Letters to the Editor

• @ blunderdog

  [Read the article: Girls' suicide rates soar]
  [Read more letters about this article: Here]

  I would recommend another book for people considering an SSRI medication. It is called "Prozac Backlash" by Joseph Glenmullen. The following is an excerpt from a review by Christopher Perring, Ph.D. :

  "The discussions of the side effects of SSRIs is disconcerting, and Glenmullen makes a strong case that the drug manufacturers and the psychiatric establishment have downplayed these serious side effects. He documents all his sources (there are thirty five pages of notes at the end of the book) and leaves little room for doubt that there are at least strong reasons to worry about the effects of Prozac and its relatives.

  Chapter one is about tics, muscle spasms, fatigue, and neurological agitation, and it draws parallels to the effects of the antipsychotic drugs and neurological diseases. Chapter two is about the effects of going off SSRI medication, which is what he calls "Prozac backlash." Often people feel bad when they discontinue their medication, and they conclude that they need to resume taking it. But Glenmullen argues that in many cases, the proper conclusion is that the medication should be tapered more carefully and there is often no reason to think the medication continues to be necessary. The fact that SSRI medication can have withdrawal effects means that it can be hard to kick the habit of medication, and is in a sense addictive. This is a conclusion that the manufacturers of these drugs do not want society to come to."

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  I was on SSRIs for over five years, intially started because of a mild depression. On SSRIs, I quickly progressed to a serious major depression. Everytime I would complain the drugs were not working, the doctors would up the dosage or they would switch me from one SSRI to another. One even lied to me. When I demanded that I be prescribed no more SSRIs, he told me he was giving me something "entirely new." This turned out to be an SSRI that had been re-engineered to have few side effects. Only I kept having the same side effects: Muscle aches, agitation, and short term memory problems. I didn't even give a damn about the weight gain and the loss of sex drive.

  For five years I kept asking "Why do I get so depressed in the winter?" After tapering off of my last (useless) SSRI, I bought a full spectrum light box. Mystery solved. Wellness achieved. I have Seasonal Affective Disorder -- a mild mood problem distantly related to Bipolar Disorder. Also, I have known many people with Bipolar Disorder made worse by SSRIs and yet doctors continue to prescribe them when they don't yet have a clear diagnosis.

  Many people don't realize that there are studies that show that a stringent program of regular aerobic exercise will do more to improve the mood of a mildly depressed person than a moderate dosage of an SSRI.

  In the book I recommend, the word backlash refers to effects of going suddenly off an SSRI. If you will recall, when these drugs first came out patients were led to believe they could easily stop them because there was no withdrawal. The only visual hallucination I ever had in my life was when I quit (the first time) an SSRI. I went to a mall with a checkboard tile floor. Suddenly that damn floor began to move. It was truly one of the most horrendous experiences of my life. You can get very depressed and suicidal when you think you are going insane.

  Tapering off SSRI medication with the help of a supportive psychologist and nurse was the best decision I ever made. SSRIs are simply NOT for everyone. If you will recall, Salon actually had an article from a writer whose son suffered from Autism. It turns out SSRIs are bad for people with Autism. Please realize that there are a significant number of people who, while they may not have full-blown autism, are on the autism spectrum and suffer from Aspergers.

  I have known two other people besides me who have had bizarre immediate reactions to SSRIs. One was a woman with PTSD who had suffered years of sexual abuse. I knew her well. Upon being prescribed Prozac, she suddenly "developed" a new, completely different personality. No, I do not mean she merely acted different. I mean she thought she was a different person ala Sybil. Another, on Zoloft, developed such sudden debilitating tics that her career was at risk. She acted like she was on speed, talking much faster than she usually did and compulsively tapping her foot. Fortunately she had only been on it a little over a month and was able to quit immediately. She went back to normal. Weirdly, she had been prescribed it for ordinary grief that she experienced when her boss was murdered.

  These drugs are too seriously risky to be prescribed for things like mild depression and temporary grief. I also doubt that they are even appropriate for PTSD.

  Permalink Saturday, September 8, 2007 12:09 AM