Robin Williams Was on Antidepressant Drugs at the Time of His Death
Recent reports have shown that the late actor Robin Williams was on antidepressant drugs at the time of his death. This news does not come as a shock, considering that Williams was battling severe depression at the time of his death and tragically throughout his life. What does come as a shock is that the media are reporting that Williams was not on any drugs or alcohol at the time of his death. Have we not learned anything over the last decade? Antidepressant drugs are still considered drugs. Yes, you can get these drugs legally with a prescription, but that does not make them any less dangerous.
We live in a society were if there is a problem, there is a pill for it. Have you ever stopped and looked at the back of the bottle, for the side effects of these wonderful pills? Medication labels are held to a certain standard to list even the minute side effects, but nevertheless, these are still side effects that have occurred while taking the medication. No matter how rare the side effect is, it needs to be placed on the label.
In this particular case, Mirtazapine, also known as Remeron, was found in the actor’s system. This is an antidepressant drug used to treat deep depression. This antidepressant drug carries 10 international drug warnings for suicidal thoughts. Could this side effect have been a direct correlation to Williams and his suicide? Other common side effects of this antidepressant drug include, drowsiness, dizziness, strange dreams, vision changes, dry mouth, constipation, increased appetite, or weight gain. With a list of side effects that continue on to include rare side effects, how do you outweigh the side effects to the benefit the drug might give you?
The autopsy results, not only show Williams was under the influence of antidepressant drugs, but a powerful antipsychotic Seroquel was also found at the scene. Seroquel is used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Among the list of side effects listed is suicidal thoughts. Does taking 2 separate medications with suicidal thoughts increase the likelihood of commiting suicide? Another red flag raised is the fact that Williams was prescribed this medication on August 4th, seven days prior to his death.
Investigators found that 8 pills were missing from the bottle. The medication’s direction label specifically states to take one pill a day. Did Williams taking one extra pill send him over the edge or was it a combination of the drugs, plus the overdose of the Seroquel? We will never know. Other side effects of Seroquel include, psychosis, paranoid reactions, delusions, and depersonalization. The side effects of medications need to be taken seriously. In the United States, 23,755 suicides are attributed to psychiatric drugs each year. With a number that large, why is this situation not being taken more seriously? Maybe the death of this loved actor will spark a concern in people that are thinking about taking or giving these types of medication.