Rob Schneider Blames Parkinson's Drugs for Robin Williams' Death

[KamaAina]

https://celebrity.yahoo.com/news/rob-schneider-blames-parkinsons-drugs-robin-williams-death-081000907-us-weekly.html

Actor Rob Schneider has blamed his good friend Robin Williams' tragic death on a drug he was taking to combat the early symptoms of Parkinson's Disease.

Schneider, 50, who has been friends with the Mrs. Doubtfire star for the past 20 years since they first met on Saturday Night Live, took to Twitter on Thursday, Aug. 14, to talk Parkinson's drugs and the role they played in his pal's death.

"Now that we can talk about it. #RobinWilliams was on a drug treating the symptoms of Parkinson's. One of the SIDE-EFFECTS IS SUICIDE!" he wrote.

"The Evil pharmaceutical industry ADMITS TO OVER 100,000 people in the USA DIE A YEAR FROM "PRESCRIPTION" DRUGS!! #RobinWilliams."

[bullwinkle428]

1. Thanks for the post-mortem, Deuce Bigelow Dr. Gigolo!

[tridim]

12. So you don't think it's relevant that the drug he was taking had a side-effect of suicide?

That's an extremely odd (Faux news type) reaction to a fact.

Apparently you don't care, so I'll ask.. Why don't you care?

[bullwinkle428]

45. Well, that was certainly a Faux News-way of asking a question.

Tell me - how was Schneider's diagnosis any different from Bill Frist's diagnosis of Terri Schiavo? One can even say Frist's meant more, having a medical degree, but even that would be bullshit.

[tridim]

50. Willams was his friend.

And it doesn't take a medical degree to read a prescription label.

[WinkyDink]

40. I think he has a right to speak of this, same as us. Acting roles are pretty irrelevant.

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

2. Obligatory Rob Schneider Da Derp Dee Derp post

[NuclearDem]

6. Derp de der ta tittily tum!

[betterdemsonly]

3. Suicide is also a symptom of depression

Scientology influence over Hollywood is not good.

[KamaAina]

5. ^^^ THIS ^^^

I did not know Mr. Schneider did the Sci-Ti thing.

[betterdemsonly]

10. He doesn't

He has been critical of Travolta for being a closeted, but I think alot of Hollywood's big pharma conspiracism, and antivax attitudes, mostly comes from memes created by Scientologists, and this attitude has become common even among non-scientologists there. Schnieder would be a good example.

Granted most people do not understand the difference between correlation and causation, like the fact that suicide can be a side affect of this drug doesn't mean it was in this case. Also many people don't seem to understand that sometimes there are tradeoffs, like some people have allergic reactions to various vaccines, but without vaccines many more would die of those diseases than would have an allergic reaction. Scientologists take advantage of this.

[SummerSnow]

4. Thank you Mr. Schneider......

And to all those who alleged that his suicide was a result of his political thinking....fuck you.





"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt"- Abraham Lincoln









Rush Limbaugh Says Robin Williams Killed Himself Because Leftists Are 'Never Happy'-Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/12/rush-limbaugh-robin-williams_n_5673626.html

[CBGLuthier]

7. Rob Schneider is known as one of the nicest, classiest guys in Hollywood.

Even after Roger Evert savaged his movies he sent him flowers and well wishes upon learning about his illness.

http://www.rogerebert.com/rogers-journal/a-bouquet-arrives

http://www.rogerebert.com/chazs-blog/one-act-of-kindness-rob-schneider-and-roger

His friend died and he blames the drug which considering the side effects should never have been given to a man prone to depression in the first place. Doctors are pill pushing idiots at times.

So laugh at the failed clown all you want. His movies may suck but he sounds like a great man to have as a friend.

[betterdemsonly]

11. Maybe the risk that this presented to someone with depression was outweighed by

the risk of terrible Parkinson's symptoms.

[CBGLuthier]

22. Maybe, but I would not make that choice myself.

Every medication I have ever taken has interfered with my mental health. Considering the outcome in Mr. William's case I would say the treatment was in error.

[betterdemsonly]

23. We don't know whether it was caused by the medication

or depression. We don't know for sure your issues were caused by what ever med you were taking. That is the difference between correlation and causation.

[murielm99]

30. I understand.

That has happened to me, too. Sometimes I have known it was happening, and was powerless to change my strange behavior or thoughts. We have to be more careful about the powerful things we allow to be prescribed to us.

[renate]

31. thank you!

I didn't know any of this. I have a negative opinion about his movies overall so I would have assumed otherwise, but it makes me happy to hear about it when somebody is genuinely good and kind. That's a lesson to me.

[Egnever]

44. Definitely a nice guy

I had the pleasure of spending about an hour with him and Sandler on a black jack table about ten years ago. He was very sweet to everyone at the table and tipped the dealers nearly 1k.

I was saddened to find out recently he is a Republican, complete with dumb Republican talking points. It was a terrible let down after him being so kind in person

[lpbk2713]

8. Not sure if his degree is in Medicine or Pharmacology

[WinkyDink]

41. You think all doctors know of all side-effects? Haha!

[LordGlenconner]

9. Any indication the meds cause depression?

Some medications do. I was on Chantix once and it caused me to have very strange dreams, so let's not completely disregard the concept of medications affecting brain chemistry even if the idea comes from a halfwit.

[arcane1]

15. Isn't "suicidal thoughts" one of the side-effects of Chantix too?

[LordGlenconner]

16. Yes there are warnings. fortunately I didn't have those

I did have some very bizarre dreams and serious digestive issues that came without warning. I discontinued use of the medication.

[arcane1]

17. I was warned of "intense, vivid dreams" if I slept with a nicotine patch on. I tried it.

They were right!!

[tridim]

18. I really enjoyed patch dreams, but the patch didn't work for me.

Nor did lozenges or Chantix, which turned me into a road-raging jerk. None of the expensive, "official" stop-smoking aids worked at all.

Low nicotine E-Cigs are the only thing that has worked. 100% success going on a year now.

[arcane1]

19. Congratulations! I was on the gum for 6 months, and now I'm well into 3 months of nothing

[loyalsister]

49. It's entirely possible that it was typically contraindicated

But, maybe it was a trade off he was willing to make. My grandfather had Parkinson's and when he was dxed, the Dr. said that if he has started medications a few yrs. earlier, it may have slowed the progression significantly.

[whathehell]

55. Of course, and even if Schneider is "all that" bad, he may well be right about this drug

and it's effects on Robin Wiliams....broken clock right twice a day and all that.

[loyalsister]

56. Still

There's enough pharma paranoia to go around. Stoking it is unhelpful. Especially when he is not the Dr or a family member.

[whathehell]

57. Maybe, but all it really takes is reading the label,

dontcha think?

[loyalsister]

59. Depends on if you understand them

Causation, correlation, and statistical information are rarely considered in amateur analyses. I say this as a person who has taken a lot of meds that list suicidal ideation\actions as rare potential side effects. Do you know that if a few people report mood improvement or euphoria with new meds, they are instantly scheduled as drugs that may be potentially abused?

I take one called Fycompa that indicates homicide as a rare potential side effect. It's because one child in a clinical trial said he wanted to kill his caretaker.

It's good that they are that cautious, but people need to be more informed about what they read and talk about.

[joeybee12]

13. No talent hack now thinks he's a doctor...

This vermin needs to go away...forever.

[CBGLuthier]

24. Vermin? Geez did he piss in your wheaties or what?

So much fucking hate for some one you do not even know. Sad. Very sad. Are you suggesting he kill himself. Who is the vermin now?

[joeybee12]

29. No, I'm not suggesting that, FFS...

Over-react much? He's a right-wing nutjob...and yes, he is a no-talent hack..if you're going harrass me with your shit, go ahead and put me on ignore...we'll both be happier.

[Boreal]

46. You're out of line

Vermin? You're dehumanizing Ron Schneider because you don't like what he had to say? Why might that be? Why is your interest in big pharma so compelling that you call Schneider "vermin"?

[GeorgeGist]

14. Anti-vaxxer, Romney supporter ...

asshole.

[Lex]

21. So a super genius

it sounds like.

[KamaAina]

33. Welcome to DU!

[etherealtruth]

25. I am usually all over "this stuff" ... but,

( I wrote the following prior to betterdemsonly providing the info that RS is an ant-vaxxing tool)

....If Robin Williams was someone he was very close too... I would imagine he is dealing with a tremendous amount of grief and anger. He may need (emotionally) to blame someone or something ... if he goes on an ANTI anti-parkinson drug crusade a year from now ... I'll jump in.

Right now, Mr. Schneider can lash out at the ether if it helps ease his pain/ mind.

[betterdemsonly]

26. This is true but I googled it and he is an on the record antivaxxer. n/t

[etherealtruth]

27. Oh ... thank you for that info

In that case he is a "straight-up" idiot!

[betterdemsonly]

28. Probably not an idiot

but big pharma conspiracism is becoming a problem among celebrities, and they do follow each other trends and fads.

[conservaphobe]

32. Bipolar Disorder. nt

[Initech]

34. One of the side effects is suicide? WTF?

I've never seen that written on a prescription bottle... Anywhere!

[Bluenorthwest]

35. 'Suicidal thoughts or actions' is most certainly a listed side effect of many different drugs

This warning is both printed and spoken in radio and TV ads.

[KT2000]

36. this is a possibility

if suicide is listed as a side effect.
Having taken a drug that had that side effect, I KNOW what is meant by that. Most would assume that the person contemplates suicide as a logical choice but that is not what occurs. The best way to describe it is to become disassociated from your "life" and whatever it is in us that is life giving - that energy.

Nothing is worth anything and existence is unbearably taxing. One would go through the motions but "not really be there." Observers might say you were listless or not interested. But inside, the person is just vacant.

It was a high blood pressure drug that has since been taken off the market. I realized later that my father was given that drug and he had a similar reaction. An energetic man, I had never seen him sick before but on that drug he looked like a dead man struggling mightily to get through the day until he could not even get out of bed.

I would hope that the family is looking into this possibility. Anyone given any drug with suicide as a side effect should be monitored very closely.

[betterdemsonly]

37. That would also describe depression itself. n/t

[KT2000]

38. Yes - to prescribe a drug

with suicide as a side effect to someone with depression is very risky. My father and I did not have pre-existing depression so we survived.

[betterdemsonly]

39. Most drugs used to treat serious illness correlate to suicide risk

because the diseases themselves create suicide risk. People who have bad diseases have a high risk in and of themselves, even without the drugs. In other words if we used your logic no one would ever get treated for any serious disease.

[KT2000]

43. the key here

is to monitor closely - which is not often done. Another consideration is how the drug may induce suicide - is it less uptake of serotonin, etc.? A pharmacologist should be called in to consult when there are cases where a new drug may worsen a pre-existing condition that could result in death.

Don't get what the argument is about but enough said.

[Boreal]

47. Especially anyone

who is more vulnerable having suffered depression. Top that with heart surgery which can also cause depression and it did with him.

[tridim]

52. IMO what you describe is much worse than just "suicidal thoughts"

Yikes!

I don't take Rx medications so I've never experienced these scary side-effects. I hope I never have to.

[KT2000]

53. yes - that is the point

I was trying to make. Suicidal ideations are one side effect but when it says SUICIDE that is really something to take very seriously and monitor.

[LiberalLoner]

42. For Robin, may he RIP.

[WinkyDink]

48. At least SOME treatments for PD and depression are connected to suicide. And in scholarly journals.

http://jnnp.bmj.com/content/79/8/952.short

http://journals.lww.com/psychopharmacology/abstract/1988/10000/paradoxical_worsening_of_depressive_symptomatology.7.aspx
"Major depressive episodes can be precipitated by a variety of mechanisms, including the administration of medications. We report four cases in which antidepressant medication appeared to exacerbate a major depressive episode to the point of suicide."

http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=199120
"persons who have been prescribed more than 1 antidepressant medication over time are substantially more likely to develop suicidal behavior than those who have taken only 1 antidepressant.3,4 This latter characteristic is likely to reflect more severe depression or depression that is resistant to prior therapy."

http://journals.psychiatryonline.org/article.aspx?articleid=96562
"Conclusions: Initiation of SSRI therapy is associated with an increased risk of suicide during the first month of therapy compared with other antidepressants. The absolute risk is low, suggesting that an idiosyncratic response to these agents may provoke suicide in a vulnerable subgroup of patients."

[Douglas Carpenter]

51. there is an endless list of drugs including most anti-depressants that list suicidal thoughts as a

possible side effect

[KT2000]

60. Some say

SUICIDE and that is very serious and should be monitored closely.

[MFM008]

54. because he is an expert

a pharmacologist?
a DR?
a psychologist?
specialist?


A bad actor with gop sympathies.

[DonCoquixote]

58. ok let's settle it

any Pharmacists or MDS out there in DU land? Can ye shed some light on this?