[BudFox]

Have seen little mention that Robin Williams was on an anti-depressant known to increased suicidal thoughts. And on an anti-psychotic known to do the same.

The anti-depressant (Mirtazipine) has caused a documented 400 cases of attempted suicide (some successful).

The anti-psychotic (Seroquel) is known to cause Parkinsons like symptoms, and he was initially alleged to have Parkinsons, now some are saying early Dementia. He was also on 1 or 2 Parkinson's drugs.

Was Robin Williams's life destroyed by a toxic and damaging psych drug regimen?

Where is the public debate about all this?

At the very least, given that he had the best psychiatry money can buy, it would seem to be a glaring indictment of that whole corrupt system.

Discuss...

He had Lewy Body dementia that wasn't diagnosed until his autopsy. You might research its effects. Just lost a family member a few months back to LBD. It progressed very quickly and quite devastatingly.

[AnxietyMaster]

Originally Posted by lolagrace

He had Lewy Body dementia that wasn't diagnosed until his autopsy. You might research its effects. Just lost a family member a few months back to LBD. It progressed very quickly and quite devastatingly.

So, he was on anti-psychotics because of the hallucinations related to it. Also, he was on anti-Parkinson medication because of the Parkinsons symptoms of this disease. So the hallucinations finally drove him to suicide?

No way to tell, but hallucinations, paranoia, delusions do occur with LBD. But the meds did not cause this. The one problem with him not being diagnosed while alive with LBD is that AP's can create problems with it where they wouldn't with Parkinson's, but unfortunately, it can take time to arrive at that distinction which is a common problem.

[Lika Li]

I took Mirtazapine during 1-2 months... And yes, it makes my depression worse. BUT, I decided don't take this drug anymore, because I was conscious that this drug was making me feel worse... So, the doctor change to another AD.

I think the right advice needs to be "if you feeling worse taking determined drug, tell this to your doctor the possibility to change to other med" and not "don't start taking this drug, this is hell and will make you suicidal, change to natural ways to deal with depression like exercises, changing in what we eat etc etc, but never take allopathic antidepressants".

Some people really needs this kind of drug to start feeling less worse from their mental ilness and have the force to do the lifestyle changes (that include a lot of healthy ways and also to start realize what is the root of the problem) that can make all the difference in their mental illness.

[*Laurie*]

I strongly doubt that medication killed Robin Williams. I firmly believe that depression killed him.

[BudFox]

Originally Posted by lolagrace

No way to tell, but hallucinations, paranoia, delusions do occur with LBD. But the meds did not cause this. The one problem with him not being diagnosed while alive with LBD is that AP's can create problems with it where they wouldn't with Parkinson's, but unfortunately, it can take time to arrive at that distinction which is a common problem.

Yes, I saw a documentary about Williams that explained the LBD diagnosis. I am sorry you lost a family member to this.

However if you are suggesting that LBD is the definitive cause of Williams' suicide, then please explain how you can make that claim.

And further are you asserting that the psych drug cocktail he was on did not possibly contribute to or accelerate his dementia? ALso I think more generally it is very well documented that AP drugs cause brain damage, brain shrinkage, cognitive decline.

And since we KNOW that some of the meds Williams was taking increase suicidal impulses, it would be ridiculous to discount that as a factor.

I'm not saying Mirtazipine or Seroquel caused his suicide, merely pointing out that this question seems to be missing from all public discussion.

Much easier to blame Williams or blame the disease, than to look at the treatment he was receiving and the scary possibility of iatrogenic death.

[*Laurie*]

Psych drugs caused dementia...hmm...perhaps that might be more attributable to the massive amount of coke (cocaine) Robin did.

I had the joyful pleasure of meeting with Robin Williams in 1984. He was truly one of the kindest, warmest, and most caring - and brilliant! - people I've ever encountered. But even then, he alluded to having a serious coke habit.

[BudFox]

Contrary to Press Headlines, Robin Williams Was on Drugs at the Time of His Death?Antidepressant Drugs | CCHR International

"The medical examiner’s report cites an antidepressant drug was in Williams’ system at the time of his death. The particular antidepressant, Mirtazapine, (also known as Remeron) carries 10 international drug regulatory warnings on causing suicidal ideation.

The FDA’s MedWatch drug adverse event reporting system recorded 411 attempted and completed suicides associated with the antidepressant Mirtazapine alone (and the FDA estimates only 1% of side effects are ever reported to them)"

Originally Posted by BudFox

Yes, I saw a documentary about Williams that explained the LBD diagnosis. I am sorry you lost a family member to this.

However if you are suggesting that LBD is the definitive cause of Williams' suicide, then please explain how you can make that claim.

And further are you asserting that the psych drug cocktail he was on did not possibly contribute to or accelerate his dementia? ALso I think more generally it is very well documented that AP drugs cause brain damage, brain shrinkage, cognitive decline.

And since we KNOW that some of the meds Williams was taking increase suicidal impulses, it would be ridiculous to discount that as a factor.

I'm not saying Mirtazipine or Seroquel caused his suicide, merely pointing out that this question seems to be missing from all public discussion.

Much easier to blame Williams or blame the disease, than to look at the treatment he was receiving and the scary possibility of iatrogenic death.

Read what I wrote.

I said no way to tell what led to his suicide so clearly I did not assert LBD was the definitive cause.

Read what I wrote.

I said AP's are known to create problems for patients with LBD, but he hadn't been diagnosed unfortunately so this may have contributed.

Why are you claiming I am asserting things that I clearly did not say? Just being argumentative I guess?

I would say this has not been left out of the discussion, not among the experts at least, because I found all that information quite easily in mainline articles published for the general public.

[BudFox]

Originally Posted by lolagrace

Read what I wrote.

I said no way to tell what led to his suicide so clearly I did not assert LBD was the definitive cause.

Read what I wrote.

I said AP's are known to create problems for patients with LBD, but he hadn't been diagnosed unfortunately so this may have contributed.

Why are you claiming I am asserting things that I clearly did not say? Just being argumentative I guess?

I would say this has not been left out of the discussion, not among the experts at least, because I found all that information quite easily in mainline articles published for the general public.

Ok true you did not assert it, but you certainly implied it. I raised questions about what caused his suicide, you responded that he had LBD. There is an implication there… or were you merely changing the subject to LBD for no apparent reason?

Here is an article from USA Today where the possibility of drug-induced suicide is completely absent:
What could have led Robin Williams to suicide?

Originally Posted by BudFox

Ok true you did not assert it, but you certainly implied it. I raised questions about what caused his suicide, you responded that he had LBD. There is an implication there… or were you merely changing the subject to LBD for no apparent reason?

Here is an article from USA Today where the possibility of drug-induced suicide is completely absent:
What could have led Robin Williams to suicide?

Can't help it if you choose to read implications to my post that were never there.

[AncientMelody]

Bud: just type in Robin Williams suicide medication and you'll see that there has certainly been public discussion regarding whether or not his medications were involved in his suicide.

From what I've read, and of course I don't have all the facts.....is that if they were treating even for Parkinson's, an atypical antipsychotic would not be the most appropriate choice. I would be VERY hesitant to start an antipsychotic new on a patient over 60 years of age....there are safer options available. I wonder too, if he was seeing a neurologist. If he wasn't given a neurology referral then he was clearly was given a disservice. On the flip side IF an elderly person or someone with dementia is going to be on an atypical antipsychotic, Seroquel is RElatively safer than the others. Seroquel and clozaril were listed as acceptable in Parkinson's

So the key is: were other treatments tried to manage psychosis prior to turning to an antipsychotic? Well we don't know that. We do know organic brain disease was present...but nobody knows frankly what the best course of treatment would have been. Publicized or not medic research does continue with these meds, these brain diseases....and hopefully we can continue to learn more

[BudFox]

Originally Posted by AncientMelody

Bud: just type in Robin Williams suicide medication and you'll see that there has certainly been public discussion regarding whether or not his medications were involved in his suicide.

From what I've read, and of course I don't have all the facts.....is that if they were treating even for Parkinson's, an atypical antipsychotic would not be the most appropriate choice. I would be VERY hesitant to start an antipsychotic new on a patient over 60 years of age....there are safer options available. I wonder too, if he was seeing a neurologist. If he wasn't given a neurology referral then he was clearly was given a disservice. On the flip side IF an elderly person or someone with dementia is going to be on an atypical antipsychotic, Seroquel is RElatively safer than the others. Seroquel and clozaril were listed as acceptable in Parkinson's

So the key is: were other treatments tried to manage psychosis prior to turning to an antipsychotic? Well we don't know that. We do know organic brain disease was present...but nobody knows frankly what the best course of treatment would have been. Publicized or not medic research does continue with these meds, these brain diseases....and hopefully we can continue to learn more

Some public discussion, but lot of core mainstream press is mostly or totally silent on the Rx drug factor.

In addition to the USA Today article, this ABC article makes no mention of pharma drugs, and even goes as far as saying "no drugs" were in his system:
Robin Williams' Death Report Finds Lewy Body Dementia - ABC News

This CNN article mentions it in passing with no suggestion of the possible connection:
Robin Williams' death ruled suicide - CNN.com

Whats my point? Seems that as a society we have reached a level of denial and collective madness about psych drugs and this story illustrates that IMO. Or maybe just big pharma is so powerful that the media don't dare touch this. Tragic and scary.

I'm not sure what the Seroquel was for?

[*Laurie*]

Look, we don't know what meds Robin Williams was really on when he died. Maybe he had a bad reaction to supplements of some sort. In Marin, especially, alternative health practitioners are a dime a dozen - maybe Robin was seeing some of them & had a worsening of depression due to herbs he was using. Who really knows? He battled depression all of his life...maybe he also battled suicidality all of his life, too. Maybe it's amazing that he lived as long as he did.

It seems to me that some people on this thread are hell-bent on blaming medication for Robin's suicide. I mean, really intent on doing so. Seems like this thread is winding into pointlessness.

[sabby]

This forum is not here to debate situations like this. If you wish to have this conversation, please create a thread in the Current Events & News forum including links.

This thread will now be closed.

Thank you