US drug company knew that 'Prozac could lead to violence'

The Scotsman ^ | Fri 31 Dec 2004 | RHIANNON EDWARD

[TBP]

CONFIDENTIAL drug company documents appearing to suggest a link between a popular anti-depressant and suicide and violence have been handed to authorities in the United States, it emerged today.

The British Medical Journal (BMJ) received the documents concerning the drug fluoxetine (Prozac) from an anonymous source and has now turned them over to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

[TBP]

Not new but suddenly relevant again in light of the horrible incident at Virginia Tech.

It's nic eto know somebody cares about the shootings. Liberals couldn't wait to politicize them.

[TheBethsterNH]

This has occured before with Prozac back in the early 1990s(?) but the Son of Sam thought his neighbors dog told him to go on his sprees too.

[norcalvet]

The Virginia Tech shooter, Cho Seung-Hui, was reportedly (unconfirmed) on anti-depressant meds:
"Investigators believe Cho at some point had been taking medication for depression."
link to Chicago Sun Times article

Remember Eric Harris, of Columbine infamy? I think it is now common knowledge (at least among well-read Freepers!) he was on Luvox.

Check out this list of an additional 9 school shooters that were on anti-depressants: http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/view_press_release.php?rID=18410

Out of curiosity, I looked up Charles Whitman, the perpetrator of the 1966 U of Texas shooting in Austin. He was on Valium and Dexedrine, aka Dextroamphetamine, a "a powerful psychostimulant."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Whitman#Declining_health
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dextroamphetamine#Overdose

I wonder how easy it is to get an anti-depressant prescription (or sample?) at Virginia Tech.

[since1868]

Do we even know if Prozac was the drug he was prescribed?
Prozac has helped a lot of people, however it is apparent
it should not be prescribed to young people.

[norcalvet]

From what I have read, proper dosage is critical, as is the case with any drug. Just enough, and the person feels better. Too much, and bad stuff happens.

Some pharmaceutical companies have been successfully sued over this in recent years, although it doesn't get a lot of press.

Here is a larger list of anti-depressant related violence: http://www.ssristories.com/index.php

[norcalvet]

And no, we don’t know that he was prescribed Prozac or that he was even on any medication. That is an unconfirmed report from the Chicago Sun Times. But I’d put odds on him being on some sort of anti-depressant.

[since1868]

Yes like I said mostly the young.
Thanks for the info.

[cougar_mccxxi]

It was cheaper, safer and much more sensible when the state hospitals were still open to confine and/or treat people that were mentally imbalanced.

Allowing the drug companies and doctors to make a killing (no pun intended) peddling legalized prescription mind-altering drugs is creating nothing but hordes of doped-up lunatics running wild.

[TBP]

It was cheaper, safer and much more sensible when the state hospitals were still open to confine and/or treat people that were mentally imbalanced.

We also didn't hve nearly so many "homeless people" -- although rent control has something to do with that too.