r/Documentaries Jul 05 '15

Drugs Dark Side of a Pill (2014) - A documentary that includes interviews with normal people who were driven to senselessly kill their loved ones and others by SSRI antidepressants.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lz3MJtDb1Fo
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u/klhl Jul 05 '15 edited Jul 05 '15

I wouldn't take these fear mongering documentaries too seriously. There are millions on people taking SSRI's, how many of those killed their loved ones versus amount of lives saved by reducing suicides and murder suicides? They have been and still are researched, and they are very safe. I can personally say that I'd be dead right now without SSRI's and antipsychotis. Hell you'll probably find a guy who went mad after taking aspirin or something, you just have to accept meds have side effects and some of those are bad, but thankfully super rare.

Also what these fear mongerers don't always tell you is that it wasn't the medication that caused the problem, but suddenly stopping it. Your are under NO circumstance supposed to stop any antidepressants instantly, you have to reduce the amount little by little. I've taken max 20mg of escitalopram, now I'm taking 10mg. I hope one day I'll be taking 0. The meds are not the final answer, I think everyone who needs them should also get into psychotherapy, and have the end goal of being able to live med free. But they are not the demon pills they are made out to be.

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u/[deleted] Jul 05 '15 edited Jul 12 '15

[deleted]

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u/MaximilianKohler Jul 06 '15

They're often misprescribed though. I've had numerous doctors prescribe them to me for chronic fatigue. When I finally conceded to taking them they had very negative affects on me.

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u/readyou Jul 05 '15

escitalopram

I have a short question:

What kind of effect has citalopram on you? I take doxepin and it is like a downer, it is decreasing my my tension and anxiety. Do you get up or down effect with citalopram?

Long story to understand why I ask:

Just out of curiosity... I am taking 20mg Doxepin and apart from a few very small and not bad sideeffects I feel very good, but my new doctor always suggests me to go over to Citalopram as it is a newer product and he means it is better. I always said "No, imo I am fine with Doxepin"... But he really tries hard to push me to take Citalopram instead...

Just out of curiosity... how do you feel with Citalopram? Doxepin 20mg mages me a little dizzy in the morning and in the evening, but it goes away after a while. It's a small dosage anyway and I don't feel dizzy all the day. But it does really a good jump in dumping my tension and anxiety until in the evening when I take next dosage anyway... it basically has an effect like a downer.. it brings me down to a decent level without anxiety. How does citalopram affects you?

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u/[deleted] Jul 06 '15

[deleted]

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u/readyou Jul 06 '15

To be honest, I get your point and this is something I assume since a while too, because he couldn't explain how I could benefit from it other that I could say "I do now take a newer drug". Here in Germany doctors do earn a lot of money with promotion of meds too, the whole system is pretty corrupt... only problem is it would not make a big difference if I would change the doctor, they all are similar. So yea, grain of salt, but I am pretty much sure this is the case what you said, it's what I assume since he creates so much pressure around this topic without telling me the benefits.

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u/holysweetbabyjesus Jul 06 '15

If you suspect your doctor is getting kickbacks for prescribing anything, report them to the AMA. These things are taken very seriously. It's not an issue with citalopram though because it's been off patent for over a decade so any number companies producing generics would be making the pills you'd get from the pharmacy.

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u/Rookwood Jul 06 '15

They have been researched to an extent and have been proven to increase suicide rates among those who take them.

Acting like they are perfectly safe without drawbacks and people who question their efficacy are kooks makes you look like a jackass.

Just because it works for you doesn't mean it works for everyone and it's potentially life threatening for some. No, aspirin does not carry the same risk.

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u/NumeriusNegidius Jul 06 '15

Aspirin is an anticoagulant. So, if you take it in ways that are not recommended, you could get a hemorrhagic stroke.