GlaxoSmithKline fined 3 BILLION

believe09

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Tsk Tsk. How many of you took Paxil and Wellbutrin for ailments they were not approved for? MisBranding. The largest fraud settlement in the history of the US.

I bet it will barely touch their bottom line. Just out of curiousity, how many of you have stories of trying to withdraw from either or both? Good times, I hear. That is what these companies should be sued for....jmvho.

Specifically, the government alleged that the drugs were marketed as a treatment for conditions for which they had not been approved. It said Paxil, which treats depressive and anxiety disorders in adults, was marketed to children and adolescents, and Wellbutrin, an antidepressant, was marketed as a weight-loss aid.



http://money.cnn.com/2012/07/02/news/companies/GlaxoSmithKline-settlement/index.htm?hpt=hp_t2
 
I had taken both! I remember the Wellbutrin made me have a metal taste in my mouth all the time. I thought I had some tooth fillings that were leaking. Took me a long time to figure out it wasn't my teeth it was the Wellbutrin. I worked with a lady and her husband took Wellbutrin and ended up having to be rushed to the ER because he had a football size growth on the side of his neck. Talk about strange......that growth showed up within a week!
 
Wellbutrin is what the er doc said was cause of my sudden onset seizures. I quit taking the meds and tried to slit my wrist, so yea going off them is no picinic. I swore I would never take meds for anexity or depression again. Then another doc tried to get me on Wellbutrin again, this time for smoking ceasation, saying the er doc was wrong. I haven't had a seizure since the day I quit taking those things. So thanks but no thanks doc.

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I believe it was wellbutrin that I took as a 'quit smoking' aid years ago. After I had been on it for awhile I started doing weird things. Like I would get on the elevator and go to push the button to my floor and push a different one. Mostly little things, until one day I was kidding around with my son and went to kind of push his shoulder a little and instead knocked him off his feet. I quit taking wellbutrin right then, cold turkey, before I hurt someone or myself. I just kept thinking what if I hit the gas instead of the brake when driving. That stuff may have helped some people but it messed with my body chemistry in a bad way.
 
I have been on/off Paxil for years for panic disorder/PTSD. I hate it because of the withdrawal and weight gain, but it seems to be the only thing that normalizes me when I cycle back into a bad spell - and we have tried quite a few different meds over the years. Withdrawing from it does absolutely suck. I'm weaning down again now (joy :what: ) after another two year stint. Not looking forward to the withdrawal symptoms - fogginess, a weird sensation that I've only ever been able to describe as feeling like an electrical "zap" in my head, sweats, etc. Fun fun!

If I don't laugh I'll cry though. What else can I do? :crazy:
 
The lawsuit is not about withdrawal symptoms or symptoms experienced from taking the medications, right? It's being sued for false advertising and not reporting another drug to the FDA?

All drugs have side effects and imo, most do have warnings. They also tell you not to stop taking the medications without consulting a doctor. You have to be very careful when weaning from medications.

Specifically, the government alleged that the drugs were marketed as a treatment for conditions for which they had not been approved. It said Paxil, which treats depressive and anxiety disorders in adults, was marketed to children and adolescents, and Wellbutrin, an antidepressant, was marketed as a weight-loss aid.

A third count involves a failure to report safety data about the drug Avandia, a diabetes drug, to the Food and Drug Administration between 2001and 2007.
 
Yes that's understandable. But try having a seizure every other day. Gradually be danged lol. No, this law suit is not about the with drawl symptoms, but it is something we were discussing.

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Tsk Tsk. How many of you took Paxil and Wellbutrin for ailments they were not approved for? MisBranding. The largest fraud settlement in the history of the US.

I bet it will barely touch their bottom line. Just out of curiousity, how many of you have stories of trying to withdraw from either or both? Good times, I hear. That is what these companies should be sued for....jmvho.





http://money.cnn.com/2012/07/02/news/companies/GlaxoSmithKline-settlement/index.htm?hpt=hp_t2

BBM- They definitely need to get rid of that 'discontinuation syndrome' BS, and call it what it is. Withdrawals.
My mum takes Paxil , ran out of her script, and missed 2 days of dosing. She had no idea that missing 2 days would have such a severe impact.
She ended up in the ER and being admitted because her BP and heart rate were all over the place. They thought she was going to have a stroke. Then she mentioned the paxil. They dosed her back up, but she still had to stay in there for 2 days to stabilise.

I've actually contacted GSK about the withdrawals for zoloft and how decieving the 'discontinuation syndrome' info was. I was only weaning and it was still really bad. (similar to going cold turkey from xanax)

In order for them to report the symptoms as side effects I had to give a release for all of medical info. I think they did this in the hope that I'd just shut up and go away, but I gave the release because I want it known that even when weaning by the set standard, withdrawal symptoms still happen.
 
I realize the withdrawal discussion is O/T from the OP. I just think it should be FRONT and CENTER in any conversation you have with your physician about any kind of medication that works on brain chemistry.

My friend weaned from Effexor. I saw someone come off of heroin cold turkey who didnt go through what she went through. For 8 months. 8 months until the brainstem zaps, the sweating, the shaking, the blood sugar issues....until it all finally started to subside. Not once did a Dr say, listen if we ever have to wean you off this stuff, your brain will be addicted and it is going to suck. Never Never Never. Not for zoloft, paxil, wellbutrin, topomax, lamictal, Effexor, Pristiq...they dont tell you. Side effects have nothing to do with the withdrawal. Withdrawal is its own separate hell. I have talked with dozens of people. For years the drug companies denied that the brain zaps actually occurred.

That is the level of frankness Dr's need to have. I have heard the seizure every other day symptom as well, my friend, and I am glad you are better.
 
One quick thing about my friend-If you are taking Effexor and weaning, there are doctors who tell you to open the pills and take out one little ball at a time and dissolve it in your mouth to ease the withdrawal.

Are you kidding me? This is how potent these meds are. Effective, sure. Lifesaving for many. But you should know all sides before you agree to take them.
 
I have been on/off Paxil for years for panic disorder/PTSD. I hate it because of the withdrawal and weight gain, but it seems to be the only thing that normalizes me when I cycle back into a bad spell - and we have tried quite a few different meds over the years. Withdrawing from it does absolutely suck. I'm weaning down again now (joy :what: ) after another two year stint. Not looking forward to the withdrawal symptoms - fogginess, a weird sensation that I've only ever been able to describe as feeling like an electrical "zap" in my head, sweats, etc. Fun fun!

If I don't laugh I'll cry though. What else can I do? :crazy:

Brain Shivers. They are the worst! I have been on Zoloft for 12 years. I hate brain shivers.
 
I realize the withdrawal discussion is O/T from the OP. I just think it should be FRONT and CENTER in any conversation you have with your physician about any kind of medication that works on brain chemistry.

My friend weaned from Effexor. I saw someone come off of heroin cold turkey who didnt go through what she went through. For 8 months. 8 months until the brainstem zaps, the sweating, the shaking, the blood sugar issues....until it all finally started to subside. Not once did a Dr say, listen if we ever have to wean you off this stuff, your brain will be addicted and it is going to suck. Never Never Never. Not for zoloft, paxil, wellbutrin, topomax, lamictal, Effexor, Pristiq...they dont tell you. Side effects have nothing to do with the withdrawal. Withdrawal is its own separate hell. I have talked with dozens of people. For years the drug companies denied that the brain zaps actually occurred.

That is the level of frankness Dr's need to have. I have heard the seizure every other day symptom as well, my friend, and I am glad you are better.

I'm sorry your friend wasn't aware of the withdrawal symptoms and the suffering she went through. IMO, the doctor should be the one held responsible in this case and not the drug company.

I'm not here to defend the drug companies but sometimes doctors are the ones who don't warn their patients.

That's why I always recommend checking online whenever family or friends are prescribed a medication. It doesn't matter what drug. Do some research before taking it.

Also, I don't know if it's the same in the US but up here in Canada, all pharmacists give out an information leaflet about the drug if it's the first time being prescribed. Whether anti anxiety, anti depressant, antibiotic, heart meds, etc etc. On the leaflet it does say not to stop taking the medication unless the patient consults a physician.
 
Zoloft was one the first medications my GP tried when I was in the beginning stages of postpartum psychosis. (First mistake, should have seen a psychiatrist) Zoloft made me worse, far worse. Brain zaps galore. Many episodes of depersonalization. I remember the first panic attack I ever had was while I was nursing my baby girl, just after starting Zoloft. It came to a point where I just could not function.

Anytime I hear someone starting Zoloft, I cringe. I know it works for many. For me, it only enhanced the nightmare I was going through. Took two weeks in the hospital to get the proper medication for me and stabilized again.
 
The U.S. (don't know about other countries) is in desperate need of pharmaceutical control. All these drugs out there and handed out like candy, even ads on t.v. telling you to ask your doc for them, good grief!

I know a young lady on 15 meds a day for being a spoiled brat. Some to bring her up, some to bring her down. She doesn't work, gets fired on purpose if she gets a job. Is not depressed, manic, nuts, nothing. Just wealthy and spoiled, and her mom is a psychologist so she confers with the doc the young lady sees. It is very scary.

Had a friend that tried Zoloft after some other anti-dep. She became aggressive and violent. I told her to stop taking it that minute and get to the doc to get back on the old med or try something new. She tried to assault an elderly and frail customer for not saying thank you. Not at all in her character.

Had a colleague on drugs and drinking 24/7. He was given Wellbutrin. Didn't do much except make him not able to well, you know. That is a normal side effect. However, he also took his dogs anti-seizure meds. He was given the Wellbutrin to stop drinking and doing heroin, wtf?! I have talked with people that were given Wellbutrin to stop smoking, they said it didn't work, but it was never intended for that anyway.

Another friend was on Paxil to make him happy and more sociable. He just drank more and passed out at bars.

One thing to keep in mind. No matter what a doctor tells you, only you know how something is effecting you. All drugs effect different people differently. Some docs push certain drugs for their own benefits through their pharm rep or company, some do not keep up with the findings. Some drugs have no findings yet. So, make up your own mind about it before you take it. Look it up yourself before you fill the prescription. Keep tabs on yourself once you begin, and ask any close ones to help with that too in case you flip out and can't remember.

I really am anti prescribing a lot of junk just because the doc can't figure out what is wrong, what else to do, or just to shut a whining patient up. If it can't save my life, (ie. heart meds, blood pressure, etc...) I am going to say "Let me think about it" then look it up first. If the drug is not for the issue I am having, there is no way I would even "think about it."

Another guy was taking some new synthetic methadone substitute. He said he decided to stop taking it, and the withdrawal was worse than the withdrawal from heroin. He went into great detail describing it. It sounded horrible. But it was prescribed for the proper problem at least. Just new and not fully tested.

Sorry for the rant, but there are more stories, I live in a pill popping area. Drives me nuts!
 
I was on Paxil for 11 years. The brain zaps are awful. I tried tapering off them, as my doctor said to. Became horribly depressed. A couple of months ago, my psychiatrist switched me from Paxil to a new anti-depressant called Viibryd. Apparently, there are supposed to be less sexual side effects and weight gain with this. I didn't go through any withdrawal from the Paxil while I switched, which was a relief. It seems to be working well.
 
I was on Paxil for 11 years. The brain zaps are awful. I tried tapering off them, as my doctor said to. Became horribly depressed. A couple of months ago, my psychiatrist switched me from Paxil to a new anti-depressant called Viibryd. Apparently, there are supposed to be less sexual side effects and weight gain with this. I didn't go through any withdrawal from the Paxil while I switched, which was a relief. It seems to be working well.

That is wonderful. I am thrilled to read you are feeling better.
 
I'm sorry your friend wasn't aware of the withdrawal symptoms and the suffering she went through. IMO, the doctor should be the one held responsible in this case and not the drug company.

I'm not here to defend the drug companies but sometimes doctors are the ones who don't warn their patients.

That's why I always recommend checking online whenever family or friends are prescribed a medication. It doesn't matter what drug. Do some research before taking it.

Also, I don't know if it's the same in the US but up here in Canada, all pharmacists give out an information leaflet about the drug if it's the first time being prescribed. Whether anti anxiety, anti depressant, antibiotic, heart meds, etc etc. On the leaflet it does say not to stop taking the medication unless the patient consults a physician.

I think the drug co's and physicians have equal responsibility. And patients have a responsibility too. I know soooooo many people who have just quit taking their meds even though they knew they shouldn't stop abruptly.
But maybe if the data was more honest and they explained WHY you shouldn't stop taking them abruptly, more people would understand and do it the right way.

I know they've only just recently added the possible weight gain as a side effect quite recently, even though they've known about it for a long time.

When you start any of these meds, you don't know how long you will be on them. A lot of the info in the leaflets are based on people taking them for reasonably short periods of time, even though many people like myself take them for years.
I'm not complaining about the drugs themselves, or the side-effects you can have while taking them. I've had my fair share of disaster stories trying different meds, but that's just how it goes. Different meds work for different people.

BTW, I'm the same about thoroughly researching any medications.

My friends psychologist had tried her on 4 different anti-depressents in 3 months. I told her how dangerous it was to be stopping and switching meds so quickly, and how she wasn't even on them long enough to know if they were helping or not. (There were no nasty side effects to any of them she had tried, she was just still feeling depressed) I also pointed out that the quick switch would mean that she wouldn't know if any symptoms she was having was 'discontinuation syndrome' or from the new med. But she trusted that her psych knew best. The doctor prescribing them didn't question the changes, nor did the pharmacist.
And that's a big issue of mine. Antidepressants are handed out like candy and and even the medical professionals (not all) don't take the withdrawal aspect seriously or understand it. But maybe they would if they were better informed by the pharm co's.
I'm currently stuck on a medication that isn't really helping me anymore, because even with weaning it makes me too ill to function.
 

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