Twenty years ago, a landmark JAMA study changed the way antidepressants were prescribed during pregnancy. Today, readers still aren't seeing the complete scientific record.
Three side effects of antidepressants rarely mentioned in a typical GP or pharmacy consult (unless you get a rare straight-shooter):
1)Weight gain — often substantial (12-14kg with SSRIs), and routinely downplayed
2)Dependence — the more palatable word for what functions like addiction
3)Emotional numbness
There are more effective, less harmful ways to treat and actually resolve depression. A pill is a shortcut, not a solution. Treat the root cause — don't bandaid it. Prevention, prevention, prevention.
Pro-tip: resilience-skill mastery is inversely correlated with depression risk.
Given doctor’s diagnosis and recommended treatments can greatly affect their patient lives, why do doctors take the evidence from Journals and regulatory agencies at face value? Are doctors completely unaware of the influence of big pharma on the entire medical system from education, training, medical administrators, licensing, journals, media and regulators??? Are they unaware of alternative sources of information such as your Substack many others?????
I asked several doctors whether they could still trust the clinical trials published in medical journals. They all gave essentially the same answer.... "What's the alternative?"
As a doctor, my experience is that most doctors don't read journals at all, but get their information from pharmaceutical company-sponsored dinners, and from drug reps.
I took Zoloft 2005-2006 for episodic depression I had from a divorce. When I decided I didn’t want to take Zoloft any more, I did some research and read a 2004 book titled ‘Break Your Prescribed Addiction’ by Billie Jay Sahley and Katherine M. Birkner. (I find it interesting that looking this title up on Amazon, it shows up with ‘Addition’ (https://www.amazon.com/Break-Your-Prescribed-Addition-Antidepressants/dp/1889391271) not ‘Addiction’. The Addiction title on Amazon show Sahley’s previous publication ‘Breaking Your Prescribed Addiction’ from 1998.).
I used guidance from this book to wean myself off Zoloft (keeping my doctor in the loop) in six months and never went back on.
My background is, I have a biochemistry BA and worked in phrama and academic research (genetics mostly) over my career which began in 1986.
Another failure by JAMA. Trust is gone!Antidepressants have caused much harm in society. I read a while ago that 1 in 4 women take antidepressants. The side effects mentioned by ScarlettHamiltonAustralia of weight gain, dependence and emotional numbness explains a lot, up to and including the high rate of divorce we see in America.
The poisoning must not be halted, say the powers that be. Of course, no-one was poisoned DELIBERATELY, so they say. People took the information TRUSTING THEIR DOCTORS, who were bribed or misinformed about medical care by shoddy research done by paid-off researchers. It's all quite regrettable, now that it's exposed, they say. Still, as long as there are only a few who complain, the suckers who believe the B.S. that is on sale every which way you look, their claim is that they only have themselves to blame. They aren't entirely incorrect. Suckers shouldn't be so gullible. On the other hand, P.T. Barnum was hardly a paragon of ethics and morality. Nor are these perpetrators, making money off scams that kill or maim people. They would make good company for the De Corleone family.
Retired pharmacist here.
Three side effects of antidepressants rarely mentioned in a typical GP or pharmacy consult (unless you get a rare straight-shooter):
1)Weight gain — often substantial (12-14kg with SSRIs), and routinely downplayed
2)Dependence — the more palatable word for what functions like addiction
3)Emotional numbness
There are more effective, less harmful ways to treat and actually resolve depression. A pill is a shortcut, not a solution. Treat the root cause — don't bandaid it. Prevention, prevention, prevention.
Pro-tip: resilience-skill mastery is inversely correlated with depression risk.
Good insights 👌
Given doctor’s diagnosis and recommended treatments can greatly affect their patient lives, why do doctors take the evidence from Journals and regulatory agencies at face value? Are doctors completely unaware of the influence of big pharma on the entire medical system from education, training, medical administrators, licensing, journals, media and regulators??? Are they unaware of alternative sources of information such as your Substack many others?????
I asked several doctors whether they could still trust the clinical trials published in medical journals. They all gave essentially the same answer.... "What's the alternative?"
Review the studies, consult with others as required, and Do No Harm.
As a doctor, my experience is that most doctors don't read journals at all, but get their information from pharmaceutical company-sponsored dinners, and from drug reps.
Yes, they may be handed a journal article along with a company overview of the drug’s benefits. The paper effectively functions as marketing material.
If that behavior is applied to other products that cause harm would land people in jail.
Great write up, thank you!
I took Zoloft 2005-2006 for episodic depression I had from a divorce. When I decided I didn’t want to take Zoloft any more, I did some research and read a 2004 book titled ‘Break Your Prescribed Addiction’ by Billie Jay Sahley and Katherine M. Birkner. (I find it interesting that looking this title up on Amazon, it shows up with ‘Addition’ (https://www.amazon.com/Break-Your-Prescribed-Addition-Antidepressants/dp/1889391271) not ‘Addiction’. The Addiction title on Amazon show Sahley’s previous publication ‘Breaking Your Prescribed Addiction’ from 1998.).
I used guidance from this book to wean myself off Zoloft (keeping my doctor in the loop) in six months and never went back on.
My background is, I have a biochemistry BA and worked in phrama and academic research (genetics mostly) over my career which began in 1986.
Tangled Webs, Cover Ups and Conditional Confusions. Playbook of the prevaricate PR practioners!
Another failure by JAMA. Trust is gone!Antidepressants have caused much harm in society. I read a while ago that 1 in 4 women take antidepressants. The side effects mentioned by ScarlettHamiltonAustralia of weight gain, dependence and emotional numbness explains a lot, up to and including the high rate of divorce we see in America.
Much appreciated Maryanne.
The poisoning must not be halted, say the powers that be. Of course, no-one was poisoned DELIBERATELY, so they say. People took the information TRUSTING THEIR DOCTORS, who were bribed or misinformed about medical care by shoddy research done by paid-off researchers. It's all quite regrettable, now that it's exposed, they say. Still, as long as there are only a few who complain, the suckers who believe the B.S. that is on sale every which way you look, their claim is that they only have themselves to blame. They aren't entirely incorrect. Suckers shouldn't be so gullible. On the other hand, P.T. Barnum was hardly a paragon of ethics and morality. Nor are these perpetrators, making money off scams that kill or maim people. They would make good company for the De Corleone family.