Comments on: An Angry Mom Goes To Washington

By: Lisa Van Syckel

Lisa Van Syckel — Thu, 10 May 2007 03:09:35 +0000

Hi guys
I am back from Washington! All went well.I feel compelled to answer some of the questions Mr. Anonymous has asked.First,Rep Pallone is probably one of the most compassionate individuals in Washington.Secondly,Mr. Pallone is quite aware that I am a self proclaimed REPUBLICAN!!!! I am an Episcopalian by choice and have raised my children in the Catholic faith.RELIGEON HAS NO PLACE IN THIS DEBATE!!! Members of Congress and Senate are very aware that when I go to Washington its on my own dime.I represent Parents across these United States.I have no hidden agenda!! The safety of the medicines we give our children should be our number one priority.

By: Morten

Morten — Wed, 09 May 2007 21:06:16 +0000

Only one person questioned Mrs. Van Syckel in these comments rdjanis.
And to bring my own anecdotal analysis of antidepressants. My father is bipolar and he will sometimes go off his medication for whatever reason he has… it breaks my heart he’s so irrational. It has cost him two marriages and a job and I just know how much worse off he would be if he couldn’t get treatment.
And I don’t think the American tort system is necessarily the best way of deterring bad guys from doing bad things. If it didn’t leave them wide open to litigation I think Merck would have considered commenting that there was a cardiac risk associated with Vioxx that didn’t reach statistical significance in their statistical analysis. Of course wrong-doing should be punished - but the American health sector is the most expensive in the world because doctors and companies have to shield themselves from litigation.

By: rdjanis

rdjanis — Wed, 09 May 2007 16:11:22 +0000

Mrs. Van Syckel , thank you for representing the so many families that have suffered or died at the hands of pharma. My family knows first hand the suffering that occurs when pharma choose not to disclose for financial gain.

I wouldn’t pay much attention to any negative comments, people tend to get upset when their livlihood is being threatened.

By: Amy Philo

Amy Philo — Wed, 09 May 2007 15:48:04 +0000

Please check out the website http://www.ssristories.com

and this youtube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ni0lK4Na6VY

By: Amy Philo

Amy Philo — Wed, 09 May 2007 15:45:17 +0000

If the FDA did its job and was not funded mostly by drug company applications, if there was a safety panel for post-marketing independent of the drug company money and those responsible for approving the drug, perhaps the public could expect to be protected. 3 years ago they had just started warning about the suicide risk for children under 12. Now these drugs carry a black box warning for suicidality and if you read the label you will also see hostility, mania, and akathisia. This translates to murder. The hostility and “no effect” categories are just euphemisms and cover ups.
You can’t hide the truth for long. The public (including unborn children and college students & professors who get massacred) is at great risk this very moment because of these drugs. Moms go psycho and drown their kids. People burn houses. You’re right about one thing, this is about Greed, but not on the part of the victims, only on the PhRMA promoters and profiteers. Maybe you should reinvest your time and energy into developing prisons or selling caskets because the world is going crazy and criminal on the massively popular drugs you make.

By: Rich

Rich — Wed, 09 May 2007 14:14:34 +0000

Children are NOT the only ones at risk. Both my mother and wife had suicidal thoughts. Once off the SSRI,s the symptoms diisappeared. Were these side effects reported to an agency? No. They were reported to their doctors but the doctors are not required to report them either. If the govt were serious about this and other drugs being a danger, why are there no post approval surveys done in a real population. Relying on studies done by the company that will realize huge profits from a new drug seems, whats the word, …………..insane.

By: ed

ed — Wed, 09 May 2007 14:02:28 +0000

Hi folks,

I would ask that the rhetoric get toned down just a little, please.

To Juliana, I appreciate your passion for the subject, but I would ask you to refrain from the use of the word ‘criminals.’

And to anonymous, I can appreciate one’s inclination to be suspicious or cynical. To answer your questions, I’m aware of the occupation of Ms. Van Syckel’s husband, and the family has repeatedly indicated it does not adhere to Scientology. (No, I’ve not investigated their claims about Scientology, but I have received documentation of their daughter’s suicide attempt and subsequent problems). The settlement with Glaxo, by the way, does not allow the family to disclose the amount. I’ve asked that, too.

By: Laurie

Laurie — Wed, 09 May 2007 12:11:57 +0000

Anonymous, now we KNOW that you are from pharma! How convenient for you that the scientologists are there for you to throw out there whenever you hear some truth that you don’t like, or want buried. When the going gets tough and honest…call them a scientologist. I’m as WASP as they come! Did it ever occur to you that a scientologist would never have allowed their child to take one of these drugs? Guess not!
Those involved in the fight to get the word out, from FIRSTHAND experience are VERY careful to NOT take any money from outside sources, unlike the mental health “groups”. Your barking up the wrong tree. Believe me, there is no financial gain in this cause. We pay out of our pockets for everything that we do. We can honestly report NO confict of interest, can you say the same?
Exploiting??????? Our children, who have lived this hell, encourage us to stay involved to that their suffering doesn’t happen to any other child. We, unlike so many others, have only one goal in common. The exposure of the system that almost killed our children.

By: Juliana H

Juliana H — Wed, 09 May 2007 05:56:24 +0000

And trial lawyers Scientologists are always wrong? The tort system is what encourages people to stay in line. Report these drug tragedies to the FDA, state agencies, and any governmental office, and the offense is ignored. We need tort reform that makes filing for drug damage easier. The current system allows these criminals to stay in business by putting such low caps on damages that bringing these people to justice is just too expensive.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 09 May 2007 03:56:05 +0000

That Van Syckel was invited by Pallone is not surprising. Pallone has consistently alinged himself with plaintiffs attorneys, who are the second largest contributors to his campaign coffers behind physicians; drug companies were #11 (ref. Open Secrets). Pallone was the brains behind the thimerosal hearings in the 1990’s…hearings held at the request of trial lawyers. [Nevermind the 10 years, nearly 140 studies on 4 contients involving almost 100,000 children to disprove that myth and its still going strong].

I’m surprised you didn’t ask any of the tough questions–
Do you feel guitly exploiting your daughter’s problems for publicity and your personal financial gain?
How much money (direct or indirect) have you and your family received from other interested parties (including trial lawyers, Scientologists and others)?
Or, the slightly more diplomatic version, through what occupation do you presently support yourself and your family?