Suicide Drug?
May 2nd, 2008 at 6:45 am by Susie
You know, the usual pushback from the medical establishment on suicide stories is, “We were treating people for depression, and God knows how many people were saved by this drug.” But this drug wasn’t used for depression - it’s prescribed for urinary incontinence (something that’s often easily treated by Kegel exercises) and peripheral neuropathy. (You may recall similar suicide anecdotes with a drug used to stop smoking.)
How can you protect yourself? Don’t start with drugs as your first line of treatment if lifestyle changes will help. If you do need drugs, don’t let your doctor use you to test the “great new drug” the pharmaceutical rep told him or her about. Instead, ask your physician for one that’s been around for ten years or more (enough for side effects to become evident. They’re usually cheaper, too).
And try not to get on the drug merry-go-round of taking more drugs to treat the side effects of your other drugs. (I’ve seen friends try to detox from that kind of chemical soup, and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.)
Remember that drugs usually work in only about 30 percent of the people who take them, anyway, and that many of the drugs used for depression, ADD, etc. can actually cause the very things they’re supposed to prevent by suppressing your brain’s ability to manufacture the chemicals used to regulate its function .
Bottom line: Don’t take any drug without staying informed as to its effects.
I love your blog and try to read it daily. I was prescribed Cymbalta in 2004, and I couldn’t get out of bed. I know a couple of other people who use it and like it, but I do think more people should be warned that these drugs can have serious consequences.
I’ll never forget the time I took a new antihistamine and about half an hour later I started considering suicide. Realizing this was wrong, I got someone to watch me until the pill wore off. It was a scary experience.
Starting a new drug and then considering suicide is a sure sign that the pill wants to kill you. Get someone to help, and don’t stay alone.