Prozac-We Should Have Known

The British Medical Journal recently came into possession of internal Eli Lilly documents showing that as early as 1988 the company knew that it's "wonder" drug, Prozac, caused violence and suicide. Yet Lilly executives knowingly suppressed this information and have thus caused thousands of deaths.

Ann Blake-Tracy, PhD, Executive Director of the International Coalition For Drug Awareness has been an outspoken opponent of the use of Prozac type drugs for many years. Here is her response to the BMJ article and release of the documents:

After testifying as an expert witness in criminal cases involving SSRI antidepressants for 13 years, I am very grateful for your article.

The fact remains that over the past five decades mainstream medical research on serotonin has supported the fact that when serotonin reuptake is inhibited the end result will be mania/psychosis, severe loss of memory, horrifying nightmares, tension and anxiety that appear from nowhere, cravings for alcohol and other drugs, impulsive behavior with no concern for punishment, including impulsive murder or suicide, violent crime, road rage, argumentative behavior, etc.

For 15 years I have warned that all of these reactions should be expected with the SSRI antidepressants because their mode of action is inhibition of the reuptake of serotonin. This new information from the BMJ on what Lilly knew about Prozac and when they knew it only backs up all of this existing research.

This is research that was available for anyone to read over the past five decades. So, I want to know - why did no one in a position of authority read that research BEFORE these drugs were approved?

I have never doubted that the manufacturer of each SSRI antidepressant knew their drugs would produce these results. They could not have missed it. And it was only a matter of time before it surfaced. My only remaining question has been, "How many would die before this information surfaced?"

Clearly this is an international tragedy and I am convinced that as we count the dead and damaged stemming from the use of these antidepressants all will be in shock.

Ann Blake Tracy, Ph.D.,
Executive Director, International Coalition For Drug Awareness
Website: www.drugawareness.org
Author: Prozac: Panacea or Pandora? - Our Serotonin Nightmare
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