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SUNY psychiatrist admits use of "chemical imbalance" fallacy to persuade patients


Phil

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I also found this blog post on webmd, defending how antidepressants work, it sounds like a load of nonsense to me:

 

http://blogs.webmd.com/mental-health/2011/07/how-antidepressants-work-part-one.html

 

This guy, psychiatrist Thomas L. Schwartz, MD, is demonstrating incoherence from cognitive dissonance. He's having trouble bringing two thoughts together 1) "The chemical imbalance theory is a lie, and I knew it," and 2) "I tell patients about it anyway.":

 

Are mental illnesses caused by brain chemical imbalances? Sometimes, but often not. We have known this for years. This is not new news. We tell patients about these imbalances as it is easy to understand. Just like adding insulin for diabetics who have no insulin, it is a replacement. Frankly, we add psychiatric medications into a patient’s system and they do change brain chemical levels or block certain brain receptors instantly, but patients do not get instantly better. Most patients get better 2-6 weeks later after their chemicals or receptors have been manipulated and changed for weeks.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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I also found this blog post on webmd, defending how antidepressants work, it sounds like a load of nonsense to me:

I just read that blog post. It's worse than nonsense -- it's DANGEROUS. This psychiatrist is LYING to his patients in order to get them to take their meds. I just submitted a response to his post which will be "reviewed" by the moderators before it is posted. I seriously doubt it will be posted as I didn't hold anything back. I was so furious. Here is my response:

 

OK a few things:

 

-While I agree that certain disorders like PTSD and SAD may have validity, that certainly isn't true of some disorders like PMDD. Consider this statement by psychologist Paula Caplan:

"Hundreds of researchers have tried unsuccessfully to prove that women are more likely to have mood problems premenstrually than at other times. University of British Columbia researcher Christine Hitchcock says, 'Something like half of women say they have premenstrual problems, but when you ask them to keep daily ratings of their moods, the data don't reflect that.' Another study showed that men identified PMDD symptoms in themselves as commonly as women did."

 

And I will also add that many women were duped into taking an SSRI for their so-called "disorder" of PMDD when they took Sarafem, which was simply a re-branded Prozac. Elli Lilly realized that Prozac would soon lose its patent so they lobbied the FDA to re-brand Prozac into Sarafem so Prozac would have its patent extended and Lilly could keep raking in the dough. The big winner here was Lilly, as they revived their blockbuster drug's patent status and didn't have to spend a thin dime on R&D to develop a new drug specifically for PMDD. The losers, of course, were the thousands of women who took a drug that has dubious at best action for a "disorder" that is also dubious at best.

I also find it strange you admit such diagnoses as PTSD, SAD, and PMDD may not even be real diagnoses at all! What does that say about the validity of the DSM? And even if they are "real symptoms" does severe PMS and social anxiety always need to be treated by a psychiatrist (that is, with pills)? I certainly know the pharmaceutical companies' answer.

 

-As to your statement that mental illnesses are "sometimes" caused by "brain chemical imbalances": Firstly, there is not a shred of evidence that mental disorders are caused by chemical imbalances. Even psychiatrists such as Ronald Pies admit this. He recently said, "In truth, the 'chemical imbalance' notion was always a kind of urban legend - - never a theory seriously propounded by well-informed psychiatrists." and "The legend of the 'chemical imbalance' should be consigned to the dust-bin of ill-informed and malicious caricatures."

Psychiatrist Dan Carlat goes further, admitting in his book UNHINGED: "While it is true that most of our drugs affect neurotransmitters in various ways, when psychiatrists start using what I call neurobabble, beware, because we rarely know what we are talking about. I fall into this habit with patients all the time. When I find myself using phrases like 'chemical imbalance' and 'serotonin deficiency,' it is usually because I'm trying to convince a reluctant patient to take a medication."

 

Carlat then spends the next few pages detailing how every study that aimed to find a "chemical imbalance" for a mental illness has failed. Robert Whitaker also details these studies in the "The Hunt For Chemical Imbalances" chapter of his ANATOMY OF AN EPIDEMIC.

 

As it currently stands, the only place the chemical imbalance theory has in the mental illness debate is when speaking of the effects that psych meds have on patients' brains. The DRUGS THEMSELVES cause chemical imbalances, not mental illnesses.

 

And frankly I'm shocked that you admit you tell patients that taking psych meds is like a diabetic taking insulin for their diabetes. It may be easy for the patient to understand, but IT'S NOT TRUE and this is an ethical violation to tell a patient something that isn't true -- it's a clear violation of the "do no harm" doctrine. You are LYING to your patient, period. It has been proven time and time again that depression isn't caused by a deficiency of serotonin or any other neurotransmitter. The analogy is false: antidepressants don't "replace" any depleted resource needed by the body. This is the kind of tortured logic that proponents of the medical model of psychiatry must cling to, to the peril of their patients.

-Also, about your statement "So, psychiatric drugs are needed to start a series of events -- a chain reaction -- in the brain, starting with manipulating chemicals so that symptoms can eventually get better" please consider this quote from Dan Carlat's UNHINGED: "Another challenge to the chemical imbalance theory is the well-known delay in the effect of antidepressants -- in most patients, these drugs take at least two weeks before they begin to work. Yet, the drugs begin altering levels of serotonin and norepinephrine immediately. In order to explain this, authorities have created increasingly elaborate theories about 'downstream' effects of antidepressants, in which neurotransmitters set into motion a cascade of biochemical events that eventually cause genes to be activated. Again, the theories are ingenious but unproven."

 

-Finally, I would like to add that Dr. Schwartz received $3,000 from Cephalon in 2009, as reported on the "Dollars For Docs" Propublica database. Cephalon is a pharmaceutical company that manufactures a variety of drugs, including neurological drugs such as Provigil and Gabitril which are used by psychiatrists. From the Propublica database: "In 2008 the company agreed to pay a $425 million settlement for marketing Actiq, Gabitril, and Provigil for uses not approved by the Food and Drug Administration." One of those unapproved uses was marketing Gabitril for anxiety. Readers are free to draw their own conclusions about this.

-I will also add that I am in no way affiliated with Scientology but am just a psychiatric consumer investigating the truth.

Been on SSRIs since 1998:

1998-2005: Paxil in varying doses

2005-present: Lexapro.

2006-early '08: Effexor AND Lexapro! Good thing I got off the Effexor rather quickly (within a year).

 

**PSYCHIATRY: TAKE YOUR CHEMICAL IMBALANCE AND CHOKE ON IT!

APA=FUBAR

FDA=SNAFU

NIMH=LMFAO

 

Currently tapering Lexapro ~10% every month:

 

STARTING: 15 mg

11/7/10: 13.5 mg

12/7/10: 12.2 mg

1/6/11: 10.9 mg

2/3/11: 9.8 mg

3/3/11: 8.8 mg

4/1/11: 7.8 mg

4/29/11: 7 mg

5/27/11: 6.4 mg

6/24/11: 5.7 mg

7/22/11: 5 mg

8/18/11: 4.5 mg

9/14/11: 4 mg

10/13/11: 3.6 mg

11/9/11: 3.2 mg

12/7/11: 2.6 mg

1/3/12: 2.1 mg

2/2/12: 1.8 mg

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I also posted a comment that's being reviewed -- let's see if they get published!

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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Yours is up, Alto. I don't have such high hopes for mine, however <_<

 

EDIT: My post is up, in its entirety! Major kudos to webmd for having the balls to post it!

Been on SSRIs since 1998:

1998-2005: Paxil in varying doses

2005-present: Lexapro.

2006-early '08: Effexor AND Lexapro! Good thing I got off the Effexor rather quickly (within a year).

 

**PSYCHIATRY: TAKE YOUR CHEMICAL IMBALANCE AND CHOKE ON IT!

APA=FUBAR

FDA=SNAFU

NIMH=LMFAO

 

Currently tapering Lexapro ~10% every month:

 

STARTING: 15 mg

11/7/10: 13.5 mg

12/7/10: 12.2 mg

1/6/11: 10.9 mg

2/3/11: 9.8 mg

3/3/11: 8.8 mg

4/1/11: 7.8 mg

4/29/11: 7 mg

5/27/11: 6.4 mg

6/24/11: 5.7 mg

7/22/11: 5 mg

8/18/11: 4.5 mg

9/14/11: 4 mg

10/13/11: 3.6 mg

11/9/11: 3.2 mg

12/7/11: 2.6 mg

1/3/12: 2.1 mg

2/2/12: 1.8 mg

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Yours is up, Alto. I don't have such high hopes for mine, however <_<

 

EDIT: My post is up, in its entirety! Major kudos to webmd for having the balls to post it!

 

Cine,

 

I don't see it.

 

Am I missing something?

 

If they took it down, bleep them for censoring the truth. Outstanding message

 

Great post also Alto.

 

CS

Drug cocktail 1995 - 2010
Started taper of Adderall, Wellbutrin XL, Remeron, and Doxepin in 2006
Finished taper on June 10, 2010

Temazepam on a PRN basis approximately twice a month - 2014 to 2016

Beginning in 2017 - Consumption increased to about two times per week

April 2017 - Increased to taking it full time for insomnia

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Cine,

 

I don't see it.

 

Am I missing something?

 

If they took it down, bleep them for censoring the truth. Outstanding message

 

Wow! They sure did! Nothing like a little censorship to help foster a dialogue! Bastards. :angry:

Been on SSRIs since 1998:

1998-2005: Paxil in varying doses

2005-present: Lexapro.

2006-early '08: Effexor AND Lexapro! Good thing I got off the Effexor rather quickly (within a year).

 

**PSYCHIATRY: TAKE YOUR CHEMICAL IMBALANCE AND CHOKE ON IT!

APA=FUBAR

FDA=SNAFU

NIMH=LMFAO

 

Currently tapering Lexapro ~10% every month:

 

STARTING: 15 mg

11/7/10: 13.5 mg

12/7/10: 12.2 mg

1/6/11: 10.9 mg

2/3/11: 9.8 mg

3/3/11: 8.8 mg

4/1/11: 7.8 mg

4/29/11: 7 mg

5/27/11: 6.4 mg

6/24/11: 5.7 mg

7/22/11: 5 mg

8/18/11: 4.5 mg

9/14/11: 4 mg

10/13/11: 3.6 mg

11/9/11: 3.2 mg

12/7/11: 2.6 mg

1/3/12: 2.1 mg

2/2/12: 1.8 mg

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I don't get it... first they put it up - then they take it down.

 

I don't understand!

 

 

Charter Member 2011

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I don't get it... first they put it up - then they take it down.

 

I don't understand!

Easy: Doc Schwartz saw my arguments and my outing of his pharmaceutical payouts and didn't like what he saw. He then emailed the administrators of the blog and <poof!> my post is flush-ola.

Been on SSRIs since 1998:

1998-2005: Paxil in varying doses

2005-present: Lexapro.

2006-early '08: Effexor AND Lexapro! Good thing I got off the Effexor rather quickly (within a year).

 

**PSYCHIATRY: TAKE YOUR CHEMICAL IMBALANCE AND CHOKE ON IT!

APA=FUBAR

FDA=SNAFU

NIMH=LMFAO

 

Currently tapering Lexapro ~10% every month:

 

STARTING: 15 mg

11/7/10: 13.5 mg

12/7/10: 12.2 mg

1/6/11: 10.9 mg

2/3/11: 9.8 mg

3/3/11: 8.8 mg

4/1/11: 7.8 mg

4/29/11: 7 mg

5/27/11: 6.4 mg

6/24/11: 5.7 mg

7/22/11: 5 mg

8/18/11: 4.5 mg

9/14/11: 4 mg

10/13/11: 3.6 mg

11/9/11: 3.2 mg

12/7/11: 2.6 mg

1/3/12: 2.1 mg

2/2/12: 1.8 mg

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In case my comment disappears, here it is:

 

Dr. Schwartz writes: "Are mental illnesses caused by brain chemical imbalances? Sometimes, but often not. We have known this for years. This is not new news. We tell patients about these imbalances as it is easy to understand. Just like adding insulin for diabetics who have no insulin, it is a replacement."

 

Dr. Schwartz, on one hand, you say the "chemical imbalance" theory is not true, but on the other hand, you say you misrepresent it to patients, including the specious insulin comparison, because it is convenient and convincing.

 

Are you aware that Ronald Pies, editor-in-chief of Psychiatric Times, just stated that he has never heard a well-trained psychiatrist refer to the "chemical imbalance" theory?

 

I can understand why doctors are very confused at this point and having difficulty defending their past over-enthusiasm for prescribing antidepressants. Some, like Dr. Pies, are doing their best to back-pedal and rewrite medical history.

 

I think we can all agree now that further reference to the "chemical imbalance" theory of how antidepressants work is evidence of how outmoded thinking hangs on in defensiveness.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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I gave it another shot with this comment, now under review:

 

Dr. Schwartz writes: "So to say that all antidepressants, for example, really don’t work or can’t work because they fix imbalances that aren’t the real cause of depression is flawed. Antidepressants may fix imbalances or may even cause them, but that ultimately gets the brain to change its functioning to improve symptoms associated with depression, PTSD, SAD, PMDD, etc."

 

This is a straw person argument. Dr. Angell's article refers to the work of Irving Kirsch, which demonstrates statistically that incidence of remission under medication falls significantly short of remission under placebo. This finding was recently corroborated by Andrews, et al. (2011) in a paper that has received a great amount of press.

 

Dr. Schwartz undoubtedly is aware of the shortcomings of anecdotal evidence. Saying antidepressants "work" because you've seen some patients appear to do well on them speaks of an article of faith, not of evidence-based medicine.

 

I am sure Dr. Schwartz has also seen patients do poorly, and some much worse than before treatment, but these incidences do not register as clearly as the successes.

 

This blog entry is mistitled. Dr. Schwartz's post does not explain "how antidepressants work" but why he believes they work.

Really, guys, it just demonstrates the arrogance of the profession that these psychiatrists are coming out of the woodwork to answer Angell, and present arguments that are so muddled.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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Really, guys, it just demonstrates the arrogance of the profession that these psychiatrists are coming out of the woodwork to answer Angell, and present arguments that are so muddled.

The best thing we can do right now is what we both did on the blog: make psychiatrists understand that if they're going to make unsubstantiated (and harmful!) claims like the "chemical imbalance" theory, they will no longer be able to do so without some healthy skepticism and probing questions from psychiatric consumers like us. They will also be asked to substantiate any claims with relevant studies and disclose any pharmaceutical ties, and if they don't, we will uncover those conflicts of interest.

 

The halcyon days of psychiatrists enjoying unquestioned media, medical and scientific spheres of influence are officially over.

Been on SSRIs since 1998:

1998-2005: Paxil in varying doses

2005-present: Lexapro.

2006-early '08: Effexor AND Lexapro! Good thing I got off the Effexor rather quickly (within a year).

 

**PSYCHIATRY: TAKE YOUR CHEMICAL IMBALANCE AND CHOKE ON IT!

APA=FUBAR

FDA=SNAFU

NIMH=LMFAO

 

Currently tapering Lexapro ~10% every month:

 

STARTING: 15 mg

11/7/10: 13.5 mg

12/7/10: 12.2 mg

1/6/11: 10.9 mg

2/3/11: 9.8 mg

3/3/11: 8.8 mg

4/1/11: 7.8 mg

4/29/11: 7 mg

5/27/11: 6.4 mg

6/24/11: 5.7 mg

7/22/11: 5 mg

8/18/11: 4.5 mg

9/14/11: 4 mg

10/13/11: 3.6 mg

11/9/11: 3.2 mg

12/7/11: 2.6 mg

1/3/12: 2.1 mg

2/2/12: 1.8 mg

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Alto, great comment about psychiatrists touting anecdotal evidence to support their claim that ADs work. I constantly call out psychiatrists on this when I see it and ask for the evidence which they have yet to obviously produce.

 

They cry foul when alternative folks do it but yet it is ok for them to do it.

Drug cocktail 1995 - 2010
Started taper of Adderall, Wellbutrin XL, Remeron, and Doxepin in 2006
Finished taper on June 10, 2010

Temazepam on a PRN basis approximately twice a month - 2014 to 2016

Beginning in 2017 - Consumption increased to about two times per week

April 2017 - Increased to taking it full time for insomnia

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I don't get it... first they put it up - then they take it down.

 

I don't understand!

Easy: Doc Schwartz saw my arguments and my outing of his pharmaceutical payouts and didn't like what he saw. He then emailed the administrators of the blog and <poof!> my post is flush-ola.

 

Cine,

 

Have you contacted Dr. Schwartz to ask why your post was dropped?

 

CS

Drug cocktail 1995 - 2010
Started taper of Adderall, Wellbutrin XL, Remeron, and Doxepin in 2006
Finished taper on June 10, 2010

Temazepam on a PRN basis approximately twice a month - 2014 to 2016

Beginning in 2017 - Consumption increased to about two times per week

April 2017 - Increased to taking it full time for insomnia

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I was concerned when I saw this blog post was titled How Antidepressants Work, Part One.

 

Sure enough, if you look at the Mental Health section http://blogs.webmd.com/mental-health/ , Dr. Schwartz has posted article after article iterating the "chemical imbalance" theory in every mental disorder.

 

I'm very sorry to say Dr. Schwartz is an educator. He is on the faculty of SUNY Upstate Medical Center and is director of their Adult Psychiatry Clinic.

 

His contact information, including e-mail is at http://www.upstate.edu/psych/faculty.php?EmpID=TZTZPxCh

 

His SUNY Upstate Medical Center department chair is Mantosh J. Dewan, MD http://www.upstate.edu/psych/faculty.php?EmpID=PxTZGl

 

Send feedback to WebMD at https://customercare.webmd.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=18003

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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Sent to WebMD customer care:

 

In post after post on the Mental Health blog, Thomas L. Schwartz, MD. cites the discredited "chemical imbalance" theory of mood disorders.

 

E.g., of serotonin Jul 29: "If through genetics, stress, or trauma I become less available or depleted in the brain, I may cause symptoms of sadness, despair, guilt, worthlessness or suicidal thoughts." http://blogs.webmd.com/mental-health/2011/07/brain-building-blocks-mystery-molecule.html

 

Similarly, his Jul 25 simile that treatment with antidepressants is "Just like adding insulin for diabetics who have no insulin" is a misrepresentation. There is no shortage of neurohormone to address. The "chemical imbalance" theory has been invalidated. There is no evidence whatsoever that serotonin or any neurotransmitter becomes "depleted" in the brain, contributing to any psychiatric disorder. The editor-in-chief of Psychiatric Times recently disavowed it (http://tinyurl.com/5uez67).

 

Dr. Schwartz is also inadequately informed about withdrawal symptoms (Jun 3). Parasthesia is a well-documented withdrawal symptom. Please stop publishing this poorly informed doctor.

Edited by Altostrata
updated

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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Sent to WebMD customer care:

 

In post after post on the Mental Health blog, Thomas L. Schwartz, MD. cites the discredited "chemical imbalance" theory of mood disorders. E.g., of serotonin Jul 29: "If through genetics, stress, or trauma I become less available or depleted in the brain, I may cause symptoms of sadness, despair, guilt, worthlessness or suicidal thoughts."

 

Similarly, his Jul 25 simile that treatment with antidepressants is "Just like adding insulin for diabetics who have no insulin" is a misrepresentation. There is no shortage of neurohormone to address.

 

The "chemical imbalance" theory has been invalidated. There is no evidence whatsoever that serotonin or any neurotransmitter becomes "depleted" in the brain, contributing to any psychiatric disorder.

 

The editor-in-chief of Psychiatric Times recently disavowed it (http://tinyurl.com/5uez67).

 

Dr. Schwartz is also inadequately informed about withdrawal symptoms (Jun 3). Parasthesia is a well-documented withdrawal symptom.

 

Please stop publishing this poorly informed doctor.

 

Great post.

 

I also noticed you posted this on his blog which was great.

 

You are everywhere and doing an awesome job.

 

CS

Drug cocktail 1995 - 2010
Started taper of Adderall, Wellbutrin XL, Remeron, and Doxepin in 2006
Finished taper on June 10, 2010

Temazepam on a PRN basis approximately twice a month - 2014 to 2016

Beginning in 2017 - Consumption increased to about two times per week

April 2017 - Increased to taking it full time for insomnia

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Sent to WebMD customer care:

 

The editor-in-chief of Psychiatric Times recently disavowed it (http://tinyurl.com/5uez67).

 

 

Is something wrong with this link? Doesn't seem to work for me.

 

Gosh darn it, it's a typo. Here's the correct link: http://tinyurl.com/5uez67p

 

Thanks, cs. I'm not everywhere, I swear. But this nonsense really bothers me. This guy should not be given a pulpit by WebMD.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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Well gollleee! Alto's post just went poof too!

 

In the words of Ice-T: "Freedom of Speech...Just Watch What You Say."

Been on SSRIs since 1998:

1998-2005: Paxil in varying doses

2005-present: Lexapro.

2006-early '08: Effexor AND Lexapro! Good thing I got off the Effexor rather quickly (within a year).

 

**PSYCHIATRY: TAKE YOUR CHEMICAL IMBALANCE AND CHOKE ON IT!

APA=FUBAR

FDA=SNAFU

NIMH=LMFAO

 

Currently tapering Lexapro ~10% every month:

 

STARTING: 15 mg

11/7/10: 13.5 mg

12/7/10: 12.2 mg

1/6/11: 10.9 mg

2/3/11: 9.8 mg

3/3/11: 8.8 mg

4/1/11: 7.8 mg

4/29/11: 7 mg

5/27/11: 6.4 mg

6/24/11: 5.7 mg

7/22/11: 5 mg

8/18/11: 4.5 mg

9/14/11: 4 mg

10/13/11: 3.6 mg

11/9/11: 3.2 mg

12/7/11: 2.6 mg

1/3/12: 2.1 mg

2/2/12: 1.8 mg

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Well gollleee! Alto's post just went poof too!

 

In the words of Ice-T: "Freedom of Speech...Just Watch What You Say."

 

I just emailed them asking for an explanation. Stay tuned.

 

CS

Drug cocktail 1995 - 2010
Started taper of Adderall, Wellbutrin XL, Remeron, and Doxepin in 2006
Finished taper on June 10, 2010

Temazepam on a PRN basis approximately twice a month - 2014 to 2016

Beginning in 2017 - Consumption increased to about two times per week

April 2017 - Increased to taking it full time for insomnia

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Freedom of speech belongs to those who own the printing press. They own the printing press. We have our own printing press here.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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Freedom of speech belongs to those who own the printing press. They own the printing press. We have our own printing press here.

 

I understand what you are saying but in my opinion it still is disgraceful that a site like webmd censors comments, particularly removing them after they have been posted.

 

CS

Drug cocktail 1995 - 2010
Started taper of Adderall, Wellbutrin XL, Remeron, and Doxepin in 2006
Finished taper on June 10, 2010

Temazepam on a PRN basis approximately twice a month - 2014 to 2016

Beginning in 2017 - Consumption increased to about two times per week

April 2017 - Increased to taking it full time for insomnia

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"How Antidepressants Work, Part One"

 

If this is Part One, I can't wait for Part Two!!

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Hey, cyclops, good to hear from you!

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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You are all AMAZING! All of this--the cherrypicked responses that are published or deleted is daunting. Censorship. Wow. What rock have I been hiding under? Perhaps the rock of serotonin.

I keep asking myself "who does NOT have a vested interest in perpetuating this crisis?" Certainly not Psychiatry. What would they do--THERAPY?? That's a frightening thought.

Based on endocrine issues I'm experiencing partly due to SNRIs, I pondered if Endocrinologists might be helpful, but realized they are profiting thru illness. A friend just did Peer Specialist training in Geriatrics thru U Penn. The head of Geriatric Medicine taught several hours and sounds informed and passionate against pharma and psychoactive drugs. I'm going to contact him regarding my situation (ddx panhypopitutarism vs. withdrawal/autonomic dumping) and will try to get a read on his awareness/stance. Any advice? I have some background w docs but nowhere near the knowledge of the scientific evidence that you know so well. (Bowing in respect!)

I also know a prominent Public Health doc w/emphasist in disability issues--DECREASING the damage, but NOT by stripping benefits.

Geneticists? Neuroscentists? Preventive Medicine/Epidemiology? Who? Who? Who will benefit by putting more research into and exposing the dangers of Psychiatry? Nutrition and natural therapies/hormones can't be patented and regulated (at least in US), so are not funded and researched. (same for lithium salts, I read recently).

Has there been a grassroots-type campaign directing info at patients/consumers BEFORE they get into the mental health nightmare? Preventing that first exposure to medication which we all know spirals so quickly out of control.

Veering OT again and AS may have to relocate my message. I'm sorry!

I hope you see where my thinking is going. Any thoughts appreciated. Newbie here, but have experience dealing with docs, academic med centers, bureaucracy, etc.

Pristiq tapered over 8 months ending Spring 2011 after 18 years of polydrugging that began w/Zoloft for fatigue/general malaise (not mood). CURRENT: 1mg Klonopin qhs (SSRI bruxism), 75mg trazodone qhs, various hormonesLitigation for 11 years for Work-related injury, settled 2004. Involuntary medical retirement in 2001 (age 39). 2012 - brain MRI showing diffuse, chronic cerebrovascular damage/demyelination possibly vasculitis/cerebritis. Dx w/autoimmune polyendocrine failure.<p>2013 - Dx w/CNS Sjogren's Lupus (FANA antibodies first appeared in 1997 but missed by doc).

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Can anyone print up the posts that DID appear and then were deleted?

You've probably thought of that already...

Pristiq tapered over 8 months ending Spring 2011 after 18 years of polydrugging that began w/Zoloft for fatigue/general malaise (not mood). CURRENT: 1mg Klonopin qhs (SSRI bruxism), 75mg trazodone qhs, various hormonesLitigation for 11 years for Work-related injury, settled 2004. Involuntary medical retirement in 2001 (age 39). 2012 - brain MRI showing diffuse, chronic cerebrovascular damage/demyelination possibly vasculitis/cerebritis. Dx w/autoimmune polyendocrine failure.<p>2013 - Dx w/CNS Sjogren's Lupus (FANA antibodies first appeared in 1997 but missed by doc).

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Barabara, you've got the true spirit.

 

See this new topic: And in this corner, opponents of pharmapsychiatry

 

(I'm trying to make pharmapsychiatry into a meme.)

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

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