don't take drugs....they are bad for you

[shh!]

You are going to laugh about that guy one day, starbuck. If there were no emotions involved, that would be hysterical.

[lesa]

How did I miss this thread! It’s too complicated for me to think of answers. What do you mean by, "..they are bad for you"? It’s not that easy Ecojeanne.

There are some issues with the pharmaceutical industry that concerns me a little but I suppose it’s not totally their problem. I don’t know the industry but it’s a business and like all businesses you must make a profit to keep running.

Is it at all possible that Pharma companies can be a help AND a hindrance all at the same time?

Yes, sometimes a helpful drug of choice for a condition may work for one patient but it does not work for everyone with that condition or the FDA can hinder the drug because it’s not approved for that condition and the physician may not feel comfortable in prescribing for off-labeled use. Now you do not have too many options. It’s as if only drugs indicated for a particular condition can be used. But scientists and medical professionals know that you can use other things but we can’t help you unless we get the funding to go through the necessary actions to get it there. And then, that drug may not be worth it because it has too many adverse effects or side effects. It depends on the disease I guess.

Also a drug may be promoted by one pharmaceutical company and influence the way a physician, PA/NP, etc prescribes.

Remember that the pharmaceutical industry is a business that must be regulated (and the FDA tries as much as they can). Sometimes a drug company will market a drug for different conditions/indications---with different prices. Wellbutrin is used for depression but Zyban can’t—it’s used to stop smoking. But they are both the exact same drug—bupropion. I wish I can tell someone to get the cheaper Wellbutrin instead or even cheaper, generic bupropion. The pharmaceutical companies do that to many other drugs too. That’s the business side of medicine. Plus they have to pay back for all that research and I do have to pay bills.

The pharmaceutical industry makes a lot of money. Nothing is wrong with that but it is a business and sometimes people forget that like all businesses, the medical industry is run by people. That’s one good reason why we have many different groups for regulatory reasons.

[ecojeanne]

ye lesa....it definitely isn't simple....i'm no politician or business expert....i'm an ordinary person. I have however seen people improve their health even though specialists and doctors have tried to convince them to take drugs.

I feel proud that i was involved in preventing this from happening. Doctors were amazed at the results from healthy organic food and herbs. That was my dad. I have another relation, my gran, suffers alzheimer's and its heartbreaking....i do get upset about it. The moment she was diagnosed her health deteriorated instantly.

I researched and found that a lot of the drugs she was prescribed were to mask side effects and just made her quality of life completely way below what her quality of life would have been had she not taken the drugs and let the disease progress naturally.

Yes this really upsets me greatly and is the reason i have looked into the business methods of the pharma industry. I found that the pharma business should not be run as a corporation because legally they are required to make money for their shareholders.....i feel at times its by any means necessary.

I looked into sales reps methods and have read a lot. pharma are continuing to 'get caught' lying to the public. Health of the public should not be run the same way as other businesses. Doctors should not be influenced by sales reps...which some are....advertising should not be allowed to influence weaker people in the population.

Its business...yes.....but it shouldn't be a business structured the same as any other.

Yes there is the FDA....lied to by pharma to get drugs approved. Its the business methods and ethics....i don't know what the answer is but all i know is people are not getting all the info they need to get better or feel better because they pop a pill more often than not......

i'm really concerned at the moment because my mother has been prescribed drugs for her 'condition' that they tried to convince my dad to take, i've tried to tell her the methods and herbs and organic food to eat. it scares me because i know the reason she's not listening is because she's lazy and it takes effort.....but at what cost later....i'm worried

[shh!]

If your mom is trying to care for an ailing husband, i doubt very much she finds your "ordinary person" input helpful. If you've said your peace, why don't you let her alone? Don't you think she has enough stress in her life right now? Or do you think she is really too dumb to think for herself or is not entitled to disagree with your "ordinary person" opinions?

And I'm still waiting to hear your perspective about overdosed junkies making up a significant portion of "medication errors".

[ecojeanne]

shh! he's not ailing anymore thanks to him taking control and not listening to the doctors and listening to logic....mom finds it easier to pop a pill instead of trying anything else....like a lot of people

and btw shh! she agrees with me because we've seen the amazing results with dad

[shh!]

What medication was prescribed that he's not taking?

[ecojeanne]

blood pressure and cholesterol lowering pills and both conditions have drastically improved to the amazment of the doctors....dad always went to a expensive top notch specialist that told him if he didn't take the medication that he would die and sooner rather than later. He went back and the specialist could not believe the results when he told the specialist that he wasnt taking the pills anymore....dad even said that at the first consultation it seemed as though it was more about the money.....and dad was very sceptical at the beginning with me and my thoughts so for him to have said that....he then agreed to take herbs and go on an organic regime and it turned out to be the best thing he ever decided to do.

[shh!]

Lifestyle changes are ALWAYS the first line defense in changing blood pressure and cholesterol readings. Unfortunately, most people won't make the changes necessary to improve their lab tests, so if your doctor was amazed by anything, it was probably more about your father changing his lifestyle than anything else.

[ecojeanne]

ye but look at mom.....even when faced with the proof she still can't face the effort involved to change her lifestyle....i don't believe she's the only one...the doctors never once mentioned taking herbs and eating organic food

[shh!]

???

Organic meat has just as much cholesterol as non-organic meat, and I don't know what herbs you are talking about.

Physicians don't deal with herbs unless they have scientific evidence supporting their use. If your dad's doctor told him to take herbs and eat organic in order to prevent MI or stroke, your mom could sue him for malpractice when your dad dropped dead.

[ecojeanne]

thats exactly my point they are not allowed. the pharma industry have vilified herbs....but they work...the system is wrong when doctors are not trained and aren't allowed to recommend natural ways that have little or no side effects to heal first. Organic meat means the animals aren't pumped with hormones and antibiotics....and the veg hasn't been sprayed with pesticides...i think that can only be a good thing and the organic market is growing rapidly so i'm not the only one who thinks this


the pharma industry don't want to allow the herbs into the mainstream because they can't patent them and make money from them

[Gribble]

How do you know these unnamed herbs work, Eco? Where did you get your evidence? Why should I believe you?

[ecojeanne]

because my dad is proof gribble

[lesa]

Me no like cholesterol lowering drugs. They have some 'extra' good...like decreasing risk for alzheimer, etc but they have too many adverse effects. There must be other alternatives. Taking prescription drugs only to lower cholesterol does not seem worth it to me but if you must take it then do what you have to do. Just make sure you contact your medical provider if you experience any adverse effects. They are probably good if used for a few years. I think they are horrible if used for decades. That's just my opinion on cholesterol medications.

[Gribble]

No. Your dad isn't proof. There are countless factors which could have contributed to his recovery. Your personal experience doesn't amount to squat. Show me results from experiments. Show me a paper written by a credible source.