Rolling Stone: The Far Right’s Next Target for a Bullshit Moral Panic: Antidepressants

[Brain food]

There is so much misinformation in this article. The alternative headline if you put your mouse clicker above the tab in Google Chrome is " Antidepressants Aren't Dangerous, But the GOP Sure Thinks They Are".


We really need to get a right wing talk show host to mention PSSD. In this current political environment that would probably make knowledge of this condition go viral, since traditional or left-wing media outlets like Rolling Stone would immediately claim that the right-wing was making up PSSD. But at least a lot more people would become aware of the term/condition.

https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/cu ... c-1378712/

[ElaineBenes5]

I’m not sure I’d feel comfortable associating myself and this condition with the arguments they are making about SSRIs and how they lead to violence. I’m not sure that association is going to work for anyone in the community. The idea that publicizing this via Tucker Carlson and his viewership will lead to more intense criticism of antidepressants by his viewers is likely. I cannot anticipate that it will garner this community any additional support or recognition or funding. In fact I think the opposite will happen. Further isolation and dehumanization and maligned as damaged and potentially unstable individuals as a result of SSRIs. People would be even less likely to speak out about their condition if this was the case.

Has the community worked with Public Citizen at all? Before we desperately call upon Tucker Carlson let’s think that strategy through completely including unintended consequences. A legit organizational presence is necessary first. We’re all divided by various forums and subreddits- organize first.

Tucker Carlson does not have any sympathy for the PSSD community.

[Brain food]

I’m not sure I’d feel comfortable associating myself and this condition with the arguments they are making about SSRIs and how they lead to violence. I’m not sure that association is going to work for anyone in the community. The idea that publicizing this via Tucker Carlson and his viewership will lead to more intense criticism of antidepressants by his viewers is likely. I cannot anticipate that it will garner this community any additional support or recognition or funding. In fact I think the opposite will happen. Further isolation and dehumanization and maligned as damaged and potentially unstable individuals as a result of SSRIs. People would be even less likely to speak out about their condition if this was the case.

Has the community worked with Public Citizen at all? Before we desperately call upon Tucker Carlson let’s think that strategy through completely including unintended consequences. A legit organizational presence is necessary first. We’re all divided by various forums and subreddits- organize first.

Tucker Carlson does not have any sympathy for the PSSD community.

A family friend who is a lawyer and had some previous high level jobs in the government dealing with healthcare regulations actually got me in touch with someone very high up at Public Citizen. They most likely can’t do anything about PSSD. Public Citizen actually represented the Post-Finasteride Syndrome (PFS) Foundation in a lawsuit against the FDA. They sued the FDA last year for not responding to the citizen petition that the PFS Foundation filed in 2017. The FDA responded to the petition in June of this year and refused to recognize PFS. Public Citizen dropped their lawsuit. There’s not much they can do. The FDA makes the rules and regulations. You can’t really sue them because you disagree with their decisions. We really need to find a way to pressure Congress to improve the FDA, because it’s currently doing a worse job than the European Medicines Agency (EMA) at responding to citizen petitions and adding new warnings about side effects. I believe the EMA required a stricter warning for Finasteride than the FDA did, after facing pressure from Post-Finasteride Syndrome advocates. And it’s much more difficult to sue Merck or any of the other big pharmaceutical companies if the FDA denies that there is evidence that their products cause these conditions.

There was similar citizen petition submitted to the FDA regarding PSSD by Dr. David Healy’s organization Data Based Medicine Americas Ltd. But I think the FDA is very likely to deny PSSD, as there is even less research proving its existence than there is for PFS. See links below:

https://www.pharmaceuticalprocessingwor ... he-market/

https://www.pharmaceuticalprocessingwor ... he-market/

https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigatio ... 021-09-08/

https://www.reuters.com/business/health ... 022-06-10/

https://www.law360.com/amp/articles/1501399

[Brain food]

I found out some more about the EMA’s response to complaints about Finasteride versus the FDA’s. I believe the only major difference was that the EMA required a warning about a risk of possible suicidal ideation in 2017 and the FDA only did so in 2022. See below:

“The European Medicines Agency found the relationship between finasteride and depression was hard to assess, but still required a warning about suicidal ideation in 2017, in part because Propecia is not prescribed for a serious condition, according to EMA committee meeting minutes. Doctors and patients generally weigh risks differently for a drug to treat a life-threatening health problem, versus something less severe.

When Health Canada required its warning in 2019, it noted 368 international reports of suicidal events reported in patients treated with finasteride through September 2018. Merck did not respond to questions about these regulatory moves.“

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-merc ... SKBN2A32XU

[ElaineBenes5]

This is some very thorough info! Appreciate the thought and links. It is unfortunate. I know Finasteride now does have warnings that side effects may continue after discontinuation. Similar warning to what is on SSRIS in Canada and Europe now, and Fluoextine in the USA.


Sigh.

[Ventus]

The horrible thing is that for once the Far Right is correct psyc meds are extremely dangerous and should never be used. I hate agreeing with people I well hate.