The dangerous wonder drug

Last week I told you about an absurd study that concluded by recommending the antidepressant pharmaceutical Paxil to address menopausal hot flashes. The researchers characterized Paxil as a safe choice, disregarding the drug’s severe side effects. Which is not surprising, given that three out of the four researchers were employees of GlaxoSmithKline, the manufacturer of Paxil.

On the heels of that study I just came across a new report with this headline: “British Officials Say Children and Paxil Don’t Mix.”

Paxil isn’t licensed for use in children, but we know that a small detail like that doesn’t prohibit doctors from stretching the boundaries – while being strongly encouraged to do so by Glaxo salespeople.

But new research, combining nine studies of more than 1,000 adolescent subjects, shows that Paxil may cause children under the age of 18 to become suicidal. What’s worse is that this shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone because a tendency toward suicidal behavior has long been known as one of Paxil’s most troubling side effects. Just two years ago, for instance, a Wyoming jury awarded a large settlement to a family whose father murdered three family members and then took his own life while under the influence of Paxil.

The evidence is mounting that Paxil is not a safe treatment for hot flashes, depression in children, depression in adults, or for any other condition that GlaxoSmithKline decides they can try to sell to doctors and the public. Slowly but surely the mainstream is catching on to the many drawbacks of this damaging “wonder drug.”

To Your Good Health,

Jenny Thompson
Health Sciences Institute

Sources:
“British Officials Say Children and Paxil Don’t Mix” Ivanhoe Newswire, 6/12/03, ivanhoe.com