Paxil halts breast-cancer drug benefits –this was a headline in the Globe and Mail newspaper on Tuesday February 9 2010; the article written by Andre Picard. The breast cancer drug referred to is Tamoxifen and you can read the article here: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/paxil-halts-breast-cancer-drug-benefits/article1460667/
“David Juurlink, a senior scientist at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences and co-author of the study” says: oncologists have known, anecdotally, that this combination of drugs was problematic but the new research clarifies the extent of the problem.
The combination of the antidepressant and tamoxifen is ‘potentially life-threatening’. I wonder why we continue to have drugs prescribed for us that are life threatening. No doubt there are a number of reasons, one of which is the intense pressure from pharmaceutical companies to drum up business regardless of whether or not people are better off. Another is the reluctance of the medical system to use anecdotal information until there is evidence based research. I believe in the wisdom of paying attention to anecdotal evidence, and I believe we should err on the side of caution. If there is anecdotal evidence which shows that a drug combination raises the death rate, then we should halt that process until it’s proven. It’s the opposite of being innocent until proven guilty, but I think it’s a question of safety.
“Depression is … common among cancer patients. The new research shows that almost one-third of women taking tamoxifen for treatment of breast cancer were also taking an antidepressant.”
Severe depression was part of my life for many years, and I had breast cancer in 1986. The anecdotal evidence I have seen since then tells me there is a link between depression and cancer. My surgeon referred me to a therapist while I was going through chemotherapy. I refused to take antidepressants and took a course in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) instead; with much help I turned my life around.
CBT is a cheap, drug free intervention which I believe is largely responsible for saving my life. It took a lot of time and energy to change my thoughts, but it takes a lot of energy to be depressed and depression was robbing me of a decent life. Isn’t it better to help people get well than to prescribe drugs which are life threatening?
I have to question this statement by Dr. Juurlink: “He said women taking this combination of tamoxifen and Paxil should consult a physician. ‘They should not discontinue either drug on their own”. I agree that people should consult a physician – no question. However, the way this statement is phrased implies that people cannot be responsible for their own decisions. I believe that people need to be enabled to take responsibility for their health and physicians are the best people to help us do this.
I see individual responsibility for our health from this day forward as a requirement for the well-being of people in general, and also for the preservation of our health care system. This does not include the need to blame anyone for the state of their health; blame serves no one. It’s impossible to roll back the clock and undo my diagnosis of breast cancer. What I learned was to accept my diagnosis and to move forward, to work towards achieving the best possible state of wellness that I could. I’ve been cancer free for 23 years.
I urge every one to start today and go forward to take good care of your own health and be as well as you can possibly be.
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Sign in nowThank you, Lynn! If you could promote our blog in future entries, that would be fantastic. We’re always looking for new followers! Also, if you could give a quick “shout-out” about our January 12 networking meeting, I think it would be useful for many women. You can find more info here: http://lbbc.org/content/event/harnessing-the-emotional-roller-coaster-of-breast-cancer.asp?c=educational&t=participate&sn=networking
Great Michelle – no problem – I’ll put it out on Twitter as well. Best wishes, Lynn
Lynn Roodbol, MRT(R), CWC Certified Wellness Coach Phone: 519-837-2570 E-mail: coachlynn@sympatico.ca Blog: lynnroodbol.wordpress.com Website: http://www.cancerrecoverycoaching.com Helping to navigate the cancer recovery journey!
You know that was a fantastic post. I think I’ll write a blog post and link to it.
Thanks very much Jerrold – please do put up a link to this article – the more people that know about it the better!
Speaking of Cancer, there is a little known protein with Govt approval for treating and preventing cancer. For a short video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApppYada_wU.
Paul
http://www.Cellimmunity.com
The video is very interesting Paul.
It’s a complex issue for sure and there are many dimensions to a cancer diagnosis, but I’m glad to hear that your wife is well.
I believe in integrated medicine, in the mind body connection, and the power of healing yourself with whatever works for you, which includes the method you mention.
I hope that one day cancer will be like smallpox, a thing of the past.
Take care, Lynn
great share, great article, very usefull for me…thank you
- avid – mesothelioma resource
Hi ASEA plus RSM
Thanks for your comment.
No actually I don’t recommend supplements.
I do believe in healthy eating and good nutrition so people make food choices within these guidelines and eat things they enjoy.
Have a great day!
Lynn
Thanks for your comments Richard; it’s great to connect with you!
I agree about the cars – I was just thinking yesterday about preventive maintenance on a car compared to prevention of health problems.
Could it have to do with the fact that we pay lots of money for cars and we take our more valuable bodies for granted?
Hi Michelle
Thanks for letting me know about your fund raising – what an amazing achievement for everyone!
I’m sure your mother will benefit from all you have done – having someone like you to support her brings so much peace, love and healing.
You’ve done a great job to raise awareness in many people which hopefully they will remember and translate that knowledge into helping prevent breast cancer.
I believe the answer to breast cancer is in prevention so people don’t have to go through the tough times that your mother and many others have gone through.
Keep up the great work Michelle!
Thanks Ashley. Congratulations on your blog – you’re doing a great job of health promotion – keep up the good work!
I don’t seem to write blog entries as often as I used to but my position does not change; I totally agree with your perspective as well that health and wellness are products of the body, mind, and soul.
This often involves people making changes which are simple, but not easy, and why I believe that everyone does better when they work with a coach. Maybe wellness coaching is something you might like to do?
I’m a wellness coach, but I specialize in working with people who want to prevent cancer or the recurrence of cancer. So if you know of anyone who is working on recovering from cancer, I can help them to shorten the learning curve.
Hope to connect with you again soon Ashley!
Best wishes, Lynn