Grassley needs to set up an interrogation room at the Emory psych department and go through the researchers there, one at a time.

I've always thought the love affair between money-loving psychiatrists and pharma was over-the-top, but PREGNANT WOMEN? People doing research involving pregnant woman should have absolutely no financial or other ties AT ALL that could even remotely taint their decision-making. Sicko. I hope he has to step down, too.

When is NIH going to yank all Emory funding anyway? Isn't that what is supposed to happen in this type of scenario?

As a patient, and more specifically a patient of Dr. Stowe's, I do hope that my physician has AT LEAST a finger in the back pocket of this monster drug companies. At least I know that there is a connection of knowledge between my physician and the manufacturers of the medicines that have saved my life. And now that I am not pregnant anymore, I can take offense to the "but PREGNANT WOMEN?" comment. What will your next MO be, OLD LADIES? Drop the drama and look at the results these physicians have procured! Maybe Grassley needs to stick his nose where it truly belongs and tell me why my very expensive individual insurance plan won't pay for my appointments with Stowe? Oh, but according to you, I'd be so much better off staying away from such a creep. Get a life!

Anon, according to the Wall Street Journal your psychiatrist was reprimanded by Emory for failing to disclose financial conflicts of interest AS REQUIRED BY LAW. If physicians don't like the rules, then they need to quit taking federal grants. This is taxpayer money. I don't care what a big shot the psychiatrist is or thinks he is, he is not above the law.

Anon,
You would be wise to research your doctor, and not question the news read here. Do it yourself, it isn't everyday a researcher is investigated for pocketing money.

GSK is on trial right now for known pregancy risk (birth defects)and Emory U is part of the questioning of Healy, via asking about Nemeroff.

That's enough info for you to do your own looking up of names, places etc. after that, you appear to be a defender of a criminal and a person who did not take the oath to first do no harm at your expense.

just my opinion!

If psychiatrists were paid for their results, the field would die because no one would get paid. Disability due to psychiatric illness = almost tripled since the invention of the SSRIs and the atypical sntipsychotics. Mortality for the mentally ill = way down, now 25 years less than the average person, which is 10 to 15 years LESS lifespan than the first study in 1993. Suicide rate = largely unchanged in the last 50 years, UP 10% in the last 10 years. Recovery from severe mental illness = 3.5 times greater in the developing world, done by Shamans and Witch Doctors. In fact, recovery from severe mental illness is 8 TIMES more likely if you walk away from psychiatry completely (see: Harrow and Jobe, 2007).

Yes, Anon, I agree, let's look at their results!

While I can understand your point of view, Stowe has done nothing criminal. "Criminal" meaning he has broken the law. Now whether or not you consider it ethical, that's another topic. I was just reading some over there at The Bitter Pill where Karen Kleiman and Dr. Stowe seemed to have achieved villainous status. These two people saved my life. Do you hear me? THEY SAVED MY LIFE! Kleiman connected me to (via the aol PPD message board) Stowe because she esteemed his expertise and was concerned for the crisis that I was in. She was in PA and I was here in GA so my going to her was out of the question. Plus she knew my sudden postpartum crash was more than likely chemical. ( I carried her book around with me after my second was born like a bible.) Believe me, you cannot be a part of the cycle of taking care of pregnant and postpartum women and have the liberty of seriously screwing up. It's far too sensitive an arena. These two people care about their patients, care about their research, and care about making this health issue less prevalent. I just know that if and when you or one of your loved ones is in crisis ( concerned that she might hurt herself or her newborn baby) you could do far worse than to have these two human beings on your side. For me, there wouldn't be any other option. And to end this, I delivered 2 years ago after seeing Stowe for nearly 8 years after my last child. I was on Effexor for the entire pregnancy adding Lamictal in near the end. I, for the first time out of three children, had a blissful pregnancy, went into labor on my own, delivered without incident a healthy, beautiful baby girl, and stayed mentally healthy thereby enabling me to take care of her all by myself. I enjoyed her first three months which was something I couldn't do with my second child- I could barely hold her without intense anxiety. When that time is robbed from you, those precious months when you first get to look at them and hold them, it is a tragedy. Because of Stowe, his knowledge and experience, I could love and connect with my baby. If you don't know him as a doctor, or you haven't talked to more of his patients like me, then find a way to do so. As educated as you seem to be on this subject, you are truly missing the most vital of information. He's a damn good doctor.

"I enjoyed her first three months which was something I couldn't do with my second child... When that time is robbed from you, those precious months when you first get to look at them and hold them, it is a tragedy."

I hope you can remember those times in a few years. I was on an SSRI/SNRI for 13 years, plus Lamictal for 8; I can't remember raising my kids
or anything else that happened during that time.

I had know idea, the physical and mental damage the drugs were causing until I was off of them. I thought my psychiatrist was brilliant until the last few months of "treatment". I didn't realize until off meds a few months, she almost killed me and my son.

Anon,
I get it, you like the guy. He helped you. And I'm glad for you, really.

But no matter how much a criminal may have helped you, no matter how engaging a criminal may be, there is a difference between an ethical lapse and a violation of the law (which often is also an ethical lapse). Dr. Stowe clearly violated the law.

That doesn't make him a demon, more like a mixed bag, especially for you. I have every confidence you can handle a spot of clay here and there in your idol's make up. Most of us are pretty spotty most days.

But denial of reality is only going to keep you marching in place and that's a dangerous position for those of us with hxs of depression.

I remember an article here somewhere that linked to defenders of Joseph Biederman too, the parents of children he drugged as little kids, he got lots of positive feedback. He's a criminal too, and being investigated by Grassley too.

Thankfully anon's baby wasn't born needing heart surgery like Manie....as a result of his mother not knowing the risk of Paxil use during pregnancy. (Paxil and Lamictal makers GSK hid the information and GSK/Paxil is now on trial per that topic)

http://bipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com/2009/09/manie-paxil-nightmare-born-with-rare.html

Why aren't there charges being filed against physicians receiving government grants who aren't reporting their financial conflicts of interest as required?

Is it because it's the university that's required by law to report, so the physician has a buffer against any charges? What's the deal?

"I enjoyed her first three months which was something I couldn't do with my second child... When that time is robbed from you, those precious months when you first get to look at them and hold them, it is a tragedy."

I hope you can remember those times in a few years. I was on an SSRI/SNRI for 13 years, plus Lamictal for 8; I can't remember raising my kids
or anything else that happened during that time.

Dear Damaged:

I understand your pain. But I don't remember my first child growing up and I wasn't on any meds at that time. I think not remembering a a normal part of the human condition. I truly see no difference between he and my second child as far as memory is concerned. I have no doubt that medication is involved because i have seen it affect short term/long term memory. But I also know that depression deprives me of being able to judge what is normal and what is depression. Perhaps some of your memory loss is normal? I also would NEVER had made it through my PPD ordeal without medication. I had to choose.