Fwd: [SSRI-Research] Att: Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions - LISA VAN SYCKEL

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JustSayNo

Thu, 11 Mar 2004 19:27:05 -0500

[sSRI-Research] Att: Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions -

LISA VAN SYCKEL

 

LISA VAN SYCKEL

 

 

 

May 5, 2003

 

Att: Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions

 

Dear Senators Gregg & Kennedy,

 

My name is Lisa Van Syckel, and I am a resident of Raritan Township, in New

Jersey. I am asking for

your support on investigating antidepressant-induced violence and suicide in

children and adolescents. I

am asking on behalf of our nation's children. My own daughter had been

misdiagnosed with depression

when she actually had Lyme disease. She had suffered a Paxil-induced

self-mutilation, psychosis and

suicide attempt. The pharmaceutical companies and physicians are endangering the

lives or our children

and need to be held accountable.

 

I had written to President Bush, and needless to say, his response was

discouraging. Unlike the President,

Senator Corzine took my concerns seriously. He investigated and quickly

responded. He shares my belief

that this issue should be further investigated and fully supports Congressional

hearings. I have also heard

from the office of Senator John Edwards and he too fully supports Congressional

hearings.

 

I am forwarding to you a copy of a letter written by Columbine victim Mark

Taylor. This letter speaks for

itself. Mark Taylor firmly believes that had Eric Harris not been taking the

antidepressant Luvox, the

tragedy at Columbine would not have occurred.

 

Cory Baadsgaard, a teen from Washington State who was the starting center on his

school basketball team,

took 23 classmates and a teacher hostage at gunpoint. After serving 14 months in

a juvenile facility, it was

determined that Cory's actions were caused by the adverse effects of withdrawing

from Paxil and the high

dose of Effexor and was later released. Mark and Cory have joined forces

together to speak out on the

dangers of antidepressants in teens. Please allow their voices to be heard.

 

In 1998, Mathew Beck, an accountant for the Connecticut Lottery, while on Luvox

shot and killed four

coworkers. He then shot and killed himself.

 

April 9, 2002, Officer Edward Lutes of Seaside Heights, NJ, who was highly

decorated officer and a

member of the SWAT team, while on Luvox massacred five of his neighbors and shot

and wounded the

police chief who had been his friend, and then shot and killed himself.

 

Seven weeks after Officer Lutes went on his shooting spree, Solvay

Pharmaceuticals removed Luvox from

the US market. Was this a coincidence? Maybe.

 

Please launch an investigation into the role Solvay's drug Luvox had on Mathew

Beck, Officer Lutes and

Eric Harris' homicidal/suicidal behavior.

 

In 1997, Nick Mansie (15) of New Jersey, while on Paxil raped and killed his

11-year old neighbor who

came to his home to sell cookies. Elizabeth Bush (15), Warrensport, PA while on

Paxil shot and injured a

classmate. She states it was her intention to kill herself and not her

classmate. Camaren Carr (15) Denton,

TX while withdrawing from Paxil slit the throat of her 6-year old brother and

then buried him in the back

yard. GlaxoSmithKline's own clinical study has shown that 10 children out of 93

became violent and suicidal

and had to be hospitalized.

 

In October, 2002, the Irish Medicines Control Board recalled Paxil and forced

GSK to place a " suicide

warning " in its package insert.

 

In 2001, a jury found GSK liable for the homicide/suicide of a Wyoming family.

 

Thousands of lawsuits have been filed in the US and UK. Matt Miller, 13, Kansas,

while on Zoloft hanged

himself. Daniel Carter, 15, Florida, while on Zoloft stabbed his uncle 10 times

who later died. Jeffrey

Smith, 16, New Jersey, while on Zoloft stole a car that belonged to the mother

of a friend, and later that

night attempted suicide. The medication was immediately suspected. (Jeffrey is

the nephew of the late

officer Lutes.) Elizabeth Shin while on Celexa self-mutilated, set herself on

fire and later died. Elizabeth

Rengel (13) while on Celexa, self-mutilated, went to her school with a 9mm gun

and shot herself in the

head as her classmates watched in horror.

 

The package insert for Celexa lists Apathy, Aggravated Depression and Suicide

attempt as " frequent "

psychiatric side effects.

 

In 1998, the poison control agency reported over 11,000 neurotoxic reactions in

children who were on

antidepressants, 4,000 of which were reported in children under the age of 6. 21

children died.

 

On Jan 3, 2003, the FDA approved Prozac for children. How this was allowed to

happen is beyond me. I

suggest the FDA review independent studies and not the ones that are selected by

Eli Lilly. I submit to you

two studies. I hope you are alarmed as I was. These clearly show that something

really stinks in

Washington. It's time to remove the fox from the hen house.

 

Antidepressants have many serious side-effects including mania, psychosis,

seizures, agitation and

aggression, and the most deadly--homicides/suicides.

 

Any medication that has the potential to cause an individual to become

homicidal/suicidal should never be

placed upon the shelves of our pharmacies.

 

Our children need your support today! They need to know that they have elected

officials who will hear

their cries for help. Please allow our children's attorneys, physicians and

psychiatrists to present their case.

These individuals not only represent the living children, they also represent

the dead children. Our goal is

to break the hearts of the officials we have elected. It is only then that you

will truly understand the depth

of pain that they and their families have endured.

 

Ten day ago, James Sheets (14) stood up in the cafeteria of his school in Red

Lion, PA and shot his

principal to death, and then killed himself.

 

Jerome Berlin, a prominent democratic fundraiser and an attorney, was shot and

killed by his business

partner, who then shot and killed himself.

 

Were these highly-publicized homicide/suicides antidepressant-induced? Only time

will tell.

 

Can we, as a nation endure another Columbine? We shouldn't have to!! It is our

responsibility to protect

our nation's children!!! What many believe to have been the cure for what

happened at Columbine, was

actually the cause.

 

Please make our nation's children your top priority. Their safety and health are

in your hands. Please show

strength and courage and demand Congressional hearings into

antidepressant-induced violence and suicide.

In and children and adolescents!

 

Never forget that the life a child is priceless, and that our children are our

future.

 

Sincerely,

 

Lisa L. VanSyckel

 

International Coalition for Drug Awareness (www.drugawareness.org)

908-237-9098

908-399-0862

cc: Senator Jon Corzine, Senator John Edwards