Parkinson's disease drugs caused Robin Williams suicide says pal Rob Schneider

Parkinson's disease drugs caused Robin Williams' suicide, says Rob Schneider

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Comedian Rob Schneider blamed the suicide of his longtime friend Robin Williams on the Parkinson's disease drugs he was taking to control his tremors.

Schneider, who has been friends with Williams for 20 years, made the remarks on Twitter, writing:

"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! The evil pharmaceutical industry admits [that] over 100,000 people in the USA die a year from 'prescription' drugs!!"

Schneider has since deleted that tweet. Rob made the comments shortly after Robin's widow, Susan Schneider (no relation), revealed that Williams had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease shortly before his tragic Aug. 11 suicide.

Levodopa (also called L-dopa) is the most commonly prescribed drug for Parkinson's disease. Potential side effects include mood disorders and depression.

Susan said Robin, who had previously struggled with drug addiction and substance abuse, had been clean and sober before his suicide. "Robin's sobriety was intact," his wife wrote in a statement. "And he was brave as he struggled with his own battles of depression, anxiety, as well as early stages of Parkinson's Disease, which he was not yet ready to share publicly.”

Williams managed his depression with antidepressants, exercise and cycling, and was reportedly extremely upset that Parkinson's would impede his ability to ride his bike and work out.

Parkinson's is a degenerative neurological disease that leads to shaking (tremors) and difficulty walking and moving. There is no known cure, but symptoms can be controlled with drugs. Sadly, there's a close link between depression and Parkinson's disease.

Research shows that 20 to 40 percent of Parkinson’s patients suffer from depression at some point, Philly.com reported. Studies also show that people with a history of midlife depression are more likely to get Parkinson's disease and that Parkinson’s can cause depression even in people who weren't previously depressed.

Comedian Wayne Brady recently revealed that Robin Williams' suicide threw him into a deep depression. "You don't want to move," said Brady. "You're like, 'I am just going to sit right here and I want to wallow in this."

Wayne has since sought treatment and is doing well.

http://www.examiner.com/article/parkinson-s-disease-drugs-caused-robin-williams-suicide-says-pal-rob-schneider

Robin Williams was on antidepressants: Had depression, paranoia, Parkinson's

Robin Williams was on antidepressants when he committed suicide, according to a coroner's report. While Williams' depression was widely publicized after his suicide, it was unclear (until now) whether he was taking antidepressants when he hanged himself on Aug. 11.

An autopsy revealed Williams had struggled with severe depression, anxiety, paranoia and Parkinson's disease in the months leading up to his suicide, the Washington Post reported Nov. 9.

The autopsy revealed he had the tetra-cyclic antidepressant mirtazapine in his blood at the time of his death. A potential side effect of mirtazapine is an increase in suicidal tendencies. There were no illegal drugs or alcohol found in Robin's system.

Mild depression can be managed with exercise, meditation and herbal supplements, said psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky, author of The How of Happiness. However, severe clinical depression like the kind Williams had require more serious treatments, including prescription drugs and therapy.

Williams' widow, Susan Schneider, said she had spoken with Robin the night before his suicide, and he seemed to be in a healthy mental state. After his death, Schneider revealed Robin had recently been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

Williams' friend of 20 years, comedian Rob Schneider (no relation to Robin's widow), has blamed Parkinson's drugs for causing Williams' death. Levodopa (also called L-dopa) is the most commonly prescribed drug for Parkinson's disease. Potential side effects include mood disorders and depression.

Williams managed his depression and stress through exercise and cycling, and was reportedly extremely upset that Parkinson's would impede his ability to ride his bike and work out.

Parkinson's is a degenerative neurological disease that leads to shaking (tremors) and difficulty walking and moving. There is no cure, but symptoms can be controlled with drugs. Sadly, there's a close link between depression and Parkinson's disease.

Comedian Wayne Brady recently revealed Robin Williams' suicide threw him into a deep depression. "You don't want to move," said Brady. "You're like, 'I am just going to sit right here and I want to wallow in this." Wayne has since sought treatment and is doing well.

http://www.examiner.com/article/robin-williams-took-depression-drugs-before-suicide-suffered-from-paranoia