http://www.fda.gov/OHRMS/DOCKETS/AC/prozac/2443T1.PDF

DR. CASEY: Thank you. Nedra Walnum?

MS. WALNUM: My name is Nedra Walnum. I am 32 year

old, the single parent of two lovely children, ages 11 and 6.

I have been raising my children alone for six years. During the

six years that I have been a single parent I've endured a

tremendous amount of stress which has been directly related to

being the head of a household in a single-parent home.

Despite the situation, I've been very functional in

society. I've managed to obtain many goals in my career, home

life, and spirituality. I've been an intake worker at the

Center for Women’s Studies and Services Project Safe House for

two-and-a-half years. I've worked as a crisis counselor on a

hot line for sexually assaulted individuals for one year.

I've worked with youths through the San Diego Housing Commission.

During my duration of working and raising two children alone, I

have completed 32 units at the local college in my community. I've

been an active member of the Church of Christ for eight years.

I obtained counseling from an MFCC in 1989, feeling

this was a healthy way to deal with my stress of being a

single parent. The MFCC felt that I was saddened by my

situation, saddened enough to need an antidepressant. She

referred me to a local psychiatrist in my area strictly for

medication purposes. I was prescribed Prozac, 20 mg, once a

day, beginning February 13, 1990.

I appeared to be doing well on Prozac until June 25

1990. This was the date of my first suicide attempt. Five

days prior to June 25, 1990, I have little or close to no

recollection of my activities. This tells me that Prozac had

already become toxic to me at that time. During these five

days I did not report to my place of employment; I literally

stayed in my bedroom for five days. I was not attentive to my

children; in fact, I completely neglected them. My children

fed themselves and cared for themselves. This is totally out

of line of my normal character.

On June 26, 1990, I woke up in Paradise Valley Hospital intensive

care unit due to severe overdose of Xanax.

I was prescribed Xanax along with Prozac due to the high level

of anxiety that I was experiencing from Prozac. I then was

transferred to Paradise Valley Hospital psychiatric ward,

locked-down unit. There I was then prescribed 20 mg of Prozac

twice a day, with Ativanr four times a day.

On July 21, 1990, I attempted suicide again. This

attempt was even more severe. I took an overdose of Ativan

and sleeping pills. This time I went to Paradise Valley

Hospital by ambulance and was taken to the intensive care

unit. I then began questioning this medication.

At this time I began refusing Prozac without the

recommendation of my psychiatrist. I have been fine ever

since. The bottom line is, I was never suicidal before taking

Prozac . I was obsessed with suicide while taking Prozac and

the obsession stopped immediately after I stopped taking

Prozac.

I am outraged that the members of the medical field

have spoken to this committee today insinuating that the

testimonies given today can fall in the category of

statistics, that 15 percent of all depressed people will

commit suicide. These people that have told their testimonies

here today were not psychiatric patients prior to taking

Prozac. Prozacr on the other hand, has literally created

psychiatric patients throughout our country.

Please hear what the people are saying to you all.

We all are the results of this drug. Please immediately

remove this killer drug from the market before any more people

are killed and their lives destroyed, I urge all of you.

DR. CASEY: Thank you very much.