Mad in America article by someone who might be able to affect some change

It seems that we have another journalist who is on our side, and she has been through this nightmare herself:

http://www.madinamerica.com/2014/08/the-cocktail-party/

Author bio:

Alesandra Rain

 

Alesandra Rain is an author and prescription drug expert for the O’Reilly Factor, Fox News Channel and ABC, lectures worldwide and is frequently a guest on national news and radio stations. She is co-founder of Point of Return (pointofreturn.com), a nonprofit that has been assisting the public for the last ten years with withdrawals from benzodiazepines, sleeping pills and antidepressants. She is a keynote speaker and currently resides in South Carolina, with her rescue dog Sky.

In the comments she says this:

Absolutely many at Fox, at least in the NY office knows the danger of psychoactive medication. And many have a personal story, if not for themselves then certainly for someone close to them… it is my hope that they will cover the true story about these horrible drugs and the lives that are destroyed from taking them. But most often I am called for celebrity deaths, yet Bill O’Reilly took on a very controversial topic with the Fort Hood shooter who was on Ambien and other meds and he was very outspoken. You can see the interview at this link: http://www.pointofreturn.com/press.html

 

While many in the press will shy away from this issue, I was extremely impressed with O’Reilly’s willingness to state clearly his views.

 

Thank you for the welcome.

FG, hopefully things will change one day. but when ?

the truth must come to light , health authoroties have to acknowledge how

dangerous Benzos are.

I see Alessandra Rain has been assisting the public for the last ten years,

similar to Colin i suppose.

thanks for posting FG.

FG, hopefully things will change one day. but when ?

the truth must come to light , health authoroties have to acknowledge how

dangerous Benzos are.

I see Alessandra Rain has been assisting the public for the last ten years,

similar to Colin i suppose.

thanks for posting FG.

It seems that she is a founder of point of return. I don't know much about it but from what I understand it is a supplement based withdrawal program and it is controversial so I don't know how that plays into everything but from the article and comments I gathered that she is interested in raising awareness and she is in a better position to do so than most of us will ever be, so we can hope.....

I tried all the supplements and the programme when I first started tapering.  I spent way to much money and had absolutely no relief from my symptoms while doing exactly as the programme says.

We are all different but I can say for me it was a total waste of time and money

Aussiegal,

Did you find switching to V from X helpful?

Aussiegal,

Did you find switching to V from X helpful?

Hello Marija,

Yes and no!!!

For me it stopped the inter dose withdrawal and muscle cramps but brought a whole pile of other symptoms.  My body did not like Xanax or Valium I was paradoxical in and out of hospital the whole taper.  Please dont be frightened by what happened to me most people seem to have a smooth taper with Valium.

I switched from K to V, as instructed in the Ashton Manual. I think it was okay, but since I never fully tapered from Klonopin or jumped from K, but instead tapered and jumped from Valium, I have no baseline to compare.

That's one of the problems - when you are going through hell, it's tough to tease out what is causing it. I take a magnesium and feel like crap, but in 2 days I have a window. Did the magnesium (just an example - any vitamin or supplement ca be inserted) cause the bad days, or the subsequent good days? Or was it the antihistamine I took for sleep? Good or bad ?

Almost impossible to tell, so I take as little of everything as possible. Maybe am I ignoring something that might make me feel better ?

That's one of the problems - when you are going through hell, it's tough to tease out what is causing it. I take a magnesium and feel like crap, but in 2 days I have a window. Did the magnesium (just an example - any vitamin or supplement ca be inserted) cause the bad days, or the subsequent good days? Or was it the antihistamine I took for sleep? Good or bad ?

 

Almost impossible to tell, so I take as little of everything as possible. Maybe am I ignoring something that might make me feel better ?

That's why I don't really "take" anything. Ibuprofen when I get head pain and pressure to the point where it affects my sleep, but that's about as crazy as I get. If you take half a dozen supplements and are constantly changing things up, varying your diet or activity level and such you will never know what's what.

KISS- Keep It Simple Stupid. That's my motto.

Her program is the scam that many wan to expose.

Many have told me that they ripped off sick people's money

She is a total liar

Many of our members have complained about POR. At best, the supplements they peddle (over-priced - they can be bought much more cheaply elsewhere) are reported as ineffective by the vast majority of our members who have tried them, with the only noticeable change being to the weight of members' wallets. Some people report feeling worse for trying the supplements.

The 'program' was based/developed upon a grand total of one-and-a-half-experiences (the co-founders - neighbours/friends), with no scientific studies or backing.

Do what you want peeps - but I strongly suggest that members do not waste their time and money with POR.

On the positive side, it's an informative, well-written article that makes some important points. There's no major push to purchase anything within the article itself, so from that standpoint, it's good.

I've certainly come across Point of Return, but as a skeptic, I tend to stay away from such things. I have a feeling that if any of the vitamins, minerals or supplements that folks around here are taking were considered "Miracle Cures", we'd all have heard about it by now, tried them ourselves and gone back to our normal lives. For the most part, time seems to be the great healer, i.e. once you've done a taper and been off the medications for awhile.

I appreciate both the article and the interesting discussion around it, so thanks for that, Everyone!

She's an aggressive self promoter peddling her "potions", protocol and promise of health together with a former valium addicted cardiologist, in his 80's who lends his anecdotal, biased understanding and theories of benzo withdrawal while scripting compounded liquid benzo suspensions from a convicted vendor fraud pharmacist who subsequently was denied a liscence in Oregon, but withheld important details of his history to the Minnesota board of pharmacy, thus setting up shop and providing the "goods" for POR's clients.

Hmmm, things that matter - integrity, honesty and ethical behaviour.

Allesandra's article cleverly omits POR's pivotal selling feature - glutathione and other neutraceuticals.

Once in the "system", the hammering to heal via her proprietary blend of neutraceuticals is made clear - purchase or perish.

http://m.startribune.com/local/blogs/133168323.html

POR is not an improved Dr Heather Ashton or Reg Peart. 

Without Alesandra and POR I wouldn't be in this agony.  She duped me into trusting Dr. Armstrong, who along with the pharmacist, Roy Katz, have ruined me.  They shorted my liquid script which caused insomnia as I was in withdrawal which then led me to be so sick I foolishly consented to the ill fated detox that has caused long protracted symptoms.

Avoid these people at all costs.

She's an aggressive self promoter peddling her "potions", protocol and promise of health together with a former valium addicted cardiologist, in his 80's who lends his anecdotal, biased understanding and theories of benzo withdrawal while scripting compounded liquid benzo suspensions from a convicted vendor fraud pharmacist who subsequently was denied a liscence in Oregon, but withheld important details of his history to the Minnesota board of pharmacy, thus setting up shop and providing the "goods" for POR's clients.

Hmmm, things that matter - integrity, honesty and ethical behaviour.

 

Allesandra's article cleverly omits POR's pivotal selling feature - glutathione and other neutraceuticals.

Once in the "system", the hammering to heal via her proprietary blend of neutraceuticals is made clear - purchase or perish.

 

http://m.startribune.com/local/blogs/133168323.html

 

POR is not an improved Dr Heather Ashton or Reg Peart.

Shocking, what an eye-opener....thanks for posting.

Without Alesandra and POR I wouldn't be in this agony.  She duped me into trusting Dr. Armstrong, who along with the pharmacist, Roy Katz, have ruined me.  They shorted my liquid script which caused insomnia as I was in withdrawal which then led me to be so sick I foolishly consented to the ill fated detox that has caused long protracted symptoms.

 

Avoid these people at all costs.

Shocking satch.....there must be many Victims like you....

I would like to add, that in 8/2014, after the FDA inspection of Roy's pharmacy, and his subsequent "demand" that I fly to Texas or be cut off of compounding services, he did offer one other option: that I see a kind, caring Pdoc who would be happy to lend his name to prescription meds: Dr Faruk Abuzzahab.

Please read the articles.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/03/health/03docs.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

http://clinpsyc.blogspot.com/2007/06/are-you-faruk-in-kidding-me.html?m=1

I bet he would be happy to prescribe!

Besides the issue of working with such dubious business associates, Allesandra sells neutraceuticals.

Lending her voice to heightening public awareness to the over prescribing of physcotropic drugs may lead many to POR where they will be heavily pressured to over supplement,  further compromising the biochemical medical nightmare brought on by benzos.

Not to even mention the obvious conflict of interest!

Functional medicine is just entering the medical field: Allesandra is not an expert in functional medicine. Blindly adding copious amounts of neutraceuticals will eventually lead to the need of a "spokesperson" to heightening the public awareness of over supplementation and it's ill effects.

Back to square one.

Reinstate, join BB and pray to God.

What an eye opener Marija.....

Drug makers paid this jerkass thousands of Dollars for each patient..OMG

thanks for postings....always grateful to learn more.

Morreweg,

The "marriage" between Big Pharma and physciatry (orthopedics as well) and their willingness to skew research, results and negative outcomes for personal profit and gain is appalling.

Here's another deveststing and on going case...interestingly enough, also at the U of M.

http://m.motherjones.com/environment/2010/09/dan-markingson-drug-trial-astrazeneca

http://www.citypages.com/2011-02-02/news/charles-schulz-under-scrutiny-for-seroquel-study-suicide/

The case is pending, the Govenor finally pushed for an independent investigation.

If interested, google Carl Elliot, a bio ethicist working hard at keeping this case in the publics eye.

Thank you Marija....i have something to offer in return.

we have a Danish Doctor in Europe who is trying get word out about

Big Pharma....Deadly medicines and Organized crime.

He is travelling the world now.....in Australia at the moment.

worth watching...i tell ya.

Yes!  I've read the book!!  Excellent.

Thank you .......