is there a way those involved in this case be brought to justice?

new definition of democracy: a set up that must have a president whose right all the time, support for war to keep arms manufacturers and ex-CIA officials happy and working and a medical system that costs an arm and a leg and then systematically kills the rest (of the body) that's still working.

Salon's huge and colorful graphic accompanying the Psych article inflames readers and corrupts the true message of Ann's article. Misdiagnosis is the message - not the evils of prescription drug use. Properly diagnosed prescription drug use saved her son’s life.

Such yellow journalism is not imaginary, to wit; misguided Saloner, Quiet Type, writes that Ann’s article is just another one of the "...sad horror stories lurking behind our culture's sick ease with prescription drugs."

Salon’s irresponsible graphic presentation combined with its shock-jock headline fuels the bias of Quiet Type and other misguided surface thinkers.

Ann’s article ends happily because of the proper use of prescription drugs administered at Mayo.

One could only hope that no one in Quiet Type’s family should ever need prescription drugs and be denied them because of “our culture’s sick ease” with their usage.

As to Salon’s editorial staff – throw a little more gasoline on that drug fire. Let’s save the world and burn ‘em all. Readership is the ultimate value.

This article makes an excellent point. Physicians are only here to dispense medical advice. They recommend treatment. They offer potential solutions. Each individual is in charge of his or her own health (and that of his dependents). If a little voice in the back of your head is whispering "Something is wrong" there is a good chance that something is wrong. Things to do include voice your concerns with your health care provider. If he or she will not listen and address your questions, it is second opinion time.

A second point that needs to be emphasized is that every time your doctor writes a prescription, go online and check it out. Second Generation Anti-psychotics (SGA) are being prescribed to millions of children in this country, even though they are not FDA approved. They are prescribed for many conditions besides schizophrenia. Their side effects include rapid, massive weight gain which has caused diabetes and death from coma in some individuals. These drugs make pharmaceutical companies lots of money but are they really necessary for all these children, many of whom are not suffering from psychosis?

I am a retired family physician. I have seen enough instances in which physicians, nurses, pharmacists and others have misdiagnosed me and members of my family, prescribed the wrong medications, dispensed the wrong drugs or committed other medical errors to know that blind trust of the medical profession is a recipe for disaster.

Here is a link to an article about SGA use in children:

http://pediatrics.jwatch.org/cgi/content/full/2006/712/1

Did you miss the point that the doctors tried to fix something that neither the patient or his family thought was a problem in the first place?

Did you miss the part that his serious downhill slide began with a simple antidepressant?

Did you miss the part about neuroleptic malignant syndrome? You can't have narcoleptic maglignant syndrome without narcoleptics, can you?

When faced with difficult medical or emotional problems it is so very important to seek out the best medical care possible. It is well worth it to travel some distance to be treated by experts (who are usually found at top medical school hospitals). All doctors are NOT created equal. The local doc down the street may be fine for every day needs, but when one's life hangs in the balance we must do our homework. Not only is the internet helpful but any reference librarian would be happy to help steer someone towards the best credentialed specialists. One doesn't have to be a celebrity to see a great doctor and their fees are usually in line with other physician's. I'm so happy for Ann's and her son's success. Thank you, Ms Bauer for sharing your story.

Brian Neary writes: One could only hope that no one in Quiet Type’s family should ever need prescription drugs and be denied them because of “our culture’s sick ease” with their usage.

Brian, since you're so interested in my family, perhaps you'd like to know of my mother's allergic reactions to several prescriptions, my brother's depression exacerbated by "anti-depressants," and my father's death from internal bleeding created by cocktails of drugs with tiny little mouse-type warnings of innocuous little side effects like stomach bleeding.

Drugs are prescribed like candy, with very little depth of knowledge and very little respect for their power.

It's time we all got a lot smarter and a lot more cynical about them.

Dear AKA

Thanks for your rant, it’s helping to prove my point. It’s apparently motivated by anger, it’s particularly notable for its errors in terminology, and it’s completely off point. Perhaps I should have used ‘knee-jerk’ instead of ‘shallow.’

To begin with, there is no such thing as ‘narcoleptics,’ nor was narcolepsy even mentioned in Ann’s article; your shouting from an empty barrel. FYI That’s another way of politely saying, “You don’t know what your talking about.”

A bit more depth and a re-read would reveal that I am not defending mistaken doctors, wrong headed prescriptions, nor horrible and sometimes progressive side effects resulting from misdiagnosis. It was not those evil drugs that did the damage (some of those antidepressant drugs when applied correctly can greatly enhance one’s life and lead to recovery) No, AKA, it was MISDIAGNOSIS and incorrect prescription that maimed Ann’s boy.

Take a deep breath, put your feet up, have yourself a non-alcoholic beverage (‘cause alcohol’s a drug too, you know) and then consider signing up for Pop Warner. I think it’s the appropriate league under the circumstances.