New dangerous attacks on Prozac

There are news reports trying to link Prozac to suicide. This is something I know about. I participated in a double-blind study of prozac before it was approved by the FDA, and I know for a fact that it alleviates depression. It doesn't cause suicides; it helps prevent them. I also have a friend whose son committed suicide when he was taking Zoloft. The problem with blaming it on Zoloft was that the young man had not been taking the drug as directed. He had quit taking it for several weeks before he committed suicide. These drugs take time to work and it is dangerous to stop taking them or restart them suddenly. Anybody taking them needs to be closely monitored or understand the risks clearly, preferably both.

I also take naproxen, which has just been reported to be associated with higher heart disease rates. I could have told you that, because the people who need it usually have health conditions that are linked to heart disease. The drug doesn't cause the heart problems. It treats conditions that often accompany them. Naproxen is also associated with ulcers, which is why I also take the generic version of Prilosec. Without it, I would be left with alternatives that would make me unable to function.

These decisions cannot be driven by sensational news stories and misleading statistics. We have now lost Celebrex and Vioxx and who knows how many other valuable medicines because of irresponsible reports and the threats of lawsuits. I'm wondering when we'll see some lawsuits by people who have been deprived of medicine by the trial lawyers. Does anybody understand how the scarcity of vaccines such as the flu vaccine is related to the threats of lawsuits? How about a class action against those who cause unnecessary suffering by driving valuable drugs off the market?