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No one takes a medication expecting their life to unravel.
Not for hair. Not for sleep. Not for anxiety.
But for some, that’s exactly what happens.
Behind every “rare side effect” is a real person.
A real family. A real loss.
We are not statistics.
We are voices that will no longer be silent.
#MoralMedicine #JusticeForHenryPetition #PFS #PSSD #MilanoProject #PharmaAccountability #IatrogenicAwareness
WHEN NEW TEST RESULTS ARRIVE, WHO REEXAMINES THE PRESCRIPTION?
A medication is prescribed before testing is complete.
The results come back normal.
The patient asks, “Why do I still need this medication?”
Then serious, unexpected symptoms appear.
Who connects the dots?
Who revisits the original decision?
Who investigates whether the medication may have contributed?
Medicine must be willing to question its own decisions as new evidence emerges.
Because prescribing is not the end of responsibility.
Listening, reassessing, and investigating are part of patient safety.
For Henry, for all we have lost, and for every patient still searching for answers. ❤️
#PatientSafety #Finasteride #PFS #InformedConsent #MoralMedicine
❤️ 1,122 VOICES. AND WE ARE NOT FINISHED.
Behind every signature is a call for awareness, accountability, and better patient safety.
This petition began in memory of my son Henry, but its purpose reaches far beyond one family.
It is for every person who has suffered, every family searching for answers, and every patient who deserves to be heard.
We are working toward 1,500 signatures.
If you have already signed, thank you from my heart. ❤️
If you haven’t, please consider adding your voice.
And if you can, please share. One share may reach someone who has never heard about these experiences.
Change begins when silence ends.
For Henry. For all we have lost. And for every patient still searching for answers. ❤️
c.org/6XfKCSgrdP
Erika retweeted
It seems that initially, medicine was prescribed without lab tests, by observation only. Medicine is the causation of symptoms and further tests are only a confirmation of the initial metabolic state of the patient, normal. Does this mean that the needed lab test doesn't exist?
Erika retweeted
I’m so sorry for your loss. My prayers are with you!
Breaks my heart to hear about people who died from the effects of these medications.
I’ll never stop fighting for people like Henry.
WHEN MEDICINE DOESN’T HAVE AN ANSWER, DOES THE INVESTIGATION END — OR BEGIN?
A patient reports devastating changes after taking a prescribed medication.
Tests come back normal.
Symptoms persist.
The patient says, “I don’t feel like myself anymore.”
But what if the tests simply aren’t measuring what has changed?
An unexplained symptom is not proof that nothing is wrong.
It is a reason to ask better scientific questions.
What biological mechanisms have we not yet investigated?
What are we missing?
And how many patients are still waiting for someone to take those questions seriously?
Science advances when unanswered questions are investigated, not dismissed.
For Henry, for all we have lost, and for every patient still searching for answers. ❤️
#PFS #PSSD #PatientSafety #Finasteride #MoralMedicine #MedicalResearch
❤️ 1,122 VOICES. AND WE ARE NOT FINISHED.
Behind every signature is a call for awareness, accountability, and better patient safety.
This petition began in memory of my son Henry, but its purpose reaches far beyond one family.
It is for every person who has suffered, every family searching for answers, and every patient who deserves to be heard.
We are working toward 1,500 signatures.
If you have already signed, thank you from my heart. ❤️
If you haven’t, please consider adding your voice.
And if you can, please share. One share may reach someone who has never heard about these experiences.
Change begins when silence ends.
For Henry. For all we have lost. And for every patient still searching for answers. ❤️
c.org/6XfKCSgrdP
Erika retweeted
The Daily Mail has covered my experience relating to #antidepressants in this article about #PSSD
For more information see @PSSDNetwork
dailymail.com/health/article…
Antidepressants ruined my sex life... and I'm still suffering the side effects nearly 15 years later. Now I realise I didn't need the pills to begin with. You must think before taking these drugs trib.al/Cy6zLRo
Erika retweeted
After reviewing the evidence, the UK’s medicines regulator, the MHRA, has decided to explicitly recognise Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction (PSSD) in patient information leaflets.
It is becoming increasingly untenable to deny that PSSD is a real condition, or to dismiss the serious and potentially long-lasting harms associated with antidepressant use.
A special thanks to the patients and their families whose tireless advocacy helped make this happen.
The MHRA is introducing a series of new measures to strengthen how risks associated with antidepressant medicines are communicated to patients, carers and healthcare professionals. Read the full drug safety update here: brnw.ch/21x6qlr
Erika retweeted
Encouraging @MHRAgovuk have recognised #PSSD – by name – 35 years after the first case was identified. In contrast, & unlike other concerned regulators, @FDA have still not responded to the 2018 Citizens; Petition. Is this a record for patient unsafety?
rxisk.org/ordinary-or-forgot…
Erika retweeted
The new MHRA safeguards for antidepressant prescription are a big step in the right direction. Glad to see them mention PSSD directly. Congratulations to UK PSSD advocates including @KatieRColl and ally @yassie_pirani for this victory.
The MHRA is introducing a series of new measures to strengthen how risks associated with antidepressant medicines are communicated to patients, carers and healthcare professionals. Read the full drug safety update here: brnw.ch/21x6qlr
Erika retweeted
Never forget, they waged war on us.
The MHRA is introducing a series of new measures to strengthen how risks associated with antidepressant medicines are communicated to patients, carers and healthcare professionals. Read the full drug safety update here: brnw.ch/21x6qlr
Erika retweeted
UK Warns All Antidepressant Patients of Suicide Risk and Persistent Sexual Dysfunction—FDA Still Lags; The UK’s MHRA, the country’s drug regulatory agency,
is now requiring clearer alerts for all patients on the risk of post-SSRI sexual dysfunction (PSSD) and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Once again the MHRA has acted while the FDA lags.
Back in 2003, it was the MHRA that first warned that SSRIs increased suicide and self-harm risk in young people, despite the FDA having this data for decades.
The FDA only followed with its own warnings a year after the MHRA, and even today the black box warning on suicidal ideation extend only to age 24—implying the risk magically disappears on one’s 25th birthday.
The UK’s new alerts on suicidal thoughts and behaviors apply to patients of all ages. The FDA has yet to warn on post SSRI sexual dysfunction.
gov.uk/drug-safety-update/an…
Erika retweeted
Let’s see if @FDA follows suit on warning about PSSD.
History has a way of repeating itself.
Back in 2003, the UK led the way in warning about antidepressants and the risk of suicidal behavior.
The FDA didn’t require antidepressant black-box suicide warnings until 2004.
Twenty-three years later, are we watching history repeat itself?
@lololizzle @PSSDNetwork
🚨 BREAKING: The UK MHRA will add the term "Post SSRI Sexual Dysfunction (PSSD)" to the leaflets of 10 antidepressants. Doctors must now warn patients that sexual dysfunction may continue after stopping treatment. 🧵
gov.uk/drug-safety-update/an…
Erika retweeted
Sometimes “I’m tired” means more than needing sleep.
It means…
I’m tired of fighting my own thoughts.
I’m tired of pretending I’m okay.
I’m tired of needing help but not knowing how to ask.
I’m tired of feeling alone around other people.
I’m tired of getting through the day and doing it all again.
Someone can still laugh, go to work and answer your messages while struggling deeply.
You don’t have to fall apart in front of someone to deserve support.
And if this is you, “I’m struggling and I need someone to listen” is enough to start that conversation. 🤍
Erika retweeted
As long as I have breath in my lungs I’ll talk about PSSD. It’s such a horrifying condition for those who experience it.
Where is the national outrage for stories like this?
SSRIs kill. They destroy health, lives, and families. Nobody is being warned of the risks.
Post SSRI Sexual Dysfunction (PSSD) is a condition that must be acknowledged. There must be justice for this young girl who lost her life. There must be research done for those holding on to hope. All of these people are suffering in silence with this condition and are in survival mode every day.
Erika retweeted
You’re absolutely right. Warnings are only effective if everyone involved is informed, and that includes our doctors. After all, doctors are often the first people patients turn to and trust when making decisions about their health. When a doctor dismisses a potential adverse reaction by saying, “Oh, that can’t happen,” patients may begin to question their own experiences rather than the medication. This is especially concerning when it comes to antidepressant-induced suicidality in adults over 24, a risk that is too often overlooked or downplayed simply because the black box warning focuses on younger people. Patients need to be empowered to ask questions, but doctors also need to recognize potential harms, listen to their patients, and take their experiences seriously.
Informed consent requires both.
Erika retweeted
She was prescribed take-home ketamine for postpartum depression. When it made her feel worse, her dose went up.
This is the story of Treyal Harshman, based on Wall Street Journal reporting.
After her first doses, she had heart palpitations, couldn't focus, and felt disconnected from reality for days. She was scared. She was told these effects were common at first, and her dose was increased.
Shortly after taking the higher dose, she took her own life and the lives of her four young daughters.
She had no history of violence. Her husband said, "My wife is not a monster," and called it completely out of character.
The Journal reported her ketamine level was four times higher than the threshold for mind-altering effects.
I worked on the team that developed Spravato, the esketamine nasal spray. In its trials, 48% of people had dissociation versus 13% on placebo, and that category included hallucinations.
Her mother has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit. The provider denies causing the tragedy and says she was informed of the risks.
When a drug makes someone feel worse, doubling down can be dangerous. Severe postpartum depression deserves supervision, family involvement, and more than just a pill.
If you're struggling, call or text 988 (US) or your local crisis line.
Comment TAPER and I'll send you my free safe tapering guide.
Erika retweeted
Who will be held accountable for this entirely avoidable loss of promising life?
Where is the national outrage for stories like this?
SSRIs kill. They destroy health, lives, and families. Nobody is being warned of the risks.
Post SSRI Sexual Dysfunction (PSSD) is a condition that must be acknowledged. There must be justice for this young girl who lost her life. There must be research done for those holding on to hope. All of these people are suffering in silence with this condition and are in survival mode every day.
WHEN A PATIENT’S SYMPTOMS REMAIN UNEXPLAINED, WHO TAKES RESPONSIBILITY?
A patient reports a profound change after taking a medication.
The tests appear normal.
The symptoms persist.
The patient continues searching for answers.
But here is the question:
Who makes sure that patient’s experience becomes a scientific question worth investigating?
Not every reported symptom proves causation.
But an unexplained symptom should not automatically become a dismissed symptom.
Listening is the beginning.
Documentation is essential.
Investigation is the responsibility of science.
And uncertainty should be a reason to investigate, not a reason to stop asking.
For Henry, for all we have lost, and for every patient still searching for answers. ❤️
#PFS #Finasteride #PatientSafety #MoralMedicine #MedicalResearch
❤️ 1,122 VOICES. AND WE ARE NOT FINISHED.
Behind every signature is a call for awareness, accountability, and better patient safety.
This petition began in memory of my son Henry, but its purpose reaches far beyond one family.
It is for every person who has suffered, every family searching for answers, and every patient who deserves to be heard.
We are working toward 1,500 signatures.
If you have already signed, thank you from my heart. ❤️
If you haven’t, please consider adding your voice.
And if you can, please share. One share may reach someone who has never heard about these experiences.
Change begins when silence ends.
For Henry. For all we have lost. And for every patient still searching for answers. ❤️
c.org/6XfKCSgrdP