In a recent piece for political newsletter Counterpunch, writer Missy Beattie discusses her reluctance to take prescription antidepressants.
Beattie lists some of the side effects associated with the class of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, which include Prozac and Zoloft.
Among the reported side effects she lists are dry mouth, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, insomnia, drowsiness, headaches, tremors, heartburn, blurred vision, and anxiety and depression that could lead to suicide.
A number of studies have also indicated that SSRIs may be a factor in causing a wide range of birth defects, including potentially dangerous heart and lung conditions.
Beattie points out that millions of Americans, amounting to more than 1 in 10 people over the age of 12, take antidepressants despite some studies suggesting they’re no better than placebos for those with mild or moderate symptoms.
“For some reason I don’t quite understand, I can’t make myself swallow one of the capsules,” she writes. “I’m questioning if it’s my loathing of Big Pharma, the Greed Giants, or if I just believe I should be strong, accept loss, and move through the birth canal of pain that leads to some affirmation of life. After all, what I’m feeling resides within all of us who love and outlive the person or persons to whom we are/were devoted.”
Patients should consult their doctors before making any changes in their medication. A consultation with an SSRI lawyer is also important if there are significant injuries.
See the piece here:
https://www.counterpunch.org/2012/06/15/id-like-to-thank-the-academy/