PFPC Daily - October 25, 2004

"Prozac: Tool of Evil or Heaven in a Pill?"

The Epoch Times - Oct 23, 2004

By Matthew Little

Doctors Warn That Anti-Depressants Can Lead To Suicide

The FDA recently announced that Prozac and other anti-depressants
will soon have to include a little black box on the label warning of
a potential side effect – suicide.

While the new labels are aimed at suicides among children, the risk
could extend to others. Eli Lilly and Co., the makers of Prozac,
originally underreported the suicidal potential of the drug. In 2000,
Dr. David Healy, the Director of Psychological Medicine at the
University of Wales, estimated that around 50,000 people, who would
have otherwise not done so, killed themselves while on Prozac.
Investigators discovered that Eli Lilly's clinical trials
revealed non-suicidal patients taking Prozac were three times more
likely to commit suicide than patients taking a placebo.

Eli Lilly claims their new version of Prozac addresses the problem of
suicide, but children are still at risk. Although the new Prozac is
the only anti-depressant currently approved for minors, parents are
still warned to watch for signs of suicidal behavior in their
children.

When Eli Lilly first marketed Prozac, they didn't list akathisia,
an intense form of anxiety and restlessness, among the drug's
side effects. Lilly claimed their research found akathisia only
appeared very rarely. However, The Boston Globe obtained Lilly's
own figures that akathisia actually occurred at least 1 in 100
times—a "frequent event"—and should have been listed
with headaches and insomnia as a common side effect.

Hundreds of legal actions have now been filed against the company.
Among the plaintiffs are the children of Hawaiian couple William and
June Forsyth. After taking Prozac for ten days, William stabbed his
wife 15 times and then himself. Before the murder-suicide, he was
depressed, but calm. His psychiatrist was shocked. The violence was
out of character and sudden, common with many other patients who
killed themselves and others while under the influence of Prozac.

On the other side are cases like Lauren Slater. Before Prozac, Lauren
dropped out of college, was always in the hospital and got fired from
most of her jobs. After Prozac she got a doctorate from Harvard,
became happily married and started a successful career. She's
among millions of happy "Prozacians." Some studies claim one
third of Americans are on anti-depressants like Prozac. That is nearly
three times the population of Canada. In Britain, the use of Prozac
has become so popular that the drug can even be found in the
nation's ground water, leaked from treated sewage.

Why the mass drugging? Scientists believe unbalanced hormones and
neurotransmitters cause depression. Therefore, the best way to treat
depression is to artificially rebalance the body's chemistry.

However, despite the overwhelming popularity of medicating
depression, there is a growing body of evidence that proves
alternative treatments are just as effective. Researchers have
discovered that Dehydroepiandrosterone, a hormone deficient in
victims of depression, was raised by 100% in a group that
participated in a stress reduction program. In another study,
scientists found that a group of people that did a two-week
mindfulness meditation course had significantly higher activity in
the left prefrontal cortex of the brain, the area associated with
happiness.

Prozac had to undergo five clinical trials before it demonstrated a
statistically positive result. Another study of 96 different
antidepressants concluded that the majority of these drugs were no
more effective than a placebo. Sometimes, the placebo worked better
than the drug.

But Eli Lilly, and other big drug makers, are Fortune 500 companies:
they have an almost overwhelming influence on the medical community.
These companies spend millions marketing their drugs. In 2003, global
sales of antidepressants were 19.5 billion dollars.

The problem isn't really the drug companies' or the
doctors' fault.

Prozac and other anti-depressants simply reflect a modern phenomenon.
People want a quick fix. Meditative exercises take time and effort;
people are busy and Prozac is easy.

But meditation, unlike Prozac or other antidepressants, has no side
effects. It's free, enjoyable and genuinely improves well-being.

And you have to wonder if depression is always an illness. In first
year psychology, students are told that depressed people often have a
clearer worldview than non-depressed people. Read the newspaper —
there is a lot to be sad about.

Of course, some people are depressed to the point where they do need
help, but drugs are often inappropriate, ineffective, dangerous and
expensive. Unfortunately, people want drugs. Can we instead take a
good look at ourselves? After all, depression is inside us, and,
probably, so is its cure.

Please note: if you are currently taking psychoactive medication,
please discontinue it ONLY under the supervision of your physician.