RxISK Stories

The first benzodiazepine, Librium, came on the market in 1960, followed three years later by Valium. By the late 1960s the benzos were selling in vast amounts. In the 1970s Valium became the best selling drug on Earth. While Leo Hollister … [Read More...]

Editorial note: Fiona’s story (FB) was the first Rxisk story filed. It is reproduced here. Data from FDA’s MedWatch system noting withdrawal problems on clopidogrel and Plavix are laid out in the Table at the bottom. Fiona’s story I had a … [Read More...]

The last post outlines the horrors of DAWS – dopamine agonist withdrawal syndrome. This week’s features the equally grim horror of dopamine antagonist withdrawal syndrome (DAAWS). The dopamine antagonists include the antipsychotic, anti-nausea, anti-itch and other groups of drugs. The … [Read More...]

Editorial input: Renny’s story here chillingly outlines the misery of Dopamine Agonist Withdrawal Syndrome (DAWS). Below this we present data from RxISK.org’s SoS Zone showing rates of SoS and related problems on Dopamine Agonists which fully bear out her personal … [Read More...]

Birth of the SoS Zone Backed into a corner by Panorama’s Shelley Jofre in 2003, GSK’s Alastair Benbow was faced with an accusation that GSK’s Paxil – Seroxat was addictive. No its not he said. He had a snag though, … [Read More...]

Editorial Note:  This post is excerpted from After the Error: Speaking Out About Patient Safety to Save Lives by Susan McIver, Ph.D. and Robin Wyndham.  © 2013 Susan McIver and Robin Wyndham. Published by ECW Press Ltd. ecwpress.com   Special Recognition The day … [Read More...]

Editorial note:  Dr. Duane Graveline, Author of Lipitor Thief of Memory, and other books – see his website. The original of this post is here.   Lipitor Thief  of Memory referred to here in an earlier post has sent this … [Read More...]

Editorial Note: This post is by Adam Urato MD, the Chairman of Obstetrics and Gynecology at MetroWest Medical Center in Framingham, Massachusetts, as well as a Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialist at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. He cares for pregnant women … [Read More...]

Editorial Note: I saw my first case of PSSD 15 years ago and since then have met 10 or more people with it and corresponded with many more. There is a striking consistency to the clinical picture across sufferers caught … [Read More...]

Editorial Note: This RxISK story written by Jeannie’s mother records a growing epidemic of sudden unexplained cardiac deaths. These are linked to the effects of a range of drugs on the cardiac QTc interval. There is considerable evidence that pharmaceutical companies … [Read More...]

There have been several reports to RxISK of young men committing suicide on doxycycline. This led us to investigate further. The evidence seems clear – doxycycline can cause someone to commit suicide. We have no idea how often this happens but … [Read More...]

Editorial Note:  This is a third post on Statins. The first two were Birth of a Statinista and The Legacy Effects of Statins. This one deals with one of the more complex problems these drugs can cause – cognitive failure. Many people might ask … [Read More...]

Editorial Note: This chilling account of the effects of statin drugs brings out a key role for reporters to RxISK.org – we need good data on how long the after-effects of drug treatment can last. This data is rarely collected … [Read More...]

Editorial Note: Sven Ternov, a doctor working in Sweden, recently wrote this article which appeared in DagensMedicin in January 2013. He has translated it for RxISK stories. Several other doctors have written about their difficulties in withdrawing from antidepressants – mostly … [Read More...]

All of a sudden, regulators seem to be trying to step up their game. The Canadian regulator, Health Canada, is placing notices in 22 professional journals explaining the process of and the importance of adverse event reporting. They claim to be … [Read More...]

It was Matt Miller’s case that started the ball rolling. The 13 year old had just changed school and was taking time to settle. He was referred to a Dr Geenens, who diagnosed Zoloft. A week later he hung himself … [Read More...]

When Rxisk launched a Sex Zone, we  press released it. We wanted as many people as possible to go to the Zone, explore what was there among the 4.3 million FDA reports we give away for free, and get word … [Read More...]

We want any accounts of adverse or interesting events on drugs or new uses for drugs from people on them or doctors, pharmacists or others trying to manage the effects of drugs. We would be very interested in accounts of … [Read More...]

We want any accounts of adverse or interesting events on drugs or new uses for drugs from people on them or doctors, pharmacists or others trying to manage the effects of drugs. We would be very interested in accounts of … [Read More...]

Carly’s story: I was referred to a psychiatrist for adult ADD when I started my first year at university. I made a passing complaint to my aunt, who is also a GP, over the summer about some occasional acne around … [Read More...]

Crusoe was called to see Lisbeth. The girl – young woman was mute and catatonic by day but after she fell asleep she had nightmares when she wailed piteously, rent her nightdress, walked in her sleep muttering ‘the children, the … [Read More...]

Crusoe’s first appearance was in The Creation of Psychopharmacology, where in recognition of the tensions inherent in medicine between the numerous who enter clinical trials and the single person being treated by a doctor, the book opened with a quote from … [Read More...]

Pharmalot has just posted a piece – ‘Controversial FDA official, Tom Laughren, retires.’ This is a must read for anyone with anything to do with mental health – both the post and the comments afterwards where some have posted that … [Read More...]

This is the first of three Crusoe posts. For background on Crusoe, see Watch where you wave that wand, The Oedipus Effect, The Tree must go. Beta Centauri was unquestionably a long way from Massachusetts. Somewhat to her surprise Crusoe found breathing no … [Read More...]

Introduction by David Healy RxISK is being built by the efforts of people affected by medicines – for good and bad. One of the most extraordinary of all RxISK stories appeared on davidhealy.org – Driven to Drink. This was not … [Read More...]

Introduction by David Healy In 1987 Herb Hendin started the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). AFSP is a non-profit 501(c)(3).  It is an active fund-raiser. AFSP fell into the hands of Charlie Nemeroff and later John Mann and colleagues … [Read More...]

Khaya was 54 in 2000. She had developed unstable angina possibly from being on HRT for two years, or a high stress university job, or family history, or exposure to vehicle exhaust in her long daily commute or some combination … [Read More...]

I recently contacted the doctor who is responsible for my iatrogenesis — the doctor who grossly over-medicated me and made me ill. I’ve been corresponding with him for several years now, but this was the first telephone conversation I’ve had with him … [Read More...]

This was first posted on Leonie Fennell’s blog Antidepressants, irrational behaviour and “out of the blue” suicides – raising awareness among UK police officers In 2009 my son, who had never been depressed in his life, went to see a … [Read More...]

Anonymous There is a war going on over truth in drug marketing. There have been many victims of drugs that made it to market with deadly and damaging side effects. Increasingly, drug companies have sought to expand their markets by … [Read More...]

Anonymous When you lose a child or a partner from a rare illness, everyone is supportive, no-one denies you. They listen. But if a child dies from suicide or a complication of treatment with a drug especially a psychotropic drug … [Read More...]

Beatrice Golomb from the University of California San Diego is conducting a survey of treatment related side effects. She is looking for 900 volunteers to complete the linked survey. You have been asked to participate because Beatrice A. Golomb, MD, … [Read More...]

Author: Anne-Marie (This story was first posted on davidhealy.org. It has been the most commented on post there. It epitomizes what RxISK.org is all about – one woman getting to grips with a problem she has on treatment.  If you … [Read More...]

I myself had been on and off a long series of antidepressants, but never had really dramatic withdrawal symptoms until I stopped the SNRI inhibitor Cymbalta. It started when I tried to step down from 120 mg per day, back … [Read More...]

In RxISK Stories, we regularly take you to dark places where few would wish to go. We have perhaps become too used to the horrific consequences of medicines going wrong that we fail to appreciate how off-putting this sequence of … [Read More...]

This piece by Daniel O’Sullivan was first posted on Crikey.com. Our interest was stimulated by a query to RxISK from Daniel who had been told by the Australian regulator (the TGA) that they only had one report of this. Looking for gambling in RxISK, gives … [Read More...]

If there is one thing most doctors think they know its that weight gain can be caused by an underactive thyroid and having an overactive thyroid leads to weight loss. So the thyroid hormone, thyroxine, will lead to weight loss. … [Read More...]

Dear David We already think the site does a lot more than look good! It is really powerful. I’ve gone through and done some assessments myself. One thing I wondered, as a user, is if you planned to develop something … [Read More...]

This is a first in a series of RxISK stories. We want any accounts of adverse or interesting events on drugs or new uses for drugs from people on them or doctors, pharmacists or others trying to manage the effects … [Read More...]

Maria Bradshaw lost her only child to SSRI induced suicide in 2008. She is the co-founder and CEO of CASPER (Community Action on Suicide Prevention Education & Research). Maria wants everyone using prescription drugs to file their own RxISK Reports, because … [Read More...]