Fwd: [SSRI-Research] Here is the SIGNIFICANCE of my getting off this PaxHELL...

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JustSayNo wrote:JustSayNo

Sun, 04 May 2003 01:24:13 -0000

[sSRI-Research] Here is the SIGNIFICANCE of my getting off this

PaxHELL...

 

My medical/disease industry nightmare into hell and NOW out

the other side...

 

Here is the SIGNIFICANCE of my getting off this PaxHELL...

 

Below please find my submittal to Baum Hedlund only 1-1/2

years ago.... amazing. I'm also now divorced - big surprise. My

husband thought I had really 'lost it' when I found out that

everything was a LIE and fired everyone's ass. That is when I

regained my life. Getting off the Paxil was the LAST hurdle - It

has taken THAT long... At 43, I now truly have my life and now, my

BODY AND MIND, in my hands. 10 years of HELL.

 

Lynn,

Moderator, SSRI-Research

Secretary, ASPIRE

 

Questions: ssri-research-owner

 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

PERSONAL & CONFIDENTIAL

 

 

2 September 2001

 

Baum, Hedlund, Aristei, Guildord & Schiavo

12100 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 950

Los Angeles, CA 90025

Telephone (310) 207-3233

Facsimile (310) 820-7444

 

Submittal for Consideration:

Paxil Withdrawal Class Action Suit

 

 

 

Current Status - Free of Paxil as of August 28, 2001

 

As I compose my Case History for consideration in the Paxil

Withdrawal Class Action Suit, I am in severe withdrawal from

Paxil. My last dose was one week ago, August 27, 2001. To

date, I have NEVER been informed of the addictive nature of

Paxil, it's side-effects including 30 pounds of weight gain in a 7

month period, nor the horrible withdrawal I am now going

through.

 

 

 

Adverse Reactions I am Currently Suffering Due to Withdrawal

from Paxil (my last dose was one week ago):

 

" Brain-Flashes " or a " swooshing " sound when I turn my head

Intense fatigue

Sensitivity to light

Disturbing and vivid nightmares

Difficulty breathing

Irritability

Impaired motor skills

Impaired vision

Diminished stamina

Flu-like symptoms

Joint aches

Dysphoria

Recurrence of Candida yeast infection due to Paxil's acidity

Emotional swings

Impaired memory

Headaches

Nausea

Tingling feeling in extremities

Panic

Anxiety

 

The list goes on....

 

My first contact with Paxil - August 1993

 

In August of 1993, I had a debilitating 3-week virus that left me

weakened and suffering. At the time, I consulted my doctor:

 

Margaret Lewin MD

General Practitioner

(Contact information to follow)

New York, New York

 

Dr. Lewin referred me to:

 

Donna Manning MD

Psychopharmacologist

(Contact information to follow)

New York, New York

 

At the time, the therapist I had been consulting with and has

since

relocated was:

 

(name withheld)

 

I sought the assistance of (said therapist) to deal with the

suicide of my father-in-law in May 1992 as I had done almost 10

years earlier to deal with the attempted suicide by my mother.

 

(Said therapist) did not believe in the use of psychotropic drugs

and advised me to stay away from them. Unfortunately, she was

alone in her beliefs and had no documentation of any sort to

substantiate her claims.

 

Undiagnosed, years later I came to learn that I had been

suffering from and continued to suffer from a systemic infection

caused by the yeast/fungus known as Candida Albicans or

Candida. Treatment of Candida continues to be an issue that

has yet to be acknowledged by the medical community. Select

medical doctors acknowledge and treat this condition that

wreaks havoc in one's body from head to toe. I was so

weakened by the virus I was recovering from and the overgrowth

of Candida in my system that I could barely leave my home. Dr.

Manning prescribed Zoloft and Paxil for me. I violently reacted to

both drugs and abandoned treatment with both doctors, as it

appeared that they could not help me. Neither doctor addressed

the issue of depletion to my body caused by the virus and

Candida, nor did they address a course of action so that I could

recover from both. Drs. Manning and Lewin also threatened to

have (said therapist) license revoked since she did not believe in

using psychotropic drugs.

 

My next visit was to:

 

Dorothy Herd, MD

General Practitioner

(Contact information to follow)

New York, New York

 

For the next three years, Dr. Herd continued to prescribe Fioricet

for me for headaches. Dr. Lewin had first prescribed Fioricet to

me. Neither Dr. Lewin nor Dr. Herd ever informed me that the

drug was addictive at low doses and would cause withdrawal.

This is a common misnomer amongst doctors that low doses of

addictive drugs are not addictive.

 

For three years I went to doctor upon doctor upon doctor in New

York City, our residence until April of 1998, for professional

medical help, only to get sicker and sicker and sicker. Finally, by

chance, I found:

 

Morton M. Teich MD

Pediatric & Adult Allergy/Environmental Medicine

930 Park Avenue

New York, New York 10128

Tel: 212.988.1821

 

Dr. Teich immediately recognized my Systemic Candida, ran a

number of blood tests and shortly thereafter, began to treat me

for Candida and related symptoms.

 

It was at this time that Dr. Teich identified the cause of my

headaches, which was, simply, an allergic reaction to mold

found on the dried herb commonly known as " Sage " . Dr. Teich

advised me to stop using sage. Immediately, the headaches

vanished, therefore, I no longer needed the Fioricet. Dr. Teich

advised me to abruptly stop the Fioricet which sent me into an

unidentified withdrawal, causing panic and anxiety.

Unfortunately, Dr. Teich first prescribed a short-acting natural

hydrocortisone to stop the " withdrawal " which would then, in and

of itself, cause a debilitating withdrawal at a later date. The

hydrocortisone stopped the panic and anxiety for a short time.

When it was no longer effective, Dr. Teich prescribed a low dose

of a benzodiazepine to be used on an ongoing basis. In a very

short period of time, this would cause (again and unidentified)

addiction and more withdrawal-induced panic and anxiety.

 

 

My second contact with Paxil - April 1997

 

In the spring of 1997, Dr. Teich referred me to his colleague:

 

Michael Kenin MD

Psychopharmacologist

1236 Park Avenue

New York, New York 10128

Tel: 212.722.5290

 

In a letter to Dr. Teich, dated April 7, 1997, Dr. Kenin concluded

that I was suffering from a:

 

" syndrome... of intermittent episodes of panic-anxiety… The real

issue is that she is suffering from what I informally call

'magnification disorder' i.e.: she is exquisitely sensitive to all

type

of stimuli: psychological, physiologic, environmental, etc. "

 

Dr. Kenin started me on continued dosing of the benzodiazepine

which lead to more withdrawal induced panic and anxiety

(among other symptoms). My husband and I were anticipating a

move from New York City to San Francisco and I was severely

debilitated from these drugs. Dr. Kenin then started me on Paxil.

He instructed me to take a 10mg pill and cut it into quarters with

a knife in order to start on a dose of 2.5mgs. At the time that he

prescribed the Paxil to me, there was NO mention of its addicting

properties nor of the horrific withdrawal I would encounter. The

Paxil stopped the benzodiazepine withdrawal by numbing my

body from head to toe (or so it felt) and I was able to relocate

across the country. However, I started to suffer terrible

well-known side effects from the drug and ballooned up in

weight 30 pounds, among other issues. Until starting Paxil, my

weight had always been stable.

 

In this first of two " rounds " of Paxil, it took me one year to get to

a

" therapeutic dose " and another year to get off the drug. The

minute I started to taper Paxil in January of 1999, I began to

suffer panic, anxiety and flu-like symptoms. I didn't know what

was happening and had not found a single doctor who did.

 

On January 12, 1999, I began seeing:

 

Lewell Brenneman MD PhD (Environmental Illness & Allergies)

Immunology Associates

500 Sutter Street, #512

San Francisco, California 94102

Tel: 415.677.0829

 

He wrote my prescriptions for Paxil and advised me to taper it

slowly. Dr. Brenneman did NOT inform me of the addictive

properties of the drug nor that I'd be in withdrawal during my

taper and that it would continue AFTER the drug was

discontinued. For almost one year, I was sick from tapering and

withdrawing from Paxil. My final dose of Paxil at that time was on

my 40th birthday, November 1, 1999.

 

Two months prior, on September 9, 1999, I began to see:

 

Steven Cutler DC (Chiropractor)

Non-Force Chiropractic Center

502 Tamalpais Drive

Corte Madera, California 94925

Tel: 415.924.8398

 

I sought the help of Dr. Steven Cutler for treatment of Candida

and related symptoms. Steven Cutler's wife, Ellen Cutler DC, is

well known for her breakthrough work in the natural treatment of

healing through a process she has created and known as,

" BioSet " . Dr. Ellen Cutler is the author of many books including

" Winning the War against Immune Disorders & Allergies " ,

" Winning the War against Immune Disorders & Asthma " , and

others. Dr. Steven Cutler is the ONLY doctor who ever advised

me to get off the pharmaceuticals that had been prescribed for

me, especially the hydrocortisone. Until that time, NOT ONE

medical doctor had ever advised me that the pharmaceuticals

were for short term use only and that tapering and withdrawal of

any kind would be encountered and severe.

 

Unfortunately and unbeknownst to me, the roller coaster was to

begin again.

 

Six weeks later, in mid-December of 1999, my young cat was

diagnosed with a large cancerous tumor. She died two weeks

later on January 2, 2000. Because none of the true properties of

benzodiazepine pharmaceuticals have yet to be disclosed,

heart-broken, I began to take Xanax, a well-known

benzodiazepine, to sleep. I was unaware that this drug would be

dangerous to me in any way. As was typical of the input I

received consistently from every doctor I consulted, as pointed

out in Michael Kenin MD's letter to Morton M. Teich MD, dated

April 7, 1997,

 

" You were definitely on the right track to prescribe small doses of

Valium. I explained to her how the benzodiazepines work, the

improbable (in her) risk of physical dependence, the

unlikelihood of tolerance, and the general strategy of using

benzodiazepines. She will begin with 1/4 or 1/2 of a 2mg

diazepam tablet which she already has per your prescription.

She will attempt to titrate it.

 

Any of the benzodiazepines help but both Valium and Xanax have

a rapid onset of action. Xanax has a somewhat more abrupt

offset and is shorter acting than Valium, which tapers itself

gently, whether used on a prn or regular basis. "

 

Within no time at all, I was unknowingly addicted to the

benzodiazepine and in withdrawal induced panic and anxiety.

On December 30, 1999, I consulted:

 

(noted holistic medical doctor)

 

Dr. " Holistic MD " was presented with the drugs I was on, made

no mention of their dangers, and preceded to prescribe

Welbutrin for me. Again, I had adverse reactions and

discontinued the drug. Dr. " Holistic MD " is the well-known

author of many natural healing books. I could not return to Dr.

" Holistic MD " for help because he began to consistently call me

at my home for help with his stock portfolio and, finally, called me

on a Friday night sounding intoxicated.

 

At this time, I was free from Paxil and tried to taper the

hydrocortisone. Again, I went into an " unbeknownst to me "

withdrawal-induced panic and anxiety. My husband and I were at

wit's end and did not know where to turn. I was sick from head to

toe and no doctor knew why or was helping me and I needed

help. My husband took an unpaid leave of absence under the

" Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 " , known as " FMLA " ,

beginning May 2, 2000, from his employer, VISA USA.

 

All we knew was that the Paxil had stopped my prior

withdrawal-induced panic and anxiety. Even though I had

suffered terribly while on the Paxil from it's devastating side

effects, we were desperate. We decided to seek the advice of a

psychiatrist. After interviewing a number of doctors, we decided

to work with:

 

David Browne MD (Psychiatrist)

859 Diablo Avenue, #C

Novato, California 94947

Tel: 415.892.1041

 

On, June 2, 2000, Dr. Browne preceded to prescribe, one by one,

what seemed to be every antidepressant and mood stabilizer on

the market. I reacted violently to them all. During the next three

months, we did not try Paxil again because I had suffered so

much when I was on it and had found it " impossible to get off " .

 

Nothing was working. I was barely functioning. Dr. Browne

continued to prescribe Xanax for my " condition " . My last visit to

him at that time was August 25, 2000.

 

Again, and most importantly, to this day:

 

NOT ONE DOCTOR HAS YET TO IDENTIFY WITHDRAWAL, ITS

SIDE EFFECTS OR SEVERITY NOR ARE ANY MEDICAL

PRATITIONERS EDUCATED IN RECOVERY FROM SUCH.

 

Based on my intuition, I " knew " that I had to get off of the " these

drugs " which consisted of Xanax and hydrocortisone. I was

referred to:

 

Teresa Black MD (Energetic Medical & Acupuncture)

131 Camino Alto

Mill Valley, California 94941

Tel: 415.381.4020

 

 

My third contact with Paxil - September 2000

 

One year ago, to this day on September 2, 2000, I made my first

visit to Dr. Black. My first question to Dr. Black was whether or

not she could safely get me off of the hydrocortisone and Xanax.

Her answer was an unequivocal " yes " . Unfortunately, she was

wrong.

 

Under her care and treatment, I preceded to go into an intense

withdrawal from the hydrocortisone taper for which she

prescribed Xanax and urged me to go back on Paxil. Dr. Black

prescribed Paxil. Again, I could not tolerate it and became

violently ill.

 

By mid-December I felt that my life was in severe danger due to

Xanax I was now taking at Dr. Black's direction to counteract the

hydrocortisone withdrawal. I begged my husband to check me

into a hospital. Trusted friends told me not to go to a general

hospital because they would not know how to correctly and

safely withdraw these drugs and that I would be exposed,

unnecessarily, to all kinds of illness and disease.

 

We began to search for what was considered to be one of the

best detoxification hospitals in the country. The Betty Ford

Center would not accept me since mine was a case of

" Iatrogenic Illness/Addiction " (doctor-induced) and not

" Substance Abuse " . The Betty Ford Center suggested that we

telephone to a detoxification hospital called Sierra-Tucson in

Tucson, Arizona. Through a personal contact on staff at this

facility, a bed was opened for me and I checked into the hotel two

days later at an estimated cost for treatment of $24,860. Even

though I had not had an income now for years and we did not

have any idea how much of this cost would be covered by

insurance, I checked in to the hospital on December 13, 2000.

 

Sierra-Tucson tapered me off the hydrocortisone in

approximately 6 days and was able to wean me from the Xanax,

which was, at that time, 4 mgs at Dr. Black's direction, down to

1mg. During most of my stay, I was seen by a Nurse Practitioner

who took various guesses as to what to prescribe for me. The

hospital failed to address how I was going to get through the last

1mg. After 2 weeks, I realized that the hospital could not get

taper me from the remaining 1mg of Xanax and that I was best to

leave. The Sierra-Tucson weekend psychiatrist, Dr. Hancock,

changed my prescription from Xanax to Klonopin, a longer acting

benzodiazepine that was easier to taper from than Xanax. Xanax

is one of the most difficult drugs to taper from due to its short

half-life. The next day, the Medical Director of Sierra-Tucson,

Michael Scott MD, released me from Sierra-Tucson with a verbal

apology. Dr. Scott was at home with an infection of strep throat.

Dr. Hancock was the ONLY doctor to inform me of the difficulty of

withdrawing from benzodiazepines and told me to expect a

horrendous 30-day withdrawal following completion of my taper.

Dr. Hancock was correct.

 

December 31, 2000, I left the hospital while continuing to suffer

from

doctor-induced benzodiazepine addiction and withdrawal.

 

It was New Year's Eve.

 

My fourth and final contact with Paxil - January 2001

 

At that point, I realized that the only way I was going to stop the

benzodiazepine withdrawal was how I had done it once before,

with Paxil. I had no choice. My husband was very confused and

insisted that I find a therapist in San Francisco that could help

me. In my weakened and horrified state, I abruptly stopped

consulting (said therapist), who had tried to tell me, all along,

what I now know is true. The drugs do not solve anything. They

hurt. These SSRI's are lies. If the truth was known about their

true clinical trials, they would not have been allowed to market.

 

I returned home to San Francisco and began the slow and

arduous task of getting to a " therapeutic dose " of Paxil. Again,

Dr. Black, at $75 and $85/visit, wrote my prescription for Paxil

and treated me regularly for bi-weekly or tri-weekly acupuncture

sessions. After a short time, it became evident that Dr. Black

was ill equipped to prescribe antidepressants and I returned to

David Browne MD. Again, David Browne MD wrote my

prescriptions and guided me, weekly and at $120/session, to

80mgs of Paxil. For " emotional support " , Dr. Browne referred me

to:

 

Susan Edelstein PhD

Psychotherapy & Consultation

4333 California Street

San Francisco, California 94118

Tel: 415.752.8955

 

Dr. Edelstein, at $125/hour for 2 and 3 times a week visits to

hold my hand through withdrawal, did not know anything about

benzodiazepine or SSRI addiction or withdrawal and the side

effects of such. She proceeded to try and help me with my

" issues " .

 

By the sheer grace of God, I happened upon a wealth of

information found on the Internet that addressed the true

debilitating nature of SSRI's, the fraud of biopsychiatry and lack

of disclosure by the pharmaceutical companies. I came across

so much material, that I created a common site for public access

to these articles. They can be found at:

DiscloseTheTruth.

 

It was at this time, that I stopped seeing David Browne MD and,

shortly thereafter, stopped seeing Susan Edelstein PhD. Dr.

Edelstein made various attempts at contacting me to solicit my

business with phone calls and emails. I have currently blocked

her from emailing me and have, in writing, requested that she

cease trying to contact me. During my withdrawal, she thought it

would be wonderful for me to try and conceive a child. I had to

tell Dr. Edelstein that was not a good idea, which is a perfect

example of how little the professional community knows about

the severe side effects and withdrawal of Paxil.

 

 

 

 

Report to GlaxoSmithKline

 

It was not clear until about a little more than one month ago,

when I happened upon the information on the Internet, that I

realized what these SSRI's were doing to me. After composing

my Case History for Consideration in the Class Action Suit, I can

now modify this document and submit a report. In addition, I can

file an adverse reaction report to the FDA. Please advise.

 

How can we possibly expect our doctors to know anything of any

real value when they are educated by the pharmaceutical

companies and their pervasive influence on government,

education and the media? They are unsuspecting accomplices.

The lack of disclosure and fraud committed by the

pharmaceutical industry is unethical, unconscionable and taking

a deep toll on the well-being of individuals, families and our

global society. Their negligence, all for profit, is a travesty. We

are in a global fascism and don't even know it. " Big Pharma " is

in control of our world. This HAS to stop now.

 

This nightmare began when I was 33 years old. This November,

I will turn 42. I want my life back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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