Opinion ID: 2537785
Heading Depth: 6
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Evidence on harmful effects of psychotropic medications

Text: The court heard evidence relating both to the perils of psychotropic drugs generally, and the specific side effects such drugs could have on Bigley himself. Dr. Grace Jackson, the psychiatrist and author called by Bigley, testified as an expert witness about the harmful effects and lack of effectiveness of anti-psychotic drugs. Dr. Jackson conceded that psychotropic medication is widely accepted within the psychiatric community as an effective treatment for schizophrenia. However, she testified that the pharmaceutical industry had skewed and suppressed data showing the harms these drugs caused. She testified that the life expectancies of people taking drugs such as risperidone had shortened by as much as twenty to twenty-five years, that the drug caused many patients to be chemically brain injured, and contributed to an epidemic of dementia. She disputed the idea that risperidone was safer than the older drugs. She testified these drugs really should be called chemical lobotomizers rather than antipsychotics because they merely inhibit brain activity to reduce annoying behaviors. She testified that five to twenty percent of patients on risperidone will develop tardive dyskinesia symptoms in the first years of use. [3] She said she did not know if Bigley had tardive dyskinesia, but that he was at high risk of it if placed on risperidone. She also testified there was a high likelihood he is simply just going to die in the next five years if he is placed back on risperidone. In sharp contrast to the API doctors, Dr. Jackson believed that Bigley's recent decline in mental health had been caused not by his refusal to take medications, but to the contrary was the result of damage done by excessive medication. Dr. Jackson concluded that continuing with anti-psychotic medication for Bigley would be very unwise. Bigley also introduced an affidavit from Robert Whitaker, a journalist and author, describing evidence of the harmful effects and lack of efficacy of psychotropic drugs. And he introduced an affidavit from Ronald Bassman, Ph.D., an advocate and researcher who has been treated with psychotropic drugs for his own schizophrenia and now opposes their use. Dr. Hopson of API disputed the assertion that treatment with anti-psychotics increases the likelihood of chronic mental illness. Dr. Hopson testified that Dr. Jackson's views were not in the mainstream of clinical practice in the Anchorage area. He said Alaska used treatment guidelines known as the Texas Medication Algorithm Project (TMAP) used in about half the states, which recommend anti-psychotic medications if the symptoms of schizophrenia interfere with daily functioning. He said it would be remiss not to treat someone like Bigley with such medications. API did not dispute that Bigley has experienced some unpleasant side effects from psychotropic drugs in the past. Records from a 1981 hospitalization, when he was being treated with the drug Haldol, report extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS), i.e. movement disorders. [4] More recently, during a 2007 hospitalization, his medications caused nausea and vomiting. Dr. Maile noted that Bigley had complained of some side effects from anti-psychotic medication such as sleepiness and weight gain. The visitor said Bigley had complained of side effects of erectile dysfunction and sleepiness, as well as a belief that the injections had altered the shape of his buttocks. Both Dr. Maile and the visitor said they were not aware of Bigley having experienced the side effect of tardive dyskenisia. [5] However, the court later found, based on grounds that are not stated, that Bigley did in fact suffer from this condition as the result of years of treatment with anti-psychotic medications. [6] Dr. Khari testified that the drug now at issue, risperidone, could have side effects such as sedation, hypertension, tardive dyskinesia, EPS, and hyperprolactinemia. [7] She said risperidone was a newer kind of anti-psychotic with fewer side effects, but could have similar side effects to the older drugs at higher doses. She testified that in Bigley's case, the only side effects observed in the past from risperidone were weight gain and sedation.