Antidepressants kill people.?

Question

In 1988, 31-year-old Laurie Dann, who had been taking Anafranil and Lithium, walked into a second-grade classroom in Winnetka, Ill., and began shooting. One child was killed and six wounded.

Later that same year, 19-year-old James Wilson went on a shooting rampage at the Greenwood, S.C., Elementary School and killed two 8-year-old girls and wounded seven others. He'd been on Xanax, Valium and five other drugs.

Kip Kinkel, a 15-year-old of Springfield, Ore., in 1998 murdered his parents and proceeded to his high school where he went on a rampage killing two students and wounding 22 others. Kinkel had been prescribed both Prozac and Ritalin.

Patrick Purdy, 25, in 1989 opened fire on a school yard filled with children in Stockton, Calif. Five kids were killed and 30 wounded. He been treated with Thorazine and Amitriptyline.

Steve Lieth of Chelsea, Mich., in 1993 walked into a school meeting and shot and killed the school superintendent, wounding two others, while on Prozac

10-year-old Tommy Becton in 1996 grabbed his 3-year-old niece as a shield and aimed a shotgun at a sheriff's deputy who accompanied a truant officer to his Florida home. He'd been put on Prozac.

Michael Carneal, 14, opened fire on students at a high school prayer meeting in Heath High in West Paducah, Ky. Three died and one was paralyzed. Carneal reportedly was on Ritalin.

In 1998, 11-year-old Andrew Golden and 14-year-old Mitchell Johnson apparently faked a fire alarm at Westside Middle School in Jonesboro, Ark., and shot at students as they left the building. Four students and a teacher were killed. The boys were believed to be on Ritalin.

In 1999, Shawn Cooper, 15, of Notus, Idaho, took a shotgun to school and injured one student. He had been taking Ritalin.

Todd Smith walked into as high school in Taber, Alberta, Canada in 1999 with a shotgun and killed one and injured a second student. He has been given a drug after a five-minute phone consultation with a psychiatrist.

Steven Abrams drove his car into a preschool playground in 1999 in Costa Mesa., Calif., killing two. He was on probation with a requirement to take Lithium.

In 2000, T.J. Solomon, 15, opened fire at Heritage High School in Conyers, Ga., while on a mix of antidepressants. Six were wounded.

The same year Seth Trickey of Gibson, Okla., 13, was on a variety of prescriptions when he opened fire on his middle-school class, injuring five.

Elizabeth Bush, 14, was on Prozac. She shot and wounded another student at Bishop Neumann High in Williamsport, Pa.

Jason Hoffman, 18, in 2001 was on Effexor and Celexa, both antidepressants, when he wounded two teachers at California's Granite Hills High School.

In Wahluke, Wash., Cory Baadsgaard, 16, took a rifle to his high schooland held 23 classmates hostage in 2001. He has been taking Paxil and Effexor.

In Tokyo in 2001, Mamoru Takuma, 37, went into a second-grade classroom and started stabbing students. He killed eight. He had taken 10 times his normal dosage of an antidepressant.

Duane Morrison, 53, shot and killed a girl at Platte Canyon High School in Colorado in 2006. Antidepressants later were found in his vehicle.

In 2005, 16-year-old Native American Jeff Weise on the Red Lake Indian Reservation in Minnesota was under the influence of the antidepressant Prozac when he shot and killed nine people and wounding five before committing suicide.

Answer 1

I think that that is too much of a blanketed statement. Most people that are prescribed antidepressants are having psychological difficulties to begin with. Those that have bipolar disorder, however, which used to be referred to as manic depression, can actually become manic while taking an antidepressant which is why it is vital to talk with one's psychiatrist and even family dr before taking any new medications as to limit possible adverse reactions. I take prozac weekly, the time released prozac, due to my having anxiety, ocd (obsessive compulsive disorder) and clinical depression.

Not all of the medications listed here are antidepressants. When I think of antidepressants, prozac, zoloft, paxil, celexa come to mind, all ssri's (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors). Effexor is a newer antidepressant, and Luvox is another antidepressant that is generally used for those with ocd. Xanax and valium are what are categorized as 'mild tranquilizers' (including ativan and klonopin) though if stopped abruptly, can cause seizures or even death! Ritalin is a stimulant typically prescribed for kids and adults with add (attention deficit disorder). I would surmise that taking antidepressants won't actually make a person homicidal. There are many factors in those tragic situations.

Answer 2

weird. all this happened in the USA.

Michael Moore was wondering in Bowling for Columbine why USA has so many high rates of murder.

but those drugs would be forbiden by now, if that would be the cause for all those killings. so I wouldnt blame the drugs. I would blame the answer that Michael Moore is expecting.

Answer 3

The theory that makes sense to me is that when someone is depressed, they spend quite a bit of time planning negative behavior -- but is too tired and worn out and doesn't care enough to do it. A major side effect of antidepressants is to give the patient energy, so they can finally do what they've been fixating on, as the medication doesn't force them to be immediately happy.

Answer 4

So what's your question?

Of course drugs that alter your mental state can produce unpredictable results if not monitored closely. What's your point?

Answer 5

yes but not in the obvious way you have described

Answer 6

eekk!!! thats some startling fact!