Drug Companies Pay Billions A Year To Soften The Health Risks Through Advertising

This is an article which explains how Pharmaceutical companies convince people that although their drugs can cause many and deadly side effects, they often use celebrities and slight of hand to try and over look the deadly side effects. The FDA, to its credit, has pulled some of these drugs off the market.


Marketing Campaigns Overshadow Deadly Side Effects Of Some Drugs

Drug Companies Pay Billions A Year To Soften The Health Risks Through Advertising

The link did not work on this article, so if you are interested in this article you'll have to cut and paste the titles to read the article.

Here's a link:

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Marketing-Campaigns-Oversh-by-Jack-Swint-120323-791.html


A very serious problem.

I've assumed that if the attractive positive ad, complete with famous spokesperson and full color, is followed by two pages of very fine printed side effects and negative outcomes possible..........I'm not going to take it.
Just like food labels: More than three lines of ingredients.......forgeddaboutit.

There is another way. I check out lawsuits before taking anything. Of course these days the drug companies do censor this type of information.

Some more ghastly examples:

Fosamax for osteoporosis: makes bone fractures more likely, and may cause necrosis of the jaw, which is irreversible.

SSRI's for depression, seratonin reuptake inhibitors cause suicides and homicides. Here is a list of 4800 incidents, which is a small percentage of the total. ´
http://www.ssristories.com/

So do dopamine reuptake inhibitors such as Chantix, per the article posted by Dr. Mike.
(Snip)

Most Serious Side Effects And Precautions:

Studies showed some people had changes in behavior, hostility, agitation, depressed mood, suicidal thoughts or actions while using Chantix to help them quit smoking. Some people had these symptoms when they began taking and others developed them after several weeks of treatment or after stopping. Others have developed suicidal thoughts or actions, anxiety, panic, aggression, anger, mania, abnormal sensations, hallucinations, paranoia, or confusion.
(End of snip)

There are many many more examples, such as anaphylactic shock, which happens more frequently than most people suspect. If you aren't aware of the symptoms and seek medical care immediately, you will die.


Added information from a website on SJS in children.
DRUG REACTIONS:
Drug reactions are one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Yet, less than one percent are reported to the FDA, because there is no mandatory reporting system in effect for postmarketing adverse drug reactions. Similarly, no one has an accurate count of the cases of SJS and TENS. Although SJS is listed as a rare disease, it may be more prevalent than previously thought.

Thank you Gringal for your comments, and you are correct in your assumption, or with food, if you cannot pronounce it...don't eat it.

Thank you Raqueteer for posting the article, so people can link to it. It would not do so for me. You are correct in listing the drugs that you did and the dangers they expose those who take them to.rug reactions are one of the leading causes of death in the US and I agree most are not reported to any agency.

Fosamax does make the bone harder, but not stronger. The difference between harder and stronger is like glass and steel. Glass is hard but it breaks very easily, steel is strong and will not break so easily. So when the doctor tests your bones for hardness, while the patient is on Fosamax, it will show the outer part of the bone has gotten harder, but the bone has not gotten stronger because it is the trabeculae inside the bone that strengthens bones and Fosamax does nothing for the trabeculae.

Lesson learned.

Just a side note: I've read that the majority of people over 65 are taking at least 5 prescription drugs. You have to wonder about doing this: whether it's actually necessary or whether some lifestyle changes, like exercise and a better diet might be a better way to go. Cheaper, too. Actually, I don't wonder.
There doesn't seem to be much sense in popping a statin drug as you prepare to tuck into a big plate of fish and chips or a juicy T bone steak.

Remember the promotion about how much healthier menopausal women would be when they took hormone supplements?
And how much safer a cancer survivor would be after taking Tamoxofin? Or what a swell pain reliever Celebrex was? And how you'd be so much lest depressed on certain tranks? Or, Or.........and on into infinity.

Thanks for your helpful posts, Dr. Mike. And Raq, you're right on. Big Pharma, IMO, is a den of thieves.

I take a junior aspirin a day and eat well,so far so good.

gringal wrote:Just a side note: I've read that the majority of people over 65 are taking at least 5 prescription drugs. You have to wonder about doing this: whether it's actually necessary or whether some lifestyle changes, like exercise and a better diet might be a better way to go. Cheaper, too. Actually, I don't wonder.
There doesn't seem to be much sense in popping a statin drug as you prepare to tuck into a big plate of fish and chips or a juicy T bone steak.

Remember the promotion about how much healthier menopausal women would be when they took hormone supplements?
And how much safer a cancer survivor would be after taking Tamoxofin? Or what a swell pain reliever Celebrex was? And how you'd be so much lest depressed on certain tranks? Or, Or.........and on into infinity.

Thanks for your helpful posts, Dr. Mike. And Raq, you're right on. Big Pharma, IMO, is a den of thieves.

Some of us have bodies that actually produce cholesterol. Low fat diet doesn't change the numbers at all. Its a genetic problem. Statins make the difference for me between a heart attack versus being in great health at age 68.

drmike wrote:Thank you Gringal for your comments, and you are correct in your assumption, or with food, if you cannot pronounce it...don't eat it.

Thank you Raqueteer for posting the article, so people can link to it. It would not do so for me. You are correct in listing the drugs that you did and the dangers they expose those who take them to.rug reactions are one of the leading causes of death in the US and I agree most are not reported to any agency.

Fosamax does make the bone harder, but not stronger. The difference between harder and stronger is like glass and steel. Glass is hard but it breaks very easily, steel is strong and will not break so easily. So when the doctor tests your bones for hardness, while the patient is on Fosamax, it will show the outer part of the bone has gotten harder, but the bone has not gotten stronger because it is the trabeculae inside the bone that strengthens bones and Fosamax does nothing for the trabeculae.

Lesson learned.

Great description of cortical bone Dr. Mike, can you give us a reason for necrotic jaws?
TIA.

And ...maybe more on the subject of cholesterol.

gringal wrote:And ...maybe more on the subject of cholesterol.

Indeed, let us discuss the coenzyme Q10 problem associated with statin use, and the fact that cholesterol is a vital ingredient in the regeneration of cells. Statin use may prevent heart attacks due to reduced plaque, and cause heart attacks due to a lack of coenzyme Q10.

Raqueteer you are so right , the statin drugs causes it's own health risks as it depletes the body of Co-Q10 which in turn makes the person more prone to heart attacks and strokes. If you take a statin drug, I strongly recommend taking the supplement Co-Q10 at 100 - 200 mg a day.

Cholesterol is not necessarily a bad thing. It is used to make the cell membranes stronger buy inserting itself into the membrane of the cells, it is used in the making of sex hormones and other hormones, you need some cholesterol. The levels the doctor tells you to keep yours under is purely speculative. They really don't know what is a healthy cholesterol level. Most doctors don't know it depletes you of Co-Q10.

There are very few studies which connect cholesterol with plaque buildup in the arteries. Plaques is made up of calcium, dead blood cells, fibrin and yes, some cholesterol. Since the drug companies discovered a drug that lowers cholesterol, they have sold doctors on the idea that cholesterol is the reason for plaque build up. In reality cholesterol is a minor part of plaque. But the pharmaceuticals have convinced doctors that it is the main reason. There is very little relationship. It is all for sales and the drug companies make billions of dollars off the statin drugs. In fact they are they most prescribe drugs on the market, today.

My father went and had his cholesterol tested and it was 135. The doctor told him, "well your not going to have a heart attack anytime soon". Two weeks later he had a major heart attack. Goes to show you.

I never worried about my patients unless their cholesterol was 250 or higher. I never had a problem. If any were on statin drugs prescribed by another doctor I always put them on Co-Q10.

I had more luck with clearing the arteries and reducing plaque by doing chelation IVs as a treatment. I do not think I have ever prescribed a statin drug to any of my patients.

And Maincoones is correct when he says some diets do not help some people lower their cholesterol. But there are other ways of reducing cholesterol besides statins such as oral or IV chelation therapy, and some supplements such a vitamin B-3 (niacin). I recommend Mainecoons that you do as I recommended above, take Co-Q10 at 100 - 200 mg a day to overcome the depletion that stains will cause.

Dr Mike - What do you suggest for osteoporosis patients like me who have already had one hip fracture and a prosthesis? I've been taking Fosamax for about 8 years now. One a week variety.

Dr. Mike,
My husband had a high cholesterol rating back in the states, and his doctor prescribed statins. We had a friend who had started taking them and, crazy as it may sound, he suffered a personality change, i.e. he was a talented sculptor and lost interest in doing anything creative after getting on the drugs. Who knows it there was a connection?
My husband did some mousing around on the web and decided to try a combination of very minor dietary changes and Nopal tablets. Within three months, his Cholesterol level was within an acceptable range.
What do you think of Nopal as a supplement for this purpose?

@gringal, my husband also suffered a major personality change after only a short time on a statin drug, which he immediately abandoned. Another unpleasant aspect of statins is global amnesia, which can be a really nasty thing if you're a pilot, or driving a car. Essentially you forget who you are, where you live, or even that you know how to fly a plane or drive a car.

@Dr. Mike, any ideas on necrotic jaws after taking fosamax? That one seems to be a complete mystery to me.

Back to the cholesterol issue, here's an excellent website on statins.

http://spacedoc.com/

What can we say about the most prescribed drug in the U.S. except my favorite "Follow the Money".
Big Pharma does not give a hoot about anyone's health...just about getting their money. Can't wait to hear what the next popular drug that will either kill or ruin your life will be.

As a side note: the U.S doc who prescribed the statins was taking them himself and underwent a notable personality change in a short period of time.

Raqueteer, I am not familiar with necrosis of the jaw by taking Fosamax. I'm not saying it doesn't do that, It's just I am not familiar with it.

Fosamaxz makes your bones harder, Johnny, not stronger. Ask your doctor to try some of the other available treatments for your osteoporosis. They have one that you get a shot every six month thatmay be better, or get his/her counsel on the best course of action. Doctors tend to prescribe that which the drug rep has convinced them it's the best, regardless whether it is or not. That is where a doctor's drug education comes from.

Johnny another question, you've been taking Fosamax for eight years now, any problems with your bones since beginning your therapy on Fosamax?The doctor must use an instrument to test the strength of your bones (they confuse hardness with strength), what does the test indicate. Does he say your bones are harder or stronger than they were before Fosamax?

One of the problem with statins besides personality changes is muscle weakness and pain. My dad flushed his Lipitor down the toilet due to the pain in his legs after taking the drug. Another problem with statins is it can damage your liver.

Gringal, Nopal is a cactus that has been shown to be very effective in regulating blood sugars for diabetics. I am not aware of it lowering cholesterol, but if it worked for Val then it must work for that purpose. Keep taking it. It will only help him. It may well be regulating his blood sugar also. Is his nopal in combination with anything else? It may be a combination of herbs that's lowering his cholesterol. It may work for this purpose, but I've prescribed it for diabetes usually in combination with other herbs.

Thanks for your comments and questions.

Here we go Dr, Mike, apparently the necrosis is caused by a lack of blood flow according to this lawsuit.

http://fosamax-lawyer.com/fosamax_news_01022009.html

......and just in the first paragraph, Raq., it said 3 billion in sales. Then it explained the problem. Oy.

I'm beginning to wonder if staying away from all those good drugs might offer a better chance of "living long and (considering the costs) prospering." Hmmm?

[quote="gringal"]......and just in the first paragraph, Raq., it said 3 billion in sales. Then it explained the problem. Oy.

I'm beginning to wonder if staying away from all those good drugs might offer a better chance of "living long and (considering the costs) prospering." Hmmm?
[/quote



Nail on the head gringal, no need to wonder. If there's an alternative to taking pharmaceuticals I will spare no effort trying to find it. Only this past week, after about 5 years of not taking antibiotics, I caved,took a few, had another pretty bad reaction and had to stop. I'm now working with oil of oregano which should, fingers crossed, do the job. If it doesn't it's back to the drawing board. I still have a few tricks up my sleeve.

Let's put it this way, they start you off on one drug, you get a side effect, so they give you another drug to counter the side effect and on and on it goes. Mega bucks for them, and potential bankruptcy for you before the drugs kill you. Number one cause of bankruptcy in the U.S. is medical costs.

Link:http://folsombankruptcyfirm.com/bankruptcy/medical-debt/

sorry can't get the link to work.

I believe you about the bankruptcy issue. Our emotions cause us to spend "whatever it takes" to give a loved one the best care, whether the prognosis is grim or encouraging. The insurance companies don't want sick people, formerly sick people or possibly future sick people on their rolls.....so that leaves people making drastic decisions in order to pay the medical and drug bills. If the patient recovers, he/she may wind up losing everything but life. If the patient dies, the family is often in a financial disaster. No refunds are given for unsuccessful treatment.

Health problems have us by the shorts. They can come out of the blue with no choice on the patient's part, or they can be caused by the patient's behaviors. In any case, it's not like choosing which house or car one can afford and selecting the one that fits into the budget.

Then, there are the doctors and hospitals.........where some decisions make little sense except on an emotional level: Extreme preemies, very elderly and incurably ill kept alive artificially and many other situations where I would not wish to be on the ethics balancing panel. Any errors in judgment or plain bad luck, and the lawyers are ready to skin the health care people. Meanwhile, medical costs spiral into the stratosphere. Anyone suggesting limits to care is accused of wanting "death panels". I'll leave it at that.

I hope your home cure works. You described the cycle of one drug leading to another very well. Bummer.

Interestingly enough ancient doctors of chinese medicine only got paid if their patients remained healthy.

On to ethics these days, and let's just examine cancer treatment. If you ask the doctor, what caused this you are likely to be told oh, maybe exposure to radiation, or toxins. Then they turn around and offer these as treatments. There's something horribly wrong with this picture. Each chemo treatment runs about $10,000, hmmm, another unpleasant piece of the puzzle comes more into focus. Fear of course has now gripped the patient and rational decision making is pretty difficult.
There are many cancer treatments available here in Mexico which are quite effective and involve building up the patient's defenses rather than destroying them. However these have, through propaganda campaigns, been largely discredited by the AMA. Sadly doctors may lose their licenses if they propose these treatments, or have their reputations and careers destroyed by the powers that be.
Patients do however have a choice, they can just say no, do their own research and follow their own path. Ultimately it's your health, your choice and your responsibility. Personally I would never give ANY practitioner control over my health care decisions.

Thanks, the home remedy is working pretty well.

Yet more medical mischief-

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2124768/Widely-prescribed-statins-help-fight-Alzheimers-given-early-stages.html


Excerpt:

However, there has been no clear evidence from previous research that they help reduce Alzheimer's symptoms – indeed memory loss is one of the known side-effects of the drugs.


Cholesterol is vital for brain function. Hmmmm, what will they think of next? No mention here of global amnesia.

Yet more from the spacedoc site.



Dr. Duane Graveline, MD, MPH



Over 250 Articles - Listed by Category

Dr. Duane Graveline, MD and others have submitted over 250 articles on Cholesterol, Statin Drugs and their Side Effects.

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Statin Books by Dr Duane Graveline MD, MPH

My first book, Lipitor®, Thief of Memory, was written after my two bouts of transient global amnesia (TGA) associated with the use of Lipitor® in the years 1999 - 2000. Predictably at that time, I was focused on cognitive dysfunction and Lipitor®.

I soon realized the adverse reactions involved far more than impaired cognition, including personality change, myopathy, neuropathy and a chronic neuromuscular degeneration similar to ALS and all statins were contributing to these adverse reactions, not just Lipitor®.

Keep up the good work, Raq. There are too many people who believe what their doctor tells them without being pro-active in their own health care by doing s little research before popping that miracle drug. As someone said on this thread: the doctors get most of their pharmacology lessons from drug salesmen.

On the lighter side: the internist I visited in San Miguel had a fancy card holder on his desk with "LIPITOR" on the front. I asked him if he commonly prescribed it, and his answer was "OH NO. I never prescribe that, but the drug salesman gave me this nice card holder."