We, as a country, are in a season of open discussion and truth-seeking in the medical community, like many of us have not seen in our lifetime, thanks to the Make America Healthy Again movement. It may lead to answers around the increase in autism and other childhood disorders. But the medical establishment is lashing out against this open dialogue and no-nonsense transparency.
Dr. Martin Makary, the 27th commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, is receiving backlash from a recent FDA panel on the evidence of the potential risk of antidepressants during pregnancy and childbirth. The panel consisted of 10 world-renowned experts, but the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists called the panel “alarmingly unbalanced.”
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Makary opened the discussion with some startling statistics. One in four women in the United States are on an antidepressant, and up to 5% of pregnant women are on antidepressants. He explained that an increase in prescriptions for antidepressants hasn’t reduced depression; instead, it has increased. He suggested getting to the root cause of depression rather than rushing to medicate.
There’s a new sheriff in town, and the establishment is getting nervous. Suggesting an alternative to the almighty prescription seems to be a cardinal sin in the medical community. The prescription is king, but MAHA has no loyalty to corporations, just health.
The panel was convened to discuss the potential risks of using an SSRI or antidepressant during pregnancy. Dr. Adam Urato shared some stunning truths that a pregnant woman on an SSRI may never hear. He explained how serotonin in SSRIs affects fetal development and expressed his concern that pregnant women are not being properly informed about the issue. Urato explained that even the FDA labels on SSRIs could lead a patient or doctor to believe they are safe in pregnancy. The most egregious omission on those labels may be that SSRIs alter fetal brain development.
Urato explains that SSRIs are chemicals, and chemicals have consequences: “Many animal studies show that SSRIs alter the brain development of rats, mice, rabbits, and sheep. When those mammals grow up, they behave differently. Socially, their behaviors are described as autistic-like, and they also have altered sexual behaviors.”
In human fetuses, Urato says maternal SSRI use can be seen on prenatal ultrasounds because the fetus exhibits different movement and behavior patterns. Urato referenced 12 MRI studies that showed prenatal SSRI exposure alters the developing brain. Americans have been searching for answers on why we are seeing higher rates of autism and other disorders in American children, but the medical community has not educated the public on these studies.
Sadly, a seemingly healthy baby or even a toddler of a mother who used an SSRI during pregnancy doesn’t mean the child escaped the effects of the SSRI. They may develop sexual dysfunction in adolescence. According to a report published by the National Library of Medicine, post-SSRI sexual dysfunction can continue well beyond discontinuation of use of the SSRI. The symptoms of PSSD include genital anesthesia, pleasureless or weak orgasm, decreased sex drive, erectile dysfunction, and premature ejaculation. Not only can this happen to the mother, but studies show it may impact the developing fetus once it reaches adolescence.
I recently interviewed Dr. Tracy Beth Høeg on The Tudor Dixon Podcast. Høeg is a senior advisor at the FDA and led the FDA panel on SSRI risks during pregnancy with Dr. Makary. I asked if she thought the U.S. was overmedicated. Her response was striking: “I absolutely think that we as a society are overmedicated. I used to practice medicine in Denmark, and it’s a very different approach to medicine there. They do not default to medication to solve problems. We [in the U.S.] tend to look to medical solutions, surgeries, drugs first.”
In my local health system, a mental health prescription is an open purchase order. If a doctor gets a patient on a mental health prescription, it requires twice-monthly visits to a psychologist and monthly or bi-monthly appointments with a psychiatrist. That’s guaranteed income for doctors but not guaranteed improved outcomes for patients — a lazy and dangerous business model that is protected by some of the wealthiest corporations in the country.
Dr. Joanna Moncrieff and Urato co-authored an article after the panel, asserting that “the way the benefits of antidepressants are presented is completely at odds with the data. At best, antidepressants show a very modest benefit over placebo in terms of reducing symptoms of depression after a few weeks of treatment.”
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Even though the benefits are modest, the side effects can be intense, ranging from nausea and intense sweating to weight gain and sexual dysfunction. Even worse, withdrawal can lead to self-harm or suicide.
We have been lied to by the establishment for too long. MAHA is exposing the betrayal. The answer to our children’s health problems may lie in the chemicals we are prescribed, and the Trump administration is our best chance to find out the truth.
Tudor Dixon is a former Republican gubernatorial nominee, executive in Michigan’s steel industry, breast-cancer survivor, and working mom of four girls. She is currently the host of The Tudor Dixon Podcast.