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2004 PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGIC DRUGS ADVISORY COMMITTEE WITH THE PEDIATRIC SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE ANTI-INFECTIVE DRUGS ADVISORY COMMITTEE
MS. GRUDER: My name is Deborah Gruder.
Neither he nor I had any idea that there was any need to beware. We were never told we should beware. We knew people who had been on Paxil or other SSRIs and we had seen many of them benefit, and we had seen the numerous television commercials that showed people that were in very desperate psychological trouble, after taking SSRIs, all of a sudden they were dancing through fields of flowers; they were laughing; they were happy. This is what we knew. We didn’t know there was anything to be concerned about. Not once–not
once did we ever see in any of these commercials–we never-ever saw a follow-up of anyone stepping off of a bridge into the icy waters of a river to their death. We never saw a woman
lock herself behind her bathroom doors and slice herself up with scissors. We never saw anyone take a gun and go behind closed doors and shoot themself.
My husband and I did not once hear about the subpopulation of people, which evidently he belonged to, that had a very adverse reaction to Paxil and other SSRIs. Early this year I
understand, and for the past 10-15 years you have been aware that there is a problem with SSRIs.
Shame on you! Shame on you for being aware when you should be protecting us, the people, all these people sitting behind me! My story is not unlike theirs. You should be protecting us. Where were you? Where have you been? Why haven’t you done anything about this? This is just a small percentage of people that have had a loved one die violently because you have not done your job…
[Applause]