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[nz11]

Welcome nzrecovery

Sorry you are in this bad place you are not alone. You are young and have great prospects for full recovery from this iatrogenic assault.

 

Would you please consider sending a copy of your above post to CARM in Dunedin , your MP, Pharmac the HDC and the ACC.

 

You are right the anxiety and depression is in fact withdrawal symptoms masquarading as such.It is not anxiety or depression at all.

[NZRecovery]

Hi nz11,

I will consider and reform a post to these following organizations/affiliates. 

I know they are probably all tied in with big pharmac and will most likely reject anything I state or say otherwise.

Just seems rather pointless if you know what im meaning.

Probably receive a letter saying "Thankyou, for the submission, we will consider blah blah blah blah".

 

Best i guess you can do is only but try? 

[nz11]

Zinzan you are right in one sense...in that you will get the standard letter reply.

However silence is not acceptance and this wrong will continue as long as people say nothing.

These organisations need to be made aware of what is happening to people. Lets keep correspondence on this topic in their intray.

I believe we have a moral obligation to report these unacceptable uninformed drug adverse effects, and one person can make a difference.

Thank you for considering writing a letter i for one would be very appreciate if you wrote to the above.

 

nz11

[WingIt]

Hi all,

 

Andrew from Whakatane here, currently supporting my wife through Effexor withdrawal. I have a post in the intro section with the details

[nz11]

Welcome Andrew.

You have come to a safe place.

[nz11]

Thoought i would put this here as well.

 

Thought i would share one of my (many) letters ....

 

Pharmac is the gatekeeper for drugs into New Zealand. Basically everyone eventually refuses to correspond and say 'We refuse to answer any more of your letters, go complain to pharmac' so i eventually did.

 

 May 2016 

                                                                                         

PHARMAC 

PO Box 10254

The Terrace

Wellington 6143

 

Dear Sir

It appears that all roads (of complaint) lead to Pharmac. As such I advise that I have been grievously harmed both on and coming off paroxetine. The prescribing of SSRIs/SNRIs is totally unacceptable to me.

 

Having been held hostage for many years, trapped in a mind numbing kafkaesque anosognosic world, by a doctor simply maintaining a drug addiction and pharma prescribing kickbacks (Paroxetine, 2012 has a staggering 3 billion fine attached to it with GSK guilty of paying doctors prescribing kickbacks!) by uninformed consent, no diagnosis, no clinical assessment, ever. (A doctor who has retrospectively compromised my medical file, made false statements to regulatory authorities and who left the ACC Case Manager for a ‘Medical Misadventure’ claim disgusted and appalled).

 

Having to experience unimaginable unemployable akathisic trauma in withdrawal from this drug to be left very damaged. Contrary to popular belief withdrawal symptoms can go on for years as they have for myself.

 

I now discover that these iatrogenic outcomes are well documented. On 25 June 14 an HDC Advocate advised by phone that Wong had totally refused to meet to  discuss this, the sexual damage, the withdrawal trauma or the absence of any tapering advice. I know of no other profession that can behave like this except for perhaps professional con-artists and scammers. The NZMC have written to Wong (refer attached) to inform him that informed consent should be obtained prior to off label poisoning, clinical assessments done and uncompromised medical records kept.

 

Look into the drug trials and marketing approval process for these chemicals and you will find a humiliating nefarious orchestrated litany of fraud, lies and deceit.

 

As the gatekeeper and safety intermediary for this nation Pharmac have been complicit in exposing people to an epidemic of deadly dangerous chemicals. For Wong to push chemicals under the guise of not addictive, safe and no side effects is unacceptable.

 

Informed consent includes but it is not limited to;

 

Being told: Over 90% of academic articles about on-patent drugs are ghostwritten and in 100% of cases the data from controlled trials remains sequestered by the drug companies. Poisoned literature is being used as propaganda. As a result it’s impossible for a doctor to obtain informed consent.

 

Being told: “Anti-depressants are extremely addictive and extreme care must be taken when a user begins to wean off the medication.  Any abrupt changes in dosage can cause suicidal and homicidal reactions” (Tracey 2006). “[sSRI] withdrawal I would argue is potentially the worst of all chemical withdrawals, I cannot think of a chemical on earth that is more challenging to come off of, I have patients in my practice that I taper off by one thousandth of a milligram a month. I have never heard of someone struggling to come off of heroin or oxycontin at this rate. I have never heard of anything comparable to this. It is so disabling that patients develop neurologic symptoms, they develop cataclysmic mood syndromes, they develop impulsivity and violence totally out of character for them. It’s pretty horrifying."(Brogan 2016).“ome developed delayed and post withdrawal akathisia weeks and months after stopping and withdrawal akathisia which went on for years, many felt physically disabled.” (Lucire, 2016).

 

Being told: “Within the first week of when you go on an antidepressant you may have a sexual dysfunction, it can go on forever, often only appearing when you go off the drug….its extraordinarily common.” … “I believe that the SSRI era will soon stand as one of the most shameful in the history of medicine.” (Healy 2015).

 

Being told: Of the Drayton Sher Lawyers (see attached) and Fortitude Law litigation Class Action Suits. Note how Wong appeared in a 2012 local paper (see attached) declaring ‘Pill-Popping Ends’. Why does it take a complaint to the HDC to trigger this? And what of his existing SSRI victims? He would no doubt say ‘They have chosen to be on the drug.’ I would reply they are suffering drug induced spellbinding by uninformed consent, held hostage by a so called doctor whose ‘vacuum of knowledge’ in this area means he is unable to get them out from under the addictive weight of these dreadful poisons and is all too happy to blame the patient washing his hands of any responsibility for the disgusting position HE put them in and the H.O. morphing into ‘First admit no harm’. These are not ‘for-ever’ drugs they are ‘for-never’ drugs.

 

 Being told: There is no difference between individual SSRIs and they are all worse than useless. (Kirsch 2009).

 

Being Told: There are hundreds of side effects, known and unknown - paroxetine PIL disclosing:

Somnolence, Insomnia, Agitation, Tremor, Anxiety, Dizziness, Constipation, Nausea Diarrhea, Dry mouth, Vomiting, Flatulence, Asthenia, Abnormal ejaculation, Sweating Impotence, Libido decreased, Headache, Palpitation, Vasodilation, Rash, Decreased appetite, Oropharynx Disorder, Dyspepsia, Myopathy, Myalgia, Myasthenia, Tremor, Nervousness, Paresthesia, Drugged Feeling, Confusion, Yawn, Blurred Vision, Taste Perversion, Male genital disorders, Urinary Frequency, Urination disorder, Female genital disorders. Abdominal Pain, Back pain, Chest pain, Chills, Trauma, Concentration impaired, Depersonalization, Myoclonus, Amnesia, Rhinitus, Phryngitis, Abnormal vision, Dysmenorrhea, Urinary tract infection, Dysphagia, Sinusitis, Abnormal dreams, Infection, Depression, Flu syndrome, Cough increased, Hyperkinesia, Malaise, Allergic reaction, Face edema, Moniliasis, adrenergic syndrome, cellulitis, neck rigidity, Pelvic pain, Pertonitis, Ulcer, Hypertension, Tachycardia, Arrhythmia nodal, Atrial fibulation, Bundle branch block, cerebral ischemia, cerebrovascular accident, congestive heart failure, heart block low cardiac outut, Myocardial infarct, Myocadial ischemia, pallor, Phlebitis, Pulmonary embolus, Suraventricular extrasystoles, Thrombosis, Varicose vein, Vascular headache, Ventricular extrasystoles Bruxism, Colitis, Eructation, Gastritis, Gastroenteritis, Gingivitis, Glossitis, Increased salivation, Liver function tests abnormal, Rectal hemorrhage, Ulcerative stomatitis, Aphthous stomatitis, Bloody diarrhea, Bulimia, Cholelithiasis, Duodenitis, Enteritis, Esophagitis, Eosophagitis, Fecal impactions, Fecal incontinence, Gum hemorrhage, Hematemesis, Hepatitis, Ileus, Intetinal obstruction, Jaundice, Melena, Mouth ulceration, Peptic ulcer, Salivary gland enlargement, Stomach ulcer, Stomatitis Tongue discoloration Tongue edema Tooth cavities, Diabetes Mellitus Goiter Hyperthyroidism Hypothyroidism Thyroiditis, Anemia Eosinophilia Leukocytosis, Leukopenia, Lymphadenopathy Purpura Abnormal erythrocytes Basophilia Bleeding time -increased Hypochromic anemia Iron deficiency anemia, Lymphedema, abnormal lymphocytes, lymphocytosis, Microcytic anemia, Monocytosis, Normocytic anemia, Amenorrhea, Breast pain, Cystitis, Dysuria, Hematuria, Menorrhagia Nocturia Polyuria Urinary incontinence Urinary retention Urinary urgency Vaginal moniliasis  Vaginitis Breast atrophy Breast enlargement Endometrial disorder Epididymitis Neuralgia Neuropathy Nystagmus Peripheral neuritis Psychotic depression Reflexes decreased, Reflexes increased Stupor Torticollis Trismus   Bloody diarrhea Bulimia Cholelithiasis,  Duodenitis Enteritis Esophagitis Fecal impactions Fecal inconti, Thrombocythemia, Thrombocytoenia, Weight gain, Weight loss, SGOT increased SGPT increased Thirst Bilirubinemia, BUN increased Creatine phosphokinase increased, dehydration, gamma gobulins increased Gout Hypercalcemia, Hypercholesteremia, Hyperglycemia, Hyperkalemia, Hyperphosphatemia, Hypocalcemia, Hypoglycemia, Hypokalemia, Hyponatremia, Ketosis, Lactic dehydrogenase increased, NPG increased, Arthralgia, Arthritis, Arthrosis, Bursitis, Myositis, Osteoporosis, Generalized spasm, Tenosynovitis, Tetany. Emotional Lability [This is a smoke screen term to hide what is drug induced suicidal reactions (Study329 Restored)], Vertigo Abnormal thinking Alcohol abuse Ataxia Delirium Dystonia Dyskinesia Euphoria Hallucinations Hostility Hypertonia Hypesthesia, Hypokinesia, Incoordination, Lack of emotion, Libido increased, Manic reaction, Neurosis, Paralysis, Paranoid reaction, Psychosis, Abnormal gait, Akinisia,  Antisocial reaction Aphasia Choreoathetosis, Circumoral paresthesias, Convulsion Delusions, Diplopia, Drug dependence, Dysarthria, Extrapyramidal syndrome, Fasciculations, Grand mal convulsion, Hyperalgesia, Hysteria, Manic-depressive- reaction, Meningitis, Myelitis Neuralgia, Neuropathy, Nystagmus, Peripheral neuritis, Psychotic depression, Reflexes decreased, Reflexes increased, Stupor, Torticollis, Trismus, Withdrawal Syndrome [This can last for years!], Asthma Bronchitis Dyspnea Epistaxis Hyperventilation Pneumonia, Respiratory flu, Emphysema, Hemoptysis, Hiccups, Lung fibrosis, Pulmonary edema, Sputum increased, Voice alteration, Pruritus, Acne, Alopecia, Contact dermatitis, Dry skin, Ecchymosis, Eczema, Furunculosis, Heres simplex, Maculopapular rash,  Photosensitivity, Urticaria, Angiodema, Eruthema Nodosum, Erythema Multiforme, Exfoliative dermatitis, Fungal dermatitis, Herpes zoster,  Hirsutism, Seborrhea, Skin discoloration, Skin hypertrophy, Skin Ulcer, Vesiculobullous rash. Tinnitus, Abnormality of accommodation, Conjunctivitis, Ear pain, Eye pain, Mydriasis, Otitis Media, Photophobia, Amblyopia, Anisocoria, Blepharitis, Cataract, Conjuntival edema, Corneal ulcer, Deafness, Exophthalmus, Eye hemorrhage, Glaucoma, Hyperacusis, Keratoconjunctivitis, Night blindness, Otitis Externa, Parosmia, Ptosis, Retinal hemorrhage, Taste loss, Visual field defect, Abortion, Amenorrhea, Breast pain, Cystitis, Dysuria, Hematuria, Menorrhagia, Nocturia, Polyuria, Urinary incontinence, Urinary retention, Urinary urgency, Vaginal moniliasis, Vaginitis, Breast atrophy, Breast enlargement, Endometrial disorder, Epididymitis, Female lactation Fibrocystic breast, Kidney calculus, Kidney pain, Leukorrhea, Mastitis, Metrorrhagia, Nephritis Oliguria, Pyuria, Urethritis, Uterine Spasm, Urolith, Vaginal hemorrhage.

 

Being told: Of the existence of pharma prescribing kickbacks to GPs.

 

Being told: The withdrawal suffering may be so traumatizing that death may be a welcome relief and thousands have in fact chosen this option.

 

How did this horror story scripted by a doctor start?

 

A doctor pushed me into the slippery sloped rabbit hole of psychotropic drugs by  persuading  me to take a smorgasboard of  poisons by uninformed consent using ghostwritten abstracts and one of the great falsehoods of modern medicine to describe why I had a sore hand from using the computer….the ‘chemical imbalance’ delusion!

 

I look forward to hearing from you.

 

Yours sincerely

nz11

 

 

Here is the reply from Pharmac

......................................................................

26 May 2016

 

Dear nz11

 

Thank you for your letter regarding paroxetine hydrochloride.

 I have passed your concerns onto the therapeutic group manager for neurology to be noted.

Paroxetine hydrochloride is a registered medicine with Medsafe, the New Zealand medicines and medical devices safety authority. It is responsible for the regulation of medicines, ensuring that they are acceptably safe and as paroxetine hydrochloride has been approved by Medsafe, they have deemed it safe for use in New Zealand.

We would recommend speaking with your doctor about alternative treatment as you have stated that paroxetine hydrochloride has caused you to have adverse effects.

I hope this is of some assistance.

Kind regards
Victoria London
Pharmac

 

................................................

 

Alternative treatment....alternative treatment!!!???!! Clearly they didnt get the gist of my letter.

 

So i wrote back again...

 

 

2 June 2016

 

PHARMAC 

PO Box 10254

The Terrace

Wellington 6143

 

Dear Victoria

 

I refer to your letter of 26 May 2016.

 

I am sorry but I couldn’t disagree more with you and medsafe for there is a mountain of evidence that paroxetine is not safe. It is an extremely dangerous, addictive brain and life altering chemical.

 

I have attached just one example of evidence of this unfolding horror story from that drug.

 

Also you clearly are not aware of Study329restored so I attach the BMJ press release.

 

Did you look at the Drayton Sher Lawyers press release I sent you?

 

Okay so you say it is safe. Would you be so kind as to forward me one journal article that shows that. And I am not referring to a pharma advertising brochure.

 

Why are people not doing anything about this!!

 

If you look at the history of thalidomide the medical profession behaved in just the same way …deny, deny, deny, the drug was to blame.

 

Yours sincerely

 

nz11

...........................................................................

Pharmac then replied with a classic manouver which i have come to find very predictable from the medical profession...

First deny then when presented with unrefutable evidence either remain silent and refuse to engage or refer.

 

Here they do both but in reverse order.

 

27 June 2016

 

Dear nz11

 

Thank you for your follow-up letter.

We acknowledge the points you have raised with the evidence provided and would suggest submitting all your evidence to CARM. This is because Pharmacs role is to decide which medicines and related products are to be funded for use in the community and public hospitals and not monitoring medicines for adverse effects.

CARM is New Zealand's National monitoring Centre for adverse reactions. It collects  evaluates reports of adverse reactions to medicines, vaccines, herbal products and dietary supplements. By reporting to CARM you will be providing information it can use to make recommendations to the medicines regulator Medsafe, and what action may be required.

As previously stated, we recommend you speak with your doctor about alternative treatment options.

 

We now consider this matter to be closed.

Kind regards
Victoria London
Pharmac

 

...............................................................

[nz11]

Found this 2004media release  and thought i would put it here

http://www.medsafe.govt.nz/hot/media/media2004.asp

 

• In New Zealand, none of the SSRIs have ever been licensed for use in those aged less than 18 years (however, it is recognised that off-label use occurs in this age group). All NZ data sheets (information provided for medicine prescribers) for all SSRIs currently state that "Safety and effectiveness in children has not been established". All but fluoxetine and sertraline go further to state that "use is not recommended in children". Data sheets are available on the Medsafe web site www.medsafe.govt.nz.
• In June 2003, the UK Committee on Safety of Medicines issued a letter to UK prescribers advising against the use of paroxetine as therapy for children and adolescents with depressive illness. This advice was based on new data from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)-sponsored clinical trials of Aropax in paediatric patients. At this time, the New Zealand data sheet for paroxetine (Aropax) was updated to advise that clinical trials do not support the use of paroxetine in the treatment of children with major depressive disorder (MDD). In addition, GlaxoSmithKline issued a related Dear Doctor letter to New Zealand prescribers.
• In June 2003, Medsafe and the Medicines Adverse Reactions Committee (MARC; an expert advisory committee to the Minister of Health) reviewed the 'Technical document summaries - Summary of clinical safety data' for paroxetine provided to Medsafe by GSK. The Committee agreed that the data were not of sufficient quality to justify any additional regulatory action (beyond that already taken by GSK) regarding the use of paroxetine at that time. The decision was made to keep a watching brief on this issue.
• In August 2003, Wyeth updated the New Zealand data sheet for venlafaxine (Effexor) to advise against prescribing venlafaxine as therapy for children and adolescents with depressive illness. This was based on data from paediatric trials, which showed increased reports of suicide-related adverse events in paediatric patients receiving venlafaxine treatment for MDD. In addition, Wyeth issued a related Dear Doctor letter to New Zealand prescribers.
• In December 2003, the UK Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) issued a letter to UK health professionals informing them that a CSM Expert Working Group had completed a review of the safety and efficacy of SSRIs in the treatment of paediatric MDD. On the basis of this review of the available clinical trial data, the CSM advised prescribers that paroxetine, citalopram, escitalopram, sertraline, and venlafaxine are contraindicated (meaning should not be used) in paediatric MDD. The balance of risks and benefits of fluoxetine in these patients was deemed to be favourable. A copy of this letter, which also provides general prescribing advice, can be found at http://www.mca.gov.uk/aboutagency/regframework/csm/csmhome.htm
• In March 2004, the Medicines Adverse Reactions Committee decided there was not enough information to warrant changing the existing advice about the prescribing of SSRIs to people under the age of 18. There was a commitment to place a high priority on reviewing the safety of SSRIs as more data became available.
• In September 2004, two FDA advisory committees discussed an analysis of paediatric suicidality information based on new data and concluded that there is some increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviours associated with all SSRIs studied. The MARC is in broad agreement with this conclusion but notes that there is no clinical trial evidence to associate SSRIs with risk of completed suicide in any age group.

......................................

there is no clinical trial evidence to associate SSRIs with risk of completed suicide in any age group.

The reason for this is that the evidence is so overwhelming these drugs cause suicide that drug companies have refused to do such a study/clinical trial and evidence of this has been hidden in existing trials eg Eli Lilly promised to do such a study and spent a year designing it but then quietly never did it. Why ? Because the results would have been obvious ...ssris cause suicide! Prozac was essential for the companies survival and so all steps where taken to ensure hazards were hidden even if that meant doctoring the evidence.  Lilly set the behavioural template and others copied it eg with paroxetine/paxil/seroxat GSK hid suicides calling them 'emotional lability'....it was in fact a journalist Shelly Jofre who turned this little rock over and revealed nefarious unconscionable behaviour by GSK.

 

These drugs should all be banned imo.

 

According to Dr Healy:

 

“The effects of the drug are the same in all age brackets. There is nothing in particular about youth.” 2 Oct 2016

[WingIt]

Its a difficult one, I try to keep an open mind and not resent these drugs. I imagine that for some people they do work....short term.

 

To me, if someone is suicidally depressed then yes these drugs have the potential to help. But intensive monitoring of mental state and side effects should be maintained and the drug stopped asap when the suicidal episode ends.

If anyone is ever prescribed these it should not be a GP, they have no idea what these drugs can do (they arnt trained to know, so I dont judge them, they mean well) and as many people as possible in the drug users life should be made aware of things to look for.

 

Surely this is safer? I mean everyone has deppressive moments in their life, some more than others. But long term ssri use just doesnt seem safe or fair on anyone.

After seeing the effects on my previously lovely wife I can help but think of all these messed up things happening around the world and how many could possibly be linked to thoughts modified by psych drugs

[nz11]

To me, if someone is suicidally depressed then yes these drugs have the potential to help.

Says who? pharma thats who with fraudulent studies used as propaganda and indoctrinated doctors hypnotized by pharma prescribing kickbacks.

But if a drug causes suicide how can that be helpful for a suicidal person?

 

These drugs emotionally numb. Anything that can do that will show up on rating scales as being helpful, a bottle of sherry would show a positive emotional improvement. yet more people die, have babies with birth defects, become dependent and experience 100's of side effects known and unknown on these drugs, than on a placebo.

 

It was Breggin who said something like ...these drugs are dangerous to start and even more dangerous to stop the best thing is to never take them in the first place.

Breggin promises patients who present suicidal that he will not prescribe a drug...and he has never had a suicide and here is the thing ..Breggin has been practicing for 60 years!

 

Getting off these drugs triggers a 'suicidal depression' that is in a whole new galaxy that is never experienced in the natural state. In fact the wdl trauma is such that for many death is a welcome relief and thousands have chosen that very option.

 

Ann Blake Tracey testifies to the FDA in 2006

 

SSRI stories

 

ssri nightmares

 

 

 

Sorry if i sound like a broken record. No one knows a drug like the person who has or is taking it.

Are you able to get hold of the book by Whitaker 'Anatomy of an epidemic'

[KarenB]

Another chance to have a voice about the NZ mental health system.  I just sent my story in, outlining how badly doctors affect people with their poor understanding of psych drugs.  It's not statistic gathering; it's a chance for each person to share their story in the hope that stories will engage people and change will happen.

 

People's Review of the Mental Health Service:  A crowd-sourced story project by New Zealanders

[nz11]

Great Karen

Would you consider sending a copy of your story to CARM in Dunedin and your local MP ?

 

Gee some of these people may well be confusing their issues with what is really  ssri wdl .

[KarenB]

I have a confession to make.  I never sent anything to CARM yet .  Terrible procrastination.  I am going to.  I'm also getting thoughts together for a letter to my local doctor's clinic, outlining my experiences and offering some basic tips and an invitation to meet and discuss with a view to improving other patients' treatments.  Was thinking you'd be a good one to look over it first, if you have time now you are working. 

 

I don't want to make a formal complaint there as we are a small community.  I want to firstly try the path of connecting and informing and supporting.  Complaint will be a last resort. 

 

Had you already seen that story project?

[nz11]

No problem cos its never too late to write to CARM or your MP.

I know for sure that you can write very well and much more diplomatically than me.

No i hadnt already seen that story project.

[nz11]

The NZ Herald Tuesday 24 Jan 2017 section A page 12 in the article titled 'Emergency workers left scarred for life"

It talks about emergency workers coping with attending suicides.

 

An interesting statistic in that article was [insert ,mine]:

 

"Suicides [in NZ] are at their highest rate on record, 579 people took their lives in the year to June [2016] and last year [2016] police received 14, 992 attempted suicide calls".

 

Our population is approx 4.5 million.

The number of people taking psychotropic drugs especially antidepressants is also at an all time high.

I think we all know this correlation is also a causation.

 

nz11

[KarenB]

Thanks NZ.  Overwhelming and heartbreaking stats.  Suicide is so 'common' now that I find I am regularly feeling the ripples that they cause, hearing of someone we know in our community who has suicided. 

 

There are useful training courses people can do in order to learn to recognise signs and also how/when to begin to intervene.  I did one last year, and found it hugely helpful.  It was run by ASIST an international organisation, and very reputable. 

[nz11]

KB are these courses acknowledging that there is a major iatrogenic contributor to this.....i wonder.

Thanks for posting.

[nz11]

This has recently come to my attention - a letter from the UK drug regulator to all people who filed an adverse events report in respect of pssd, in order to investigate  this harm.

 

refer this thread:

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/14129-uk-drug-regulator-sends-out-pssd-letter-take-action/?p=273363

 

I would like to ask whether you have been harmed in this way or not or whether you are being harmed in this way currently please consider writing to CARM New Zealand (their address is given earlier in this thread) and ask them what they are doing about PSSD and whether they too like the UK will be investigating this national shameful medical harm to our citizens.

You may be currently taking these drugs and hence being harmed in this way and unaware of it until you get off the drug (Healy) so you could write to ask CARM what will become of you...and what such a letter might mean for you as you may never have been informed of such an outcome and ask why isnt this being bought to national attention and why arent users being fully informed.

 

 

Here is a copy of the letter sent out by the UK drug regulator taken from the above link.

 

"Dear Mr (removed),

Yellow Card Registration Number: (removed)

Thank you for sending us a suspected Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) report.

It would be helpful if you could provide us with some additional details if they are available by email (yellow.card@mhra.gsi.gov.uk or by letter (Freepost Yellow Card). Please quote the above reference number with all correspondence.

We appreciate that you may have submitted this report some time ago but by way of background, I should explain that we are currently investigating all Yellow Card (YC) reports where sexual dysfunction has been reported in association with a type of antidepressant drug called Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs).

This issue remains under close surveillance and we are keen to gather as much information as we can about each reported incident. In particular it would be useful if you could provide the following additional information to shed further light on this issue:

- Have you recovered from sexual dysfunction or is it still continuing?
- If you recovered could you indicate whether it stopped before, on stopping or after the Sertraline was stopped. If you remember please provide the date on which the reaction stopped or roughly indicate how long it took for you to recover?
- If you have not recovered yet but do in the future could you inform us so that our records are up to date?
- Do you have any previous history of sexual dysfunction?

If you are worried about the suspected side effect, and need medical advice, please contact a doctor or pharmacist, or call the NHS 111 service.

Your contribution to the UK’s Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Scheme is greatly appreciated. This provides an important early warning of previously unrecognised adverse effects which allows us to take appropriate action to improve the safe use of medicines.

Yours sincerely

Julia Cowen
Vigilance and Risk Management of Medicines"

 

 

nz11

Sent my letter to CARM 26 Feb 2017.

[KarenB]

KB are these courses acknowledging that there is a major iatrogenic contributor to this.

No.  Causes aren't really covered in the course, as it is basically a 'first aid' or intervention workshop.  However I found that the facilitators were very open to any discussion - and I did suggest the iatrogenic factor to the group.  The facilitators are not doctors or scientists; they are lay people who have had close experience with suicide, and somehow ended up working in that field.  So they seemed to have no problem when I mentioned it - they just accepted it.  

 

In this way it was useful to have been there, as they don't just shut you down if your ideas are 'not what the doctor says' and the handful of doctors who were participating in the course were just able to listen and take it all in without responding as professionals.  Sneaky!  

[JanCarol]

New website for Kiwis to share and support each other:

 

https://madinaotearoa.nz/

[KarenB]

Thanks JC - their kaupapa really resonates with me: 

 

"We provide blog space for expressing the creation of wisdom from living inside the experience of extreme states of being. We speak in our words, from our cultures and our communities from our lives in Aotearoa/New Zealand. We are showing how we are using this wisdom in our worlds."

[KarenB]

Subsidy changes for effexor uses in NZ.  Name-brand Effexor is no longer subsidised, now costing (at my chemist) $18 for a 3 month supply instead of $5. 

 

Now to work out my game plan... last time I tried a generic I got worse symptoms.  Could (more likely) try again now I'm more stable, or (less likely) try to make the drug lords change their minds.

[KarenB]

There is a survey you can take here.  I just completed it.  Survey

 

And general info about the switch here:  info

[DaisyBell]

Hey comrades. ...

[KarenB]

Hi DaisyBell, I was thinking we hadn't had any 'new' kiwis here for a while (which is actually how I like it, cause it means there's less of us getting into w/d trouble) but since you are in trouble it's good you're here!  (Hope that makes sense).  I'm in Raglan, where it's fairly cold right now, but I hear they're getting snow further south so they'll be colder.  How's things where you are? 

[nz11]

Welcome DB

Sorry that you also have been sent on a plight uninformed.

I would have thought feeling anxious on a plane is normality sigh

Have you considered making a complaint to CARM and the HDC if you feel you were not informed of outcomes or feel you have been harmed in any way.

You are not alone.

Thanks for adding your voice to this site.

nz11

[KarenB]

Long time no see NZ11 - hows things with you?  I am still trucking along nicely, minimal symptoms, slow slow taper. 

 

Also, I'm still working with my doctor (in a way).  As well as discussing changes in our local doctor's clinic, she'd like to bring some of my ideas to the PHO we are in, so that more clinics can benefit.  She likes the 10% taper idea, and my thoughts for non-drug treatments for teens who come to their doctor for help with anxiety/depression.  Those are the two things from my 'paper' she mentioned in our brief chat this week, and I hope there are more she likes. 

[nz11]

Hi KB glad you are having minimal symptoms.

Keep up the good work changing NZ ...one doctor at a time. Or maybe its one doctors clinic at a time.

That's tremendous that you have influenced them not to drug teenagers. You are an inspiration.

Haven't been around much.

go well

nz11

[DaisyBell]

On 7/11/2017 at 8:32 PM, KarenB said:

Hi DaisyBell, I was thinking we hadn't had any 'new' kiwis here for a while (which is actually how I like it, cause it means there's less of us getting into w/d trouble) but since you are in trouble it's good you're here!  (Hope that makes sense).  I'm in Raglan, where it's fairly cold right now, but I hear they're getting snow further south so they'll be colder.  How's things where you are? 

Hi Karen and NZ11 - it's great to not feel all alone one the journey and knowing there are others in my country is a relief for some reason.  

 

I'm in Tauranga.   So probably a little more sunnier than many other places.  

 

On 7/11/2017 at 8:33 PM, nz11 said:

Welcome DB

Sorry that you also have been sent on a plight uninformed.

I would have thought feeling anxious on a plane is normality sigh

Have you considered making a complaint to CARM and the HDC if you feel you were not informed of outcomes or feel you have been harmed in any way.

You are not alone.

Thanks for adding your voice to this site.

nz11

 

Looking back at the condition that lead my doctor to prescribe meds, I would have thought they should have suggested CBT. Despite that it's more expensive to the health system and the waiting list are long. It also isn't an instant fix, which doctors think is what their patient wants..  When I did eventually did go to therapy on my own accord (but sadly month into taking the meds at the time), the therapist after hearing me out for more than ten minutes, unlike the prescribing doctor, then spent 20 minutes teaching me a breathing technique. She thought breathing properly and therapy were all that I needed. In therapy (less than ten sessions) I learnt life skills like basically slowing down my life and not being in a rush.  Even small things such as checking myself when I walked which was always in a rush even when there wasn't a reason. Also I learnt how to handle a difficult colleague who bordered on being a bully.  If therapy had been all I had done at that time, taken some good supplements, exercised more and reported the bully, I would be healthy and strong in myself right now.  I wouldn't have had to take time out of life to recover (currently three years in and still waiting..).  

 

I'm not even working.... I've asked several doctors if I could get a sickness certificate and they all say no. They think I can work despite light/noise and crowd sensitivities, anxiety that comes out of nowhere,  constant freakishness of feeling DP/DR and stress intolerence. 

 

I manage with techniques such as mediation, listening to buddhist podcasts, sunglasses, software that removes blue light on my computer, and feeling and facing many fears where necessary etc. I take supplements. But at the end of the day it is more physiological than psychological at this point. It's a waiting game.  

 

Well that was a rant and half.  Wow.... rather cathartic.

[nz11]

This is a gentle reminder to NZ members to please please complete the withdrawal survey. 

Your voice is important and needs to be heard.

 

[nz11]

On ‎8‎/‎21‎/‎2017 at 5:16 PM, nz11 said:

This is a gentle reminder to NZ members to please please complete the withdrawal survey. 

Your voice is important and needs to be heard.

 

Due to unprecedented participation the survey has been extended until Monday 28th august 17

..Just wanted to let people know...