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Using antidepressants during pregnancy or while breastfeeding can damage a baby’s brain and increase their risk of suffering mental health problems in the future, a study found. Prozac, also known as fluoxetine, increases levels of mood-boosting serotonin in the brain - but scientists discovered this can affect a child’s developing prefrontal cortex. They also found the drug can pass into the breast milk of new mothers who take it and end up being fed to newborns. Research suggest that between 300,000 and 400,000 kids are being exposed to Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) drugs each year in the US during...

Most antidepressants used for chronic pain are being prescribed with "insufficient" evidence of their effectiveness, scientists have warned. A major investigation into medications used to manage long-term pain has found that harms of many of the commonly recommended drugs have not been well studied. Among the drugs studied were amitriptyline, fluoxetine, citalopram, paroxetine, sertraline, and duloxetine—with only the latter showing reliable evidence for pain relief. Professor Tamar Pincus said, "This is a global public health concern. Chronic pain is a problem for millions who are prescribed antidepressants without sufficient scientific proof they help, nor an understanding of the long-term impact...

Despite findings of increased suicide risks and homicidal ideation linked to antidepressants, the widely used drugs have been spared from the discussions around mass shootings. Is it time we reevaluate the national conversation along with the real history surrounding this class of drugs?

"Fact check: He threatened to shoot up his middle school and stab classmates who angered him," tweeted Christina Pushaw ************************************************************* On Thursday, the Miami Herald published a misleading claim about the recent arrest of the 13-year-old son of Rebekah Jones, the disgraced "whistleblower" who claimed the Florida Department of Health pressured her to manipulate Covid data to the benefit of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and the outlet said that the child was arrested over "memes" when he was arrested for threatening to shoot up his school, Holley Navarre Middle School. According to Yahoo News, the boy was arrested for "digital...

The 13-year-old son of a Florida 'whistleblower' who claimed Governor Ron DeSantis' office fabricated Covid-19 statistics during the pandemic was arrested after allegedly threatening a school shooting. Rebekah Jones took to Twitter on Tuesday night to announce the arrest, which she alleged was personally ordered by DeSantis and carried out by the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office. Jones said her son was taken into custody over memes he had sent in a private group chat which joked about school shootings— including one which made fun of lazy school security guards, and another which joked about being tempted to grab a...

Many people are unaware that some antidepressants (medications used to treat people living with depression) are also being prescribed to treat certain chronic pain conditions. One in five people experiences chronic pain in Australia and globally, and treatment of chronic pain is often suboptimal, with commonly used medicines having limited or unknown benefits. The use of antidepressants to help manage a person's pain is on the rise, even when they do not have a mood disorder like depression. An international team of researchers has found that some classes of antidepressants were effective in treating certain pain conditions in adults, but...

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There is no clear evidence that depression is caused by low serotonin levels, research suggests. The new review, which analysed existing studies, suggests the condition is not likely caused by a chemical imbalance, and calls into question what antidepressants do. Researchers say their findings are important as studies show that as many as 85-90% of the public believes that depression is caused by low serotonin or a chemical imbalance.

WHAT'S IN THIS ARTICLE? History of antidepressant use in the US Understanding depression The rise of antidepressants SSRIs 101: What you should know How do SSRIs work? Too much of a good thing: Serotonin syndrome The connection between SSRIs and violence SSRIs can increase the risk of suicide SSRIs can increase the risk of violence against others Connection between SSRI and murder The push for stronger mental health legislation Gun control, mental health, and SSRIs: What’s the solution? Personal responsibility The FDA-big pharma connection Political influence of big pharma The FDA approval process According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation...

Antidepressants are no better at making people feel happier than taking no medication at all, a study claimed today. Patients on the drugs did not have a significantly better quality of life compared to depressed people who were not on the pills, the analysis found. Researchers looked 17.5million US adults with depression over 10 years, with around half on medication and half not. Results showed a slight improvement in mental health in both groups, regardless of whether they were on antidepressants. The researchers from King Saud University, Saudi Arabia, called for more long-term studies on patients on antidepressants to evaluate...

A toxicology report for late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins shows the musician had multiple types of substances in his system at the time of death. "The toxicology test on urine from Taylor Hawkins' body preliminarily found 10 types of substances, including: THC, tricyclic antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and opioids," the Attorney General's Office of Colombia shared. "The National Institute of Legal Medicine is continuing medical studies to completely clarify the cause of death for Taylor Hawkins," continued the statement. The Attorney General's office will also continue conducting its own investigation. The Foo Fighters confirmed Hawkins' sudden death at 50 late Friday...

On this episode of the Resistance Library Podcast, Sam and David discuss the corresponding rise of antidepressants, SSRIs, and mass shootings. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), a mass murder occurs when at least four people are murdered, not including the shooter, over a relatively short period of time during a single incident. Over the last 30 years, the United States has seen a significant increase in mass shootings, which are becoming more frequent and more deadly. Seemingly every time a mass shooting occurs, whether it’s at a synagogue in Pittsburgh or a nightclub in Orlando, the anti-gun...

According to a recent study in JAMA Network Open, Americans gained about 1 1/2 pounds every month during stay-at-home orders last year. At the same time, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 2 in 5 are struggling with mental health issues. One local researcher believes a ketogenic diet could help address both issues. Eric Rodgers was running marathons when his doctor said he was pre-diabetic. At the time, he was also taking anti-depressants. "You would lose enjoyment in things. You're not looking forward to things that you used to look forward to," Rodgers said. He...

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), a mass murder occurs when at least four people are murdered, not including the shooter, over a relatively short period of time during a single incident. Over the last 30 years, the United States has seen a significant increase in mass shootings, which are becoming more frequent and more deadly. Seemingly every time a mass shooting occurs, whether it’s at a synagogue in Pittsburgh or a nightclub in Orlando, the anti-gun media and politicians have a knee-jerk response – they blame the tragedy solely on the tool used, namely firearms, and focus...

Heh! Go to the link. I did terrible.

A friend of the Dayton gunman...Kollie is charged with lying on a federal firearms form while buying a pistol not used in the attack...Dr. Kent Harshbarger said during a Thursday news conference that two people shot Aug. 4 by Betts were also shot by police but that none of the shots were lethal...The coroner said cocaine, antidepressants and alcohol were found in Betts’ system at the time of the shooting. A pipe device and a clear baggie carrying cocaine was found on Betts’ body.

Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson defended controversial comments she has made in the past about mental health and antidepressants during a contentious interview Thursday. The self-help author is under increased scrutiny after she received positive reviews for her debate performance this week in Detroit, during which she called the Trump administration a "dark psychic force." “Not all drugs numb you or mask you," Anderson Cooper asked Williamson, referencing comments she had made about antidepressants. "And telling a seriously depressed person that taking an antidepressant they’re going to be numbed — isn't that not a good message?”

The study found that there was nearly a 50% increased risk of dementia among patients aged 55 and over who had used strong anticholinergic medication daily for three years or more. Anticholinergic drugs help to contract and relax muscles. They work by blocking acetylcholine, a chemical that transmits messages in the nervous system. Doctors prescribe the drugs to treat a variety of conditions, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bladder conditions, allergies, gastrointestinal disorders and symptoms of Parkinson's disease. These medicines can have short-term side effects, including confusion and memory loss, but it is less certain whether long-term use increases the...

Antidepressants pose a threat to wildlife due to their presence in water supplies, say experts ... ... Dr Helena Herrera, of Portsmouth’s School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, said many prescribers might not be aware antidepressant medication was potentially harmful for marine life, or that it persists in the environment. ... Their research [Dr Helena Herrera, of Portsmouth’s School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, and Professor Alex Ford, of Portsmouth’s Institute of Marine Biology], published in British Journal of Psychiatry, suggests even one step towards addressing the environmental problem of such drugs would help. ... In a previous study, Professor...

Chalet Reports finds that indiscriminate rampage killings in the United States increased by nearly five times (500 percent) within the first decade after the introduction of serotonin-related antidepressants in the 1960s, and has essentially doubled since then, to nearly 10 times the highest rate of rampage killings in earlier decades, after Eli Lilly first began admitted testing on humans of fluoxetine (known mostly by its brand name Prozac). The bar chart below shows the number of such rampage killing incidents (not number of victims) by decade, beginning in 1900, through August 2018. A proportional line graph of the growth of...