Lawsuits about psychiatric drug adverse effects and withdrawal

[mammaP]

Thanks Laura, we should all sign it! 

[Laura1981]

Maybe I should put it in a new post and change the title so that everyone sees it. I'm just worried to spam the forum too much. I have too much time and too little brain power to do something else than posting at the moment ;-) 

[cymbaltawithdrawal5600]

Not necessary to spam the forum, many posters find such things on their own but not everyone wants to do this because they have enough to occupy them as it is. You can do a search of the site for things that have already been posted about class action lawsuits (there is one about cymbalta). This forum has been in existence since 2011 so there a few such posts.

 

You replied to a topic that had only the initial post and that was made in 2013.

[MorningHunter]

Signed the petition.  thanks!

[btdt]

I watched the Effexor petition get beyond 22 thousand signatures and nothing came of it.. not one thing.. other than whoever started it got all out ip addresses and who know what other information about us... 

 

makes me wonder signed 

JADED

[MorningHunter]

btdt - good point!

[oskcajga]

Hello,

 

I'm not sure if anyone else has seen this or not, but I stumbled upon it after searching for a lawyer who might (yeah right, 2 years later) take my case.  Anyways, I found it very interesting, it contains information about cymbalta (an SNRI) that indicates around 80% of patients experience severe withdrawal upon cessation.  

 

I think that currently this lawsuit is being brought before some level of the court system as 25 seperate trials.  So hopefully 25 individuals who have suffered like I have, will get some sort of large financial compensation to having their lives seriously messed up.

 

 

 

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CB8QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.schmidtlaw.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fcymbalta-lawsuit-mcdowell.pdf&ei=FiNlVZQ8zrWxBNHYg-gJ&usg=AFQjCNGsdiZEWMGiRzwPe1y5uLtv19sVRw&sig2=pUzcwIDUe0RLUq8XSIwb0w

 

As soon as you click on the link, the document will begin to download.  It's pretty interesting.

 

Let me know what you think of the document.

[westcoast]

I was happy when I learned of it. It's rare to see a figure for withdrawal as high as 80%, so that's great news. It's all coming out and seemingly as a greater clip this year. If this thing were to prevail, it could be good for effexor and pristiq cases. The three are close to triplets and all three are known for their horrendous long-term wd syndromes.

 

Journalists who only ask the KOL types if what patients say is true might start asking iconoclasts instead. Media reliance on APA talking points has cost many lives. The clusterF at U of M may bring more attention to decades of psych drug trial fraud, and a lot of it is due to the perseverance of a medical ethics professor at U of M, Carl Elliot.

 

There are still guys who should be in jail. Big name shrink/professors like Keller, Nemeroff, Dunning. Have you read the canon? David Healy, Rob Whitaker, Peter Breggin?

 

(BTW did you know that in the Media posts are Tweeted and Facebooked by an SA bot once a day? SA has accounts on both. If someone clicks through they see what you're seeing now, and like any non-member, can traverse the rest of the site other than the few sections that are hidden. They can't read this special SA grey, though.)

[oskcajga]

I was happy when I learned of it. It's rare to see a figure for withdrawal as high as 80%, so that's great news. It's all coming out and seemingly as a greater clip this year. If this thing were to prevail, it could be good for effexor and pristiq cases. The three are close to triplets and all three are known for their horrendous long-term wd syndromes.

 

Journalists who only ask the KOL types if what patients say is true might start asking iconoclasts instead. Media reliance on APA talking points has cost many lives. The clusterF at U of M may bring more attention to decades of psych drug trial fraud, and a lot of it is due to the perseverance of a medical ethics professor at U of M, Carl Elliot.

 

There are still guys who should be in jail. Big name shrink/professors like Keller, Nemeroff, Dunning. Have you read the canon? David Healy, Rob Whitaker, Peter Breggin?

 

(BTW did you know that in the Media posts are Tweeted and Facebooked by an SA bot once a day? SA has accounts on both. If someone clicks through they see what you're seeing now, and like any non-member, can traverse the rest of the site other than the few sections that are hidden. They can't read this special SA grey, though.)

 

Just ordered Anatomy of an Epidemic.  I have trouble reading because my trigeminal nerve is so damaged from the medications, but I'll get through it little by little.

 

Boy would I like to actually do something to fight back against these bastards.  Unfortunately, it seems like one would need several million dollars in their bank account to hire a lawyer to get any justice in this country.  If someone had, say, 5-10 billion dollars and went to sue all of these people for various things, one could theoretically bankrupt them in the court systems. 

 

I doubt anyone on SA is worth 5 billion dollars, but it would be an effective way to "get back" at your favorite hated psyciatrist:  Hire a team of very expensive lawyers and sue them for like an absurd amount of money.

 

I wouldn't be too surprised if Eli Lilly and GKS got sued at an infrequent but steady rate by very wealthy individuals, and just settled out of court for several million dollars just to end the case and limit any further financial damage from accruing.

[westcoast]

Yes, money. And yes they drug cos pay but it's a bottomless pit. The way to wreck them is to stop taking pills. But people want their statins, which they don't need...

 

also, I found a topic about what I think is the same suit down in the commons, in the Events (etc) fyi

This link was there.

http://jpn.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/39-6-140097.pdf

 

Sucks that you have that pain on top of everything else. I and many others couldn't read for a year or more. Reading had been my best inanimate friend for as long as I can recall. I forgot about it during the drug years. I've resumed, but not reliably. It's to do with concentration. 

[oskcajga]

Yes, money. And yes they drug cos pay but it's a bottomless pit. The way to wreck them is to stop taking pills. But people want their statins, which they don't need...

 

also, I found a topic about what I think is the same suit down in the commons, in the Events (etc) fyi

This link was there.

http://jpn.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/39-6-140097.pdf

 

Sucks that you have that pain on top of everything else. I and many others couldn't read for a year or more. Reading had been my best inanimate friend for as long as I can recall. I forgot about it during the drug years. I've resumed, but not reliably. It's to do with concentration. 

 

Interesting article, my childhood was far from ideal (was placed on adderall at the age of 8, and then it caused me to have tourrettes like symptoms, so the horrible neurologist prescribed me paxil at the age of like 12 for like 2 years, and then zoloft).  I seem to have been spared the worst withdrawals, but I'm pretty sure that the entirety of my life was affected by that horrible medication.  Probably shouldn't have ever touched the stuff again.  Whoops, guess that's what I get for trusting doctors.  Never again.

 

Glad to hear that I wasn't the only one who couldn't read!   It's been a real struggle for me too.  Hopefully in another year I'll be able to enjoy reading and be in as good of shape as you seem to be in.

[Altostrata]

merged similar topics

[Fresh]

FREE LEGAL HELP

 

Studies show that between 50% and 78% of Cymbalta users experience antidepressant withdrawal symptoms after discontinuing the drug. Yet the drug label misleadingly states that Cymbalta withdrawal symptoms occur in only 1% to 2% of cases.

These findings have resulted in nearly three dozen Cymbalta lawsuits and a Cymbalta class action lawsuit against Eli Lilly and Co. for allegedly misleading consumers about the risk and severity of Cymbalta withdrawal side effects.

If you attempted to stop taking Cymbalta and suffered withdrawal symptoms such as brain “zaps” (electric-like sensations in the body and brain), nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, vertigo, dizziness, hot and cold flashes, insomnia, nightmares or more, you may have a legal claim.

Join a Free Cymbalta Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you qualify, an attorney will contact you to discuss the details of your potential case at no charge to you. Due to the high volume of interest in filing a Cymbalta withdrawal lawsuit it may take 7 – 14 business days to receive a response from the attorneys handling these submissions. Please be patient. The law firm responsible for this investigation is reviewing every single submission that comes in.

 

Go to:

http://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/lawsuit-news/40648-cymbalta-withdrawal-side-effects-class-action-lawsuit-investigation/

[purplesky]

Right o, so it's a lawyer advert trying to make a buck on the back of other people's perceived misery.

Most of the people will not have any legal claim at all as none of it can be proven. Someone is always trying to blame someone else for their bad luck.

[Fresh]

Please read the post purplesky . . . this is a free service.

 

Your posts around the site indicate that you're generally very cynical - could you start an introduction thread for yourself please?

 

Fresh

[purplesky]

Fresh, very few things in life are free. People generally don't offer things for free, especially lawyers, and if they do, it's usually a scam. People are just too naive and easily led.

 

This bunch of shysters are only interested in lining their own pockets. Anyone registering for this will probably receive a "free" initial discussion, followed by a letter stating they may have a claim but a fee is payable. The final outcome is that you've lost the case due to no evidence, and you've also lost your money.

 

For every person who states they had life changing problems coming off this drug, there will be someone else who says it was a great drug with no major problems withdrawing.

 

If you hate drug companies, you should hate lawyers even more. They both bat for the same side, as do politicians and bankers.

[mammaP]

Purplesky you are upsetting a lot of members here who have been seriously harmed by psychiatry and drugs. What is your purpose here? 

[Altostrata]

Purplesky, please open an Introductions topic for yourself. This site is not for drive-by annoyance comments.

[InvisibleUnless]

i figure i should add that litigation motivated by personal greed is no less effective against pharmaceutical companies (or in benefit of victims) than litigation motivated by social justice.  maybe the shysters wont make the government eat a subpoena like the activists that do jailtime, but successful remuneration (to whatever degree) has been achieved through suits like this---and moneygrubbers are more likely to settle for higher fines than many activism groups that might be more interested in the figurative significance of a win or striking a blow at all, given that no fines are sufficient to alter the ethics or financial security of big pharma.  its always good to be skeptical about open-entry programs and organizations, but saying lawyers bat on the same side as politicians and bankers sort of goes without saying.  all profit-seeking entities engage in activities for the purpose of profit, even if there are constructive or destructive happenings along the way.  our court system exists in large part to promote commerce.

 

lawyer groups, for the most part, are headhunter mercenaries.  they arent intrinsically pro- or anti-pharma/gov/whatever, and if mercenaries think its profitable to wage war in a battle we are fighting, i think that tolerating it so long as it doesnt conflict with our agenda isnt the worst thing one could do.  even the free press alone, however suspicious people may be of the ideas or information provided, already goes towards counteracting the stranglehold big pharma tends to have on the educational outlets like textbooks and television.  (television being an educational outlet for the everyman, that is.)

 

that particular link is not to specific lawyers or lawsuits, but rather a network that seems to connect individuals with lawyers and ongoing suits that meet whatever criteria you search for, and lawyers participate by paying in order to appear in their listings.  so, the degree of effectiveness and trustworthiness can vary, and i dont trust them with my name/address, but im considering submitting some information.  reviews on other sites reflect that some users have received many (usually rather small) payments for various class action suits that they personally qualified for; you can sign up to be emailed about all suits that you qualify for.

[btdt]

I looked into one of these once the company had to put up x number of dollars everyone injured got like 700 bucks... if the lawyers could not find enough people to give the money to at a certain time the money reverted back to pharma I would not doubt these are pharma lawyers setting this whole thing up as the payout is so low as to be insulting.  

Best to find your own lawyer and talk to him face to face too bad we don't have the experience of any who have successfully sued to tell you how to go about it as they all have gag orders and can't tell you. 

Still I think these sort of organizations are sometimes suspect... given the low payouts especially I think the one I looked at was for a phych drug that made people diabetics...700 bucks for a life time of needles and complications of that disease including shorter life quality of life to me is highly suspect. 

 

As for lawyers making money off peoples suffering pharma does that every day and I do not mean in curing suffering tho they do that too... they cause a lot of suffering and they know ahead of time what they are doing will damage ... they still do it. They may be cut out of the same cloth but lawyers are coming in after the fact they are not all bad and not causing the damage. 

[InvisibleUnless]

the nature of class-action suits is generally that they are a 'significant' lump sum for the company paying out, as opposed to being calculated from the number of victims participating as some sort of meaningful compensation.  they are meant as deterrents and also a way to protect companies from individualized litigation, since you cant sue personally if you participated in a class action law suit for the same thing, generally.  the deterring power is so minor that the negative press is a bigger worry than the slight bit of shaved off profit, so the whole arrangement generally works in their favor given the protection they gain.

 

if the suit is criminal instead of civil, companies can be slapped with more significant fines for actual compensation or continuing remuneration or alleviation, and can have their business practices changed through forced oversight or other policy changes.  but, i know nothing about the legal system, so maybe im just talking out my ass, and i apologize if some of this is wrong or misleading; distinctions are hard to remember in such a state.

 

i did submit my info for the cymbalta thing, but the site has no open class action suits on that drug, and also no past ones, at least listed anywhere in the current/past archives.  lawyers are more about opportunism than problem-generation, you are right.  maybe like saying arms salesmen are less culpable than the governments waging war, or even triggerman soldiers, but theres always nuance to be found, i feel like.

[btdt]

the nature of class-action suits is generally that they are a 'significant' lump sum for the company paying out, as opposed to being calculated from the number of victims participating as some sort of meaningful compensation.  they are meant as deterrents and also a way to protect companies from individualized litigation, since you cant sue personally if you participated in a class action law suit for the same thing, generally.  the deterring power is so minor that the negative press is a bigger worry than the slight bit of shaved off profit, so the whole arrangement generally works in their favor given the protection they gain.

 

if the suit is criminal instead of civil, companies can be slapped with more significant fines for actual compensation or continuing remuneration or alleviation, and can have their business practices changed through forced oversight or other policy changes.  but, i know nothing about the legal system, so maybe im just talking out my ass, and i apologize if some of this is wrong or misleading; distinctions are hard to remember in such a state.

 

i did submit my info for the cymbalta thing, but the site has no open class action suits on that drug, and also no past ones, at least listed anywhere in the current/past archives.  lawyers are more about opportunism than problem-generation, you are right.  maybe like saying arms salesmen are less culpable than the governments waging war, or even triggerman soldiers, but theres always nuance to be found, i feel like.

"a class action law suit for the same thing, generally.  the deterring power is so minor that the negative press is a bigger worry than the slight bit of shaved off profit, so the whole arrangement generally works in their favor given the protection they gain."

 

Like I said a good thing for pharma lawyers who are on payroll they may as well be doing something to protect they company bet they are. 

[Fresh]

InvisibleUnless ,  can you provide details of "the cymbalta thing" ... which site did you provide info, to , when did you do that?

 

There is no such thing , so far as i'm aware , of a class action criminal lawsuit.

A criminal suit is where the police charge an individual/company for a breach of legal behaviour.

 

A class action suit is a civil matter where a group of individuals pursue the action.

[InvisibleUnless]

i clicked on the link you posted in starting this thread.  it just asked for general information pertaining to my personal identification and usage of cymbalta, and said it would be under lawyer review.  either they are putting together a class action if enough people apply or they are just trying to find cases to sell individualistically if lawyers like the terms (winnability---which i never figured i had, because i was on so many different medications).

 

you are correct, i think---criminal suits dont necessarily distinguish regarding plaintiffs by number, and are usually encompassing as many victims or evidences as would provide a sound enough case towards mandating reform.  personal injury lawsuits, which can be class action or individual, are both apparently civil.  i did not mean to imply anything about the existence of class action criminal lawsuits, as i was speaking of both individual and group suits in these posts.  i definitely need to read more into all this when i have the brain clarity, it seems relevant to know, even if i have no plans to pursue anything myself.

[Farout]

Loathe as I am to admit it - I am a lawyer (although this is not my area of practice). I would be wary of sites like these and always check if they are acting within their authority by calling the relevant legal registration body in the particular country/state. I believe it is a US site so, if legit, would only apply to US members. Some law firms do specialise in class actions, which is quite a cost effective way of litigating. It is a very rare occurance in Australia. Otherwise it can tend to be prohibitively expensive. Another option is a 'no win no fee' arrangement, where you are charged an uplift if your case is successful.

 

Fresh, if you would like to talk to a lawyer, you can call your local Law Society who will carry a list of lawyers. Otherwise, most states have free advice sessions run by local pro bono lawyers.

 

My own view? I'm angry but I won't follow it up through legal means. I think acceptance and forgiveness is the path to my own recovery. Protracted court battles are usually hugely stressful and, generally, a hiding to nothing. I believe there will be a day when more information surfaces and the drug companies will be held accountable, but that isn't my responsibility. That said, I didn't lose my livlihood over all of this.

[InvisibleUnless]

enter someone who knows what theyre talking about.  thanks a lot for elucidating.

 

this place is, fundamentally, a social networking site.  interested lawyers can advertise for or pick up cases, and the website and its creators are merely facilitators of information exchange.  im not particularly interested in dragging out some personal litigation, but if my medical information can be used towards creating a class action suit, i dont really object.  the cymbalta thing is aggregating information for a potential case, it seems like...whether or not particular persons have attached themselves to the cause is not really stated but i have no real stake in it proceeding since the payout would probably be low and i am a poor example having been on so many different medications.

 

interesting perspective, on recovery.  probably considered very 'un-american', but im not exactly a profit-mongerer myself.

[Fresh]

Thanks for your input farout.

 

My personal situation relates to negligence by a particular gp who clearly demonstrated  dangerous prescribing practices over a period of eight years.

This included prescribing me lexapro 40mg for six years (max. recommended dose is 20mg , and I'm tiny) along with a bunch of

meds with dangerous interactions.   This led to a range of iatrogenic conditions and pretty much stuffed up my life(and I lost my livelihood and my home as a result).

 

I have a delightful barrister who knows about ssri's engaged on a no win/no fee basis , and he's organizing a solicitor.

I'm lucky to be  having the medico-legal report done for free.

 

I get sent lots of interesting articles and links , and thought it was the right thing to share on this site.

[btdt]

Seems to me to be a good way for a pharma lawyer to get the names addresses ip addresses and maybe even email addresses of people on a wd site...or any people who have a complaint against one of their drugs.

 

oh is that my paranoia showing ... perhaps.

[InvisibleUnless]

that would not be very efficient.  all a company needs to do is hack a database (which could be at levels undetectable to specific site admins for many places, due to aggregate hosting and creation of traffic statistics), or just peek into the constructs in some places.  there is no such thing as net anonymity, even with something like onion routing.  big pharma is probably like big government...they have their fingers in all the pies, but most stuff they see is not truly problematic for them.  especially because the tide will eventually turn against SSRI/etc treatment, regardless, and they will be on the front lines of pushing new medications and treatments to line their pockets while 'helping' people with withdrawal.

 

i was concerned about giving them my name/address, because that puts me on a map permanently, and will be available to whoever they deal with (big pharma, anyone who buys out the legal service networking company, etc), but theres an easier way to get that stuff as well---everyone prescribing these things already reports to big pharma and already has that stuff on record.

 

when youre a higher status figure and have a livelihood and stuff, smear and scare tactics can be a good tool towards burying dissent...but most of us are people that lost our jobs, houses, spouses, friends, and capacity to even go about functionally because of withdrawal.  what else can they really throw at us?  but, your paranoia is in good form

[InvisibleUnless]

here is where that cymbalta info-gathering link leads to: http://gacovinolake.com/

 

Gacovino, Lake & Associates --- We Call You During Your Lunch (But You Can Reschedule!)

 

i asked some pointed questions (somewhat blunted by my rather sleep deprived state), and mostly answered by self-admittedly unqualified intake personnel.  but, in short, heres some of what i learned:

 

1 - the intake gal said she has never heard of big pharma subsidizing class-action litigation like this, because its not criminal law and thus double jeopardy doesnt apply.  i dont know what the limits really are, then, but that is interesting nonetheless.

 

2 - they have a win-only fee plan of 33.333333333333333333333333333% + expenses and disbursements (the cost of everything in life, apparently)...whether or not this can completely absorb (or even exceed) the cost of an awarded payment is something i will be asking.  (there is an alternative plan where you pay the fees and the cut is divided up differently with respect, but that means up front costs, win or lose.)

 

3 - she stated that they are pursuing this case-by-case, so winnings are supposedly not spread around a group of people to the point of uselessness.

 

4 - they are headquartered in new york (corporately speaking, i guess, given their webpage and NY bar status), but have regional offices dispersed throughout the country.  but i guess this is federal law?  sorry, consciousness waning.

 

5 - they are a bit pushy.  they are not fully accommodating of individuals still experiencing some of the more dysfunction-inducing effects of withdrawal pertinent to starting a case, like paranoia or psychosis, which is at least in part due to the workload id imagine.  but, its something to beware of.  they made a lot of "take our word for it" statements and it was hard to put the brakes on to get external verification of their claims.  they support independent review, and are happy to give you time to consider their legitimacy and read their documentation, but, be it standard practice or not in such situations, i felt abnormally pressured.  thats partly just how most places (law firms, doctors offices, etc) tend to be, but im going to seek further advice, on here or other places, before signing away access to my medical records or entering a binding commitment to pursue mad ca$hes.  i wouldnt call them avoidant, but they seemed put off that i didnt just swallow every line they gave and do everything they said...  isnt that how we all got into this mess in the first place?  i asked questions where the person would say "ive never been asked that before"...which is a bit baffling to me given the volume of calls they seem to be receiving.

 

6 - as is the nature of these cases, you will be signing over access to your entire medical history.  make sure you know who can see it, and for how long, before letting that **** flap in the wind.  the contract says you can revoke their access at any time by writing their offices...however, the contract also states that revoking their access (if you find out they are not trustworthy, for instance) is basically tantamount to dropping the case.  if you drop the case, for that reason or any other, you are assuming the costs of the investigation/activity and such up to that point.  so if you cooperate fully and dont interfere or try to regain any privacy, you supposedly have a chance at a payout...but the alternative is concerning, and constitutes them having you over a barrel, so to speak.

 

7 - scattered consumer reports can be found online of illegal cold-calling from individuals claiming to be part of this firm.  the reports are all a bit old (from a few years back), comparatively speaking, and its rare (or even suspicious) for a company to have a 100% clean record in the online review sector, but it definitely makes me think that its a good idea to look a bit more into this all.  though, annoying or unscrupulous behavior doesnt necessarily mean my information is at risk or that i cant get some meaningful fund reclamation through them.

 

 

input, especially learned input, is appreciated.  general discussion is fine, too.

[InvisibleUnless]

cant find an edit post button for some reason...maybe its not allowed in this forum.  anyway, two more things:

 

8 - there is a somewhat constraining time window you have to meet.  i dont have exacts at the moment, but its looking like 3 years from the present date for your discontinuation and withdrawal to be occurring in, or maybe even less.  they probably have a window for start time, too, but it was not conveyed.  im talking to the people about the notion of protracted withdrawal suits, since we often dont even know we are in withdrawal for a year or three, and all the cases i read about on their site previously pertained to acute withdrawal states, including this cymbalta one.

 

9 - they have a nifty blog section, and it has a feed specifically for big pharma related news (coverups and such).  some of the topics have already been referenced in threads on here, but theres always more if anyone wants to dig, or wait for the next thing to drop ---  http://gacovinolake.com/tag/big-pharma-and-corporate-lies/

[brassmonkey]

I would be careful of the term "plus expenses", that is lawyer speak for we will charge you triple for everything from paperclips to hotel bills to Palm Springs vacations.  This really should be done on a percentage only basis.  Also be aware that once the case is settled you will probably be placed under some sort of "gag order" making it so you can never talk about WD, protracted recovery, various symptoms, terms of the settlement etc..  In addition no matter the size of the settlement, large or SMALL, that settlement will close your case and you will not be allowed to participate in any other legal actions on this matter.  In your description of your conversation I see too many "red flags".  This has the smell of a scam designed to remove people from the pool of litigants, make them pay for it, and get very little for their pain and suffering.

[InvisibleUnless]

excellent advice, i appreciate it.  i feel you are right on all counts, and what you said last is especially relevant since they naturally seek the most potentially damaging cases to take on (aka "weed out").  i asked if any of their activities are directly or indirectly paid for, subsidized by, or affiliated with pharm corp money.  they said no, but who wouldnt??  they tried to shoe-horn me into signing over my medical history (which is in the same binding contract as hiring them at all) and i told them that i need to do more research and seek legitimization and advice.  i felt kinda scummy even giving over any of my information (the duration of medication usage and withdrawal, etc), but they could trawl the internet for that stuff quite simply so i didnt draw the line until it came to signing away my rights and utter privacy.

 

i also didnt think about a prevailing gag order...they mentioned being unable to discuss case details while things are cooking (which is 2 years minimum, they said), but i didnt think about after that, or also the extent to which that could interfere with actual medical treatment (ie therapeutic conversations and such on here).  and, of course, violating the gag order means im in the red just like revoking their access to my materials.  they claimed i could participate in as many suits as i wanted for the same medications and symptoms (which sounds insane to me, as i noted above), but their go-to answers for everything from why forms were structured the way they were---lacking the names of the firm/individuals who will be accessing my medical records!---to who i can contact to verify their claims and build trust were things like "did you read our website?" and "im just the intake, but if you sign the form we can schedule for someone to call you back" and "i dont have the answer to that".

 

no, your company website is not a means of externally corroborating or regulating the claims of your company.

 

they got my primary psychiatrists name.  they will prolly try to dig up some clients and cold-call them for all i know.  the guy [my last longstanding psychiatrist] wasnt a ******...not, strictly speaking, highly ethical, and he was dismissive of my severe symptoms from treatment, but he at least advised me to taper on and off meds and i read and signed a "i might keel over in ten seconds" form every time i started a new one with him.  though, mr moneybags wanted an 8x10 photo print of mine at-cost whereas i sell them for $30 at art shows including an in-person discount (and im just beginning my career, sick as i am, so im sure it will only rise from there).  i was paying the dude out of pocket for years because i had no insurance and, when i finally got disability, he wasnt covered anyway and i thought it was unwise to chuck his evil schemes mid-flight for someone elses evil schemes.

[Altostrata]

Of course they're not funded by pharma, they're suing pharma.

 

There are many of these legal firms specializing in drug injury cases. You would discuss your case with them before giving them any records. You can easily ask them for their bona fides and check the reputation of the firm.

 

See our other topics in this forum about the Cymbalta law suits, for example.

[InvisibleUnless]

having roundabout kickbacks for mitigating the damage of serious claims by consolidating (potentially more damaging) independent cases into a single (less costly overall) class action wouldnt be a fiscally unsound move by big pharma.  they know theyre gonna get sued no matter what they do, so trying to minimize payouts and deflect future liability would be prescient.  i dont know if this is something that happens or not, or if thats even how things can work, but its hard to find out before its too late when it comes to some backdoor connections so i am trying to exercise even more caution than usual (given sleep deprivation and paranoid psychosis and whatnot).

 

they didnt do much discussing before asking for records---they wanted everything up front to evaluate things most fully as soon as possible.  i basically just said "yes i took this drug.  yes i experienced these listed withdrawal symptoms."  punch in my personal info (address, DOB, timeline for medicating) and they are wanting my medical release without my ever even speaking to an actual attorney.  its not unprecedented, but is pretty fast-tracked and a 5-minute phone call is not enough to convince me to sign away lord even knows what rights (unexplained by them) by locking myself into both a case and privacy-less arrangement.  i asked a lot of questions regarding who will have access to my records and how i can be assured of the security of the situation and there were no up front answers, just referring me to persons and places that contact information was not provided for.  they speak primarily through allusion..."the attorney" and "our website" and "online" instead of phone numbers and email addresses when i asked for specific details.  their website has information, but not to the questions i was asking, and there is not a wide variety of contact methods available on there---they mostly just lead to the same place, which is where i was already asking them.

 

i will be asking them some more questions, though, once i sort out where to send queries---they did constantly offer callbacks (but im rarely awake during business hours during some withdrawal cycles).  i had read some of the suit topics, but i need more specific aid (not necessarily from someone on here) regarding the particulars of what exactly id be signing away.  i dont want to prevent myself from seeking therapeutic help or advice, or create a situation where i cannot advocate against medication abuses in the future.  i read, in very brief research, that personal injury from something like this can mean individualized payouts that are specific to the particular damages to each person, so not a pittance spread thin far and wide, but i suppose i just need to be asking a lot of questions.  they were intent on rushing some aspects of it, and said i can just get help with my questions after i sign away my rights, which brings on some of the skepticism ive been expressing.

 

its clear they are an actual firm with a physical office and lawyers in good standing (to my knowledge and thus-far limited checking), and win money for their clients and such...my concern is about the treatment of my specific case---what am i trading away and what can i potentially gain.  those are not things that can be answered by anyone but them, in most aspects, but the difficulty in obtaining that information from them while im in a live conversation with them (wherein i am being pressured to sign essentially irrevocable documents) was itself concerning and provoked a suspiciousness.

 

i appreciate your encouragement, and also apologize that i cant keep things brief for the life of me right now.

[btdt]

" i read and signed a "i might keel over in ten seconds" form every time i started a new one with him"

I never in my life signed such a paper I find it interesting that you did, it makes me wonder why there is a difference... I realize there could be many reasons. I still find it odd as I talked to people all over the world about WD and never heard this before.. yes I know it could be not mentioned maybe that is it. 

 

I think the time limit will eventually be challenged if it has not been already given the extensive time frame of wd for some Ad users and long term affects of drugging, once it is all known.  The idea that your able to sign any legally binding contract when your ill in wd is another challenge I see coming.  There are more than a few people who have done things under the influence of these drugs who could not sue till after they were well enough to withstand court proceedings.  I am not sure but I do know that wills begin with being of sound mind... sound mind is not a term I would use to describe anyone in wd.  Nothing personal and I am not saying you in particular it is a blanket statement.. yes I know some people have no issues or are done in a couple of years but just some. 

 

I of course do not know but I envision a bonus should they get a signed contract.. like a call center sort of deal.  Easy and cheap to run with limited knowledge backing up their training as why would they bother most people calling are easily confused with impaired memory... easy to con... so you get those comments did you not read the website... blah blah blah... I trust your ability to read a website and believe you when you say you questions were not answered by them.  

 

If you truly want to do this maybe a lawyer with an office you can go to as a first contact would be a better idea and pay him a retainer immediately ... without a retainer I hear he is not obligated to keep your conversation private. Not sure if it is true but I would not doubt it I am the jaded one remember.  

 

I think the chance of settling too soon before you know what the long term effects of consuming the drugs... may be rushing it... tho I hear the time limit... I just don't think it should be written in stone given the way wd can be prolonged. 

 

The class action I was referring to was for an AP causing diabetes... there were varying degrees of payments for that too I think but not much variance.  

 

This I know to have an offer to settle for $700 buck like happened in the AP case... after I signed over my rights... well that may be just too much for me... $700 was less than I made in a wk... to suffer thu wd and all the side effects... for years and get a wks pay...lol not to mention personal losses... home money all that... not a good idea.  I think if they are attempting to do this type of litigation they need to learn the issues of wd ect and I would not trust a lawyer that did not understand at least that much.  Otherwise how could they possibly represent you?  

 

I agree pharma will move on .. already we see marketing of ADs shifting to treat pain... look at this if you like it is long and tedious 

but shows marketing to chronic pain patients.. I am not a buyer considering my time on drugs to treat pain... no thanks to that too.. a new spin has been developed this is like direct marketing in my mind... a researcher I just don't buy his science. Maybe I am just not buying anymore.. that could be. 

 

Now the idea of pharma going to HELP WD??!!  That is interesting are they running this site and promoting the truth of the situation... sorry I just don't see any help for us other than this site... hence the question. Perhaps the video above which lumps pain in with drug reactions ect... all caused by you got it neurotransmitters... not buying ... think I said that

 

I am curious how you see pharma helping in wd?  If the video is part of the reframing of wd as another chemical imbalance... maybe it is in there... but not all of it the pain the chemical sensitivities... but I know how they work if this flies they will add to it.. big. 

 

Please be careful with your medical records and don't be pushed into signing anything... ever. 

peace