“This landmark settlement holds Janssen accountable for its actions and sends a message to all pharmaceutical companies that these practices will not be tolerated,” stated Attorney General Pam Bondi.
our society of believes that all people diagnosed with
schizophrenia need to be on medication all their lives. Yet, the NIMH
has funded a long-term study of schizophrenia outcomes by a researcher
named Martin Harrow, and in 2007 he reported that at the end of 15
years, the recovery rate for those off medication was 40%, versus 5%
for those on medication. …
Gabriel was on Seroquel, used to treat bipolar disorder, and other psychiatric drugs linked by federal regulators to potentially dangerous side effects, including suicide, but the risks may not have
been adequately communicated to his foster parents. …
This paper offers real-world examples of how therapists can avoid resorting to coercive interventions while attempting to respectfully help those in severe distress. (Author is responsible for content.)
These “inconvenient truth” brain damage medical studies — confirmed
by repeated animal studies, brain scans and autopsies — are now well
known throughout the medical field, but are almost never explained to
the general public, who are often the ones to pay for these expensive
prescriptions.
…
Many of the
medications currently provided are typically associated with
significant medical risk, are often experienced as subjectively
harmful, and their long-term effectiveness remains controversial.
Furthermore, there are widely researched psychosocial alternative
treatments likely to be at least as effective for many, with fewer
harmful effects.” …
“This drug has the potential to finally open the door to acceptance of the idea that decreased desire can be something that involves a dysfunctional way the brain works, and not only a bad partner,”
said research Jim Pfaus
…
Clozapine is restricted to treating schizophrenia in people who have not
responded to, or are intolerant of, other treatments, as it can cause rare, but
serious side effects. It is also used for treating psychotic illness in people
with Parkinson’s disease where other treatments have not worked.
The width of the therapeutic window determines the clinical
significance of the plasma level changes associated with smoking
and caffeine intake. Compared with olanzapine, clozapine has a
much narrower therapeutic window. Several of clozapine’s side effects
are dose related: plasma levels higher than 1,000 ng per milliliter
have been associated with toxicity, including seizure risk and severe
sedation. …
The study has several implications. One, it’s more evidence that the atypicals,
once considered vastly superior to first-generation antipsychotics because of a
“favorable” side-effect profile, may not be that much better, just different.
Rather than risking tardive dyskinesia and akathisia as patients using first-gen
antipsychotics are, patients on atypicals risk major weight gain and metabolic
changes. …