Rachel Danis ‘Elagolix trial’: Was Lindsay Clancy exposed to drug whose side effect can be ‘thoughts of killing oneself’
The Lindsay Clancy trial has put focus on Dr. Rachel Daniswho is currently married to Patrick Clancy. Lindsay, Patrick’s ex-wife, is facing trial for killing their children – Cora, Dawson, and Callan on January 24, 2023.
Amid the trial, several social media speculations have been made regarding the relationship between Patrick and Rachel. Some have sought to blame the two for the kids’ deaths, while others have hinted at an affair. To be sure, these claims come from unverified profiles. Authorities firmly believe Lindsay Clancy acted alone in taking the lives of the kids and neither Patrick nor Rachel appear to be on their radar. As per reports, Patrick began to date Rachel in 2024, about a year after his children’s deaths and the two ended up tying the knot in April 2026, months before Lindsay’s trial.
However, these speculations have continued, and a recent post has questioned whether Lindsay Clancy was ‘exposed’ to Elagolix, a drug used in a trial Dr Rachel Danis was a part of. Here’s all you need to know about the wild claims and the Dr Rachel Danis’ Elagolix trial.
Lindsay Clancy exposed to Elagolix? Truth behind wild claim
A post on the matter noted “Dr. Rachel Danis, Patrick Clancy’s current wife(and who he was seeing while still married to Lindsay, allegedly) is an endocrinologist and fertility specialist practicing in New York. In 2019, she received a grant to personally run a trial involving a drug called elagolix, with the study concluding in 2021. She was involved in testing the efficacy and application of this drug.”
It added “Elagolix is an oral prescription medication classified as a gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) receptor antagonist. It is primarily used to manage moderate to severe pelvic pain associated with endometriosis in women. Two of the more concerning side effects are insomnia and suicidal ideation. Because this is a hormone based drug, it would not necessarily show up on a standard toxicology screening. Its half life is approximately 4 to 6 hours.”
“What caught my attention, is the list of other side effects: headaches, nausea, stomach pain, and constipation. If you’ve been following the trial too, go back and look at what was happening with Cora. She was reportedly struggling with several of these same symptoms. Then look at Lindsay. Other effects associated with Elagolix, particularly with longer term use or overuse, include hot flashes, night sweats, sleep problems, and irregular or missed periods. More serious risks include severe psychiatric disturbances, mood changes, decreased bone mineral density, and potential liver enzyme elevations. A lot of what Lindsay had going on overlaps with this side effect profile. And when I think about the bone density loss specifically, I can’t help but wonder about Lindsay’s fractures. What would her results have shown if they had performed a DEXA scan? What is her actual bone density?,” the person went on to ask.
They further said “Lindsay repeatedly said that she couldn’t sleep and was so uncomfortable at nighttime. Mind you, two of her prescriptions were Trazodone and Seroquel. Both drugs can be used to help treat insomnia. So I keep coming back to one very specific question: Were Lindsay and the children ever unknowingly exposed to Elagolix?”.
Another post on Facebook repeated the claims, saying “Dr. Rachel B. Danis is a reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist. During her reproductive-endocrinology fellowship at USC, she conducted research on elagolix (Orilissa). Her current professional biography says she received an investigator-initiated research grant from AbbVie, the pharmaceutical company associated with elagolix, specifically to investigate the drug’s pharmacodynamics—basically, what the drug does to the body and hormone levels. The prescribing information has a specific warning headed ‘Suicidal Ideation, Suicidal Behavior, and Exacerbation of Mood Disorders.” It instructs patients to seek medical attention for new or worsening depression, anxiety, mood changes, or suicidal thinking/behavior’.”
Despite the claims made, there is no proof that Lindsay or her children were ever ‘exposed’ to Elagolix. Patrick did not cross paths with Rachel until after the kids were dead, as per reports. Further, Lindsay’s lawyer, Kevin Reddington, has argued that Lindsay was suffering from postpartum psychosis and was overly medicated. He’s blamed these factors, rather than exposure to a specific drug. for Lindsay taking the lives of her children.
Dr Rachel Danis medical trial using Elagolix
Rachel B Danis is listed as one of the researchers to work on ‘Does timing matter when initiating elagolix in a natural menstrual cycle?’. The paper, available on PubMed, shows that it was published in 2021.
The paper aims to ‘investigate the efficacy of elagolix when administered at different time points in a menstrual cycle.’ Notably, Patrick’s wife’s name is Rachel Blair Danis, which is why the posts on X and Facebook noted she had a medical trial involving the drug.
Elagolix side effects
As per Mayo Clinictaking Elagolix can have a variety of side effects. Among the more common ones are – Absent, missed, or irregular menstrual periods, bone loss, chest tightness, fast heartbeat, fever, hives, itching, skin rash, hoarseness, irritation, joint pain, stiffness, or swelling, mood swings, redness of the skin, stopping of menstrual bleeding, swelling of the eyelids, face, lips, hands, or feet, trouble breathing or swallowing.
The less common ones include – Anxiety, bleeding between periods, change in pattern of monthly periods, change in the amount of bleeding during periods, discouragement, feeling sad or empty, irritability, lack of appetite, loss of interest or pleasure, tiredness, trouble concentrating, trouble sleeping.
Among the rarer side effects are – Back pain, bloating, nausea, severe cramping, stomach or lower abdominal pain, thoughts or attempts at killing oneself, and vomiting.
Meanwhile, the Mayo Clinic-listed symptoms for postpartum depression are – Depressed mood or severe mood swings, Crying too much, Difficulty bonding with your baby, Withdrawing from family and friends, Loss of appetite or eating much more than usual, Inability to sleep, called insomnia, or sleeping too much, Overwhelming tiredness or loss of energy, Less interest and pleasure in activities you used to enjoy, Intense irritability and anger, Fear that you’re not a good mother, Hopelessness, Feelings of worthlessness, shame, guilt or inadequacy, Reduced ability to think clearly, concentrate or make decisions, Restlessness, Severe anxiety and panic attacks, Thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, and Recurring thoughts of death or suicide.
The symptoms for postpartum psychosis are listed as – Feeling confused and lost, Having obsessive thoughts about your baby, Hallucinating and having delusions, Having sleep problems, Having too much energy and feeling upset, Feeling paranoid, Making attempts to harm yourself or your baby.
Lindsay Clancy claimed that she heard a voice telling her to kill the children. They were found strangled with exercise bands, and Lindsay was found in the backyard after she had jumped out of the bedroom window trying to take her own life. Given that some symptoms of postpartum depression and psychosis are similar to side effects of the drug Elagolix, the claims have risen about Lindsay’s possible exposure to the same. However, the same has not been proven in the course of the authorities’ investigation.
