In 2018, a New York Times expose found that many patients remain "parked" on SSRIs indefinitely because they can't quit. When they try to stop Zoloft, Prozac, Paxil and other SSRIs, they experience debilitating dizziness, nausea, headaches and brain "zaps." Pharma and the psychiatrists it has captured call the phenomenon "discontinuation syndrome" but it is actually -- any guesses anyone? -- addiction! (For valuable information on this syndrome, see the book Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal)
The second side effect that is emerging with SSRIs is bone-thinning, fractures and osteoporosis. When these negative bone side effects originally occurred, especially after long-term use (see above) and in older patients, they were likely dismissed as simple "aging." But as early as 2008, James M. Ellison, MD, MPH, of the Cleveland Clinic suggested that doctors may "choose to include bone effects among the other risk and benefit factors that influence the decision to continue" the drugs and noted that scientific information about the effect of SSRIs (and SNRIs, another type of antidepressant) on bone density was lacking.
Since then, several studies have confirmed "impaired fracture healing" from SSRIs and other serious, likely not reversible, side effects on bone, including on jawbones. Though osteoporosis is more common among women, the bone impairments from SSRIs are also seen in men in scientific studies.
Some SSRI makers are fighting back, not wanting to lose profits because of a few bone snaps. In a 2019 article in Translational Psychiatry, one of whose authors is employed by Janssen Australia and New Zealand "which is in the business of commercializing therapeutics for depression," SSRI treatment was found to have "long-lasting" positive effects on the "bone formation" of stressed rats. The effects "may be relevant to the understanding and treatment of osteoporosis, a condition of increasing prevalence due to the aging population," write the authors.
Not only are SSRIs not guilty of weakening bones, they may even be a treatment for osteoporosis suggest the writers. Do we see a gleam in Pharma's eye? In addition to the gleam over vaccines profits, that is.
(Article changed on October 23, 2020 at 21:31)
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
2
2
1
