It's been there when I was eating a bunch of stupid carbs, 20 lbs heavier, and been there now that I've lost 20 lbs and don't eat carbs. Been that level when I sat on my butt all day, and now when I do weight lifting 3-5 times a week.
I tell the idiots that's just my set point. Have also started to lecture the docs about how the standards have been lowered from 9 to 7 to 6 by pharma and its new patent insulins that it has to peddle to make money
And it's the exact same bullshit with cholesterol. I flip it back at the doc and ask why the people I know who take statins are so unhealthy mentally and physically. Then they suggest ezetimibe, which simply does the same damage as statins, by a different mechanism.
I have such a loathing for modern medicine now.
It’s hard not to say anything at times, but if they push me hard enough, yeah, there’s no stopping it lol. I decided we had to change teams. Skip has hearing problems and I asked her to speak louder, and she wouldn’t. She’s from Thailand, heavy accent and I had a hard time understanding her, and she talks really fast. Her excuse was, “I was born with this heavy accent and I can’t change it.” 🤦🏼♀️ Um, ok, you’ve been here for 20 years. And they wonder why his BP is “high.”
Last year I thought I was going to lose him. Looked up side effects and decided to wean him off all the BP meds and the Amlodopine. He was like a new person after. He had had all the side effects. But every single time I mention side effects, “Oh, it can’t be from the side effects, why was he dizzy? We need to find out.” Let’s see, all 3 meds have a dizziness side effects. This doctor is from India. It took everything I had not to lose it after the 3rd time. After that I ignored her. I found out she’s a real problem at our VA. I told the nurse to make sure on our records, she is not to come near us 😉 Anyway, if you have problems at your VA, send a letter to Sec. Collins. He gets enough of them, he will have to do something.
I am hard of hearing - have been since childhood. The best solution is not to speak LOUDER, but to speak more SLOWLY. No, she can't change her accent, but she can slow down, and give deaf people a chance to interpret what she is saying.
I asked her to slow down, but she refused and even if she did, he still wouldn’t be able to hear her. So we changed teams.
Diversity hire VA doctors? Like the one I tried to talk to about my weight? (I've had a minor-major to me weight problem since Iraq) This "doctor" was at least 100 pounds overweight and first told me, "I wish I had your weight problem!" And then told me it was because I had high cholesterol--my fat cells couldn't get around the high cholesterol and so stuck inside me. Really? I really had a hard time keeping my mouth shut. I am glad to hear of at least one other American who doesn't believe the cholesterol is evil narrative.
Bruce, that obnoxious and haughty Dr. Patel, ugh, awful. And I tell people, and I’m sure you know this. They have a caste system, so in her mind, she’s above all of us lowly veterans, and could care less about real care.
The funny thing is India produces some great doctors. I just spent three weeks there and got better dental care and vision care than in the US--less than $30 for a good teeth cleaning and a little over $100 for two pair of progressive lens glasses. I just seriously doubt that any decent doctor, no matter their background would work for the VA. The reality is that it is not the caste system, it is her sensing your mistrust of the medical industry, I get it all the time from any medical personnel anywhere because they instinctively know we are "hostile witnesses". What could we know after all since we haven't had their "flawless" training. Almost any "professional" gets an attitude toward an outsider that doubts their field.
It’s hard not to say anything at times, but if they push me hard enough, yeah, there’s no stopping it lol. I decided we had to change teams. Skip has hearing problems and I asked her to speak louder, and she wouldn’t. She’s from Thailand, heavy accent and I had a hard time understanding her, and she talks really fast. Her excuse was, “I was born with this heavy accent and I can’t change it.” 🤦🏼♀️ Um, ok, you’ve been here for 20 years. And they wonder why his BP is “high.”
Last year I thought I was going to lose him. Looked up side effects and decided to wean him off all the BP meds and the Amlodopine. He was like a new person after. He had had all the side effects. But every single time I mention side effects, “Oh, it can’t be from the side effects, why was he dizzy? We need to find out.” Let’s see, all 3 meds have a dizziness side effects. This doctor is from India. It took everything I had not to lose it after the 3rd time. After that I ignored her. I found out she’s a real problem at our VA. I told the nurse to make sure on our records, she is not to come near us 😉 Anyway, if you have problems at your VA, send a letter to Sec. Collins. He gets enough of them, he will have to do something.
Love this
walking is great not just for physical health, but also mental and emotional. Something I've gotten into recently is trail "running" which for me is about 80 percent fast walking and 20 percent slow running. I like to have a goal so I sign up for trail running events. The goal gets me out of the house for "training" and the events are fun. In the two I've participated in so far, I've been the oldest but not the slowest! ;-) Maybe someday I think about doing the Camino. But I do like backpacking in the high mountains, so my trips away from home are usually to do that.
Amen! I am 80 and my wife & I ride recumbent bikes 8 miles 2-3 times a week. " Use it or lose it!"
There are people your age who walk the Camino--all of it. But the nice thing is you go at your own pace and don't even have to do the whole thing. : )
Walking and hiking keeps me sane. I get cabin fever quickly in the depths of cold winter so I try and get out anyway. Just a short walk in our local conservation area is balm for the soul and body. I can walk great for an old gal.
Lots of different Camino routes, from easy to harder. It's not just the walking, it's the length of time spent walking really resets your internal clock.
LSD = Long Slow Distance = resets adrenals.
Kudos to you for following your instincts!
How many kids do you have, Bruce?
That's almost as funny as asking if my mother had any kids that lived. I saw your pediatrician post (Dr. Lauren Hughes), which if she is correct then the answer is 0.
I really hope that America is finally realizing that the Pharmaceutical industry is corrupt.
You cannot imagine willing or unwillingly it’s far beyond corrupt, they’re lethal they kill.
I couldn’t agree more
pHARMaceuticals! What a weird "coincidence" the word HARM is contained within the word pharmaceutical. Truth hiding in plain sight?
Very astute!
for the theRAPISTs to force upon you
There's another "coincidence"! The word RAPIST is contained within the word therapist. Mental rapists. Patients find out the hard way if they happen to get a therapist who violates the ethics codes they are supposed to follow.
worse than corrupt, they are violent sociopaths and mass murderers. And they laugh about it! After Vioxx killed thousands and Merck paid the largest fine ever paid by a drug company, the joke at the office was the acronym for new HPV vaccine they were developing (that also killed thousands) really meant Help Pay for Vioxx.
Fines - for killing people. No-one goes to jail. No company gets shut down. This is insane, yet nothing is done. How is it that nothing is done ? Because we have become accustomed to living on a planet run immorally, via the tools of fear. If we realized the insanity of allowing this to continue, we'd be shutting down those companies ourselves. There'd be protests. Those companies wouldn't have a chance. But, what do we do when our loved ones are killed by them ? Tell it to some congressional committee where nothing really happens. Insanity.
This goes back to the evil of corporations and corporate law. US Founders saw how evil a corporation could be with the East India company, so they severely limited corporations in the new republic. When US was founded, one corporation could not own another corporation and there was no "corporate shield" (no Limited Liability corporation). They had the right idea but they should have banned corporations altogether and written that ban into the Constitution because over time the rich bought off the law makers and had them change corporate law to what we have today.
All just side effects of the basic problem - Our planet being run immorally.
That's what we have to deal with and the rest will melt away......
There was no corporate shield originally....now that's interesting. Do you know of a history of the elimination of responsibility on the part of corporate owners and the creation of the shield?
As a Christian, we are given spiritual discernment. I knew something wasn't right about the covid hoax-- no jabs for our family and we are doing fine without!
Protesting is useless. Just take responsibility for our own health and NEVER take their poisons. That’ll get rid of them.
Friend of a friend has insurance (USA) and took her teenager for a "well teen visit" (I had never heard of this) and sure enough they pushed an HPV on her - and - charged her $600 (if she had been uninsured, the vax would've been free)
But I cried. What are you doing to your daughter?
yes, I believe the HPV vaccine is one of the bad ones, serious side effects including death
I think it is more appropriate to describe the Pharmaceutical industry as Satanic.
Etymology
“Pharmakeia” (φαρμακεία) is a Greek term appearing in several New Testament passages conveying the idea of sorcery, witchcraft, or the use of magical potions. It is related to the words φάρμακον (pharmakon), meaning “drug” or “poison,” and φαρμακεύς (pharmakeus), meaning “one who prepares or uses magical potions.” From these roots, English derives “pharmacy,” although in biblical contexts the emphasis is consistently on harmful, misleading, or occult practices rather than morally neutral medical use."
Pharmakeia is a slander to kind witches everywhere, who would Do No Harm. (And it Harm None)
I totally agree
Dr Peter Breggin has written and spoken out about the horrors of taking ssri's and I lived them for almost 30 yrs! I was browbeaten and shamed into taking them and finally said "No More". I stopped abruptly and my body would NOT stop moving for days!!! Long story without enough time or space to write about the nightmare that had taken over my body and erupted when I stopped! I started researching and taking sufficient vitamins and minerals and finally found an effective Psychologist and yoga instructor/Reiki healer and managed to heal from the debilitating depressing trauma of childhood abuse. I am so grateful every day for amazing therapies and the ability to heal. And as my amazing son told me, "you are my hero, Mama and not everyone is able to survive either of the traumas!" Praise God🙏 and may God bless all who are suffering from the horror that is big pharma🙏 Thank you all for listening🥰
I took them for a while in the 90s. Worse in winter. I got a light box for obvious SAD and started going to college as an older student. The lightbox worked within a week and I loved school. Bingo! Depression gone. I had no problems going off them and they were a small dose compared to now. I think it was only a couple of years. Any improvements taking them I now see as just placebo action.
you are fortunate to have had the insight to research what you needed to do and to work with healers who could help. I agree with your son: not everyone is able to survive either of the traumas! And that's why these drugs are so so evil because most people cannot stop once they start taking them.
Thank-you for this post! Very relatable!
Kudos to you, Midwestern Doctor, for being the only credentialed MD I’ve ever known to actually report on SSRIs and their ill effects. It seems your colleagues are to enslaved by the profit motive to speak out on them.
I fully believe SSRIs are behind most of America’s health and societal ailments. I’ve had short run-ins with Paxil, personally. And my wife was prescribed Zoloft and Xanax for anxiety and inability to sleep. And yes, those zombie-induced feelings and lack of sex drive were common between us.
CRIMINALITY is the only descriptive word we need to use for BIGPHARMA and its “doctors” who make and prescribe their poisons.
I find that when I serve my purpose in life, depression disappears. When I turn off my phone and stop comparing my life to others on social media, depression disappears. When I take my dog for a walk or go hiking in the woods or jam out with friends making music, the depression disappears.
In other words, depression is largely bullshit. A state of mind that requires a change in habit. Not synthetic drugs pushed on us for a bunch of scumbags’ profits.
Thanks for all you do. You are an American Treasure (assuming you’re “American” lol).
After I saw your comment, I realized I'd always assumed there was no other part of the world with a Midwest besides America but never actually verified that assumption was true. I checked, and to the best of my knowledge, the only "midwest" is in the USA.
I replied to your reply but it got pushed down the thread a bit. Seems substack is acting a little wonky tonight. Probably a further sign that more people are flocking to truthsayers, as opposed to CNN & MSNBC.
According to a substacker, Bill Rice Jr. he has been studying substack growth as he’s losing visibility and influence. Dodgy comments, etc. he believes the growth in substack is that the left loonies are flocking there now and we contrarians will be a minority soon. Substack may be increasing the lefts visibility. Left Stackers have thousands of subs in short timeframes but few comments and likes. He’s suspicious. But yes, I think some are waking up.
That’s what lefties do. Destroy destroy destroy! But I would imagine that the paywall that Substack offers its premium subscribers would separate much of the wheat from the chaff (i.e. only the most vile and determined trolls would actually pay a subscription to have their petty “voices” heard).
That sounds about right, curious.
Vitamin D3 and Omega/3 got me off the mind meds.
I’m glad you found something that worked. I almost instantly recognized the inhuman feelings Paxil gave me and thankfully never gave it the chance to fully control me. But I see what it does to others and despise it.
I felt the smoothed out emotions too. I quit after 2 years when my circumstances changed and i got active and started college as an older student. I also had a spiritual awakening getting closer to God.
Great article. I wish people could understand how powerful these drugs are.
I also believed that I could handle any side effect, not realizing it can be like having your brain stirred with a stick.
This needs to be mainstream news so at least people who have horrific side effects don’t have to run around begging others to validate them.
It’s beyond criminal to not acknowledging the potential problems…..
Well said
Rather than pick on SSRIs, The title should be, "The Truth About Pharmaceuticals."
After adjusting for under- and over-reporting there is a consistent range of 150,000–250,000 U.S. deaths per year from pharmaceuticals - correctly prescribed and used as directed (excluding overdose and misuse).
Thus prescription medicine is the 3rd leading cause of death in the US. One has to ask; how many tens or hundreds of thousands of lives would be saved every year (not to mention billions of dollars) if the entire pharmaceutical industry was razed to the ground?
If you want an antidepressant that actually works, and is cheap and harmless, try Saffron.
Razed to the ground is a good start. Now that would be showing some sanity.
Even St. John's Wort is safer than pharmaceuticals - IF you are SSRI naive (I do not recommend them to people whose brains have been stirred with the SSRI "stick").
Thank you so much for this article. My daughter was put on Zoloft at 9 yrs old for obsessive compulsive disorder and an eating disorder. They added klonapin for panic attacks when she was 13 but she refused to take it after a few days because of how it made her feel. I’m so thankful she refused it. She just turned 42 last month. She started taking herself off this evil drug Zoloft about a year and a half ago. It’s been very hard on her, but she is down to 50 mgs daily. I’m so proud of her. It is devastating to learn the pharmaceutical industry knew the truth about the harm and life altering side effects of this drug and hid it for all these years. She was assured by her OB doctors during 2 pregnancies that it was fine to take Zoloft during pregnancy. She has suffered so much for over 30 yrs with feeling numb, always tired, sleep issues, anxiety, inability to cope with stress and sexual dysfunction. I’m heartbroken as her mom for unwittingly allowing this to happen to her at such a young age. She was robbed of a normal life. Thank God, as far as we can tell so far, her 14 yr old son and 10 yr old son are okay. Her youngest did have breathing issues at birth and has asthma. I wish all those harmed by these SSRIs could sue Big Pharma for their Crimes Against Humanity! It’s so good that you are telling the truth about this. My daughter was misunderstood so much of her life because we did not understand her behavior issues were directly related to this horrible drug. God bless you for helping give a voice to those who have been irreparably harmed by SSRIs.
OH it is especially hard for those who started the drugs before adulthood - and this was before puberty. Safe and effective - you trusted. We had NO idea what was being done to us! Well done her for coming off them - at 42, she has a chance to have some life back. Many of us didn't get off until our 50's or 60's (I was 50 when I started tapering).
SSRIs are horrible.
A doctor put me on them when I started having panic attacks and crying a lot after my oldest sister died at age 48. I was 40 I think.
Paxil. 15mg. I hate this drug. I am afraid to stop it.
I do not know what to do. I told my husband that if I am ever hospitalized or unable to communicate (I am 71 now) that he needs to tell medical ppl that I am taking this shitty drug so they do not stop giving it to me and I might go crazy.
I do not see a future without this shitty pill. It is like part of me. It sucks. Tell your loved ones to never take these poisons.
I feel like you. Highest dose of Zoloft for over 30 years for OCD. Im terrified to stop. I don't have side effects but I want them out of my system
Thank you Kelly for sharing your burden. Terrified is the right descriptor.
I know it is on many of my medical records but I worry that if something happens to me and I am unable to communicate.
I feel like - I could live with out my stupid metoprolol but I fear the consequences of sudden withdrawal of this poison. I wish you peace and please keep in touch, you have a friend. rosemary bolton at icloud dot com
Thank you so much ❤️ Wishing you peace as well
Paxil is a bear to come off, but you can sneak out from under it - 10% of prior dose at a time. Whether you do this with microgram scale, crushing and making a liquid to taper with, or even shaving the tablets with a nail file - or paying a compounding chemist to formulate your tapers - you can sneak away from the bear.
As I started to go through the article, just the beginning statements about the association with violent and suicidal behavior and what has been happening in our "civilization" is a real eye opener. The increase in violent and psychotic behavior has got to be directly related to the increased use of pharmaceuticals. No wonder we are in a world of trouble. Keep up the information and education loud and clear!
That and repeated Covid jabs plus all the rest. The wild eyed and obviously disturbed women we see all over now—screaming and crying on TikTok. That is not normal. Something has been unleashed and damaged in these poor souls. I’m old. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. Even the feminists of the 60s and 70s look sane compared to this. I suppose social media has given them permission to “let the b@#ches out”.
Tom Cruise warned us, but the mainstream media laughed and laughed.
But BasicallyThere isn't one "kind"
of serotonin,
but rather one molecule that acts on many different receptor subtypes, categorized into seven main families (5-HT1 to 5-HT7), with at least
14 distinct subtypes identified in humans, each triggering different cellular responses.
These receptors, primarily G-protein-coupled (except for 5-HT3), control diverse functions like mood, sleep, appetite, and gut motility.
AND SSRIs do NOT act the same
on everyone, and
differences in the balance and density of serotonin receptors are a major reason why.
AND While all SSRIs primarily work by blocking the reuptake of serotonin to increase its availability in the brain,
the way an individual's brain responds to that increase depends on several biological "tuning" factors.
(which is not that well understood)
But typically a lot of these things are seen as-
“one size fits all” -except maybe get the dose right
and one in a million or one in 10 million could have an
*extreme reaction* and that’s never covered in the media.
Serotonine imbalance, just the dose that is right for you and all turns out to go smoothly. Psychiatry will never find out that you are short or too many of some neurons, it reminds me of the most underestimated book, a shot in the dark.
Then there's that curve of harm that Doc keeps showing us - for all the extreme reactions, there are myriads of minor reactions that may not catch your attention until it's too late.
The ones I've run into are SSRI induced CFS, Fibromyalgia, chronic headaches, akathisia, destruction to the gut biome = IBS, even cardiac malfunctions. People get these things and go to their docs, and the docs NEVER look at SSRI's contribution to these problems.
I have a friend who is in her 60s. She lost her husband and son within a few years. She was already on SSRIS and benzos, and her prescription was increased. She takes 4-5 drugs and doesn't seen any better now than she did when I met her 10 years ago. She said she's tried to get off the benzos and can't because she "must sleep" and can't without them, plus the withdrawals are too bad. She's also resigned herself to the SSRIs, saying there's something wrong with her brain and must take them for life.
It's very sad. She won't listen to me. I took SSRIs for years when I was naive and believed they were necessary for me depression. I made the mistake of believing my doctors. But over time I noticed I felt worse, not better, so I started investigating on my own. I'm so grateful I was able to get off them. I will never take another psychiatric drug.
These drugs are advertised CONSTANTLY. And so are GLP1s. (Don't get me started on those.) And I'll see ads to take another drugs to help with the Tardive dyskinesia you're getting from your psychiatric drug. I'm shouting at the TV. How about just stop taking the first drug that's making your body jerk!
About six years ago, I was put on cymbalta for fibromyalgia. The first couple of months were great-I felt so much better. But then I started feeling really depressed and suicidal. I ended up quitting cold turkey and had to deal with almost two months of brain zaps ⚡️. Now I avoid taking any pharmaceuticals!
After many years of heling patients get off SSRIs, I found that the suicidal ideation is largely due to Vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency, indirectly induced by SSRIs. Since then, I use high dose thiamine supplementation (500 - 1000 mg daily) to help overcome this suicidality during withdrawal
Some patients need this therapy for a long time after SSRIs have been discontinued.
Also, I do not withdraw my patients using dose tapering. You will note that this is the only option on offer to patients, likely because it is the worst. Instead, I use dose oscillation, what I call the "knit one slip one" approach. This is not the space to describe it, but it is rapid and with little side effects.
Lastly, I've found that about 5% or my patient population suffers from a CYP2D6 dysfunction in the liver. In about 1 in 5000, there is no functionality of the CYP2D6. These patients are depressed by nature (so much for the serotonin hypothesis). If given SSRIs (and a number of other psychoactive drugs), this subsection shows severe side effects and no benefit. Often, they are then accused of confabulating side effects and prescribed higher doses.
Mmmm. At Surviving Antidepressants we would never do alternate day dose changes, because that could throw people into a worse state - however, we are the internet, and cannot monitor them as "patients" in a clinic could be monitored.
There are maths and charts explaining why we don't do it this way - half lives, spacing out the doses can cause gaps in the dosing which causes problems.
Im terrified to stop after over 30 years of Zoloft
10% of current dose per month reduction. Cut and use microgram scale, or crush and make a liquid, or hire a compounder to give you correct dosages for your taper.
OR - if you're really terrified, do a 5% drop. The higher end of the doses aren't really doing much (if you look at those serotonin occupancy charts, you will see that the lowest dose is above the top of the curve - those curves work both ways - the lowest part of the dose is the hardest to taper, and the doses are always way higher than the curve).
Surviving Antidepressants has a lot of topics on Micro Tapers. There's one called the BrassMonkey Slide which is especially sneaky for getting out from under the drug. (BrassMonkey is a moderator at SA, and this was his technique for getting off). If you want out from under the drug - go to SA.
They are closing to active participation, but it will be available as a read-only site. LOTS of valuable information there. Start here - http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1441-tips-for-tapering-off-zoloft-sertraline/
But you may also wish to check keywords like "Microtapering" and "BrassMonkey Slide", as well as "Cutting Weighing" and "Liquid Taper".
Thanks for sharing. I will look into all of these suggestions!
Do you want to stop?
Why or why not?
Yes and no. I don't like taking it but I never want to be in the dark place I was before them
I tried to stop my friend from using an SNRI going over my personal story with SSRIs. We no longer talk. Not my choice on that.
Sorry you lost a “friend”. Never interfere in their choices to take poison. The white coat told them to take it. I have a friend who is taking a drug for osteoporosis. A new kind but just like the old kind, only given by a $800 shot every six months not covered by insurance. There are law suits ramping up about it already. It makes bones more dense but also more brittle. Spontaneous shattering of the femur may occur. Plus the same doc has scared this very fit 73 yo NOT to go out at all if there is ice or snow because of risk of fall. Or she has perceived she heard that. She becomes practically a shut in. The odd thing is she still jogs. I have read that is not the greatest thing for osteoporosis. You can walk faster without the extra stress on the bones of jogging as an older person. When I jogged up until my late 30s I fell several times jogging. Saved my knees by stopping that. I decided I have never seen a jogger or runner who looks good or happy doing it. Nor very healthy looking either. Walkers, however, seem happier and more engaged with the world around them. We camp in Wyoming off the grid for a month in the summer. Lots of hills there. Lol. I’ll be 78 this year. Just my observations. . Best to you, Dan.
I pleaded with my friend: why didn't you talk to me? I would listen. Why are you reporting your mood to a doctor? Mood really is none of their business.
She's been stuck on the drugs for at least 5-10 years now. I even sent a letter to her doc about "how to taper" with charts & pictures. Her doc was surprised: "where did you get this?" LOL
Do the birth control pill next!
And Depo Provera.
And then after those… Tamoxifen
And the abortion pill.
My own personal and , professional experience is testimony to the precision , of your article.
Your writing and research skill is a wonder to behold.
I will of course re stack and continue to do my best to inform anyone …..with ears to hear.