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Ann B. Tracy PhD.'s research on psychiatric SSRI drugs: prozac, paxil, zoloft, luvox, effexor, serzone, anafranil and the diet pills - fenfluramine, fen-phen and redux
THE REST OF THE STORY ON
THE NEW SSRI ANTIDEPRESSANTS
PROZAC: PANACEA OR PANDORA?
by ANN BLAKE TRACY, PhD.
DESCRIPTION: All the latest medical data on serotonin, the SSRI and SNRI antidepressants [such as prozac, paxil, zoloft, luvox, effexor, serzone, anafranil & the diet pills - fenfluramine, fen-phen & redux] and other drugs that increase serotonin levels (which includes the new diet pills containing fenfluramine). The book includes new medical research that clearly defines the serious flaws in the hypothesis behind these new serotonin enhancing drugs. It also contains many varied first hand reports by patients of adverse physical as well as psychiatric reactions. The physical aspects that exacerbate and trigger various mental disorders are detailed. Mental illness is explained in a way that is very simple to comprehend giving patients ideas, not only for controlling their illnesses, but even conquering them. Many alternative methods of overcoming various mental health problems are explained. You will learn about the great importance of sleep and the relationship of sleep disorders to mental disorders. The book is written so as to be technical enough for medical professionals to gather much of the latest medical research and yet it is written so as to be simple enough for any lay person to understand. Readers refer to it as a "wealth of information" which they retain in their libraries as a reference manual.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS:
DEDICATION
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
PROLOGUE - THE PANDORA'S BOX
INTRODUCTION - LEGAL VS. ILLEGAL DRUGS, A BROKEN RECORD OF HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF . . . OVER . . . AND OVER . . . AND OVER AGAIN
CHAPTER 1 - BLISS IN A BOTTLE . . . OR OUR LATEST RUDE AWAKENING TO THE DANGERS OF MIND ALTERING DRUGS?
CHAPTER 2 - UNDERSTANDING DEPRESSION, MANIA, ETC.
CHAPTER 3 - HOW DO THE SSRI ANTIDEPRESSANTS WORK?
CHAPTER 4 - SEROTONIN DOUBLETALK-THE INCREDIBLE SEROTONIN BLUNDER
CHAPTER 5 - ADDICTION, DEPENDENCE AND WITHDRAWAL
CHAPTER 6 - REVERBERATIONS THROUGHOUT THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY
CHAPTER 7 - SLEEP DISORDERS, SEROTONIN AND THE SSRIs
CHAPTER 8 - THE LEGAL REPERCUSSIONS
CHAPTER 9 - PATIENT REPORTS . . . LISTENING TO PATIENTS, NOT PROZAC
CHAPTER 10 - COSMETIC PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY . . . PERSONALITY IN A PILL?
CHAPTER 11 - LILLY & POLITICS
CHAPTER 12 - CHEMICAL DEPRESSION
CHAPTER 13 - SOLUTIONS
CHAPTER 14 - A RELIGIOUS ISSUE?
CHAPTER 15 - THE BIRTH OF PROZAC: PANACEA OR PANDORA?
APPENDIX A - SIDE EFFECTS DEFINED
APPENDIX B - REFERENCES - ADVERSE REACTIONS
REFERENCES & RECOMMENDED READING
INDEX
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PROZAC: PANACEA OR PANDORA? is the product of five years of intensive research, and the cases of approximately 1000 patients on a long-term basis. The author, Ann Blake Tracy holds a Doctorate in Biological Psychology, is the director of the Coalition for a Drug Free Utah, heads the only support group in the state of Utah for those who have suffered adverse reactions to the SSRIs [such as prozac, paxil, zoloft, luvox, effexor, serzone, anafranil & the diet pills - fenfluramine, fen-phen & redux], has testified before the FDA and congressional subcommittee members on Prozac. She has testified since 1992 as an expert witness in Prozac and other SSRI related court cases around the world. Her first book on the issue was published in 1991. During the last five years she has participated in innumerable radio, television, newspaper and magazine interviews. We know of no one with such extensive experience and expertise on all of these issues surrounding the SSRI antidepressants as Ann Blake Tracy.
LEARN MORE THAN PROFESSIONALS ABOUT THE SSRI ANTIDEPRESSANTS . . . SAFE METHODS TO GET OFF DRUGS, STAY OFF, AND TAKE CONTROL OF LIFE . . . IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE ON PROZAC, ZOLOFT, PAXIL, LUVOX, SERZONE, EFFEXOR, ANAFRANIL, FENFLURAMINE (Fen-Phen and Redux), DESERYL, OR ANY OTHER DRUG DESIGNED TO INCREASE SEROTONIN, YOU AND THEY BOTH NEED THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS BOOK.
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LATEST MEDICAL DOCUMENTATION REVEALS THESE SERIOUS PROBLEMS:
* The hypothesis behind these drugs is incorrect. While these drugs raise 5HT (serotonin), they lower the essential serotonin by product 5HIAA - the substance that was originally too low in these various disorders!
* Elevated levels of serotonin (5HT) - exactly the chemical these drugs do increase - is the same chemical that LSD, PCP and other psychedelic drugs mimic in order to produce their hallucinogenic effects. Have these drugs turned the 90's upside down for us to relive the 60's? Learn that elevated levels of serotonin are found in schizophrenia, mood disorders, organic brain disease, Alzheimer's, anorexia, autism, bronchial constriction, etc.
* Elevated blood cortisol levels chemically indicates the conditions of both stress and depression, yet one single 30mg dose of Prozac clearly doubles cortisol levels - a perfect formula for producing initial euphoria, coupled with a subsequent severe rebound depression, increased stress level and fatigue.
* Prozac multiplies some drugs by "10 fold or GREATER." Magnification appears to be even greater with the other SSRIs. Few physicians, pharmacists, or patients have been warned of this situation, creating the danger of life-threatening drug interactions.
* Although initially increasing concentration and energy, patients report long-term effects of impaired memory and concentration and mental disability. Learn the reasons why large numbers of Prozac patients report FALSE memories of ABUSE. As disruption of serotonin alters perception, reality and dreams SEEM one and the same, creating a STRONGER hypersuggestable state than hypnotism.
* Patients report cravings for sweets, diet drinks, alcohol and other substances, sex, spending, shoplifting, etc, and drug after-effects of manic-depression (bi-polar), sleep disorders, panic, and anxiety attacks with chronic fatigue.
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TURNING THE 90's UPSIDE DOWN TO RELIVE THE 60's
"Never before Prozac has a medication been so misrepresented by so many people for so long in the absence of adequate data." Drs. Dewan & Masand
As our latest panacea, Prozac and its analogues are being prescribed for everything from headaches and flu to acne and home sickness. Yet, according to FDA spokespersons, there have been more adverse reaction reports on Prozac than any other medical product. As of October, 1993, a total of 28,623 complaints of adverse side effects had been filed with the FDA, including 1,885 suicide attempts and 1349 deaths. The FDA's general rule of thumb for estimating the true figures is that these reports represent only one to ten percent of the actual figures. This would indicate the staggering amount of 286,230 - 2,862,300 actual adverse reactions, 18,850 - 188,500 actual suicide attempts and 13,490 - 134,900 actual deaths attributed to Prozac by the end of 1993. We are being told these new mind-altering chemicals have a large margin of safety. Will time prove otherwise or has it already? Considering the widespread use of these products, we have no time to waste in learning the answer.
In 1956 Eli Lilly patented LSD and in 1987 they gave us Prozac. Has Lilly turned the 90's upside down for us to relive the 60's with their latest miracle drug, Prozac? LSD, the most notorious of the psychedelic drugs, was first marketed by Sandoz in Europe with the suggestion that it be used to chemically induce insanity in "normal subjects." The reason was to discover how mental illness is produced. Yet in December 1955, two months before Lilly obtained their patent on LSD in America, TIME featured the drug, declaring that LSD "may actually help psychiatrists clear up mental illness." It was also promoted as a cure for alcoholism and as an "aid in facilitating psychoanalysis". It was even considered a safe medication for pregnant women. How many are aware that the finest physicians once recommended LSD as a miracle cure?
Now, a generation later, many of the same marketing claims are being made for Prozac that were once made for LSD. Just how similar in action are these two drugs? How much evidence is there that those who feel they cannot live without Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, etc. are addicted to these drugs or dependent upon them?
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SEROTONIN - THE KEY TO THE PSYCHADELIC EXPERIENCE:
The brain chemical these drugs increase, serotonin, is the same brain chemical that LSD, PCP and other psychedelic drugs mimic in order to produce their hallucinogenic effects ". . . psychedelic agents mimic the effects of serotonin." And remember that psychedelic agents are "a class of compounds with no demonstrated therapeutic use, a history of extensive abuse, and the ability to provoke psychosis. Yet many brain researchers value the psychedelic agents above any of the other psychoactive drugs" because "the research into psychedelic drugs has already enriched our understanding of how the brain regulates behavior." (Dr. Solomon Snyder, DRUGS AND THE BRAIN) Just how much will these brain researchers learn from our experience with these drugs designed to specifically increase serotonin, the same brain chemical the psychedelic agents mimic to produce their effects?
We know that these drugs interfere with serotonin metabolism (demonstrated by levels of the serotonin metabolite 5HIAA). It is not serotonin that is low in these disorders, it is this by product 5HIAA, which indicates the level of serotonin metabolism, that is low in depression, suicide, etc. Yet as serotonin (5HT) goes up serotonin metabolism (5HIAA) generally comes down. We already have studies demonstrating at what percentage each of these drugs increase 5HT and decrease 5HIAA. Now learn the results first of elevated levels of serotonin (5HT) and secondly the results of decreased levels of serotonin metabolism (5HIAA):
Elevated 5HT (serotonin) levels:
#1 schizophrenia, psychosis, mania, etc.
#2 mood disorders (depression, anxiety, etc.)
#3 organic brain disease - especially mental retardation at a greater incident rate in children
#4 autism (a self-centered or self-focused mental state with no basis in reality)
#5 Alzheimer's disease
#6 old age
#7 anorexia
#8 constriction of the blood vessels
#9 blood clotting
#10 constriction of bronchials and other physical effects
Lower 5HIAA (serotonin metabolism) levels:
#1 suicide (especially violent suicide)
#2 arson
#3 violent crime
#4 insomnia
#5 depression
#6 alcohol abuse
#7 impulsive acts with no concern for punishment
#8 reckless driving
#9 dependence upon various substances
#10 bulimia
#11 multiple suicide attempts
#12 hostility and more contact with police
#13 exhibitionism
#14 arguments with spouses, friends and relatives
#15 obsessive compulsive behavior
#16 impaired employment due to hostility, etc.
All are exactly what patients and their families have continued to report to be their experience on these drugs since Prozac was introduced! These individuals are frantically searching for answers while this research sits right under our noses. Although this is a totally different picture than pharmaceutical marketing departments would have us believe, marketing claims and reality rarely have much in common.
Researchers tell us that five, ten or twenty years later it is not uncommon to find we have another thalidomide on our hands. Raising 5HT (serotonin) and lowering 5HIAA (serotonin metabolism) in such a high number of people can produce very serious, extensive and long term problems for all of society. Even more frightening for the future of our society is the rapidly rising widespread accepted practice of prescribing these drugs to small children and adolescents. This crucial medical research must be addressed openly, without delay, rather than remain buried in seldom read medical research documents as has been the case in the past with other mind-altering medications, once thought to be safe, which were subsequently prohibited by law.
Some information included in the book (424 pgs):
...serious long-term adverse physical and psychiatric side effects produced by elevated levels of serotonin ...reported after effects: withdrawal, memory loss, sleep disorders, panic and anxiety attacks (adrenalin rushes), impaired concentration, bi-polar, diabetes, MS symptoms, mania, chronic fatigue, severe rebound depression, symptoms of Cushings Syndrome - moon face, looking or feeling pregnant, inability to handle stress, mood swings, etc.
...learn the cause of depression, manic-depression, panic, anxiety, OCD, psychosis, schizophrenia, etc.- understand mental illness as never before. ...why False Memory Syndrome is so often being induced by these drugs and breaking up relationships ...reports of compulsions for alcohol, sweets, NutraSweet sweetened drinks, spending and sex
TO ORDER: Send $19.95 (Price includes 2-day mail - send $23.95 for outside the United States.)
to: Cassia Publications, P.O. Box 1044P, West Jordan, Utah 84084
*Recent medical studies demonstrate that the brain levels of Prozac are 100 times greater than blood levels and it is believed that this is the case with the other serotonin reuptake inhibitors as well - evidence of toxic brain levels affecting behavior no matter what the blood levels demonstrate. This accumulation is evidence that the drug residue will produce a delayed withdrawal and continue to produce reactions, not only during the period of time the patient is using the drug, but for long periods of time after discontinuation of the drug use.
*Brain wave patterns indicate patients are in a total anesthetic sleep state while appearing awake and functioning. Increasing serotonin - exactly what these drugs are designed to do - induces both nightmares and sleepwalk. Patients report over and over again that they have lived out their worst nightmare. And as with sleepwalk episodes, many have no recall or little recall of what they have done. Often someone must prove to them what they have done while they where under the influence of these drugs before they will believe it to be true. One patient stated that he could not detect during his two year use of Prozac what was real or what was a dream!
*Seven to ten percent of patients do not have the liver function necessary to metabolize these drugs. Unfortunately even if they do have a functioning P450IID6 liver system to metabolize the drugs, this group of drugs totally saturates that liver system so that the ability to metabolize the drug gradually becomes greatly impaired and the metabolism of other drugs becomes greatly impaired.
*Stress or depression can be detected by elevated levels of cortisol, yet one single 30mg dose of Prozac clearly doubles the level of cortisol. This should in the long run double the patient's stress and depression. But that is not the only detrimental effect of elevated cortisol levels. This can cause a multitude of serious physical and emotional adverse side effects.
*Giving these drugs to children is absolutely unconscionable for many reasons - only one being that increased cortisol impairs the development and regeneration of the liver, kidney and muscles, as well as impairing linear growth. Yet, learning that even one parent was given this information would be surprising.
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SOME OF THE MOST COMMON REACTIONS REPORTED BY PATIENTS ARE:
Insomnia; Vivid and violent dreams; Inability to detect dreams from reality (The world takes on an other-worldly aspect); No emotions; Inability to feel guilt or cry; Nausea; Loss of appetite; Rash; Breathing or lung problems; Heart fluttering; Shaking - jitteriness; Unusual energy surges at times producing super human strength (adrenalin rushes); Memory impairment; Hair loss; Blurred vision or pressure behind the eyes; Inability to discontinue use of drug and increasing own dose; Cravings for alcohol, sweets, and other substances or drinking large sums of alcohol, coffee or other caffeinated drinks, diet pop with NutraSweet, etc.; Headaches; Swelling and/or pain in joints; Burning or tingling in extremities; Muscle twitching or contractions; Tongue numbness and slurred speech; Sweating; Dizziness; Confusion; Chills or cold sweats; Muscle weakness; Extreme fatigue; Diabetes or hypoglycemia; Lowered immune system; Seizures or convulsions; Weight gain or weight loss; Mood swings; altered personality; Symptoms of mania, ie., inability to sit still or restlessness, racing thoughts, acting silly or giddy (like a teenager again), sexual promiscuity leading to unwanted pregnancy or divorce, irresponsibility, wild spending sprees, gambling, criminal behavior, shoplifting, embezzling, stealing, hostility, etc.; Deceitfulness; Blank staring; Inability to see any alternatives in situations; Hyperactivity; Aggressive or violent behavior; Wanting to ram other cars or driving irrationally; Impulsive behavior with no concern about consequences; Numbness in various body parts - legs go numb and right out from under patient; or sexual organs go numb making orgasm impossible; Pulling away from loved ones and others (isolating oneself); Divorce; No desire to be touched; Paranoia; Falsely accusing others of abuse - family members or acquaintances; Loss of spirituality; Feeling "possessed" or that something evil is inside; Self destructive behavior and suicidal ideation; Suicide attempts; Muscle tremors; Loss of co-ordination; Mania; Psychosis.
It is interesting to note how many of those reported side effects are related to two particular disorders associated with high levels of serotonin:
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HYPERSEROTONEMIA
"Hyperserotonemia (elevated serotonin levels) can produce very serious complications medically, as well as serious neurologic and psychiatric disorders. Carcinoid syndrome and the serotonin syndrome are two medical conditions in which elevated serotonin levels are present. Carcinoid syndrome is a set of symptoms caused by the secretion of serotonin by carcinoid tumors, prostaglandins, etc. Symptoms include attacks of severe cyanotic flushing of the skin lasting from minutes to days, diarrhea, bronchoconstrictive attacks, sudden drops in blood pressure, edema, and ascites, which is an abnormal accumulation of serous fluid in the abdominal cavity, also known as abdominal or peritoneal dropsy." PROZAC: PANACEA OR PANDORA?, Pg. 87
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THE SEROTONIN SYNDROME
"The serotonin syndrome is a hypersotonergic state which is a very dangerous and potentially fatal side effect of serotonergic enhancing drugs which can have multiple psychiatric and non-psychiatric symptoms. It is a condition which has been on the rise since the 1960's when we began using more and more drugs which directly affect serotonin. This is a toxic condition which requires heightened clinical awareness in order to prevent, recognize, and treat the condition promptly. Promptness is vital because, as we just mentioned, the serotonin syndrome can be fatal and death from this side effect can come very rapidly. This syndrome is a toxic hyperserotonergic state whose rate of incidence is unknown, but is on the rise. The suspected cause of that increase is the introduction of the new selective serotonergic enhancing agents in clinical practice - the SSRIs. This disorder, brought on by excessive levels of serotonin, is difficult to distinguish from the neuroleptic malignant syndrome because the symptoms are so similar. The neuroleptic malignant syndrome is a serious condition brought on by the use of the neuroleptic drugs.
"The symptoms of the serotonin syndrome are: euphoria, drowsiness,sustained rapid eye movement, overreaction of the reflexes, rapid muscle contraction and relaxation in the ankle causing abnormal movements of the foot, clumsiness, restlessness, feeling drunk and dizzy, muscle contraction and relaxation in the jaw, sweating, intoxication, muscle twitching, rigidity, high body temperature, mental status changes were frequent (including confusion and hypomania - a "happy drunk" state), shivering, diarrhea, loss of consciousness and death. (The Serotonin Syndrome, AM J PSYCHIATRY, June 1991)
"The serotonin syndrome is generally caused by a combination of two or more drugs, one of which is often a selective sertonergic medication. The drugs which we know most frequently contribute to this condition are the combining of MAOIs with Prozac (this should also include the other SSRIs) or other drugs that have a powerful effect upon serotonin, ie, clomipramine (Anafranil), trazadone (Deseryl), etc. The combination of lithium with these selective serotonergic agents has been implicated in enhancing the serotonin syndrome. The tricyclic antidepressants, lithium, MAOIs, SSRIs, ECT (electric shock treatment), tryptophan, and the serotonin agonists (fenfluramine) all enhance serotonin neurotransmission and can contribute to this syndrome. Anything which will raise the level of serotonin can bring on this hyperserotonergic condition. The optimal treatment for the serotonin syndrome is discontinuation of the offending medication or medications, offer supportive measures, and wait for the symptoms to resolve. If the offending medication is discontinued, the condition will often resolve on its own within a 24 hour period. If the medication is not discontinued the condition can progress rapidly to a more serious state and become fatal. It should be apparent that the greater the enhancement of serotonin levels, the greater the chances of producing the serotonin syndrome. Therefore it is recommended that Zoloft, Prozac, Paxil, Luvox, Serzone, etc. not be used concurrently with each other or any other serotonergic drugs and that these serious adverse reactions should be expected with these combinations (Callahan, 1993). (PROZAC: PANACEA OR PANDORA?, p. 88)"
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* * * WARNING * * *
Dropping "cold turkey" off any of these medications can be more dangerous than staying on the drugs. Tapering off very, very, very slowly has proven the safest and most effective method of withdrawal.
TO ORDER: Send $19.95 to Cassia Publications, P.O. Box 1044, West Jordan, Utah, 84084.
Price includes 2-day mail - send $23.95 for outside the United States.
"Ann Tracy is the only bio-psychologist in the world who has studied the long-term effects of these drugs." . . . attorney, Ellis Rubin, Miami, Florida
"In 15 years of reading books on drugs I have never read a book with more information or so well documented as PROZAC: PANACEA OR PANDORA? . . . Dr. Kevin Millet, Bountiful, UT
"As I lecture to physicians nationwide on the medical use of psychoactive drugs PROZAC: PANACEA OR PANDORA? always accompanies me in my brief case." . . . Dr. Bruce Woolley, neuropsychopharmacologist
"Magnificent! This text is a monument to Ann Tracy's tenacity and love for her fellow human beings." . . . Dr. Paul Kennedy, N.J.
"I got more information from PROZAC: PANACEA OR PANDORA? than I did by paying thousands to specialists. It has given me my life back and given me hope again." . . . Kathy Johnson, Paxil patient
"This book was like a light at the end of a tunnel. It described everything that had happened to me in great detail, gave scientific reasons why it happened, backed it all up with solid research, included testimonials from hundreds of others in the same situation, and even gave me some insight as to how seven of the top psychiatrists in L.A. could be so amazingly, criminally inept. The book literally saved my life, and if I'd known about it a year earlier, could have saved me untold grief and agony as well. It is the only collated, comprehensive source I know of for this information, and is a much-needed counterbalance to popular books like LISTENING TO PROZAC, which either ignore the issue of serious adverse reactions, or wrongly attribute all reports of such reactions to 'propaganda from the Church of Scientlogy'. It is also a far more complete treatment of the subject than the books of Peter Breggin, which in my opinion, are rather long on opinion and speculation and short on research. It is my sincere wish that people who need this information should know it's available and extremely helpful." . . . Nick Jameson, patient
"Ann Tracy knows more about this than 9 out of 10, or 99 out of 100 psychiatrists, and I say this as a psychiatrist." ..... Dr. Peter R. Breggin, M.D., Bethesda, MD
"I found this book fascinating and the most complete analysis of the various factors pertaining to the Prozac controversy." .....Attorney Donald Sokol, Susanville, CA
"As I lecture to physicians nationwide on the medical use of psycho-active drugs, this book always accompanies me."..... Dr. Bruce Woolley, neuropsychopharmacologist, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT
"Until I read your book, I had no idea how far reaching the problem with Prozac was! Everyone should read your book and be made aware, as this is something that affects us all."..... Fawn Christopher, Spanish Fork, UT
"Absolutely beautiful! There is a lot of heart and feeling there. I hope that it will help save others from the pain and anguish that we who have had to deal with Prozac know all about." ..... LeAnne Westover, Mrs. Del Shannon, Palmdale, CA
"I appreciate this more than I can tell you. It is such a relief to know that others have recognized this problem and someone understands what has happened to our family." ....Anonymous, Manti, UT
TITLE: PROZAC: PANACEA OR PANDORA? "The Rest of the Story" on the New Class of SSRI Antidepressants (prozac, paxil, zoloft, luvox, effexor, serzone, anafranil & the diet pills - fenfluramine, fen-phen & redux, and more)
AUTHOR: Ann Blake Tracy
424 pages
Trade Paper - 9" x 6"
ISBN: 0-916095-59-2
PUB. DATE: June, 1994
FEATURES: Latest in medical research on serotonergic medications, information on America's drug history (including politics in medicine), sleep and sleep disorders, causes of depression and other mental illnesses, many first hand patient case reports, alternative solutions to these disorders and many additional reference materials.
PUBLISHER: Cassia Publications
TELEPHONE: 1-800-280-0730
TO ORDER: Send $19.95 to: Cassia Publications, P.O. Box 1044, West Jordan, Utah, 84084. Price includes 2-day mail - send $23.95 for outside the United States.
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