| 2004N-0330 - Joint Meeting of the Psychopharmacologic Drugs Advisory Committee and the Pediatric Advisory Committee | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| FDA Comment Number : | EC3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Submitter : | Mr. Clifford Harbin | Date & Time: | 08/30/2004 01:08:49 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Organization : | Mr. Clifford Harbin | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Individual Consumer | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Category : | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Issue Areas/Comments | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| GENERAL | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| GENERAL | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| It is obvious at this point that SSRIs causes children to suffer depression with suicide ideation, agitation, and anxiety. My 12 yr. old daughter has been held hostage by these type of psychotropic drugs for the past three years. Her attending psychiatrist has only increased the dosage and/or added an additional drug when her condition steadily got worse. My daughter is currently ingesting Abilify, Lexapro, and Wellbutrin. Three years ago my daughter was only labeled Aspergers (high functioning), but after the intervention of psychotropic drugs for the past three years, she is now labeled Aspergers and Emotionally Disturbed (comorbidly occurring depression). In addition, my daughter was hospitalized in June of this year for depression and thought disorders. The hospital stay resulted in the addition of Wellbutrin. Please enforce an immediate 'withdrawal method' for pediatric patients. Currently parents have no guide or resource to turn to to wean their children off these toxic drugs. Psychiatrists and other so called mental health professionals can not be trusted, and pediatricians seem to be uncertain about these drugs and lacking any knowledge in terms of how to safely taper a child off these drugs. The FDA would provide a much needed service to families of this great country by prescribing a National Model and mandate to all doctors with direction and supervision to wean children off SSRIs. The only method of tapering off these drugs that I have ever heard of is the '10 Percent Method' offered in Dr. Peter Breggin's book and Dr. Joseph Glenmullen's writings. In addition, the only sensible alternative to drugs that I'm aware is offered in Dr. William Glasser's recent book. I make this point concerning the books to demonstrate that no local area doctor that I've spoke with concerning my daughter's health offered any sincere supervision or counsel to taper my daughter off these drugs with direction to a non-drug alternative.
Please take immediate action. Thanks | |||||||||||||||||||||||