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Tag: Antipsychotics

American Medical Association Endorses Drug Experiments on Children

Sheila Matthews
National Vice President
www.ablechild.org
(203) 966-8419

 The American Medical Association has issued a report advocating the training of investigators to study the effects of psychotropic drugs on children, adolescents, and young adults. According to the AMA, “SSRIs should remain available for use in children and adolescents, including for unlabeled uses.” SSRIs were a popular class of antidepressants that have been the subject of widespread controversy, banned in Great Britain in 2003 for use in children and adolescents due to their propensity to induce suicidal thoughts and ideations, and more recently given black box labels in 2004 by the Food and Drug Administration.

The AMA’s statements indicate that it views both the FDA Black Box Suicide Warning on these drugs, and the issue of full informed consent as a restriction. This comes despite their conclusions that “The use of antidepressants is associated with a doubling in the number of reports indicative of suicidal thinking and behavior in children and adolescents with Major Depressive Disorder and other psychiatric disorders.”

Ablechild contacted the FDA to obtain a comment regarding the AMA’s report which promotes the experimental use of drugs that are known to increase suicidal tendencies. According to FDA Spokesperson, Susan Cruzan, “The FDA has reviewed all the scientific data and incorporated two advisory boards’ recommendations on the link to suicide ideation, resulting in a Black Box Warning recommending close oversight for all that use antidepressants to look for increased suicide ideation. The FDA worked with the manufacturers on the Black Box warning mandated on all antidepressants.”

According to Bill Hall, Health & Human Services Spokesman, “HHS regulates all human subjects research carried out by those institutions and organizations that have signed assurances with the HHS Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP).” Unfortunately, OHRP is not funded to track all unlabeled usage of psychotropic drugs as promoted by the AMA in their recent report.

Based on the statements of both organizations we have concluded that there is insufficient oversight of experimental use of psychotropic drugs on children.

OHRP must protect all citizens from becoming unknowing victims of experimental research.

The promotion of unlabeled SSRI use on children by the AMA, when the dangers and risks associated with the usage is well documented, is unethical and irresponsible. It undermines the FDA’s role, its recommendations, and jeopardizes overall public health.

The AMA needs to be reminded that disclosing drug risks to the public and promoting full disclosure should not be seen as a barrier, but as requisite to public health and safety.

Dr. Peter Breggin: Thanks Tom Cruise

Dr. Peter Breggin, Huffington Post

On June 25, 2005 Tom Cruise did the unthinkable on TV. Actually, he did several “unthinkables” in a filmed interview with NBC’s Matt Lauer for the Today Show.

First, Tom stopped smiling. He deprived us of that multi-million dollar grin and got serious. For a star to do this to the American public was unthinkable.

Second, Tom pointed out that Matt Lauer actually was very “glib” (shallow) and didn’t know what he was talking about. He also urged Matt to be “more responsible” and to learn something about psychiatry before touting it. For a star to do this to a media personality was unthinkable. Since nearly all of them are shallow, this was a threat of potentially epidemic proportions. Suppose other guests began pointing out that media hosts don’t know what they are talking about and are shallow?

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TeenScreen: Gateway to Labeling and Drugging Your Children in the Name of Education

TeenScreen uses craftily designed questionnaires to label normal children with mental illnesses, and then prescribe them dangerous psychiatric medications. TeenScreen personnel only refer children to psychiatrists or mental hospitals for treatment, but a 2002 survey found that child psychiatrists treat 9 out of 10 children by drugging them (Journal of the American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry).

TeenScreen is promoted as a suicide prevention tool, but in reality it allows drug companies, psychiatrists, and big brother government to use taxpayer money to further grow the psychiatric and pharmaceutical industries.

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Antidepressant Efficacy May Be Overblown – Experts

By Karla GaleFri, NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Antidepressants, for the most part, do not provide meaningful benefit, two investigators in the UK argue in a report in the British Medical Journal this week, having reviewed published medical evidence on antidepressant efficacy.

Most people with depression are often initially prescribed an antidepressant by their doctor. Prescriptions for these medications have risen dramatically in the last decade.

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Inquest hears of teenager’s SSRI use

CBC News

A coroner’s inquest in Fredericton was told Tuesday that a 16-year-old foster child may have stopped taking an anti-depressant medication just weeks before she killed herself in November 2003. The year after Heather White’s death, Health Canada issued a warning about the class of drug Heather’s family doctor had been prescribed to deal with her depression. She was taking a medication called Celexa, a selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor (SSRI).

INDEPTH: Depression medications

The warnings advised doctors to carefully monitor patients of all ages for suicidal thoughts, especially in the early stages of taking SSRIs. Health Canada also warned patients to tell their doctors before changing the dosage or stopping the medication entirely.

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Sainsbury Backs Tom Cruise

John Mappin, United Newspapers

(PRWEB) July 15, 2005 — Following Tom Cruise’s campaign over the past two weeks, Sebastian Sainsbury of the prestigious Sainsbury family issues a strong warning in Britain and an alert to all UK parents.

Speaking to United National Newspapers today, Sebastian Sainsbury stated the following this morning.

“As a parent of two young children, I hold an inherently responsible position for the welfare of my children. Following some of the recent media and speaking with other parents, I feel the need to extend that responsibility to encompass a wider sphere by informing parents of a situation that could potentially affect all children.”

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PARENTS’ GROUP REQUESTS MEETING WITH FDA HEAD TO ENACT STRONGER DRUG WARNINGS FOR KIDS

Patricia Weathers
President
www.ablechild.org
(845) 677-8115

Sheila Matthews
National Vice President
www.ablechild.org
(203) 966-8419

Parents say psychiatric drugs are making children violent and suicidal and FDA must act.

The national parents’ group, AbleChild: Parents for a Label and Drug-Free Education, has asked the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Acting Commissioner, Lester Crawford, for a private meeting to discuss additional advertising warnings for psychiatric drugs. The request for a meeting comes on the heels of a joint letter signed by actors Kirstie Alley and Kelly Preston along with medical doctors demanding stronger warnings.

“Celebrities, physicians and parents have been asking for full disclosure of the dangerous side effects of psychiatric drugs for years which the FDA has recently begun investigating. They are now warning that stimulant drugs, like antidepressants, can cause suicide and violence,” stated Mrs. Sheila Matthews, Vice President of the group, also known for its website, www.ablechild.org.

The group represents more than a thousand parents who have been coerced into putting their children on a psychiatric drug and who lobbied for passage of a federal law, signed by President Bush last December that now prohibits such coercion in schools. For some of the parents, the law came too late: coroners determined their children died from the psychiatric drug they were forced onto.

Mrs. Matthews said their letter to Commissioner Crawford stated that not only do the drug warnings need to be strengthened, but the way manufacturers and the American Psychiatric Association promote the drugs as necessary to “balance” out a “chemical imbalance” or “neurobiological disorder” is misleading and must change.

“While studies may suggest brain differences or ‘chemical imbalances’, there is no conclusive evidence, as the APA and manufacturers’ websites imply”, Mrs. Matthews said. “This violates the informed consent rights of parents. The risks could be reduced if the public was provided with accurate and complete information, not just with what ‘sells’, which only protects a multi-billion drug industry”, she added.

Additionally, “Ms. Preston and Ms. Alley have a long history of speaking out on this issue as a voice for parents and children—ever since the Columbine high school shooting when it was determined ringleader Eric Harris was taking an antidepressant known to cause violent mania. I think they could help us present information to the FDA which would be of immense benefit to all.”

Protecting Parental Rights in Florida: AbleChild Chapter Formed in Miami

Luisa Arostegui
Vice President State of Florida
www.ablechild.org
(305) 283-6603

Helping to stem the tide of children being put onto psychotropic drugs, on Tuesday, July the 12th at 2pm, State Representative Gus Barriero joined dozens of concerned parents to help launch the Florida Chapter of AbleChild at the steps of the Miami Court House at 73 West Flagler, in Miami.

Luisa Arostegui, the Vice President of the Florida Chapter of AbleChild, welcomed the attendees and spoke of the group’s purpose – to educate parents so that they know that they have choices in dealing with their children. As the mother of five children, Arostegui knows for herself the damage caused when the school system or arrogant medical practitioners dictate mental health “treatment”.

Her fourth child, whom she adopted, was on psychotropic drugs and she feels strongly that if he had not been weaned from them, their detrimental effect on his young liver would have resulted in his death.

She told the group, “No parent should be pressured into either putting their child on a drug or keeping their child on a drug. The solutions that are routinely given by psychiatry – Ritalin, Paxil, Adderall and others – are not scientifically based solutions.”

“I found out about AbleChild and I wanted to help. I could not just stand by and watch other parents go through what my child and my family went through.”

“AbleChild exists to get real information to parents and caregivers so that they know that they do have choices. Your child does not have to take psychotropic drugs.”

“I am very excited about the start of our own chapter of AbleChild in the State of Florida. With a quarter of Florida’s population under the age of 18, we must do all we can to protect them, the future of our state.”

Representative Barriero echoed these sentiments.

“I am very honored to be here for this historic occasion. AbleChild is important to this State as it educates parents so they can make their own decision.

“The pharmaceutical companies are getting rich by “treating” a disease that has no medical tests to prove that it is a valid illness – there are no blood tests or other objective scientific tests that diagnose ADD or ADHD.

“I applaud actor Tom Cruise for standing up and telling the public the truth about these drugs. His actions and those actions taken by groups like AbleChild will safeguard our future generations.

“I wholeheartedly welcome AbleChild to my State and my city.

AbleChild.org provides a wealth of information to parents looking for alternatives to putting their children on Ritalin, Adderall, or a host of other drugs.

AbleChild is a national organization founded in 2001, incorporated in New York, and established as a 501(C)(3) not for profit entity in 2005.

If you would like more information about AbleChild, or you would like to get involved in this powerful movement, please call Luisa Arostegui at (305) 283-6603. You can also check out AbleChild on line at www.ablechild.org.

Family Advocate Opposes Illinois’ Plan for Mandatory Mental Health Screening

By Jim Brown, AgapePress

An Illinois pro-family activist is urging parents to find out what stage their state is at in implementing President Bush’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health — and to strongly oppose the plan.

On June 30, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich received a final proposal from the Illinois Children’s Mental Health Partnership. Two years ago, the state Legislature charged the Partnership with crafting a plan to reform Illinois’ mental health system. The plan calls for the screening of all Illinois children ages zero to 18 and pregnant women for mental health problems.

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What’s ‘Good for You’ Often Ends Up Being Bad

Nearly One-Third of Initial Medical Studies Misleading, Major Review Finds

The Associated Press

CHICAGO – Here’s some medical news you can trust: A new study confirms that what doctors once said was good for you often turns out to be bad — or at least not as great as initially thought.

The report is a review of major studies published in three influential medical journals between 1990 and 2003, including 45 highly publicized studies that initially claimed a drug or other treatment worked.

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