FAA is Planning to Approve Antidepressant Popping Pilots and their Lethal Side Effects

We have always wondered what government agency would be most likely to put a person in harms way. If you join the military then you volunteer to be placed in the line of fire when under enemy attack. The antidepressant use can also kill you on the base just like it did at Ft. Hood several months ago. The IRS will use fear instead of death, and they can certainly incarcerate you which can be a slow death. The FDA has been approving psychotropic drugs, heart medications, birth control pills et al, which have horrendous track records and mortal consequences. Some of those drugs have been taken off the market, but most like antidepressants are still available even though it is widely known that they are not effective. Now we have the latest US government agency the FAA, which will now allow pilots to medicate and fly.
Some of the side effects of these allowable medication drugs (Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa, Lexapro) are suicide, mania, agitation, dizziness, fatigue, insomnia, tremors, muscle aches, diarrhea, fast heartbeat, fever chills, fainting, bizarre behavior, aggressiveness, joint or wrist aches and pain, ringing in the ears, confusion, decreased concentration, decreased coordination, exaggerated feeling of well being, irritability, hostility, memory loss, vomiting, mood changes, unusual weakness, vision changes, hallucinations, and worsening of depression. Why would anyone fly in a tin can at 35,000 feet when the driver may have one or more of these side effects? It seems clear the FAA is looking at only one head in the head count. Based on these side effects you could have a maniac flying the plane! You should get thrown off the plane for bizarre behavior, but now you get to be the captain.
According to news reports the FAA will seek to evaluate the pilots on antidepressants while the pilot is grounded for approximately six months and ongoing through their careers. They also imply pilots could be using antidepressants now without disclosing that information. If so those pilots will be barred from flying, and would undergo a longer evaluation.
Foxnews quotes FAA administrator Randy Babbit "We know more today about the science of the medications being given and we know a lot more about depression itself," Babbitt said. "The policy is changing I mean our number one priority is safety, and the public certainly has the right to know that everybody in the cockpit is healthy, both mentally and physically." End quote. If they truly knew more about these medications they would know they do not work at all, and that the side effects are lethal.
Foxnews also reports Babbitt saying the new rule is aimed, in part, at removing the stigma of mental illness, much as the FAA began to deal with drug abuse and alcoholism in the cockpit with the establishment 40 years ago of its Human Intervention and Motivation Study, end quote. Does the FAA have more concern about the stigma of mental illness or passenger safety? It appears to us that this is a social experiment, so mentally ill pilots retain their jobs regardless of the consequences. We can’t discriminate, so we need to allow depressed pilots to fly with lethal medications. It is not about safety, but political correctness.
It is now up to passengers to express their concerns with this experiment, and for Airlines to form their own rules regarding potentially lethal medicated pilots. I believe the mass majority will want a healthy pilot free of mind altering drugs or medication. Antidepressants clearly alter the mind.

Major Drug Stores and Fish Oil Manufactures sued over PCB’s. It begs Another Question, What is in your Prescription?

A lawsuit was filed in San Francisco earlier this month against several Omega-3 Fish oil manufacturers, drugstores and vitamin producers. Reuters news reported that two plaintiffs and Mateel Environmental Justice Foundation are suing several fish oil manufacturers and pharmacies that sell the supplements over their purported PCB toxicity. They claim that their tests found high levels of PCB’s (polychlorinated biphenyls which are synthetic (human-made) chemicals produced initially over 90 years ago). They have been banned since 1979. PCBs were used so much that they are found unnaturally in the environment. All fish either in oceans, rivers or fish oil supplements contain at least trace amounts of PCBs. The EPA lists PCBs as a probable human carcinogen. PCBs have a similar chemical structure to PBDE’s, which are currently used as flame retardants in electronics, furniture, and other consumer goods, and PCBs have been found to cause tumors in laboratory animals. The chemical was designed to last a long time without breaking down, which it has accomplished. Essentially mankind has contaminated its own food supply.

According to news reports the lawsuit is based on California’s Prop. 65 which requires manufactures to inform consumers of their right to know the contents and ingredients of the products they consume. The main reason we site this news is that Omega-3 fish oil has been a natural antidepressant, and should remain to be so as with adding fresh fish to ones diet. It also is also an eye opener for consumers to know the ingredients in over the counter and especially prescription medications. Consumers need to be fully aware of the products that they buy and the side effects that they cause. More will be known as this lawsuit progresses.

As far as, prescription antidepressants more has been found out about the long-term side effects of the most common SSRI (serotonin reuptake inhibitors) antidepressants. The long-term effects include sexual dysfunction, weight gain 18-50% of the time, sleep disturbance, vivid dreams and nightmares, insomnia 18-20% of the time, lethargy and fatigue, decreased libido, tardive dyskinesia dystonia (severe body movement disorder, which is mostly permanent according to a report from Antidepressant facts. They also report possible neurological driven severe mania agitation which can lead to suicide attempts, self-harm and suicide.

Reading and learning about what’s in your pill will provide a better life. Unfortunately, the long term side effects of SSRI’s bring more pharmaceutical drug solutions to alleviate those effects, and connecting the consumer from cradle to grave to pharmaceuticals and an unhappy life. There are many alternatives to pharma drugs we urge you to take a look at those alternatives.

Why Have Antidepressants Been the Drug Pushed the Last 50 years even Though They are Ineffective?

In more rural areas access to doctors and thankfully lack of access to psychiatry is more difficult then in larger urban cities. So the opportunity to mass market drugs allows general practitioners in these remote areas to distribute antidepressants for the monetary benefit of pharmaceutical companies. It is far easier and cost effective to push a drug then to tend to a persons needs one on one. The normal medical doctor becomes the drug pusher, since he is not equipped to be a therapist. Hence, mass marketing of an ineffective drug like an antidepressant passes the responsibility to the MD and away from the manufacturer. It all comes down to money and marketing.

Pharmaceutical Companies simply use television, magazines and a willing media to promote drugs that do not work. This is one more reason why our health system fails, when antidepressants that are less effective than a tic tac (placebo) are pushed everywhere. It is also another validation of psychiatric fraud where their origins have been straitjackets and electric shock treatment. Clearly everyone understands that their archaic technology doesn’t work, so it should be easy to understand why antidepressants don’t work either. Their techniques historically are barbaric and fraudulent. The scam that is psychiatry has been proven to make up disorders and syndromes so they can attach a drug to it. Antidepressants are used for Bipolar disorder, smoking cessation, ADHD and you can almost name the malady and psychiatry and Pharma will create a drug for it. It is also clear in their advertising that pharmaceutical companies state that they don’t know what causes depression, but their drug apparently addresses a chemical imbalance. There own advertising tells you the answer which you need to know. How does a company get away with promoting a drug which they know doesn’t work, and they don't know what causes depression. So why would you promote that a non-working drug is the solution? They don't even know if it is a lack of seratonin or too much seratonin or seratonin at all. It really is insane that they have gotten away with this for so long. Well the FDA is part of this scam, since a number of psychiatrists and pharmaceutical executives have also been FDA executives. Hmm, seems like a glaring conflict of interest there. You have to ask the question why has this fraud gone on for decades without being exposed for what it is. Well too many groups and organizations have too much to money to lose. So hence we have doctors, the government, and the media all in on the fraud then it is simply up to the individual to deduce the unworkability of psychiatry and drug therapy (narcotherapy). The information is out there you just have to look for it.

What are the alternatives to the western pills solution? The east has long used herbal remedies as a viable alternative. St. John’s Wort, (Kava Kava) can be used for people suffering from anxiety and depression, Noni which is often called Morinda, and Schisandra are also well used natural antidepressants. Ginkgo Biloba has also been recommended for older people undergoing medical treatment since it helps to regulate blood pressure. Many have also found Lemon Balm used for digestive disorders which can be connected to depression and stress. Rhodiola has been found to improve mood and combat depressive disorders by normalizing serotonin and dopamine levels. Psychiatric drugs clearly do not work, and we urge all undergoing depression to seek the alternatives like these herbal remedies. Don’t continue the fraud and pay for something that doesn’t work.

Possible Fraud by Pharmaceutical Companies as Placebo Confirmed as more Effective and Safer than Antidepressants

A recently article reported in Newsweek Magazine, of a study by (The Journal of the American Medical Association) and other studies have shown that the effectiveness of antidepressants is almost entirely due to the hope and aspirations that the drug will be effective and not the drug at all. Hence, a placebo is more effective than antidepressants, and there are no side effects from placebos. The side effects from antidepressants alone can kill you. According to the FDA the use of antidepressants can cause anxiety, agitation, panic attacks, insomnia, irritability, hostility, impulsivity, akathisia (severe restlessness), hypomania, mania and suicide. They have also been attributed to mass murder (Columbine, Virginia Tech) to list a couple. Newsweek reports regarding a study by Irving Kirsch and Guy Sapirstein of the University of Connecticut. Patients on a placebo improved about 75 percent as much as those on the drugs. Essentially you positive mind will cure your depression.

Many may ask how is it possible that these drugs could get approved by the FDA for decades if they are proven to be ineffective. Well the early failed results appear to have been suppressed. Thomas Moore of George Washington University used the freedom of information act to analyze the FDA earlier studies of antidepressants. There were numerous company sponsored studies by the makers of Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Effexor and others. Many of these studies were unpublished, and over 50% more unpublished studies than other classes of drugs. Apparently 40% of the all clinical trials had never been published, and most of those unpublished trials according to Newsweek's article were the trials that proved antidepressants were a failure. The damaging results indicate pharmaceutical companies may be fraudulent in their studies and disclosures, and we ask why companies are allowed to sponsor trials. In addition, the FDA appears to have allowed it. Who is watching the store? Why wouldn’t the government at minimum only allow independent studies? But even that could be problem. Scientists at Universities who have questioned antidepressant results and who have cited Irvin Kirsch’s results have been reprimanded and their future grants have been threatened. These University grants are typically funded by large pharmaceutical companies. Looks like for our own safety we need to find another independent study group, and perhaps the Department of Justice can look into the FDA and pharmaceutical studies for authenticity.

Newsweek’s article also points out the relationship of the chemical imbalance theory causing depression. Pharmaceutical companies have claimed for decades that this chemical imbalance is the cause of depression. The typical SSRI (serotonin reuptake inhibitor) is supposed to raise the serotonin level of the patient. This is the basis of all their research. Well a new drug study indicates that lowering serotonin is as effective as raising serotonin on depression. The new drug tianeptine made in France lowers serotonin. Now the American and UK pharmaceutical companies’ main argument is gone, but they never really had an argument. In actuality, there is no scientific evidence at all that demonstrates antidepressants alleviate depression. The hope and expectation that a pill “sugar pill” will be effective recently has shown to alleviate depression.

When Bristol Myers Squibb’s advertises Abilify as an add-on to one’s current antidepressant because of it’s ineffectiveness on depression, it is an indication from the industry that their products have failed. In addition, many of these drugs are marketed for Bi-Polar Disorder, ADHD, and even non-smoking. ADHD has also been found to be fraudulent (see the book ADHDFraud by Fred Baughman Jr.). Will it be found that antidepressants are ineffective with these maladies also? There is certain to be more investigation into these past unpublished results, and we hope the justice department will look into fraud and misrepresentation. Like the Real Estate bubble the pharmaceutical house of cards is coming down, and we are sure there are many lawsuits to come with this disturbing information.

New Study further Confirms Mental Health Benefits from Fish Oil

Just last week we blogged about the benefits of fish oil alleviating depression. Here is a report this week from the Associated Press

Fish oil pills may be able to spare some young people with signs of mental illness from a progression into fully developed schizophrenia, according to a preliminary study of 81 patients in Austria.

The study adds to evidence suggesting that severe mental illness may be prevented with intervention. The researchers are starting a larger study in eight cities, hoping to replicate the findings, which appear in the February issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, released Monday.

A severe mental illness, schizophrenia affects adolescents and young adults. Some 2.4 million Americans have the disorder, which is treated with antipsychotic medication.

"Schizophrenia is among the most mysterious and costliest diseases in terms of human suffering, so anything that gives some hope to avoid this is great,'' said lead author Dr. G. Paul Amminger, formerly in Vienna and now at the Orygen Youth Health Research Center at the University of Melbourne in Australia.

Researchers have wondered if the disease could be stopped before it overpowers a person's grip on reality. Studies have tried antipsychotics in select young people, but side effects pose ethical questions, and results have been mixed.

Researchers in the new study identified 81 people, ages 13 to 25, with warning signs of psychosis, including sleeping much more or less than usual, growing suspicious of others, believing someone is putting thoughts in their head or believing they have magical powers. Forty-one were randomly assigned to take four fish oil pills a day for three months. The other patients took dummy pills.

After a year of monitoring, 2 of the 41 patients in the fish oil group, or about 5%, had become psychotic, or completely out of touch with reality. In the placebo group, 11 of 40 became psychotic, about 28%.

No one knows what causes schizophrenia but one hypothesis is that people with the disease don't process fatty acids correctly, leading to damaged brain cells. Omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil could help brain cells repair and stabilize, the researchers speculate.

Dr. Janet Wozniak of Harvard Medical School said the findings might reasonably cause psychiatrists to recommend fish oil to some patients because there are known benefits and little risk.

Omega-3 Fish Oil Remains One of the Best Natural Alternatives to Anti-Depressants

Scientists initially became interested in Omega-3 oil and its effect on depression when it was found that countries which consumed more fish had lower rates of depression. They also found that pregnant mothers in England who ate very little fish doubled their risk of developing postpartum depression compared to women who ate fish regularly. So scientists began a series of studies to see why. In a report from ABCNews, At Sheffield University in England, Dr. Malcolm Peet gave omega-3 fatty acids to 70 depressed patients who had not been helped by drugs such as Prozac. After 12 weeks, 69 percent of the patients showed marked improvement compared with 25 percent given placebos.

These researchers found that omega-3 fatty acids, when fed to piglets, had the same effect on the brain as the antidepressant Prozac: The Omega-3 raised levels of a critical neurotransmitter, serotonin. Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated oils, which are found abundantly in seafood and especially salmon. This fish oil contains a fatty acid (DHA docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid EPA) with the most direct influence on brain development and function.

"The DHA is highly concentrated in the brain," Hibbeln told ABCNEWS, "and it's concentrated in the brain right where the neurons communicate with each other and all the signals pass back and forth." The DHA from omega-3 makes up the walls of neurons, Hibbeln said. "The body cannot manufacture DHA so it has to get it from our diet."

Omega 3 has also been found to fight and prevent heart disease, cancer, arthritis, alzheimer's disease, ulcers, diabetes, hyperactivity and other diseases. It also can increase your ability to concentrate as well as your energy level. Other forms of Omega-3 can be found in flaxseed, walnuts and a few other foods, but the most helpful form is found in fish. Omega-3 is natural and can be easily incorporated in your daily diet. It not only can relieve you of depression but can prevent heart disease, and a host of other ailments. This is a simply solution to depression and it is far less expensive then seeing a doctor, and far less hazardous to the massive side effects that you find in antidepressants.

A New Study Shows Antidepressant Drugs Are Only as Effective as a Placebo

Antidepressants may only provide relief in extreme cases a recent study indicates, and they are no more effective for most patients than placebo pills according to a new study released this week by New York Times reporter Benedict Carey. Prior studies have painted a conflicting picture, since most studies have been pharmaceutical industry supported which have found the drugs reduced depression symptoms. A number of unpublished or buried studies show that antidepressants show no significant benefits over a placebo. This recent study also evaluated people who were considered to be more moderately depressed. The conflict in results with industry supported studies and unpublished studies may also indicate pharmaceutical industry tampering with the results from prior studies. Since these buried studies show antidepressants have no more effectiveness then a placebo then industry trial studies could be viewed as fraudulent.
The recent study was performed with government grants by a team of researchers, and psychologists. These psychologists also consult widely with drug makers. Media reports that the researchers were from the University of Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Colorado and Vanderbilt Universities. The group evaluated six large drug trials, including 728 men and women, about half of them with severe depression and half with more moderate symptoms. Three of the trials were of the SSRI Paxil by GlaxoSmithKline, and the other three were of imipramine a generic tricyclic classed drug. The researchers indicate that similar SSRI drugs like Prozac, and Lexapro would show similar results.
All the advertising in the world can’t beat a real study of a drug’s effectiveness. It is also possible that the prior studies were rigged to show antidepressants were effective. If this is the case then that is criminally fraudulent by pharmaceutical industry supported researchers and drug companies. These prior trials need to be investigated by State Attorney Generals for integrity and authenticity. There also needs to be more independent studies and no industry supported studies. There is clearly a conflict of interest with industry sponsored studies. Patients need to look at the many alternatives to antidepressants and we can add a placebo as a new alternative.