( 7 reviews )
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Posted: Jul 3 2009
This is an amazing and valuable book for many reasons. Written by someone who treats patients with medications from the 'Prozac Group" of SSRI drugs, he might have a vested interest, but instead has a clear focus on the best interests of patients. He does not reject these drugs out of hand, but shares the most appropriate protocols for safe and effective prescription and use (not taught or published by the makers, but left up to practitioners to discover on their own...a significant safety issue). NOTE: The title refers to the body's desire to rebalance itself in the face of the powerful substances affecting its biochemical function: not a political statement. The doctor pulls no punches. He is clear about the many issues surrounding psych meds in general and these meds in particular, and gives us a good 'big picture' look. Most remarkable is that he pulled together the scattered research studies on his own. Congress set up a situation, at the urging of Big Pharma, where drugs are approved without prior long-term studies and only 6 to 8 weeks of short term (often flawed) studies mostly designed to get market approval. There are no long term studies conducted after approval, and a meager 6 employees at FDA collect 'spontaneous' reports from users and physicians to funnel back to the manufacturers post-approval...a very shaky and under funded system for such a critical need). Glenmullen uses his own case histories to illustrate and bring life to key points, and at the same time draws from literally hundreds of studies and fully cites them. He develops the concept of a 'drug life cycle' and how this group of drugs mirrors the use of cocaine elixirs and the like in the 1920's and 30's, moving on to amphetamines and tranquilizers, then tri-cyclic drugs, and then the modern medications such as Prozac, Paxil, Welbutrin and their chemical relatives. There is a common story: they are first hailed as a major scientific breakthrough, and negative side effects are hidden or played down; then as word starts to get around of the problems with the drugs, the maker fights tooth and nail against critics, and eventually after 25 years or so the overwhelming evidence against them (and the expiration of the drug patent) they are pulled from the market or severely restricted. Beware the 'miracle cure!' Glenmullen focuses on Prozac since it was the first to market of this group of drugs, and there is the most research on that specific drug, but then he draws out carefully the similarities and differences that have been observed within all the members of this drug group. The shortcomings he discovers are not trivial...and the potential he shares for both significant unwanted drug effects and long term brain damage are not small. Typical of most doctors of his generation, he does not look at all the things we ingest as part of his intake: the role of diet, food dyes and preservatives, environmental toxins, and other medications -- and their psychoactive properties. But he is a strong proponent of a good initial intake, building a relationship with clients, listening, and uncovering the real cause. He is cautious and generally advocates short term use of these powerful medicines, and demonstrates with his own case studies the usefulness of cognitive (talk) therapy and other non-drugs methods. Most powerfully, the author builds a strong case that both primary physicians and psychiatrists should exercise a much lower prescription rate of these drugs than we see now: what he sees is that there is much unnecessary prescribing. He advocates for regular and careful follow up care with the smaller percentage who might truly need these drugs, the imperative need to address the true underlying life issues that originally led to anxiety or depression, and the importance of a plan to take people off of the drugs as soon as possible, often within a few months rather than the lifetime prescription plan which is now common.
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Posted: Nov 22 2008
Joseph Glenmullen: The Prozac Backlash Overcoming the Dangers of Prozac Prozac should not be prescribed if it is dangerous. If a drug is the cause of suicide why prescribe it? Doctors are not suppose to be like that!
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( 4 of 4 found this review helpful ) Posted: Jan 25 2007
I urge anyone who is taking an SSRI antidepressant (or considering it) to read this book. All the way through. Prozac and it's SSRI cousins are recklessly handed out to us as if they were candy on Halloween. I'll wager your physician will not tell you of the side effects and dangers of these so called miracle pills. Remember that physicians are financially rewarded to get you and other patients in and out of their office as quickly as possible. It is lucrative to prescribe these drugs rather than inform you of supplements as well as dietary and lifestyle changes that work just as well as Prozac! Dr. Glenmullen is a courageous and incredibly well informed doctor. He presents anecdotal, firsthand and scientific evidence that antidepressants are not the Godsend we are led to believe they are. In fact they can be dangerous and downright debilitating. Even though this book was written in 2000, Dr. Glenmullen tells us of the increased risk of suicide in adults who take SSRIs. Now, in 2006, the FDA are finally acknowledging this! A black box warning is now placed on these drugs. Please do not mindlessly take antidepressants without being informed of the very possible consequences. Read this book first!
