Lawmakers Attack Experts Warning About Antidepressant Risks—Big Pharma Behind the Curtain?

By The Blogging Hounds Eight Members of Congress Defend Dangerous DrugsEight Members of Congress recently signed a letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., attacking FDA experts who raised serious concerns about the risks of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) during pregnancy. The letter reeks of bias and suggests one has to wonder: which…

By The Blogging Hounds

Eight Members of Congress Defend Dangerous Drugs
Eight Members of Congress recently signed a letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., attacking FDA experts who raised serious concerns about the risks of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) during pregnancy. The letter reeks of bias and suggests one has to wonder: which Members got the call from Big Pharma?

The controversy erupted after a landmark FDA Expert Panel discussed emerging evidence that SSRIs may harm fetal development. Despite the panel’s cautious and evidence-based approach, the Congressional letter dismissed these warnings, defending SSRIs as providing “immense support” to millions of Americans.

What Does “Immense Support” Really Mean?
The Members claim SSRIs provide “immense support.” But what is that? A medical term? A measurable outcome? Or simply a talking point for pharmaceutical interests? One cannot ignore the tragic outcomes associated with these drugs: mothers like Lindsay Clancy, prescribed 13 different psychiatric drugs in four months, ended up killing her three children. Or consider Nikolas Cruz, prescribed ADHD drugs and SSRIs from age seven, who later committed mass murder. Do these individuals represent “immense support”?

FDA Data Contradicts Congressional Claims
The Congressional letter claims SSRIs are harmless and “not experimental.” But a recent 22-year analysis in Frontiers in Pharmacology shows otherwise: SSRIs and SNRIs were linked to neonatal movement disorders and adaptation problems. And less than 10% of adverse drug events are reported to the FDA. When you account for unreported events, the risk profile of these drugs is far more alarming.

Moreover, pharmaceutical companies themselves admit they do not fully understand how SSRIs work. Package inserts for Fluoxetine (Prozac) candidly state the mechanism is “unknown” but presumed to involve serotonin uptake. If the mechanism is unknown after decades of study, can these drugs truly be considered “safe” or non-experimental?

The Safety and Efficacy Myth
Congress claims SSRIs “improve quality of life and save lives.” But what about Lindsay Clancy, Andrea Yates, Audrey Hale, or hundreds of thousands of other patients who suffered severe outcomes, including psychosis, mania, violent behavior, hallucinations, and suicidality? All SSRIs carry black box warnings for suicide risk—the most serious FDA warning before removal from the market. Safety and efficacy cannot coexist with such evidence of harm.

Mental Health: More Drugs, Less Improvement
Data shows psychiatric diagnoses and prescriptions are increasing, yet overall mental health outcomes are stagnating—or worsening. FDA Administrator Marty Makary highlighted during the Expert Panel that, despite more antidepressant prescriptions, “we’re losing the broader battle of addressing mental health in the United States.” The more we medicate, the worse the problem appears.

Congress Ignores the Evidence
Why are these eight Members of Congress attacking an open, expert-led discussion about drug safety? Whose interests are they serving? When lawmakers dismiss medical experts and ridicule legitimate safety concerns, the public is left vulnerable. Decisions that should prioritize life and health are instead influenced by political expediency and pharmaceutical lobbying.

The Bottom Line
SSRIs are not benign. They carry serious neurological and behavioral risks, and their effects on developing fetuses remain insufficiently studied. Congress must stop parroting Big Pharma talking points and start listening to science. The safety of millions, especially children and unborn babies, depends on it.

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