
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, March 16, 1991                   TAG: 9103190380
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-11   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT PROZAC DANGER

PLEASE continue to help spread the word that in some instances Prozac can and does cause people to commit suicide (New York Times Service article, March 4). Unfortunately, our family heard the message too late.

My husband, a manic-depressive, was given Prozac without any warnings. Five days later he was dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. This man loved life and was loved by everyone who knew him. He was a Christian who believed suicide to be a sin, and he was no sinner.

How many suicides must we have before the medical community sees the need to monitor patients put on the "wonder drug," or the government tells them they must do it?

It has been appalling to me to find out that laws do not require the doctor and druggist to tell us we might be in serious trouble with Prozac. It is also appalling that the medical community is not giving more help to the legal community to demand more testing. MARY A. THURMAN GLADE HILL

by CNB