When the richest man in the world casually cast doubt on medications that help millions through psychological distress over the weekend, his comments met fierce resistance. On Saturday, Musk said Wellbutrin is worse than Adderall. It should be taken off the market, Musk wrote in reply to a venture capitalist who wondered if the attention span of society had been poisoned by Adderall. Someone at the table has a suicide or near suicide story when a drug is mentioned, Musk said. Doctors told Gizmodo that if people stopped taking their antidepressants after Dr. Elon's advice, they would put themselves at risk of becoming more suicidal.
If anyone was influenced by Musk who was on an anti-depressant like Wellbutrin, they would stop taking it. Dr. Tyler Black, a clinical assistant professor at the University of British Columbia and a practicing hospital psychiatrist, told Gizmodo that he would stop taking it. You can go through some real medical problems if you stop taking it cold turkey.
The tech magnate's comments, especially the overstatement of Wellbutrin's suicide risk, prompted worry, frustration, and anger among doctors and patients, who pushed back against his anecdotal assertions and pointed out that these medications have led millions away from despair.
Doctors told Gizmodo that Musk could hurt vulnerable people in vulnerable states and fuel prejudice against psychiatrists. Musk's comments could increase medical misinformation online according to a misinformation expert.
Representatives for Musk did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication.
Patients spoke up as well. The congressman from New York said that he has been taking the drug for more than a decade.
I would not be alive today, let alone a member of Congress, were it not for the drug Wellbutrin. Every person has a different drug that works for them. I am one of the success stories of Wellbutrin.
In her case, Dr. Amy Barnhorst, the vice chair for community mental health at the UC Davis Department of Psychiatry, was one of many doctors who responded to Musk with sarcasm. It should be removed from the market. TPA is a drug that restores blood flow to the brain after a stroke.
She said that it was hard to know if Musk knew what he was talking about.
People assume that his opinion is an expert opinion because he has been successful in other areas. The things he says, whether they are true, whether they are researched, whether he puts any thought into them before he posts them, they get read by a lot of people.
Dr. Black pushed back against Musk on social media. He focused on what the tech billionaire said about Wellbutrin.
Black told Gizmodo that there is no specific signal to suggest that someone at the table has a suicide or near suicide story. The FDA black box warning on prescription drug labels is only included out of an abundance of caution.
It's the best medical advice when you're starting an antidepressants to make sure you don't have any new suicidal thoughts. Black, who specializes in suicide research, said that the reason that we often start medication is because depression is getting worse.
Wellbutrin was approved by the FDA in 1985 to treat depression, seasonal affective disorder, and smoking cessation. It is also used to treat other conditions. Black explained that it's an antidepressants prescribed for people who don't tolerate the standard class of medications for anxiety and depression, known asselective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and is less likely to cause unwanted sleepiness or hamper the libido.
Glaxo did not respond to Gizmodo's requests for comment.
Doctors weren't the only ones to rebuke Musk's claims about Wellbutrin, Adderall and Ritalin, patients and caregivers spoke up as well. Others spoke about how Wellbutrin helped them treat their depression or helped their loved ones, some even credited the medication with saving their lives.
One of the people who spoke out was a primary care doctor. Wellbutrin is prescribed to his patients by Summers.
He told Gizmodo that it makes a difference in helping him stay on task. He said he was glad he was on the medication and that Musk's comments made him angry. He pointed out that the comments the CEO made could discourage some of his followers from getting help. The amount of people who spoke up and shared their own mental health diagnoses was heartening to Summers.
We need more of that kind of conversation to help break down the barriers that still exist for some people in getting treatment that could really help them.
Black explained that Musk's comments about Wellbutrin seemed to have hit a nerve because people who take antidepressants are often criticized for doing so.
Black explained that it wasn't just Musk's comments. It is almost like a form of ableism, where people are told that they are not good enough to battle their depression on their own.
Misinformation about mental illness is common on social media. According to Gizmodo, a Canada Research Chair in Health Law and Policy at the University ofAlberta said that comments by people like Musk, as well as celebrities and other high profile individuals, can have an impact on public perception of pharmaceuticals and their value.
The drug ivermectin has been adopted as a treatment for covid-19 despite the fact that there is currently little evidence that the medication prevents or treats the disease.
The perceived value of ivermectin was driven largely by social media discussions.
Musk's comments on Wellbutrin and other psychiatric medications are seen as misinformation because of how they are framed as a whole. Musk's overall message is that Wellbutrin is always bad and often results in suicide. Musk doesn't qualify his anecdotes as what they are, instead making them sound like convincing evidence.
He said that the Musk incident shows how important it is to debunk misinformation, no matter how ridiculous it is.
The conversations that push back matter. They matter and they can make a difference.
There are a number of steps that need to be taken to fight misinformation, including involving regulators and the social media platforms themselves. The company was contacted by Gizmodo and asked if Musk had violated its misleading information policy. The company that Musk is buying declined to comment.
It's unlikely that Musk would deplatform himself since he might own the social network in the future. One option is to label the misinformation with a redirecting to accurate information. He said that a rapid response is a good option.
For those who have seen Musk's social media posts and have questions, Barnhorst recommended they find a person who is knowledgeable about depression, ADHD, and Psychiatry in general. She said that it could be your doctor, your psychiatrist, or someone trained in those fields.
It's fine to have concerns. Some people have bad side effects, some people don't like them, and sometimes they aren't effective. They can be effective. They can be very safe and they can be worth the small side effects for people if they are treated in an effective way.
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