Dr. Cheney recently came across some information regarding the dangers of
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIÌs), such as Prozac, Zoloft and
Paxil, and stimulants like Ritalin and Provigil. During office visits, Dr.
Cheney shows patients the book
Prozac
Backlash: Overcoming the Dangers of Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil and Other
Antidepressants
by Joseph Glenmullen, M.D., a psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School. It includes endorsements from other Ivy League psychiatrists. Cheney calls the implications of this book "staggering".
by Joseph Glenmullen, M.D., a psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School. It includes endorsements from other Ivy League psychiatrists. Cheney calls the implications of this book "staggering".
Donkey's brain: before and after it received a very potent SSRI. The
"before" photo shows a dark background filled with fine white lines and white
blobs, healthy neurons. The "after" photo is very dark, only a few white lines
and blobs remain. Most of the brain cells had been "fried".
SSRIs and stimulants work by increasing the firing of neurons.
While this often has great benefits in the short term, doctors are now realizing
that long term use "fries" brain cells. The body views any neuron that
fires excessively over time as damaged, and destroys it. SSRIs and stimulants,
taken over a period of 10 years or so, can lead to a loss of brain cells,
causing neurodegenerative disorders. Many doctors have recently seen a sudden
increase in patients with neurological symptoms, and most have been on Prozac,
or a similar drug, for about 10 years. Cheney is seeing this in his own
practice.
Parkinson's drugs stimulate the remaining neurons to "perform heroically",
firing excessively. However, the article notes that while benefits are seen
initially, neurological symptoms get much worse at the three to five-year point.
Patients experience wild involuntary movements, etc. These drugs, though helpful
in the short term, actually speed up the degenerative process.
What mechanisms are at work causing neurons to be "fried"? SSRIs
are often prescribed for depression, which involves a lack of
serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, a chemical messenger. One
neuron releases a burst of it into the intersynaptic cleft, (the gap between
neurons). The serotonin is then taken up by special receptors in the adjacent
neuron. Thus a message is sent from one neuron to another, with serotonin
carrying the message across the gap. Excess serotonin is cleared away before a
new message is sent. A "reuptake channel" in one neuron vacuums up the left over
serotonin.
SSRIs are designed to address a lack of serotonin by blocking the reuptake
channel from vacuuming up excess serotonin. While this allows more serotonin to
connect with the receptors, often too much is left floating in the intersynaptic
cleft. The only way the body can get rid of this excess serotonin is to oxidize
it. Unfortunately, this turns it into a toxic compound that, over time, kills
both the sending and receiving neurons. Cheney stated, "What starts out
as an attempt to increase serotonin and reduce symptoms ends up with the
destruction of the serotonergic system itself. It takes about a decade, more in
some, less in others.
Now when the serotonergic nerves are dead, you start getting these motor
neuron problems, which is what we're seeing." Cheney commented, "You know what a
lot of doctors (who do not understand CFIDS) are doing? They're saying 'Well,
let's just give them an antidepressant'. And they are frying their (patients')
brains and they don't even know it. In fact, a CFIDS patient on one of these
drugs fries their brain even faster than a non-CFIDS person." (See the article
on Klonopin for an explanation.)
Cheney went on to say, "The other way some people with CFIDS are
going is stimulating the brain, using drugs like Ritalin or Provigil. They do
the same thing - they fry the brain. They cause neurons to fire at
lower stimulus by lowering the firing threshold. All stimulants are dangerous,
especially over the long haul. I'm not saying that you might not find them
useful in the short-term. But over the long term, the physiology demands that
neurons that fire excessively be killed."
Cheney strongly urges anyone taking antidepressants or stimulants to read
Glenmullen's book. It lists safe alternatives to SSRIs." http://www.healthy.net/scr/Column.asp?Id=672&xcntr=1
[I've been using an Omega 3 fish oil product
for depression. My sister-in-law who has a Ph.D. in virology suggested
that I try this and it has been very helpful. Write dombush@bellsouth.net for details.]
11. BRAIN
FOG
From a reader--
"Brain fog is my biggest problem, I feel spaced out most
of the time."
[Wow. I can sure relate to that
statement! I have found two things that help me with my brain
fog. I was even able to organize my desk and clear off a years' worth of
papers that had been accumulating. Prior to this, I just didn't have the
mental clarity to do this. Write dombush@bellsouth.net for brain fog info.]
12. NO
ENERGY
From a reader--
"I have FMS and arthritis and have absolutely NO energy. I am
dragging all day and do not feel rested when i get
up. Worst part of it all is, I have to work fulltime."
[Oh! This poor reader! I don't know
how she continues to work full-time, except through sheer willpower!
Reminds me of my own fibro story at www.fms-help.com/fibro.htm. For a list of things I currently use that are very
helpful, see www.fms-help.com/what.htm. For a list of things I tried for sleep, see www.fms-help.com/sleep.htm.]
13. VACCINE FOR HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS (HPV) -
DANGEROUS!
From a reader--
"Better think twice (or 100 times) before allowing your daughters,
grandaughters, nieces or other young girls to be vaccinated....see
24. DOM'S UPDATE
Acne
Treatment
Candida Treatment
Cold
Sore Treatment
Essential Oils
Immune Balancing Shakes
Never an Outbreak
Shingles Treatment
Supplements That Work
14. SLEEP PROBLEMS
Reader needs feedback - please respond directly
to Jan at OneJannyW@aol.com--
"Wondering if anyone else has had Ambien stop working for
them ... all of a sudden I'm not sleeping on a 10mg dose. Maybe it has
something to do with tapering off one antidepressant and onto another ...
would love to hear feedback from others on this. I've tried all of the
sleep meds out there, and several antidepressants, and none of them have worked
as well as Ambien. Sominex has the same active ingredient
as benadryl, and that doesn't work either. I've never
tried melatonin because of possible interaction with my
prescribed meds. Frustrating. Have you ever tried light
therapy for sleep? Curious whether that would help."
[Oh! Insomnia is a horrible, frustrating,
life-wrecking problem! My sleep disorder began in my teens - I am now
55. Well, at least it doesn't kill you...or quickly, that is. See
www.fms-help.com/sleep.htm for a list of things I tried for sleep over the years, and also
my insomnia story at www.fms-help.com/insomnia.htm. For a list of things I currently use, see
www.fms-help.com/what.htm. I have not tried light therapy yet.]
15. NEW ZEALAND
HEALTH CARE
From a reader--
"Our tax rates for PAYE are 19.5c up to $38,000, 33cents from $38,000 to
$60,000 and 39c over $60,000. Quality of care and length of wait for surgery is
not great in the public hospitals here. I have a private medical insurance
which just covers me for surgery only which costs about $90 per month.
Fortunately government this year has
just started subsidising doctors visits and prescriptions for the over 45's
which is great for me. Otherwise visit would be about $60 and
prescriptions at least $15.00. Still pretty cheap compared with the US by the
sounds of it!! The figures I
quoted are in NZ dollars, exchange rate [with the
U.S.] is about .74-75cents at the moment."
[I had asked this reader who lives in NZ about
their health care system. I quoted a reader in Canada in the last
newsletter about their health care system - visit the newsletter archives
at www.fms-help.com/newsletters.htm. Here
in the U.S. we are still trying to figure out what to do about national health
care. Right now if you have money you can buy health insurance,
and if you are poor, you qualify for government assistance. However, for
those of us in the middle of the economic spectrum - or those with existing
health problems who cannot qualify for insurance - we are really in a
bind! There are some concerns about national health care programs for the
U.S. For instance, how much will taxes have to go up to pay for
this? How good will the care be? Will you have a choice of
doctors? How long do you have to wait for a specialist? Or
for surgery? Etc. Right now I have hospitalization
coverage only. Doctors visits, meds, lab tests, etc. are all out of pocket
for me. Ouch....that hurts my wallet! One good thing is the new
$4 generic drug program at WalMart pharmacy. If I need a med, I try to get
my doc to prescribe something from the WalMart list. However, some meds I
use are not generic - for instance, either Ambien and Lunesta (I use one or the
other for sleep) costs me $90 per month. My husband falls asleep in
a couple of minutes - I sometimes remind him that he just saved $90....ha!
This doesn't count all the other supplements and meds I take to stay
functional. For the curious, my complete list is at www.fms-help.com/what.htm.]
16.
PRESCRIPTIONS DON'T HELP
From a reader--
"I am suffering
from a severe flareup of fibromyalgia (which I have had for 36 yrs)
and I would like to know more about getting to the root of the problem instead
of taking prescriptions that don't work and cost too
much."
[Wish there were a sure cure for fibro.
My list of meds, supplements, etc. is at www.fms-help.com/what.htm - these are things I need to have a relatively
functional life.]
17. WHICH
ANTIDEPRESSANTS CAUSE WEIGHT GAIN?
Got this article from Revolution Health (a
really great site, BTW)--
18. FIND A
DOCTOR OR RATE YOUR DOCTOR
[I rated 3 doctors so
far.]
19. MORE ON
FLU SHOTS
From a reader--
"A gentleman wrote in [see
www.fms-help.com/070107.htm, Topic 14] about how the flu and pneumonia shot
seems to have been a mistake. He could have Myalgic Encephalomyelitis in
addition to Fibromyalgia, as I do. The National CFIDS/ME Foundation has
printed warnings in their member-only newsletter about taking the flu
shot. It is only recommended for the severely ill who could be at greatest
risk if they catch the flu, and then it must be given in divided doses
only in someone who has myalgic encephalomyelitis. Someone who
has primary fibromyalgia, but no myalgic encephalomyelitis will not test
positive for myalgic encephalomyelitis on the Ciguatera Epitope testing
(information is offered through The National CFIDS Foundation) however, if they
have the M.E. CFIDS unbeknown to them, they should know after the blood
test. Information on having the blood test done might be available on
the website www.NCF-NET.org or one can look up
further contact information on that site. The reason I was
given for not taking the flu shot at this less severe stage of ME/CFIDS is due
to the very problem he spoke of. Patients can become worse after
having the shot. I never take the flu shot. I do not know
whether the pneumonia shot should be taken or not, but perhaps The Foundation
could answer that one for him."
20. COMMON
VARIABLE IMMUNE DEFICIENCY
From a reader--
"I was diagnosed last fall with Common Variable
Immune Deficiency and I have to get infusion therapy
once a month. Have you heard if this may go along with fibro? Has
anyone ever mentioned this to you before or have you received any information on
this? I have read on the web several sites my doctor told me about.
Not a very good thing to have, but I must remain positive, so many things
are being researched today, you never know what they may come up with for
this."
[Do you know anything about Common Variable Immune
Deficiency? Please write dombush@bellsouth.net.]
21. LYME
DISEASE OR FIBRO?
From a reader--
"I want to tell you about a pure silver
protein that is more potent than any other on the market. It is called
Germ Slayer and it is manufactured for and
marketed by Aluwe International, Minnetonka, MN, USA. I used to use
Argentyn 23 and when I changed, I saw a big different in how I felt. Germ Slayer
was recommended to me by my Family Medicine doctor. As you know, many people with fibro need to be checked for Lyme
Disease. I attended the Fibromyalgia Coalition International Conference a year
ago and listened to a doctor who is expert on Lyme speak about it. He feels that
everyone with fibro should be tested since many really have Lyme rather than
fibro; the symptoms being so similar. Now here is the problem with
testing. You probably know that they often do not show the disease despite
its presence. If you go to
this link, the CEO of Aluwe has a Lyme update posted on the company
website. http://www.aluwe.com/content/LymeDiseaseBreakthrough.pdf.
There is a list of Lyme Disease
symptoms on the website people can take to see if they may have Lyme.
Here is the link. http://www.aluwe.com/content/lyme_symptoms.pdf.
People with Lyme, Fibromyalgia, and
many other diseases benefit from the use of silver protein and this one deserves
consideration because of its potency and purity and ready
assimilation."
[I have been using Colloidal Silver on an as-needed basis for the
past 7 years. I was tested for Lyme last year, but it came back
negative. I have heard of people with CFS improving with Colloidal
Silver. It's a natural antibiotic--useful for many things.
Colloidal Silver is in my online store. Please write dombush@bellsouth.net for the
link.]
22. WHAT
MYALGIC ENCEPHALOMYELITIS (M.E./CFS) FEELS LIKE
Link sent by a reader--
What characterises M.E. every bit as much as the
individual symptoms is the pattern of symptom exacerbations, relapses and
disease progression (and so on) in M.E. which include:
a. When you have M.E. you very quickly find out that you are unable to be
anything like as active as you were pre-illness. This is an acute change,
not a gradual one; M.E. patients can only achieve 50%, or less, of their
pre-illness activity level immediately upon becoming ill with M.E.
b. As well as no longer being able to be as physically active as you were
pre-illness, you are also limited in a similar way with; cognitive exertion,
sensory input and orthostatic stress.
c. Being active beyond your individual (physical, cognitive, sensory or
orthostatic) limits causes a worsening of all sorts of different
neurological, cognitive, cardiac, cardiovascular, immunological,
endocrinological, respiratory, hormonal, muscular, gastrointestinal and
other symptoms.
d. The level of physical activity, cognitive exertion, sensory input or
orthostatic stress needed to cause a significant or severe worsening of
symptoms varies from patient to patient, but is often trivial compared to a
patient's pre-illness tolerances and abilities.
e. The severity of M.E. waxes and wanes throughout the hour/day/week and
month. (Periods of intensive rest before events, and surges of adrenaline,
can also sometimes allow people with M.E. to do things beyond their usual
limits for a short time - albeit at the cost of future relapse and/or
disease progression.)
f. The worsening of the illness caused by overexertion can be acute, but
often does not peak until 24 - 48 hours (or more) afterward.
g. If you push past your individual limits too deeply or too often, the
effects of overexertion can also accumulate over longer periods of time and
lead to disease progression, or death.
h. The activity limits of M.E. are not short term (they are not being
perpetuated by 'deconditioning' - a gradual (or sudden) increase in activity
levels beyond a patient's individual limits can only cause relapse, disease
progression or death in patients with M.E.)
i. The symptoms of M.E. do not resolve with rest. The symptoms and
disability of M.E. are not just caused by overexertion, there is also a base
level of illness which can be quite severe even at rest.
j. Repeated overexertion can harm your chances for future improvement in
M.E. M.E. patients who are given advice to rest in the early stages of the
illness (and who avoid overexertion thereafter) have repeatedly been shown
to have the most positive long-term prognosis.
k. Not every M.E. sufferer has 'safe' activity limits within which they will
not exacerbate their illness, this is not the case for the very severely
affected.
This paper is quite detailed, but a condensed (half as long) version is also
available, and as always, both may be downloaded in printer-friendly Word or
PDF formats.
See http://www.ahummingbirdsguide.com/whatmefeelslike.htm
a. When you have M.E. you very quickly find out that you are unable to be
anything like as active as you were pre-illness. This is an acute change,
not a gradual one; M.E. patients can only achieve 50%, or less, of their
pre-illness activity level immediately upon becoming ill with M.E.
b. As well as no longer being able to be as physically active as you were
pre-illness, you are also limited in a similar way with; cognitive exertion,
sensory input and orthostatic stress.
c. Being active beyond your individual (physical, cognitive, sensory or
orthostatic) limits causes a worsening of all sorts of different
neurological, cognitive, cardiac, cardiovascular, immunological,
endocrinological, respiratory, hormonal, muscular, gastrointestinal and
other symptoms.
d. The level of physical activity, cognitive exertion, sensory input or
orthostatic stress needed to cause a significant or severe worsening of
symptoms varies from patient to patient, but is often trivial compared to a
patient's pre-illness tolerances and abilities.
e. The severity of M.E. waxes and wanes throughout the hour/day/week and
month. (Periods of intensive rest before events, and surges of adrenaline,
can also sometimes allow people with M.E. to do things beyond their usual
limits for a short time - albeit at the cost of future relapse and/or
disease progression.
f. The worsening of the illness caused by overexertion can be acute, but
often does not peak until 24 - 48 hours (or more) afterward.
g. If you push past your individual limits too deeply or too often, the
effects of overexertion can also accumulate over longer periods of time and
lead to disease progression, or death.
h. The activity limits of M.E. are not short term (they are not being
perpetuated by 'deconditioning' - a gradual (or sudden) increase in activity
levels beyond a patient's individual limits can only cause relapse, disease
progression or death in patients with M.E.)
i. The symptoms of M.E. do not resolve with rest. The symptoms and
disability of M.E. are not just caused by overexertion, there is also a base
level of illness which can be quite severe even at rest.
j. Repeated overexertion can harm your chances for future improvement in
M.E. M.E. patients who are given advice to rest in the early stages of the
illness (and who avoid overexertion thereafter) have repeatedly been shown
to have the most positive long-term prognosis.
k. Not every M.E. sufferer has 'safe' activity limits within which they will
not exacerbate their illness, this is not the case for the very severely
affected.
This paper is quite detailed, but a condensed (half as long) version is also
available, and as always, both may be downloaded in printer-friendly Word or
PDF formats.
See
23. FMS/CFS
IS A HYPOTHALMIC SLEEP DISORDER
Got this from a reader - very good info written by Dr. Jacob
Teitelbaum http://www.healthy.net/scr/Column.asp?Id=672&xcntr=2--
Disordered sleep: Most patients
with these illnesses find that they are unable to get 7-8 hours of deep
sleep a night without taking medications. In part, this occurs because
hypothalamic function is critical to deep sleep. Unfortunately, many of the most
common sleep medications actually aggravate the sleep problems by decreasing the
amount of time spent in deep sleep. For patients to get well, it is
critical that they take enough of the correct sleep medications to get 8 to 9
hours sleep at night! These medications include Ambien, Desyrel,
Klonopin, Xanax, Soma and, if you don't have Restless Leg Syndrome, Flexeril
and/or Elavil. In addition, natural remedies can help sleep. An excellent one
(which I developed -Revitalizing Sleep Formula by Enzymatic Therapy -- 100
percent of my royalty for all products I develop is donated to charity) includes
theanine, Jamaican Dogwood, wild lettuce, valerian, passionflower, and hops.
Other natural sleep aids include Calcium, Magnesium, 5-HTP (100-300mg), and
melatonin (3/10-1mg). Some patients find that over-the-counter
antihistamines such as doxylamine (Unisom for
sleep) or Benadryl can also help. In the first six
months of treatment, it is not uncommon to sometimes need to take even six to
eight different products simultaneously to get 8 hours of sleep at night. After
6-18 months of feeling well, most people can come off of most sleep (and other)
medications. I'm starting to believe that, to offer a margin for safety during
periods of stress, it may be wise to stay on 1/2 to 1 tablet of a sleep
medication for the rest of your life. Your doctor may initially be
uncomfortable with this. Nonetheless, our experience with over 2000 patients and
2 research studies have found this approach to be safe and critical to people
getting well. When one recognizes that CFS/FMS is a
hypothalamic sleep disorder -- not poor sleep hygiene -- this
approach makes sense. Otherwise, it is as if your doctor would immediately try
to stop blood pressure or diabetes medicines every time the patient was doing
better!
[This is a merciful approach. My FMS began in 1982
www.fms-help.com/fibro.htm
due in large part to a sleep disorder that began in 1968 when I was 16. I
am now 55 and realize that I will probably have to be on sleep meds
www.fms-help.com/sleep.htm
for the rest of my life. Although I am finally free of pain, fatigue and
brain fog, my sleep disorder is still an issue. It appears that my sleep
clock is broken www.fms-help.com/insomnia.htm.
I have gone as long as 4-5 days without any sleep, and many months on just 2-3
hours per night if that. Sleep meds are a merciful solution!
You cannot live without sleep. Ever hear of Fatal Familial Insomnia -
horrible! Without sleep, you can't be healthy. Your immune
system fails and you become an easy target of all kinds of viruses and
infections.]
24. DOM'S UPDATE
I have been feeling great since June 5 when I began taking some
wonderful supplements suggested by my husband. These past 33 days have
been like a breath of fresh air for me! I have felt like a normal
person!! I only had one down day, caused by getting extremely overheated
in an un-airconditioned building here in Florida. (My brain felt like it
had been cooked!) Aside from that, the other 32 days were great!
No pain, fatigue or fog. What a
blessing! I even filed papers off my desk that had been
accumulating for a year - I just didn't have the mental clarity before to tackle
this daunting task. Lots of other projects and things are getting done
too.
Life seems almost effortless now. Cooking dinner, cleaning up
the kitchen, paying bills, teaching, doing laundry, playing the piano for church
- all no problem! This must be how nnormal people feel! No wonder
they can accomplish so much and actually hold jobs.
Before taking these supplements, I felt like I was slogging
through mud up to my neck every day. It took Herculean effort to do the
simplest things--or maybe I should say it was like rolling a huge boulder uphill
all the time.
I don't know if these products will help you, but they make sense
to try, especially if what you're using now isn't helping. I can send you the link to my online store and the names of what
I'm using - write me at dombush@bellsouth.net.
I use a powerful antioxidant (which takes
oxygen to the brain and cells of the body), another product I call
"rocket fuel" (for energy), a stress
formula (helps me unwind my mind and nervous system in the evening
after a busy day) and a formula for lungs (my
chest tightness, cough and breathing problems of
2-1/2 years duration is dissipating rapidly - almost
gone!) I have used SO many other supplements in the
past that haven't made a bit of difference, but these actually work.....and
quickly! They are specially designed and very FRESH and
potent! I am greatly encouraged and hope all this wellness keeps on
going! I haven't pushed the envelope yet with something really stressful
such as traveling. Will let you know if I can get more than 25 miles from
home.
Oh, one more thing - the visual and cognitive problems I
experienced when driving or riding in a car are gone now - I can actually
enjoy the scenery again!
Til next time,
Dominie Soo
Bush
DOMINIE'S FIBROMYALGIA & CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME HOMEPAGE
DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical doctor. I am a fibromyalgia / chronic fatigue syndrome survivor. The purpose of this website is not to diagnose or cure any disease or malady, but is presented as food for thought. This information cannot take the place of professional medical advice. Any attempt to diagnose and treat an illness should come under the direction of a physician. No guarantees are made regarding any of the information in this website.