10 February 2009

Seroxat, My Experience.

The first thing I have to mention is that I was prescribed Seroxat because I was told that it would help with my social anxiety and my O.C.D (the secondary and minor problem).

I later found out that the symptoms I experience in social situations, were the same as someone who as Social Phobia (Social Anxiety Disorder). A condition which Seroxat *wasn't meant for.

*GSK intended to market Seroxat for a range of conditions other than clinical depression. Chief among these was a condition the company identified as social anxiety disorder, although other forms of anxiety were also discussed internally. From the Guardian article:- Secret Plan To Push Happy Pills.

The Main symptoms of social phobia are:-

  • Difficulty talking, especially in groups and to authority figures.
  • Worrying about social situations a few weeks in advance (e.g, giving a speech).
  • Mind going blank.
For a medical and much better explanation, please see the article:- K.H Social Phobia (Even though the K.H social phobia article is meant for children, it's the best explaination I have come across) or also see the article:- social phobia (medic8).

When I first took Seroxat I was :-

  • 21 years old (2000)
  • Thin and in my weight range (11 1/2 stone). In fact, I was probably about a stone under my ideal weight (see pic).


  • Athletic & liked playing football (Used to run about 2-3 miles every day).
  • Had a youthful and cheeky attitude towards life. But because of Social Phobia, I found it difficult to be myself with people other than my family and close friends.
I thought that Seroxat would just make me feel more relaxed in social situations. It didn't. Instead it changed me. It is only recently when I got a glimpse of the emotions I used to have, that I realised this.
For a somebody else's view of Seroxat, please see the article:- What will be the long term effects of taking Seroxat.

To see a timeline of how I was affected by Seroxat (2000 - 2009) then please select "Timeline" in the articles section. You don't have to view this because I wrote the timeline to be therapeutic. But please read the newspaper articles on the left.

The chart below shows how much weight I had put on in the 9 years since I took Seroxat

Weight before I took Seroxat - Weight after I took Seroxat - Ideal weight - Weight I am now

I still can't believe how I ballooned up to 21 stone and that I didn't notice or care.

Apart from the weight gain, there are a few other things I have started to realise since I got a massive wave of my old emotions on new years eve (see timeline above 2008).

I didn't buy any clothes anymore until about mid 2007. Where as before I took Seroxat I used to buy something new once every three weeks (all the new clothes I used to get were given to me on my birthday or at Christmas).

I didn't play or have any desire to join a football team like I used to have (being able to play for a football team was one of the big reasons why I took Seroxat in the first place).

Apart from one person, the people who I know the best now are the people who I knew before I took Seroxat.

Although I am feeling a lot better now (March 2009) I am starting to get some of the same symptoms as when I first started taking Seroxat (although definitely not as bad).

I start to feel rushed and panicky on certain occasions ( eg, in some group situations).

I put the re-occurence of these symptoms down to my emotions returning. Where as when the symptoms first showed themselves (2000 -2001) Seroxat was masking my emotions.


A new symptom which as occured:-

I sleep a lot longer after social group situations (eg. recently, when I got home after being in a busy classroom, I ended up sleeping for 12 hours).

On the massively positive side of things. I am starting to feel like I did before I took Seroxat in 2000.

I am starting to feel the difference between the seasons (eg winter to spring).
I am starting to get my youthful outlook back.
I am getting more interest in sport.
I am starting to feel nervous before going into places (Social Phobia returning).

The bit about my Social Phobia returning may seem a bad thing, but it isn't. When I had Social Phobia, I wanted to do things like go to college, join a football team and try to meet new people.

I'm not saying that I would have done anything special if I hadn't have taken Seroxat. I'm just trying to get across that I would have done better trying to improve naturally.

I was already improving when I first decided to take Seroxat:-

I was purposely looking for a job which was to do with dealing with people (eg, cashier) to try and get better that way.

I was willing to try and start conversations with people I didn't know.

I really should have just kept on trying to get better naturally.

Just to recap how Seroxat can affect people, here are some quotes from some newspaper articles (linked to on the left of this blog).

Long-term side effects of taking anti-depressants include sleep disturbances, weight gain and sexual dysfunction (From, Dark secrets lurking in the drugs cabinet).

Britain's largest drug company drew up a secret plan to double sales of the controversial anti-depressant Seroxat by marketing it as a cure for a raft of less serious mental conditions (From, Secret plan to push happy pils).

The prescription of antidepressants to children and adolescents has become a contentious issue due to reports of addiction or suicidal behaviour among users. Seroxat was banned for use by children and adolescents in Britain last June (2003)..... In a press release issued in Britain at the time, the firm admitted it had seen "a difference between [Seroxat] and placebo in terms of suicidal thinking or attempts particularly in adolescents"(From spitzer forces Glaxo to publish drug trials).

Brecon Coroner Geraint Williams said he would be writing to Health Secretary Alan Milburn to demand the drug be withdrawn for further safety checks. He said: 'I have grave concerns that this is a dangerous drug........ I am profoundly disturbed by the effect this drug had on Colin Whitfield. It is quite clear that Seroxat has a profound effect on the thinking process of anyone who takes it.' (from Man slashed wrists after 2 weeks on anxiety pill).

To me though, the main quote is from the article:- Dark secrets lirking in the drugs cabinet.
The issue is not that SSRIs are overwhelmingly deadly but that there is a real danger in prescribing them for young people and emotionally sensitive individuals..............Last year European watchdogs also recommended extra care be taken in prescribing Seroxat for people under 30.
The reason why this is the main quote on a personal level, is because I was considered a sensitive person when I took Seroxat in 2000 (21yrs old). As well as having a younger attitude.

So with me being under 30 and a sensitive person it really shouldn't have been given to me. This is probably why I am starting to feel better now that I'm reaching 30.

It'll probably take a couple of more years for me to feel completely better. This is because with me having a younger than 30 attitude. It'll probably take a bit longer for me to mentally reach 30.

I have to stress one more time at this point. That I am feeling a lot better than I ever have done during the past 9 years. Writing this blog proves to me that I am feeling better.

It's going to take a while to get used to feeling like I used to feel (it's like a blinds being lifted). It is also going to take a bit of a while getting used to having no real emotional connection to the past 9 years of my life (apart from 2008 onwards).

At last! here we are at the end of the blog, but before I finish completely. There are 2 things I hope I have got across.

To the people who have met me during the past 9 years. It's my emotions and desires that have changed NOT my overall personality. Except in 2000 - mid 2002 when I really didn't feel well at all (see timline above).

I have made you aware of the adverse effects that can happen if you take Seroxat.

If you haven't read the articles linked to on the left of this blog, please do. Especially "Secret plan to push happy pills" and "Dark secrets lurking in the drugs cabinet".

Sorry about the length of this blog. I know I could have probably made it shorter. It's just that the more I wrote, the more therapeutic it felt.

What will be the long term effects of taking Seroxat?

Link to the actual page:-http://seroxatsecrets.wordpress.com/2007/03/27/what-will-the-be-the-long-term-effects-of-taking-seroxat/

What will be the long term effects of taking Seroxat…?March 27, 2007 — admin

I often wonder this… what’ll happen 10 or 20 years down the line…?

When I look back on my time on Seroxat, with hindsight I can see the terrible harm it did me then. I can see how it slowly changed ME - the person I was, the person I am… it made me someone different. That is scary. It harmed me physically as well while I was taking it, but at the time none of my illnesses were connected to Seroxat by Doctors.

As for withdrawal, that hit me quite badly. My memories are not clear at all, but I kept a diary during that time and it makes for frightening reading. I don’t pour over it but sometimes I’ll have a look and be instantly transported back in time. But that’s not what I want to talk about.
I’m thinking about the future.

In 2007, I hope that we can all agree on a few givens:
Seroxat is a powerful drug…

Even its makers do not fully understand what it does to the brain and body of patients who take it…

Seroxat has many side effects…

Seroxat is addictive - millons of people find it hard to very hard to stop taking it…

Withdrawal can cause physical and mental traumas…

Seroxat can harm babies in the womb…

Seroxat can cause suicidal, homicidal and violent acts…

Seroxat is not a good thing - it’s not Glaxo’s gift to the world…

What long term damage has Seroxat done to the millions of patients who were prescribed it?

What’s going to happen to us all in 10 or 20 years?

And what’s Glaxo doing to find out?

9 February 2009

Timeline

THE EFFECTS OF SEROXAT (Timeline).

Apr 00 - Aug 00 (pre Seroxat)

I was working as a part time cashier at a pet shop when I realised I had to do something about my anxiety. I found myself :-

Struggling to speak when the customers came to the checkout.

I wanted to do things like go to college and join a football team, but I realised I couldn't manage it. Before 2000, I was happy just playing football on the park and for my dads 7 a-side team.

So I went to the doctors and I was prescribed *10mg of Seroxat (a SSRI) for my social phobia and minor obsessive compulsive disorder (I'm not going to write about the OCD in detail because it was a minor problem).

*The issue is not that SSRIs are overwhelmingly deadly but that there is a real danger in prescribing them for young people and emotionally sensitive individuals..........Last year European watchdogs also recommended extra care be taken in prescribing Seroxat for people under 30. From the Observer article:- Dark secrets lurking inside the drug cabinet.

Aug 00 - Mar 01 (after Seroxat)

For the first few months when I took Seroxat, I was starting to feel more relaxed when talking to people. I managed to go on a college course (Psychology, which I passed) and make a couple of new friends.

The trouble with Seroxat started to show itself around Sep - Dec 2000. It was during this period when I started to realise that it wasn't me who was doing these new activities. I found that :-

My youthful attitude was going.

I started to feel like I was in a trance.I had nothing to say and wasn't bothered by it.
When words did come into my head, they were starting to be derogatory or rude. Especially if I was meeting a person for the first time (I managed not to say anything bad, I hope).


I started to put on weight.

An example of how I had changed was when the Benefits Agency had their Christmas party.Instead of avoiding it like I did the year before. This time I turned up and was about an hour late. When I got there, I basically sat there in a trance. I struggled to say a word and wasn't bothered about it. My desire to even try and speak was beginning to go.

I was getting slightly worried now. So I saw the doctor who prescribed me the Seroxat and he made me an appointment to see a psychiatrist.

When I went to see the psychiatrist, the conclusion he came to was "We'll double the dose and make it 20mg". That's when the symptoms started to get worse. Instead of the increased amount helping me. It did the opposite.

*I wasn't interested in anything.

*My trance like state worsened.

*I was looking after two hamsters which were given to me from the pet shop because nobody wanted them. The next bit I'm about to say I'm definitely not proud of. I forgot about them for three days and when I rushed in to see them the hamsters had eaten there own legs!!!. I'm more upset about this now (Feb 2009) than I was at the time. This because my emotions are starting to come back.

I was beginning to feel like the rules didn't apply.

My original characteristics and emotions were disappearing.

I stopped taking the Seroxat as soon as I realised how I was changing.
If I hadn't have stopped taking the Seroxat when I did. I'm sure I would have eventually gone to prison. It really did feel like my conscience was beginning to disappear.

Mar 2001 (Withdrawal Symptoms)

Looking back, the early withdrawal symptoms were worse than any symptom that occurred while I was taking Seroxat. For the first couple of weeks:-

My brain began to speed up (I felt like I was in a rush to do things)

I ate a lot more.

**Started to think the rare suicidal thought. **I put a kitchen knife to my wrist on one occasion and started to gently cut. As soon as I saw a bit of blood, I put the knife down instantly.

I knew at the time, that for the first couple of weeks I could expect some bad withdrawal symptoms. So I didn't bother seeing the doctor about them. What I didn't expect though, was to still be affected by Seroxat 9 years later.

**Douglas-Hamilton's account of how he suffered serious personality changes while trying to come off the pills has implications for other patients who also reported feeling extremely aggressive and reckless once they stopped taking the drug............

............'I'm a fairly timid guy,' he told The Observer last week. 'I had only been prescribed [Seroxat] because I suffered from anxiety and some depression. It seemed to destroy my conscience and my fear. I found myself walking out of the house with knives; I had every intention of killing people.' From the Observer article:- Robber cleared by drug defence.

Goodness knows what would have happened if I was put on more than **20mg or I didn't decide to stop taking it.

**Britain's best-selling antidepressant drug, Seroxat, which is alleged to cause a minority of those who take it to become suicidal or violent, has been prescribed in too high a dose to many thousands of patients, the regulatory authority said yesterday.

The Committee on the Safety of Medicines told doctors not to put depressed patients on a dose above the recommended level of 20mg A higher dose had no greater effect but the risk of side-effects increased. From the Guardian article:- Keep Seroxat doses low doctors told.

Apr 2001 - Sept 2002

After the initial withdrawal symptoms had subsided, I thought It wont be long till I'm back to my ordinary self. Instead:-

I didn't exercise anymore and had no interest in playing football (just something to do).

The weekends and weekdays all seemed to bleed into one.

I had to force myself to concentrate. I would forget to turn the lights off on my car. Also on a lot of separate occasions I would leave my keys in the door or the ignition.

I'd eat a big portion of chips and other fatty foods for dinner as well as bars of chocolate. On one occasion I got a massive box of chocolates and I ate them in 2 hours before I went to play football.

If I was late for work I would just park on the double yellow lines and pay the fine. This happened on more than one occasion.

Started to get an age problem at 22 (thought life had passed me by). It was this feeling of being rushed that made me get a job in a pub and enrol on a college course. I even went on holiday with a lad who I had only recently become good friends again with and a bunch of lads I didn't know.

A few examples of how disconnected I felt during this time:-

A girl in my college class told me she came to the pub were I worked and had something to eat with her family. I told her I didn't remember that. She replied "you even served us" (funny now, but it wasn't at the time).

I turned up at football one Friday at 8pm instead of 7pm and wondered why everyone was coming off the pitch. I had been playing football at the same time and place for two years before this happened??

I had to leave the pubs Christmas party in Blackpool because I had a minor panic attack. I remember standing a night club and having no emotions and nothing to say. I went to splash water on my face to see if that would help, it didn't. I had to get away from there quickly. So I got a taxi and went home. I decided to finished working at the pub after this incident and just concentrate on college.

On holiday, I didn't really do anything or enjoy it for the two weeks while I was away (I was just glad for the memory). The only time I did anything or slightly enjoyed the holiday was on the second to last night. This was when I decided to follow what the other lads were doing and get very drunk. I felt better in myself for a short while afterwards, but I shouldn't have to rely and didn't want to rely on drink to make me feel OK.

After I got back off holiday, all I wanted to do was to get a simple job (somewhere you didn't have to deal directly with people) and try to get better that way.

Instead of taking it easy and getting a job where you didn't have to deal directly with people. I ended up getting another barman's job! which made me feel worse. I couldn't turn this job down either, because I new the people who ran the club (the friend on holiday's parents) and they were short staffed behind the bar.

Working at the club was hell, I had to force myself to concentrate (I had to re say simple orders over and over again in my head, so I didn't forget them). I couldn't and didn't want to speak to people. I just wanted to go home and rest.I cant remember whether I quit or whether I wasn't asked back. Either way I was happy to have finished working there.

Looking back, I remember the day when the worst period of withdrawal symptoms started to come to an end. I was at a christening with my mate (who I went on holiday with) outside the club were I used to work and I was offered a joint in another lads car. This shook me instantly! The thought, this isn't me! ran through my head. So I said to my mate "I'm going to have to go home, I don't feel well".

When I got home, I put my trainers on and went for a run across Moor Park. The trouble was I didn't fancy doing that either, I didn't make it past the first football pitch.

2 things happened directly around having a minor glimpse of my old emotions:-

I started to get rid of the friends I made while I was taking the Seroxat. I seemed to have made them on a different connection.

I found it even harder to concentrate for a short period of time. I swung a brush at my dad because he told me to "Think!" after I cut the edge the wrong way. We laugh about it now, he says "He ducked" and I say (and know) that I missed him on purpose.

After having a minor glimpse of my old emotions, I thought it would only be a few weeks till I felt better. So the next time I saw my mate, I told him that I just needed to rest for a while and that it would probably be November when I'd see him again. I said this to him in September 2002 expecting to see him again in November 02. I saw him again in November 03!

October 02 - August 03

I seemed to feel a lot calmer after having a glimpse of my old emotions. I didn't feel the need to do things because I felt rushed and I had to catch up anymore.

So in Nov 02, I managed to get a job as a Labourer for a catalogue company. This job suited me well in the beginning, because all I had to do was deliver parcels and empty the bins. If there was nothing to do in between the jobs, I could just read a book or a newspaper.

Although working as a labourer made me feel a lot calmer. I still decided to leave the job after 6 months. This was because the monotony of the job (as well as having no interests) was getting me down.

The money I saved up while I worked as a labourer allowed me to take a couple of months off. It was during the first couple of months off, that the last *panic attack happened (2 all together) and the final time (2 in all) I saw a **psychiatrist.

* The final panic attack happened when I decided to go to a nightclub (with a friend who I new before I went on Seroxat) and when I got there, I felt like I had no emotions and was completely blank.

** I stopped seeing the psychiatrists because they weren't helping. The first time I went (2000)the only thing they did was double the dose of Seroxat from 10mg to 20mg. When I went the second time (2003) they completely ignored my complaint about how my emotions had changed and just showed me a diagram about OCD (which was the secondary and minor problem).

I was so angry that the psychiatrist didn't listen to me, I forgot the appointment time a week later and turned up early. When I got in I had a minor argument with the psychiatrist and receptionist about the appointment time (I still had the week before on my mind) and walked out. As I walked out I thought that the only way to try and get better is to do it yourself

A week later, I got a letter through the door from Cable Court (the psychiatrists) it said "You don't need to come back for your weekly appointment and the wording in the letter also made it seem like I could have got incapacity benefit for as long as I wanted.

Two things happened after this letter:-

I realised that you probably can't win an argument with a psychiatrist when your there for an appointment. All they'll do is think what your arguing about is a symptom of your mental condition.

An even bigger desire to try and get better myself went through me. So I ripped the letter up that said I could have got incapacity benefit for as long as I wanted and I started to look for a part-time job.

Although I felt a lot better in myself from this point on. It is only now (Feb 2009) that I realise how I was still badly affected by Seroxat for the next four years.

Aug 03 - June 05

Since I felt a lot better than anytime in the past 3 years, I thought the only way to continue to get better was to be around different people. So I decided to go back round to see my mate who I hadn't seen since September 2002. I also started to look for jobs which were either part-time or temporary.


Luckily, I managed to get a job as a part-time driver for Domino's. This job suited me well because you could be driving about on your own for an hour delivering a couple of pizzas.

Since I was doing a lot more things than what I used to do (working at Domino's and going back to see my mate), I thought I was close to being near 100 percent. I was still nowhere near:-

I still couldn't talk to people how I wanted or feel like I did before I took Seroxat.

I ate a lot (At Domino's I used to drink a litre bottle of Coke almost every day when I'd finish work. I would also have a medium sized pizza about 3 times a week. To make matters worse I used to ring Domino's for a pizza on my days off).

I still had no desire to play football or sport like I used to have (It was just something to do. When I did play football, I sometimes had to finish early because the interest I had in playing was suddenly gone).

The days were starting to feel slightly longer but it still didn't feel like there were any special days (e.g Weekends).

These symptoms stayed the same for every job I had till about 2007.

All I used to look forward to was going round to my mates club in the week and at the weekend, drinking. Don't get me wrong I enjoyed seeing my mate and we got on well, but it just wasn't me.

I remember every time we used to go out around town with the friends he knew or I was invited to a party (he knew a lot of people). I would struggle to speak to people the way I would have liked. This wasn't because of my original emotions returning (I wish it was, I would have enjoyed it a lot more), It was because there was no desire to speak to anyone. I was just glad to be out but I didn't want to talk to anybody. I always tried to be polite with people I'd meet, but it was really hard to just say hello.

The only time I felt well was when I got very drunk on a few occasions, but like I said somewere above, I didn't want to rely on drink to make me feel better.

I only stopped seeing my mate in April 2006 after an argument when (the only time) I got extremely drunk.

I decided to get extremely drunk because I hadn't been out for weeks and I had a monotonus job. I was working weekend nights typing telephone numbers (which was making me feel worse). So one Friday night, I thought forget work tommorrow, i'll go out with my mate on a birthday party around Blackpool and i'll do what my mates friends usually do and get extremely drunk.

Looking back, I don't regret getting extremely drunk and ending my friendship with my mate. This is because at the time I was hanging around with him, I was also hanging around with his mates, most of which I wouldn't have been friends with before I went on Seroxat. I would say that out of all the people who my mate knew, there is probably only 2 people who I would have been friends with before I went on Seroxat and only one of them (possibly) was in his close friends.

2 examples of how I was spoken to by his mates:-

I was told to "shut up you D**k!" because I said the word "Bread" instead of "Butty" when I was asking anybody if they wanted anything to eat.

I was just shoved a cup in my face and told "Tea!" while I was watching them play poker.

If I hadn't have stopped seeing my mate I would probably be in a bad way now. All I used to do was to go round to see my mate and have a few drinks and get very drunk on ocassions. There was no interest in playing football or getting fit for football at all.

The only time I played football competively during this period, I was substituted halfway through by an injured player because I couldn't run!?!?! (thats how much I had changed).

June 05 - Sept 06

It was during this period when I was starting to feel that the days were getting longer and that I needed something to do. So when I got the offer to play for a cricket team I jumped at the chance.

I really enjoyed playing cricket for the first two seasons I was there (2005-2006). The people were/are really nice and there was a good atmosphere.

I still didn't feel how I did before I took Seroxat, but I was beggining to feel better:-

I was starting to get some desires back again (like starting to enjoy cricket and football).

I was walking to places more but I still ate a lot (I used to go to the chippy 3 or 4 times a week. I went so much I even got a bottle of wine off them for christmas!!!)

Sept 06 - Oct 07

Then for some strange reason in 2007 -2008 my desire to play cricket suddenly went. I remember I drove off after I had finished batting in the second innings of one game (2007) and I didn't go back to the club for the rest of the season. This was because I really didn't get any enjoyment out of playing cricket at all . I had to force myself to play for a few weeks before this incident.

I went back to the cricket club for a short while in 2008 (just to watch) but I didn't enjoy that either.

The reason why this period is strange to me is because I was feeling alot better than I had done previously, yet there was no desire to play any sport. It was as if I was put in some sort of hybernation. I didn't have a job or interests and wasn't bothered about it. I also wasn't unhappy I was just content to do nothing at all.

Oct 07 - Dec 08

I was starting to get some slight interest in things around now. So I got myself a part-time cleaning job and I also went back to *10 pin bowling on Monday nights. I was genuinly feeling a lot better than I had done previously.

I was eating less than I had done.

I was also walking to and from places more.

*I left 10 pin bowling in early 2003 because as I mentioned earlier on, I was in a bad way at that time. I didn't want to talk to anyone and I was realising my emotions had changed.
At this point, I was expecting more of the same, a gradual improvement in my well being.


Dec 08 - Early Feb 09

Instead of getting a continual, gradual recovery like I had since about 2004. I got a big emotional leap (shock) instead.

This emotional leap (shock) happened when I saw a photograph of myself on a big screen while I was at a new years eve party.

I just couldn't believe it was me on that photograph. As soon as I saw the photograph, the thought "That isn't, me is it!?" Instantly hit me in a wave of emotion.

The last time I felt like I did at that moment, I was about 12 stone. Now on that photo I was about 19 1/2 stone. I couldn't believe how I had changed and that I hadn't noticed or cared.

My head was sort of spinning from that point on. I couldn't wait for New Years Eve to finish, I just wanted to go home.

For a few days after new years eve, I was in a bad way. I was feeling aggressive and frustrated because the days were getting there individuality back and I was also realising that I had no emotional connection to the past 9 years of my life.

I was feeling so depressed and frustrated at this point:-

I started to become aggressive and argumentative (I ended my friendship with my mate who invited me to the new years eve party. I had also known him since before I went on Seroxat).

I put a knife to my wrist again (I stopped when blood began to show).

After a couple of days (3rd Jan), these really bad aggressive and frustrating symptoms seemed to subside and I began to feel a lot more calmer and relaxed. I actually started to show more interest and enjoyment in playing/watching football and cricket. I also started running as well on the odd occasion.To me the severe symptoms showed themselves again because I was getting nearer *30 and my emotions were beggining to return to somewere near normal. Where as in the first year or two after I took seroxat my original emotions were disapearing and that brought on the depression and frustration.

*European watchdogs also recommended extra care be taken in prescribing Seroxat for people under 30. From the Observer article:- Dark secrets lurking inside the drug cabinet.

Even though I was starting to get my interests back and in general I was feeling a lot better than anytime previously. There were still a few times (about 4) when I felt down. All were minor except the one below:-

I was walking back from the town centre and I started to feel emotions that I hadn't felt since before I took Seroxat (no way as bad as the new years eve period). It was like the clouds were opening up and the sun was coming through. When I got home, I remember feeling so upset that 9 years of my life had gone, I would have definitly considered taking Seroxat again to mask my emotions.

The one reason why I most likely wouldn't have taken Seroxat again, was because I knew that every time I had got a glimpse of my old emotions since new years eve (and felt down because of them). I felt a lot better afterwards. I just had to ride through the times when I felt down.

Mid Feb 09 -

I was getting some of my original emotions back around now:-

The days were getting more individuality (instead of thinking about bowling on Mondays and football on Fridays, with the days inbetween being skipped. I was now thinking that Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday........etc, as individual days).

There is more interest and desire to play football and cricket like I used to have. As well as getting myself fit for them.

Although I am genuinley....genuinley feeling much better. There are still some problems that occur because of my emotions beggining to return to normal.

I start to feel rushed and panicky on rare occassions

I start to feel stressed when doing active group work (e.g. building things).

The are two examples that I can think of which encompass both of the points above. One of them was when I went out with the people from bowling. The other is the course I am/was doing (Just imagine how bad my English would be if I hadn't have been on this course).

When I went out with the people from bowling. I remember feeling panicky when the other people were turning up and sitting down at the table. I started thinking "What am I going to say" and got nervous about it. I even started to feel conscious about how much weight I had put on since I last felt that way.

At the course I am/was doing we were put in groups and was asked to plan and reorganise a classroom. I started to feel a bit panicky and stressed when everyone started walking past each other and started to shout instructions. It was basically a mess of noise.

To be honest, I'm not bothered about these two incidents because the last time I felt panicky and stressed in a group situation. I had just begun taking Seroxat and my emotions were dissapearing. Now that Seroxat was going out of my system and my emotions were returning I was getting some of the same side effects (albeit a lot minor).

I have to stress that despite having the odd minor re-occurance of the symptoms I had in the first couple of years (00-01) after taking Seroxat. As well as adapting to not having an emotional connection to the past 9 years of my life. I am definitly feeling a lot better than anytime since I took Seroxat back in 2000. My emotions are returning and I am getting more enjoyment from playing football and cricket.

8 February 2009

KH Social Phobia.

Link to the actual article :-http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/mental_health/social_phobia.html

It's natural to feel self-conscious, nervous, or shy in front of others at times. Anyone can have a racing heart, sweaty palms, or fluttering stomach when trying out for chorus, asking someone on a first date, or giving a class presentation.

Most people manage to get through these moments when they need to. But for some, the anxiety that goes with feeling shy or self-conscious can be extreme. It can seem so unbearable that they might feel too nervous to give answers in class, be unable to make eye contact with classmates in the hallway, or avoid chatting with others at the lunch table.

When people feel so self-conscious and anxious that it prevents them from speaking up or socializing most of the time, it's probably more than shyness. It may be an anxiety condition called social phobia.

What Is Social Phobia?

Social phobia (also sometimes called social anxiety) is a type of anxiety problem. Extreme feelings of shyness and self-consciousness build into a powerful fear. As a result, a person feels uncomfortable participating in everyday social situations.

People with social phobia can usually interact easily with family and a few close friends. But meeting new people, talking in a group, or speaking in public can cause their extreme shyness to kick in.

With social phobia, a person's extreme shyness, self-consciousness, and fears of embarrassment get in the way of life. Instead of enjoying social activities, people with social phobia might dread them — and avoid some of them altogether.

The Fear Reaction

Like other phobias, social phobia is a fear reaction to something that isn't actually dangerous — although the body and mind react as if the danger is real. This means that the person feels physical sensations of fear, like a faster heartbeat and breathing. These are part of the body's fight–flight response. They're caused by a rush of adrenaline and other chemicals that prepare the body to either fight or make a quick getaway.

This biological mechanism kicks in when we feel afraid. It's a built-in nervous system response that alerts people to danger so they can protect themselves. With social phobia, this response gets activated too frequently, too strongly, and in situations where it's out of place. Because the physical sensations that go with the response are real — and sometimes quite strong — the danger seems real, too. So the person will react by freezing up, and will feel unable to interact.
As the body experiences these physical sensations, the mind goes through emotions like feeling afraid or nervous.

People with social phobia tend to interpret these sensations and emotions in a way that leads them to avoid the situation ("Uh-oh, my heart's pounding, this must be dangerous — I'd better not do it!"). Someone else might interpret the same physical sensations of nervousness a different way ("OK, that's just my heart beating fast. It's me getting nervous because it's almost my turn to speak. It happens every time. No big deal.").

What Are People With Social Phobia Afraid Of?

With social phobia, a person's fears and concerns are focused on their social performance — whether it's a major class presentation or small talk at the lockers.
People with social phobia tend to feel self-conscious and uncomfortable about being noticed or judged by others. They're more sensitive to fears that they'll be embarrassed, look foolish, make a mistake, or be criticized or laughed at. No one wants to experience these things. But most people don't really spend much time worrying about it.

How Social Phobia Can Affect Someone's Life

With social phobia, thoughts and fears about what others think get exaggerated in someone's mind. The person starts to focus on the embarrassing things that could happen, instead of the good things. This makes a situation seem much worse than it is, and influences a person to avoid it.

Some of the ways social phobia can affect someone's life include:

Feeling lonely or disappointed over missed opportunities for friendship and fun. Social phobia might prevent someone from chatting with friends in the lunchroom, joining an after-school club, going to a party, or asking someone on a date.

Not getting the most out of school. Social phobia might keep a person from volunteering an answer in class, reading aloud, or giving a presentation. Someone with social phobia might feel too nervous to ask a question in class or go to a teacher for help.

Missing a chance to share their talents and learn new skills. Social phobia might prevent someone from auditioning for the school play, being in the talent show, trying out for a team, or joining in a service project. Social phobia not only prevents people from trying new things. It also prevents them from making the normal, everyday mistakes that help people improve their skills still further.

Selective Mutism

Some kids and teens are so extremely shy and so fearful about talking to others, that they don't speak at all to certain people (such as a teacher or students they don't know) or in certain places (like at someone else's house). This form of social phobia is sometimes called
selective mutism.

People with selective mutism can talk. They have completely normal conversations with the people they're comfortable with or in certain places. But other situations cause them such extreme anxiety that they may not be able to bring themselves to talk at all.

Some people might mistake their silence for a stuck-up attitude or rudeness. But with selective mutism and social phobia, silence stems from feeling uncomfortable and afraid, not from being uncooperative, disrespectful, or rude.

Why Do Some People Develop Social Phobia?

Kids, teens, and adults can have social phobia. Most of the time, it starts when a person is young. Like other anxiety-based problems, social phobia develops because of a combination of three factors:

A person's biological makeup. Social phobia could be partly due to the genes and temperament a person inherits. Inherited genetic traits from parents and other relatives can influence how the brain senses and regulates anxiety, shyness, nervousness, and stress reactions. Likewise, some people are born with a shy temperament and tend to be cautious and sensitive in new situations and prefer what's familiar. Most people who develop social phobia have always had a shy temperament. Not everyone with a shy temperament develops social phobia (in fact, most don't). It's the same with genes. But people who inherit these traits do have an increased chance of developing social phobia.

Behaviors learned from role models (especially parents). A person's naturally shy temperament can be influenced by what he or she learns from role models. If parents or others react by overprotecting a child who is shy, the child won't have a chance to get used to new situations and new people. Over time, shyness can build into social phobia.Shy parents might also unintentionally set an example by avoiding certain social interactions. A shy child who watches this learns that socializing is uncomfortable, distressing, and something to avoid.

Life events and experiences. If people born with a cautious nature have stressful experiences, it can make them even more cautious and shy. Feeing pressured to interact in ways they don't feel ready for, being criticized or humiliated, or having other fears and worries can make it more likely for a shy or fearful person to develop social anxiety.People who constantly receive critical or disapproving reactions may grow to expect that others will judge them negatively. Being teased or bullied will make people who are already shy likely to retreat into their shells even more. They'll be scared of making a mistake or disappointing someone, and will be more sensitive to criticism.

The good news is that the effect of these negative experiences can be turned around with some focused slow-but-steady effort. Fear can be learned. And it can also be unlearned, too.
Dealing With Social Phobia

People with social phobia can learn to manage fear, develop confidence and coping skills, and stop avoiding things that make them anxious. But it's not always easy. Overcoming social phobia means getting up the courage it takes to go beyond what's comfortable, little by little.
Here's who can support and guide people in overcoming social phobia:

Therapists can help people recognize the physical sensations caused by fight–flight and teach them to interpret these sensations more accurately. Therapists can help people create a plan for facing social fears one by one, and help them build the skills and confidence to do it. This includes practicing new behaviors. Sometimes, but not always, medications that reduce anxiety are used as part of the treatment for social phobia.

Family or friends are especially important for people who are dealing with social phobia. The right support from a few key people can help those with social phobia gather the courage to go outside their comfort zone and try something new.Putdowns, lectures, criticisms, and demands to change don't help — and just make a person feel bad. Having social phobia isn't a person's fault and isn't something anyone chooses. Instead, friends and family can encourage people with social phobia to pick a small goal to aim for, remind them to go for it, and be there when they might feel discouraged. Good friends and family are there to celebrate each small success along the way.

Overcoming Social Phobia

Dealing with social phobia takes patience, courage to face fears and try new things, and the willingness to practice. It takes a commitment to go forward rather than back away when feeling shy.

Little by little, someone who decides to deal with extreme shyness can learn to be more comfortable. Each small step forward helps build enough confidence to take the next small step. As shyness and fears begin to melt, confidence and positive feelings build. Pretty soon, the person is thinking less about what might feel uncomfortable and more about what might be fun.

Reviewed by: D'Arcy Lyness, PhD Date reviewed: July 2007

7 February 2009

Social Phobia (Medic 8)

SOCIAL PHOBIA

The Link to actual article:-
http://www.medic8.com/healthguide/articles/socialphobia.html

Social phobia, also called social anxiety disorder, involves overwhelming anxiety and excessive self-consciousness in everyday social situations. People with social phobia have a persistent, intense, and chronic fear of being watched and judged by others and being embarrassed or
humiliated by their own actions. Their fear may be so severe that it interferes with work or school, and other ordinary activities. While many people with social phobia recognise that their fear of being around people may be excessive or unreasonable, they are unable to overcome it.
They often worry for days or weeks in advance of a dreaded situation.

Social phobia can be limited to only one type of situation—such as a fear of speaking in formal or informal situations, or eating, drinking, or writing in front of others—or, in its most severe form, may be so broad that a person experiences symptoms almost anytime they are around other people. Social phobia can be very debilitating—it may even keep people from going to work or school on some days. Many people with this illness have a hard time making and keeping friends.

Physical symptoms often accompany the intense anxiety of social phobia and include blushing, profuse sweating, trembling, nausea, and difficulty talking. If you suffer from social phobia, you may be painfully embarrassed by these symptoms and feel as though all eyes are focused on you. You may be afraid of being with people other than your family.

People with social phobia are aware that their feelings are irrational. Even if they manage to confront what they fear, they usually feel very anxious beforehand and are intensely uncomfortable throughout. Afterward, the unpleasant feelings may linger, as they worry about how they may have been judged or what others may have thought or observed about them.


Social phobia affects about 5.3 million adult Americans. Women and men are equally likely to develop social phobia. The disorder usually begins in childhood or early adolescence, and there is some evidence that genetic factors are involved. Social phobia often co-occurs with other anxiety disorders or depression. Substance abuse or dependence may develop in individuals who attempt to "self-medicate" their social phobia by drinking or using drugs. Social phobia can be treated successfully with carefully targeted psychotherapy or medications.

Social phobia can severely disrupt normal life, interfering with school, work, or social relationships. The dread of a feared event can begin weeks in advance and be quite debilitating.

Seroxat Maker Abandons No Addiction Claim

The Guardian

Seroxat maker abandons 'no addiction' claim

Link to actual article:-http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2003/may/03/medicineandhealth.lifeandhealth

Firm agrees to alter leaflet to patients after complaints

Sarah Boseley, health editor
guardian.co.uk, Saturday 3 May 2003 10.12 BST

The drug company which makes Seroxat, the antidepressant which thousands of people say they cannot give up because of severe withdrawal effects, is to drop the claim on its patient leaflet saying the drug is not addictive.

The admission of a change of policy from GlaxoSmithKline, Britain's biggest pharmaceutical company, comes in a BBC Panorama programme to be shown on May 11.
Emails from the Edge examines the big response from Seroxat users to its first investigation, in October, of its withdrawal problems.

Seroxat is a commonly prescribed antidepressant of the SSRI (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor) class, to which Prozac also belongs.

Many people say it has changed their lives by lifting them out of depression, but some experience distressing side-effects when they try to reduce the dose and stop taking it. These effects are said to include sensations comparable to electric shock.

Last July the Guardian revealed that Seroxat topped the league table for complaints of side-effects made by doctors to the government's committee on the safety of medicines under the yellow card scheme. A total of 1,281 complaints were filed - more than the combined amount for the rest of the top 20 most cited drugs.

The watchdog group Social Audit complained at the time about the wording on the Seroxat patient information leaflet. It states that "these tablets are not addictive", and that withdrawal problems "are not common and not a sign of addiction".

Alastair Benbow, head of European clinical psychiatry at GSK, says in the film that the wording was poorly understood by patients. Yesterday he told the Guardian that he accepted that the drug, like other medicines, did cause physiological changes. "It is absolutely right, some people have symptoms and for some those are very troubling."

But GSK is unlikely to head off the mounting criticism because it intends to keep the advice issued in a separate information sheet to doctors which says the drug does not cause dependence.

David Healy, director of the North Wales department of psychological medicine, has long argued that the company should change its advice to doctors.

"If there is withdrawal, then there is physical dependence. There will be some people who will never be able to halt this drug, there will be some for whom halting will not be awfully difficult and some for whom it is a real issue." The SSRIs were not like opiates such as heroin which causes drug depmcency as opposed to physical dependency, he said. They were more comparable to the benzodiazepines such as Valium, which is now prescribed only with great caution because of withdrawal problems.

Charles Medawar, of Social Audit, was not impressed by GSK's move. "My feeling is that the changes GSK proposes could and should have been made at least five years ago and will not tell patients anything they don't know. They are glossing over the reality. This is far too little, too late."

Sarah Venn, of the Seroxat users group which has 4,000 members, said: "We are pleased to have this news but it doesn't address the information provided to doctors. It doesn't go anywhere near helping patients who are on this drug and can't get off it."
Some patients complain of doctors lacking sympathy when told about the side-effects.
But Dr Benbow said GSK's "feedback" showed doctors did understand what was meant and he could see no reason to spell out the difference between "physical dependency" and "drug dependency".

"I think we would start to get into difficulties of definition." He said the wording of the doctors' leaflet should only be changed "if we think there is a clear lack of understanding [by] the doctors," he added.

Man Slashed Wrists after 2 weeks on anxiety pill

The Daily Mail.

Link to the actual article:-http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-171857/Man-slashed-wrists-weeks-anxiety-pill-By-James-Tozer-Coroner-calls-leading-anti-depressant-withdrawn.html

A CORONER has called for Britain's biggest-selling antidepressant to be withdrawn after a retired headmaster who was prescribed the drug was found dead with slashed wrists.
Colin Whitfield, 56, died just two weeks after he began taking Seroxat.

At his inquest, Brecon Coroner Geraint Williams said he would be writing to Health Secretary Alan Milburn to demand the drug be withdrawn for further safety checks.

He said: 'I have grave concerns that this is a dangerous drug that should be withdrawn until at least detailed national studies are undertaken.

'I am profoundly disturbed by the effect this drug had on Colin Whitfield. It is quite clear that Seroxat has a profound effect on the thinking process of anyone who takes it.'

The inquest heard evidence from Mr Whitfield's wife, Kathryn, that her husband of 30 years was a protective and loving father who had been prescribed Seroxat for anxiety.

A fortnight later he locked himself in his garden shed and slit his wrists.
Seroxat - also known as the ' antishyness pill' - has overtaken Prozac in popularity since it was licensed in

1990. It was prescribed to 400,000 patients in Britain last year.
Some 4,000 users are threatening legal action against makers GlaxoSmithKline saying they suffered unpleasant withdrawal symptoms - including suicidal feelings - after they stopped taking it.

The Government announced a review of Seroxat's safety last year but the drug remains available.

Mr Whitfield, of Llanfrynach, Powys, was prescribed Seroxat last summer.

His widow told the hearing there was nothing to suggest he was suicidal and he had not been suffering from depression.

She said she was certain Seroxat was to blame for his death on August 29.
'It didn't fit the picture of who he was and we have no doubt that it was the drug that caused him to do it,' she said.

'Two days before he died, on his birthday when he was opening presents, he asked, "What more can I ask for than my lovely family?" '

Mrs Whitfield said she was convinced her husband had not been fully conscious of what he was doing.

The Yorkshireman had been looking forward to the coming rugby season and had also written to his mother to say he hoped to see her soon.

'What he did was so totally out of character. He was a very caring, very protective father and husband,' she said. 'He would be hating himself for what he has done to his family.'
The coroner agreed and recorded an open verdict.

'I have a picture of a kindly, gentle, courteous family man whose primary concern was his wife and children,' he said.

'But on this day he didn't care. He did a deliberate act affected, I have no doubt, by the taking of Seroxat.'

Afterwards, Mrs Whitfield said: 'As a result of what the coroner said in court, I really hope something big will come out of this. I hope there will be restrictions on the drug's use because I believe it is very risky.'

Solicitor Mark Harvey, who is representing thousands of claimants, including Mrs Whitfield, in their planned legal action against the drug's makers, said new prescriptions should cease while the drug's safety was examined.

'This case demonstrates our belief that anyone of note who comes across Seroxat expresses concern about what they see,' he added.

GlaxoSmithKline, which manufactures Seroxat, offered its 'sincere condolences' to Mr Whitfield's family but insisted the drug was safe.

It pointed out that those suffering from depression were more likely to commit suicide.
'There is no valid scientific research or literature finding that Seroxat causes suicidal thoughts or acts,' it added.

j.tozer@dailymail.co.uk

Dark Secrets Lurking Inside The Drugs Cabinet

The Observer.

Link to Actual article:-http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,6903,1345437,00.html

2004The Observer

Hailed as one of the greatest additions to the medicine cabinet since the invention of antibiotics, the antidepressant Seroxat has become a symbol for all that is wrong and suspect about the pharmaceutical industry today.

It was supposed to be a cure for most of the woes of the modern world, a happy pill that would banish the misery of depression and gloom. Now it is seen by an increasing number of campaigners, academics and doctors as a dramatic illustration of our inability to control the behaviour of drug companies. As evidence mounts about the uncontrolled use of anti-depressants, pharmaceutical companies have responded simply by trying to find new conditions they could market as targets for these controversial drugs.

And while the government last week indicated it was considering plans to break the close links with the pharmaceutical industry and the nation's drug watchdog group, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), many experts feel the move could be doomed to failure, particularly when it comes to antidepressants and other medicines for emotional problems.

'It would be good to get impartial advice but it is difficult in practice for any academic in the field to gain expertise in drug action without having to interact with the pharmaceutical industry,' said Professor Til Wykes, director of the UK mental health research network. 'That makes it very hard to avoid accusations of partiality.'

Seroxat and Prozac are the most widely used members of drugs called SSRIs - selected serotonin re-uptake inhibitors. Studies suggest serotonin plays a key role in affecting a person's emotions. Increasing serotonin levels is considered an antidote to depression. SSRIs act within the brain to do just that: increase serotonin levels.

Unlike most drugs, however, SSRIs were specifically designed - as opposed to discovered - as a treatment for depression. Seroxat was introduced 14 years ago. Apart from being an antidote to depression, it would allow, it was claimed, hyperactive children to lead normal lives, and stop those with obsessive-compulsive disorders from harming themselves. It was also cheap and had only slight side effects, said its makers.

Several million people were given the drug in Britain, including more than 50,000 children. Everything seemed to go well - for a while.

Then stories began to circulate about suicides and self-mutilation and the Seroxat hype began to unravel. An internal GlaxoSmithKline memo written in 1998 revealed that trials in children actually showed it was no better than a placebo in alleviating depression. 'It would be commercially unacceptable to include a statement that the efficacy had not been demonstrated, as this would undermine the profile (of the drug),' the memo stated.

Worse, when the company examined the details of its trial data, it found that more of the children on the real drug, compared with those on a placebo, had suicidal thoughts. A typical case that made tabloid headlines recently was that of 18-year-old Jamie Hoole who started taking Seroxat. He responded well to his daily 20mg regime. But soon his depression returned. Jamie - a promising musician - became increasingly anxious. He started to cut his arms and legs. Finally he hung himself. The coroner at his inquest said Jamie's death may have been 'wholly or in part' linked to Seroxat.

'Jamie got worse and worse and it was frightening,' said his mother, Jean. 'I thought the doctors would take him off it. They didn't. But nobody has had the full facts before taking this drug. That makes me angry.'

The issue is not that SSRIs are overwhelmingly deadly but that there is a real danger in prescribing them for young people and emotionally sensitive individuals. One US study, using UK data, revealed that anti-depressants are linked to suicidal thoughts during the first few weeks of their use, but that these effects wear off. In short, these antidepressants can be helpful for some people but great care must be taken in prescribing them, a point that appears not to have been hammered home until very recently.

A survey carried out by the mental health charity Mind, in collaboration with Panorama, found that 97 per cent of respondents knew of someone who had experienced unwanted or uncomfortable reactions to Seroxat. These included: reduced sexual desire, sleep problems, fatigue, irritability and sweating. One in five reported violent behaviour. Half who had experienced a reaction had feelings of self harm or suicide and more than four out of five experienced withdrawal problems.

These findings are backed by other studies which have also noted these effects are far more pronounced in younger people. As a result the MHRA finally issued guidance which outlawed the prescription of the drug to under-18s. Last year European watchdogs also recommended extra care be taken in prescribing Seroxat for people under 30.

Such advice flies in the face of pharmaceutical practice, however. While health regulators are now becoming increasingly anxious to control the use of Seroxat and other antidepressants, drug companies - equally anxious to gain as much income as possible from their medicinal cash cows - are trying to expand their uptake.

GlaxoSmithKline has made billions out of Seroxat and sees no reason why this should halt, it would appear. One of its internal marketing documents shows the company planned to double sales by targeting people who suffer from a widely recognised condition known as social phobias.
'But they changed the words,' said Professor David Healy, a psychopharmacologist at Cardiff University. 'They called it social anxiety disorders. Phobias imply a behaviour that can be treated by therapy. Anxiety disorder implies it is more about drugs.'

In addition, GSK has marketed the drug as the answer for people who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. Such projected uses are far from those that were originally envisaged for the drug as a general treatment for clinical depression.

This point is not denied by GSK, however. A spokesman told The Observer that Seroxat could be marketed for new conditions but insisted that this would only be done after stringent tests had been carried out. 'Medical authorities around the world have required that GSK study each condition separately in order to prove benefit in each con dition specifically,' he said.

'With more than 13 years of safety and effectiveness data on Seroxat that has been built from use by patients all over the world, as well as clinical trials involving 24,000 patients, there are few medicines that have been studied in as much detail. As with all important medicines, Seroxat and other SSRI anti-depressants can cause side effects in some people. Information about these is provided to doctors and patients and is updated as we learn more from clinical trials and the monitoring of patients world-wide.' He added: 'Seroxat is an important medicine designed to treat serious psychiatric diseases. These disorders can be severe, distressing, debilitating and potentially deadly.'

Richard Brook, Mind's chief executive, writes in the latest issue of the Journal Of Mental Health: 'The trouble is that pharmaceutical companies form a massive part of the UK economy and have to survive in a ruthless commercial environment. They exert a pervasive influence over the research into and use of medicines. Virtually all research on drugs - 70 per cent of trials reported in major medical journals - is funded by the industry. Drug companies therefore have a hugely disproportionate influence on what gets researched, and also how it is researched, how the results are interpreted, and how - and crucially whether - the results are reported.'

Among the accusations now levied against the drug firms are that they 'ghost'-write medical journal articles published by leading doctors, sponsor conferences and other medical training events and pay large fees to doctors to talk about their products.

'They have all the data on their new products and before any independent person can get at the data it takes months or years, so that inde pendent information limps a long way behind the commercially driven information and is in a much lower volume,' said Dr Andrew Herxheimer, founder of the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin, in evidence to the parliamentary select committee currently hearing evidence on the influence of the pharmaceutical industry. 'The funding for that is extremely small compared with the industrial funding of promotion; so that creates an overwhelming imbalance.'

Nor is the problem helped by the nature of the MRHA. The agency is an opaque organisation that has long been the target of campaigners who accuse it of being completely funded by the pharmaceutical industry. It is not, but the secrecy of its behaviour does not help. In contrast with the FDA in the US it does not publish the results of its trials on a publicly accessible website.
'You cannot get access to the good points or the hazards. They're incredibly secretive,' Healy said. 'You could have experts having close links, providing you can see what they say. Then we can make up our own minds.'
Anti-depressants: Ups and downs

The World Health Organisation estimates that by 2020 depression will be the second largest cause of death and disability in the world.
As many as one in three people will experience some form of depression in their lifetime.

Global sales of anti-depressants total more than $17 billion, making them the third best-selling class of drugs in the world.

Studies show 70 per cent of people who take anti-depressants start to feel better after their first prescription.

Anti-depressants reduce the symptoms of depresssion which include loss of interest, sleeping too much or too little and feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt.

Studies show between 30 and 40 percent of children and adolescents with depression will not respond to an initial medication.

Long-term side effects of taking anti-depressants include sleep disturbances, weight gain and sexual dysfunction.

Early side effects include nausea, diarrhoea, headaches and agitation. These usually disappear within two to three weeks of taking the drugs.

Robber cleared by drug defence

The actual article :-http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2003/aug/10/drugsandalcohol.jorevill

Robber cleared by drug defence

Charges dropped after report links Seroxat to threatening behaviour

Jo Revill, health editor
The Observer, Sunday 10 August 2003
Article history

A man arrested for armed robbery and theft has had charges against him dropped after medical experts concluded that his behaviour could have been altered by the severe withdrawal symptoms he was experiencing from the antidepressant Seroxat.

Mark Douglas-Hamilton, who was facing a prison sentence for holding up a garage, was due to go on trial this week, but the case has been unexpectedly dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service.

The CPS has not given any reason for its decision to discontinue, but it is believed that Douglas-Hamilton was helped by a medical report carried out for the defence which concluded that the drug could have contributed to his threatening behaviour.

Campaigners against Seroxat, whose generic name is paroxetine, say they are aware of at least 10 other families who claim that their relatives committed acts of violence as they withdrew from the medication.

Their cases will be put later this month to the Government's Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority (MHRA), which is reviewing Seroxat.

The move comes as the Department of Health said last night it would examine the unlicensed sale of pre scription drugs on the internet following an Observer investigation today exposing the cybernet trade in such drugs, including Seroxat.

The drug's manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline, denies violence is a feature of withdrawing from Seroxat arguing that aggression is a feature of anxiety disorders.

However, Douglas-Hamilton's account of how he suffered serious personality changes while trying to come off the pills has implications for other patients who also reported feeling extremely aggressive and reckless once they stopped taking the drug.

In November last year, two days after coming off the pills, Douglas-Hamilton, 30, used a pair of wire cutters to hold up a garage in Oxford where he walked away with a packet of cigarettes. A CCTV recording of the event shows his bizarre behaviour, where he joked with customers. Two weeks later, the theatre stage manager stole some CDs from a record shop. Douglas-Hamilton says he committed the acts, but claims his personality and behaviour were completely altered by the withdrawal effects of the drug.

'I'm a fairly timid guy,' he told The Observer last week. 'I had only been prescribed [Seroxat] because I suffered from anxiety and some depression. It seemed to destroy my conscience and my fear. I found myself walking out of the house with knives; I had every intention of killing people.'

Douglas-Hamilton, who lives near Hereford, was due to face trial this week in Oxford on two charges of theft. But the case was unexpectedly dropped last Thursday by the CPS, which did not give a reason for the discontinuance .

Had the trial gone ahead, it could have proved a test case. Douglas-Hamilton would have pleaded not guilty, using a defence known as non-insane automatism. This argues that there is some external factor, in this case Seroxat, which was out of the defendant's control, and caused him to behave irrationally. Dr David Taylor of the Maudsley Hospital had prepared a report for the defence, passed to the CPS, which concluded that the effects of Seroxat could have contributed to his behaviour.

The drug, which is prescribed to thousands of people every year for anxiety and depression, is already the subject of some controversy. Last year, SmithKline Beecham, which became GlaxoSmithKline, was successfully sued by Toby Tobin, after his father-in-law Donald Schell killed himself, his wife, his daughter and daughter-in-law in Wyoming, US. The company was ordered to pay £4.7million to the family. Schell had taken just two tablets before the murders, and had been depressed, but not suicidal, for the past 10 years.

There have also been claims from families in Britain that it has pushed relatives into suicide, and caused serious withdrawal symptoms. Sarah Venn, spokeswoman for the Seroxat Users' Group, said: 'I'm aware of at least 10 families whose children have committed criminal acts on withdrawal, and whose behaviour appears out of character. The MHRA needs to consider this as part of its review.'

A spokeswoman for GlaxoSmithKline said: 'Violence and aggression are a feature of anxiety and depression disorders. Seroxat will reduce levels of these, and neither violence or aggression are withdrawal symptoms.'

In November last year, two days after coming off the pills, Douglas-Hamilton, 30, used a pair of wire cutters to hold up a garage in Oxford where he walked away with a packet of cigarettes. A CCTV recording of the event shows his bizarre behaviour, where he joked with customers. Two weeks later, the theatre stage manager stole some CDs from a record shop. Douglas-Hamilton says he committed the acts, but claims his personality and behaviour were completely altered by the withdrawal effects of the drug.

'I'm a fairly timid guy,' he told The Observer last week. 'I had only been prescribed [Seroxat] because I suffered from anxiety and some depression. It seemed to destroy my conscience and my fear. I found myself walking out of the house with knives; I had every intention of killing people.'

Douglas-Hamilton, who lives near Hereford, was due to face trial this week in Oxford on two charges of theft. But the case was unexpectedly dropped last Thursday by the CPS, which did not give a reason for the discontinuance .

Had the trial gone ahead, it could have proved a test case. Douglas-Hamilton would have pleaded not guilty, using a defence known as non-insane automatism. This argues that there is some external factor, in this case Seroxat, which was out of the defendant's control, and caused him to behave irra tionally. Dr David Taylor of the Maudsley Hospital had prepared a report for the defence, passed to the CPS, which concluded that the effects of Seroxat could have contributed to his behaviour.

The drug, which is prescribed to thousands of people every year for anxiety and depression, is already the subject of some controversy. Last year, Smith Kline Beecham, which became GlaxoSmithKline, was successfully sued by Toby Tobin, after his father-in-law Don ald Schell killed himself, his wife, his daughter and daughter-in-law in Wyoming, US. The company was ordered to pay £4.7million to the family. Schell had taken just two tablets before the murders, and had been depressed, but not suicidal, for the past 10 years.

There have also been claims from families in Britain that it has pushed relatives into suicide, and caused serious withdrawal symptoms. Sarah Venn, spokeswoman for the Seroxat Users' Group, said: 'I'm aware of at least 10 families whose children have committed criminal acts on withdrawal, and whose behaviour appears out of character. The MHRA needs to consider this as part of its review.'

A spokeswoman for GlaxoSmithKline said: 'Violence and aggression are a feature of anxiety and depression disorders. Seroxat will reduce levels of these, and neither violence or aggression are withdrawal symptoms.'

Spitzer Forces Glaxo To Publish Drug Trials

The Guardian.

Link to actual article :-http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2004/aug/27/mentalhealth.glaxosmithklinebusiness


Spitzer forces Glaxo to publish drug trials

David Teather in New York
guardian.co.uk, Friday 27 August 2004 09.28 BST
Article history

GlaxoSmithKline yesterday said it would publish all details of its clinical drug trials after being accused of concealing information that its leading antidepressant could be harmful to children.

The move is part of the settlement of a lawsuit filed by the New York state attorney general, Eliot Spitzer, in June that accused GSK of "repeated and persistent fraud".

The firm will also pay the relatively small sum of $2.5m (£1.4m) to settle the charges.

The lawsuit alleged that GSK suppressed the results of at least four different studies which showed the drug Paxil, known as Seroxat in Britain, was at best no more effective than a placebo and at worst was increasing suicidal behaviour among users. The results of a fifth test, showing mixed results, were released.

At the same time GSK was said to have been heavily promoting the drug to American doctors, boasting of its efficacy and safety.

The cover of a memo for sales representatives, cited in the suit, read: "Paxil demonstrates remarkable efficacy and safety in the treatment of adolescent depression."

Mr Spitzer said the settlement set a new standard for the pharmaceutical industry.
"This settlement holds GSK to a new standard of disclosure about studies concerning its drugs, a standard that helps to ensure that doctors and patients have access to all scientifically sound information so doctors can prescribe appropriate medication for their patients," he said.

GSK has already begun posting on the web clinical studies of the use of Paxil among adolescents and children. The company is planning to go further and will establish a "clinical trials register" that will contain summaries of results from all GSK-sponsored clinical studies of drugs conducted since the end of 2000, when Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKlineBeecham merged.

Each summary will be set out in standard form and include data regarding effectiveness, type and severity of side-effects and whether the goals or other components of the study were changed mid-stream.

Results of future studies must be posted within 10 months of the drug being first marketed, according to the terms of the agreement. It will advertise the clinical trials register in medical journals.

In a statement, GSK said it still believed the allegations were "unfounded" but agreed to pay the penalty to avoid "the high costs and time required to defend itself in protracted litigation". Mark Werner, GSK's senior vice-president for US legal operations, described the trials register as "a responsible step in ensuring transparency".

The prescription of antidepressants to children and adolescents has become a contentious issue due to reports of addiction or suicidal behaviour among users. Seroxat was banned for use by children and adolescents in Britain last June.

In a press release issued in Britain at the time, the firm admitted it had seen "a difference between [Seroxat] and placebo in terms of suicidal thinking or attempts particularly in adolescents".

The only antidepressant prescribed to children in Britain without a warning is Prozac, although studies suggest it has low success rates.

In 2002, more than 2m prescriptions for Paxil were written for American children and
adolescents to treat mood disorders and depression. That translated into $55m in sales.

In two of the studies, Paxil was no more effective than a placebo when treating depression in young people - in one study, the placebo, or dummy pill, actually outperformed Paxil. Most worryingly, the incidence of suicidal tendencies doubled among users in three of the tests.

Study Links Violence With Antidepressants.

The Guardian

Link to the Actual Article:-
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2006/sep/12/uk.health

Study links violence with antidepressants

Sarah Boseley
The Guardian, Tuesday 12 September 2006
Article history

The antidepressant drugs known as SSRIs, which include the British best-seller Seroxat, may precipitate a small number of individuals into violence, according to a paper published today on the Public Library of Science: Medicine website.

David Healy of Cardiff University, David Menkes of the University of Auckland and Andrew Herxheimer of the Cochrane Centre reviewed data from several sources including Seroxat's manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline. "The new issues highlighted by these cases need urgent examination in all countries where antidepressants are widely used," they write.

Keep Seroxat Doses Low Doctors Told.

The Guardian

Link to the actual article:- http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2004/mar/12/sciencenews.medicineandhealth

Sarah Boseley, health editor

The Guardian, Friday 12 March 2004


Britain's best-selling antidepressant drug, Seroxat, which is alleged to cause a minority of those who take it to become suicidal or violent, has been prescribed in too high a dose to many thousands of patients, the regulatory authority said yesterday.

The Committee on the Safety of Medicines told doctors not to put depressed patients on a dose above the recommended level of 20mg A higher dose had no greater effect but the risk of side-effects increased.

Although the expert working group convened by the CSM to look at the safety of Seroxat and other SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) drugs has not finished investigating the suicide issue, there is evidence it could be dose-related.
A sudden increase in the dose could "heighten the risk of serious adverse events", the committee told doctors.

Last year 17,000 people were put on more than 20mg of Seroxat a day. It is estimated that about 500,000 people were prescribed the drug in the course of the year.

Yesterday Richard Brook, chief executive of the mental health charity Mind, said: "Mind has consistently highlighted the flaws in drugs regulation in this country, and a revelation like this is damning.

"In this sorry tale far too little heed has been paid to ordinary people experiencing awful side-effects and severe withdrawal symptoms. Far too much attention has been paid to the spin of drug company marketing departments."

In December the working party found that SSRIs raised the risk of suicide in children and adolescents and banned doctors from prescribing all but Prozac to the under-18s.

Secret Plan To Push Happy Pills.

The Observer.

Link to actual article :-http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2004/nov/07/mentalhealth.businessofresearch

Revealed: secret plan to push'happy' pills

· MPs probe drugs giant's bid to boost Seroxat· Fears over new targets for anti-depressant
Jamie Doward and Robin McKie
The Observer, Sunday 7 November 2004
Article history

Britain's largest drug company drew up a secret plan to double sales of the controversial anti-depressant Seroxat by marketing it as a cure for a raft of less serious mental conditions, The Observer can reveal today.

The contents of the 250-page document have alarmed health campaigners who accuse the firm, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), of putting profit before the therapeutic needs of patients by attempting to broaden the market for the drug which has been linked to a spate of suicides.

The revelation is likely to prompt further concerns about the role and influence of the pharmaceutical industry, which has come under severe scrutiny in recent months. The document is now being investigated by a parliamentary inquiry into the drugs industry.

The internal report carries a section which outlines how GSK planned to double sales of 'selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI)' - the industry term for anti-depressants - by winning the marketing war against Seroxat's chief rival, Prozac, manufacured by Eli Lilly.
Written in 1998 and subsequently updated in following years, the section is entitled: 'Towards the second billion - all SSRIs are not the same' and discusses strategies to see off the threat posed by Prozac.

The document outlined how GSK intended to market Seroxat for a range of conditions other than clinical depression. Chief among these was a condition the company identified as social anxiety disorder, although other forms of anxiety were also discussed internally.
'What this document makes clear is that a number of different forms of anxiety were being targeted in a systematic way. The thrust was to move sales beyond the $1 billion to $2 billion mark by pushing it to people who were not clinically depressed,' said Professor David Healy, a psycho-pharmacologist at Cardiff University, who has given evidence to the House of Commons Health Select Committee.

Richard Brook, chief executive of Mind, the mental health charity which submitted the document to the committee, told the MPs it was 'all about developing new conditions for that drug and demolishing the arguments of other competitors about why their drug was not any good'.

In addition the document shows GSK made a great virtue of the fact that Seroxat had a relatively short 'half-life' compared with Prozac, an argument which has subsequently proven deeply controversial.

A half-life is the scientific term for how long it takes for the concentration of a drug to drop by 50 per cent in a patient's bloodstream. The company suggested Seroxat's short half-life meant patients could come on and off the drug easily, compared with those on Prozac, even to the extent that they could take 'treatment holidays'. 'There was an argument that a short half life was really good news,' Brook said.

'But five years later, Seroxat has withdrawal issues. It's the short half life that causes the problems. The substances get into the body so quickly it causes some sort of dependency reaction. So one of the things the company was saying was a benefit was actually a problem.'

In its submission to the parliamentary committee Mind said the original trial data submitted to the UK regulators by GSK showed the claim was at best 'naive and at worst seriously mislead ing'. It added that 'the Seroxat file is highly illustrative of using marketing information as facts'.
Concerns about the addictive properties of Seroxat saw the government ban its prescription to people under the age of 18 last year. This followed a review which found children taking it were more likely to self-harm or commit suicide.

A spokesman for GSK said Seroxat could be marketed at new conditions only after stringent testing. 'Medical authorities around the world have required that GSK study each condition separately in order to prove benefit in each condition specifically.'

Doctors failing to help wean patients off antidepreessants

Doctors "Failing to help wean patients off anti-depressants".

Link to the actual article:- http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2005/sep/09/mentalhealth.socialcare


John Carvel, social affairs editor
Society Guardian, Friday 9 September 2005 13.58 BST

GPs give little support to millions of patients who would like to come off antidepressants because they cannot stand the side-effects, the mental health charity Mind said today.

It found doctors wrote 29m prescriptions for antidepressants and 17m for anti-anxiety and sleeping pills in England last year.

GPs were keen to hand out the drugs, but they were not able to tell when patients were ready to come off them - and not good at helping them do so, the charity said.

After the first research study into the difficulty of withdrawal from psychiatric drugs, it found 40% of patients saw the GP as unhelpful and 10% thought the doctor "made things worse".

Patients turned instead to internet and email groups that were rated helpful by 94% of users.

Most GPs were unable to predict when patients could come off drugs successfully. Indeed patients who weaned themselves off against doctors' advice, or without telling the GP, were more likely to succeed (53%) than patients following doctors' orders (44%).

The survey - based on interviews with more than 200 recent psychiatric drug users - found 70% had felt pressured to take the medication and 60% experienced problems coming off it. This rose to 68% among users of the SSRI group of antidepressants such as Seroxat and Prosac.

"Recent Norwegian analysis showed a clear link between Seroxat and significantly higher rates of suicide attempts," the charity said. "But last week the government rejected [Commons] health committee recommendations for independent publication of full clinical trial data."

Last year, Mind chief executive Richard Brook resigned from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority expert group, accusing it of failing to protect patients from unsafe dosage levels of Seroxat.

Alison Cobb, the charity's policy officer, said: "People who want to come off their drugs must have their decision respected, and be practically supported even by professionals who may not agree with them ... there is also an urgent responsibility for doctors to be provided with the fullest information on the drugs that they prescribe, from the MHRA and other sources."