Date: Wed Nov 22, 2000 8:35pm

Greetings Cynthia,
I just read your letter of experience with prozac......I have a very simular 
story to share with you, it would take way to long to type all of it so I must 
shorten it up. I am very concerned about a friend of mine as well as family 
members of hers and mine. She is the mother of my step son. (a story of my step
son is one in it's self) However, my friend is at the moment in the hospital, 
just awake yesterday for the first time in 6 days (knowing they kept her 
sudated, for various reasons I am sure) prior to being life flighted to the 
hospital she had several seizures, 6 being witnessed, they assume as many as 
10-11 within a 45 min periord ? By the time they got her to the hospital they 
had to bag her, and then on life support. She was unable to breath on her own 
for 4 days. I am convinced due to the use of paxil and I know of prior use of 
zoloft, others maybe but not sure. The doc's at this time say they can't find 
anything wrong with her to have caused this. My thoughts on that after 
researching all about the effects of SSRI's, is that of this. WE, all need to 
be very concerned and educated as much as possible, I have my doubts about the 
doctors being honest when they say," we have no idea! " Days before being life 
flighted and having to be put on life support she was experiencing 
confusion,tremors,trouble with her speech, memory, walking...weakness in her 
legs and fear of going up and down stairs, she had to go slower than normal and
had to have help on stairs. She was life flighted Saturday night and the 
Thursday before she told me on the phone she was feeling the same as before.  
Friday night her husband and her were here to bring my step son down she had a 
cup of coffee with me and was in extermly bad shape. She told me she called 
the  doctor in charge of her case from a prior hospitalization to tell them she
needed to be seen and she explained her symptoms. They told her they could see
her on Monday no sooner. She should have been seen then! She was having a 
difficult time staying on task with  explanation of what she was saying to me, 
it was awful to see her in that condition.(3 months prior to this she passed 
out,3 days in hospital they found her to have an under active thyroid, set her 
up with medication for that and sent her home.) I believe she was experiencing 
trouble from long term use of SSRI's...... The problem I have with this whole 
situation is that Laura has her husband and their aunt at her side. They have 
been great support for Laura, her aunt is a big help to her and the 4 kids, 2 
of them my step son and daughter. I just recently got off the phone with her 
aunt, she reports Laura is doing better, she was out of bed today and in a 
chair, she is sleeping in 30 min intervals, she is scared to go to sleep in 
fear of what may happen if she does. Her aunt says she  falls asleep while  
fighting to stay awake.  During this call I explained to her aunt about the 
concerns I have  due to what has happened and my discovery of all the 
wickedness created by the effects of these drugs. I need to know if there is 
anything you know of that I may do to open there eyes up to this......  I have 
printed out several pieces of information on the effects due to the use of 
these SSRI's, but my greatest fear is that they will not even consider the 
thought of looking at the information, why I am not certain. I am tired of 
trying to get this through to  them.  It is almost as if they don't want to 
know what the cause is, it is strange!  Any suggestions would be Greatly 
appreciated, any information to draw there undivided attention to this matter 
of concern is much needed........... My concern as well as my husbands runs 
even greater than this, as if Laura's relationship with these SSRI's should be 
enough.....it gets worse. From about the time of 2yrs ago My step son was put 
on  Zoloft, and Ritilan...then on to some others, after a very short time he 
was being treated for bi-polar and some other disorders ( I believe that bi-
polar was created from first drugs taken) I agree there may have been some 
emotional concerns but certainly not any signs of bi-polar ! I am not a rocket 
scientist, as we know one not need be either. Currently my step son is on  
depakote,wellbutrin, and risperdal to sleep? I could go on an on with how all 
these drugs have effected him in some many negative and so very much damaging 
ways. We certainly opposed to all medication in the beginning and now. We have 
not been able to do anything to convince Laura of how damaging we feel this is 
to my step son. It is my hope that once Laura and others understand what is 
responsible for her hospitalization and the H*** she and they are going 
through, then and only then will we be able to help my step son..... Help for 
either one of them can not come soon enough....... I thank you for any help in 
advance, if not it was nice just to be able to type all this out and share with
you, knowing that you have in many ways been there. I am certainly glad you 
were able to stop creation of any further danger or damage. I applaud you! I 
will be so thankful if I am able to someday witness a recovery for my friend 
and my step son.....Until then all I can do is hope and pray, God Bless you and
yours, 

Vonda

Date: Wed Nov 22, 2000 8:50pm

Hi Charles, 
Thanks so much for your reply. I have just been so busy with looking up 
information on and about the dangers of these SSRIs,along with taking care of 
the kids.I am sorry for not getting back to you sooner, this is the first 
chance I have had. We also have Laura's oldest child here with us... With all 
four of my kids here they do find ways to keep me busy! They are a blessings in
 more ways than one. We have had some news of good, just not sure at this time 
how much of good it is. In a sense it is bad news also. Laura is now awake and 
has been since Saturday evening and slowing is coming back to being her self. 
At this time no one is sure if she will ever be the same as before the use of 
paxil.( by the way six years off and on paxil use has been confirmed) 3 months 
ago when she was hospitalized she was sent home with an even higher does of 
paxil! On monday Laura's husband and I took the kids down to see her, we were 
there about 1 hr, Laura was making sense at times and other times she was just 
kind of in a world of her own, this was very hard for the kids. She is able to 
remember bits and pieces of things prior to the night of the seizures but 
nothing since then, she felt as if she was there for a long time ( she stated 2
 years at one time) we kept reassuring her that she was only there 9 days. She 
also explained that she feeling high, she ask us if she had a hole in her 
throat, she ask if they cut her head open for any reason. She claimed that she 
felt as if she was hallucinations. She also said that the doctor told her she 
was in the hospital due to the use of the wrong medication. She come right out 
and said that the doctor told her that there was no need for her to be on 
paxil. Her husband then talked to the doctors later and comfirmed what Laura 
told us. Sunday night my husband and I took all information I was able to find 
and printed it out, the dangers produced from the use of paxil and SSRI's. As 
luck would have it, I personaly think it was by the grace of God he read all 
that we gave him and he was mad because all that they had been through in the 
last several months and longer at times just discribed what they had been 
through to a "T". He was very upset but yet somewhat relieved to think that 
maybe he had answers to explain why Laura was at the hospital. After listening 
to the doctors explanation and concerns he had an even greater understanding of 
what caused her condition not only now, also the past. The goodness of this is 
now we know why and we know there is not going to be a struggle in trying to 
convince her husband. The bad news is Laura may just have to remain on 
medication for seziures for the rest of her life, she will never be able to 
work again. We have no idea at this point just exactly what the extent of 
damage the use of paxil has caused. She is being released today with the aid of
 a walker to help her keep her balance. She is not strong enough to walk alone.
 We pray that she will continue to get better as she has been. She seems 
stronger everyday that I have talked to her, seems to be more of the friend I 
know. I am concern about the damage that this has caused her, we a dealing with
 the the unknown at this point. Just as if time is the only to tell. I am so 
upset to think of the damage that this has caused to her neverous system, it 
breaks my heart. As I said it was hard on the kids to see her on monday as well
 as for me to see her, but it also did us a world of good because we were able 
to believe from seeing that she was on her way back to us all. We are now in 
the mist of being able to focus on my step son, Laura's husband is not only 
understanding and in agreement of belief as to why Laura is in the condition 
she is but he is also in agreement to us taking care of my step sons concerns 
and issues to use of these drugs. He knows we are opposed to and have been, he 
now understands why even when we didn't, we were not educated on the dangers 
until recently. I believe God was with us then and still is, something always 
told us the drugs were not the answer! My husband had Chris to the doctors last
 night and with out explaining our concern and knowledge of the dangers or 
knowing our intenions of getting him off of these drugs, just by asking a few 
questions of concern about the weight Chris has gained and a few others. The 
doctor told my husband and Chris that he was going to cut all his meds in half 
with the refill of the next script. It is amazing to have them come back with 
that information. I told Chris he needed to go in there being his true self, 
and not what the doctor wanted and I think it may have been some help......
(that is amazing that he is able to be himself even after being under the 
influence of these drugs) He is doing great here and we will strive to continue
 for only the best for him! I think by reading and learning all the skills we 
possibly can of how to deal with everyday issues good or bad is the best 
thearpy for any one of our love ones, IT IS CERTAINLY NOT THESE SSRI DRUGS! 
Anyone out there that is, has, or knows of someone trying to cope with the use
 of these drugs for whatever the reason, I CHALLENGE you all to check out the 
dangers caused by these drugs and not only the dangers but look at why, the 
reason why when understood is thearpy itself!!!!!! Charles you may post my e-
mail and also this one if you would like I look foward to hearing from you 
again.... I am one who will always be glad to help anyone I can to understand 
the dangers in all areas from the use of these drugs. Thanks again for your 
help and your words of encouragement. God Bless All ! 

Vonda 

Date: Wed Nov 22, 2000 4:14pm

Response:
It sounds as if Laura suffered from Serotonin Syndrome. It causes all the 
symptoms you mentioned and can be potentially fatal. Do a search on 
Serotonin Syndrome and see if you agree. Yes, your step-son is 
OVER-MEDICATED. Depakote makes everyboyd gain weight. It's an anti-seizure 
med that's used to stabilize moods. Wellbutrin is described as the energizer 
bunny of antidepressants, and Risperdol is an anti-psychotic. Paxil is for 
sure a dangerous drug. It can cause brain bleeds, seizures, and everything 
you described with Laura. Please keep us posted. 

Trisha