Category Archives: Drug Safety

Can Weight Loss Tips Be Dangerous?

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Can Weight Loss Tips Be Dangerous?

Looking for weight loss advice?

You are in good company.  So many just like you are hoping for something that will really help.  Carrying around extra pounds is exhausting and worrisome.

I mean vanity isn’t the only reason you want to drop weight, right?

You want to protect your health for sure, but what you really need is more energy right now!

Shoot, if you had more energy, you’d have more fun!

If you had more fun, you’d be in a better place to make better choices!

Bring on the weight loss tips!  Let’s find one that will work!

You’ve got nothing to lose but pounds …. right?

Wrong!

I started this post asking if weight loss tips can be dangerous.

That is a really good question, one that you should be asking yourself.

How can weight loss tips be dangerous? Continue reading Can Weight Loss Tips Be Dangerous? →

The Big “Secret Price-Gouging Swindle” Drug Companies Will Never Admit…

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This article on Dr. Mercola’s blog is such important information that I wanted to waste no time in sharing it with you.

Following is the entire article from Mercola.com

A bill that would end an underhanded tactic that delays the introduction of generic drugs in the marketplace is pending in the Senate.

The tactic, known as “pay for delay,” occurs when a brand-name drug maker pays a significant sum of money to a generic drug maker in exchange for delaying the marketing of the new generic drug.

This allows brand-name drug makers to keep earning profits without competition, while the generic drug maker gets a large sum of “easy, risk-free money.”

As the New York Times reported:

“Both companies profit. The consumer, unfortunately, loses — by paying high, brand-name drug prices instead of lower prices for a generic. The Federal Trade Commission, which has been campaigning to end the practice, estimates that pay-for-delay agreements cost consumers at least $3.5 billion a year.”

Sources:

NYTimes.com August 9, 2010
Dr. Mercola’s Comments:

 

Many people still do not understand the enormous power wielded by the pharmaceutical industry. They, in a very real sense, have dictated the rules of the entire health care system through their massive lobbying, and their financial influence has shaped the health of the entire U.S. population, if not the world, for the worse.

At the heart of their financial success, of course, are the extremely profitable drugs that so many Americans use on a daily basis. The drug prices not only start out extraordinarily high to begin with, but the drug companies have underhanded tactics to ensure their profits keep rolling in, unchallenged, for as long as possible.

One of the most blatant of these is known as “pay for delay” — and there is legislation pending in the Senate that could stop it in its tracks.

“Pay for Delay” Schemes Should be Made Illegal

When a brand-name drug comes off patent, generic equivalents emerge that typically cost consumers far less than the brand-name version. Generic drugs are still overpriced in their own right, but less so than the brand-name drugs.

In the event that a generic drug manufacturer challenges a patent on a brand-name version, it can lead to a costly legal battle that may end up with a lost patent for the brand-name drug.

Knowing this, drug companies will offer to pay their generic rivals a significant sum of money in exchange for delaying the release of their lower priced, generic drug. Both companies profit from the scenario, but consumers lose out by having to continue to pay drug prices that are essentially fixed by the pharmaceutical companies themselves.

There is now a bill pending in the Senate that would essentially ban pay-for-delay schemes because they are both illegal and anticompetitive, but it remains uncertain whether the bill will actually pass — an atrocity considering how much money is being wasted by allowing pay-for-delay to continue.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, ending the practice would save consumers at least $3.5 billion a year, while the Congressional Budget Office stated banning pay-for-delay would reduce the federal deficit by $2.6 billion in the next 10 years.

Drug Companies Get to Name Their Price with Very Little Competition Continue reading The Big “Secret Price-Gouging Swindle” Drug Companies Will Never Admit… →

Could Your Persistent Cough Have Anything to do With Your Antihistamine?

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Could your persistent cough have anything to do with your antihistamine?

Do you have a persistent cough that doesn’t want to go away?

Is it driving you nuts?

Lena had sinus issues.

She said her family doctor had made the comment years ago, that her nose was …  “not a white man’s nose”.

Though a funny story, she was at a loss for exactly what that meant, and wondered if the doctor had racial issues.

All Lena knew was that her nose was always stuffed up.

She accepted the daily use of antihistamines as her lot in life.

They seemed harmless enough.  Lena really didn’t notice any side effects, but then she had been using them for so many years she had lost count.

When I began to question Lena about her re-occurring persistent cough, I was actually hopeful that it could be caused by sinus issues.

Lena insisted that the cough was coming from her lungs.

Persistently coughing up clear mucus is indicative of fluid in your lungs. I was hopeful that Lena was wrong.  Fluid in your lungs is a serious issue.

You can often verify fluid in the lungs by listening with a stethoscope, though that fluid will not show up on x-ray early on in the disease process.

In Lena’s case, when I listened to her back over the lowest three ribs on each side for the tell tale popping sounds of fluid, I heard nothing at all.  I heard no air flow in or out.

If Lena had fluid in her lungs it was not audible.

I encouraged Lena to inquire with her doctor about getting an inhaler. Whether or not she had fluid in her lungs, Lena needed to ventilate better.

Lena’s doctor wouldn’t give her an order for an inhaler because she wasn’t wheezing.

After purchasing an over the counter inhaler and giving it a try, Lena was surprised how much more deeply she could breathe.

When I took a listen to her lungs she had little squeaks all over the place, but not necessarily fluid.  This solved the problem of the lack of a prescription inhaler.  Her doctor gave her one right away when she showed up at his office wheezing and squeaky.

However, the persistent cough continued.

I had mentioned to Lena that her daily antihistamine dosing might be problematic many times before.  Shear sleep deprivation and fatigue ate away at her resistance until she was ready to take absolutely any advice and give it a try.

“How can I stop this cough?”

When I brought up the subject of antihistamines with Lena, she protested yet again.  She couldn’t fathom the possibility that her harmless daily antihistamine could possibly be the culprit.

I had to pull out documentation of the side effects to stifle her argument, but that certainly GOT her attention.

She was shocked and in a state of disbelief so I gave her some time to digest the information.

Do you know the side effects of antihistamines? Continue reading Could Your Persistent Cough Have Anything to do With Your Antihistamine? →

Should You Avoid Kombucha Tea?

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Carpe Diem Kombucha Cranberry

Why take chances with your health?

Dr. Brent a Bauer, an internist at the Mayo Clinic says:
“until definitive studies quantify the risks and benefits of Kombucha tea, it’s prudent to avoid it.”

Dr. Bauer says that there are no studies you can trust.

Well duh, Dr. Bauer.  Nobody is going to get rich selling Kombucha.  I mean, there are successful companies selling Kombucha, but they are not BIG business.

Big Pharma really likes LARGE profit.  Much much larger than the natural foods companies are making.  Any study that proves the value of Kombucha could only damage their sales.

You might not find research studies on Kombucha, but you can find LOTS of personal testimonials.

I’d love to share my personal Kombucha story!

About 6 years ago, I found out that I was expecting another baby.  My daughters were 8 and 11 years old, so the thought of starting over again made me feel a bit weary.  I wasn’t nearly as overwhelmed as my doctor was though!

I had been living with auto immune symptoms for about 7 years, and my doctor insisted that I terminate the pregnancy.  She was convinced that I would have a tough time carrying a child to term and an even tougher time raising one with my health issues.

Since I just could not come to terms with killing my unborn child, I decided against abortion.

Much to my surprise, my symptoms of pain and stiffness began to fade and then vanished over the course of my pregnancy.  I had been managing my symptoms with diet, supplements and exercise fairly well, but about half way through my pregnancy, it was evident that I was not living with the symptoms any more.

I was healed by pregnancy!

Unfortunately, I had another issue to deal with.  From conception, I was unable to hold food down very well.  Eating was definitely a challenge.  I had to force myself to eat, and then it usually came back up.

It was a long haul, but the morning after my little guy was born, my appetite returned to normal.  However, the 9 months had taken a huge toll on my body.

My little boy was a high maintenance baby, and I had very little help since I lived in a very isolated area.  Within 2 months, I got very sick with an abscess in my neck.

After a short hospitalization and VERY powerful antibiotics I was on the mend.  Unfortunately, the antibiotics had totally wiped out my normal healthy gut flora.

I began to bleed from my rectum!

My doctor recommended surgery, but I was not about to agree to that without looking for alternatives.

While chatting with a neighbor at a community picnic, I heard about the magic of Kombucha tea.  I went directly to the natural food store and bought my first bottle.

YUCK!  The stuff tasted like vinegar!  But hey, I’d try anything, so I kept with it.  After a while the tea didn’t taste so bad, and much to my surprise I really began to enjoy it!

The bleeding from my bowel stopped completely.  I was thrilled to have found such an easy fix to such a worrisome problem.

I found that if I ate processed foods or sugar, that the bleeding would start again.  However, if I avoided sugar, ate whole foods, and made sure to get several large doses of Kombucha tea each week, I continued to heal.

Today, I crave Kombucha tea even though my bowel issues are long gone!  I always keep it around for its nurturing benefits and it’s great for symptoms of indigestion.  Even my kids know that if their tummy hurts, Kombucha tea will help.

This is just my story, but you can find many testimonials online from thrilled people who have discovered this powerful healing elixer.

Dr. Bauer sites homemade Kombucha as being dangerous because it has the potential for contamination.  You can purchase quality Kombucha from many natural foods companies.  My favorite is GT’s Synergy Kombucha.

If your budget will not support plenty of commercial Kombucha, then check out the information and starter kits that are available online.

Back to the question I asked you in the beginning of this post ….

Why take chances with your health?

Dr. Fred Bloem recently sent me an email message that shines a light on just how willing those in power are to take chances with your health.

Dr. Bloem says: Continue reading Should You Avoid Kombucha Tea? →

Before You Drug Yourself, Do You Research Prescription Drug Information?

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Before You Drug Yourself

Recently I was contacted by a web site that devotes itself to making patients aware of drug recalls, black box warnings, side effects, and other details about prescription drug information as well as over the counter meds they may be using.

They would like me to send you to their web site for your safety and protection.  I am happy to do so.

I just wanted to point out to you that drug companies do not research drug interactions.

Any drug interaction on record is available because some poor soul suffered from experiencing the bad reaction AND it was reported.

If drug companies spent money to discover drug interactions they would hurt their drug sales.  They would make less money for their stock holders, and they are not about to spend money to make less money.

Please be aware that the profit of their stock holders is without a doubt more important to the drug company administration than is their concern for you.

The following statement is from DrugWatch.com.

Drug Watch: Accutane, Yaz & Heart Disease

By providing FDA alerts, drug interactions and up to date information about prescription and over the counter medications, we can ensure an environment where patients have the best knowledge on their medical treatment and health.  The safety and protection of consumers and patients must be the focal point of modern medicine.

(As I said above, safety and protection must be the focal point, but the truth is that it ISN’T.  Drug Watch.com is simply working to protect you as best they can.)

Two drugs that have recently been in the news are Yaz and Accutane. Both of these can cause several side effects, including cardiovascular problems.

DrugWatch.com educates visitors by providing access to a database of thousands of medications and associated side effects. DrugWatch.com is updated daily with news breakthroughs, information about medications currently involved in clinical trials, up-and-coming drug recalls, and Food and Drug Administration warnings.

(Please be aware that adverse drug reactions are only recorded if they are reported. As a consumer, it is your duty to report any adverse reactions you experience from drugs. If you don’t, others may not have access to the information. You can go to the FDA web site to report incidence of adverse reaction.)

YAZ & ACCUTANE

Drospirenone, known as “Yaz,” was approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) on March 16, 2006 as an oral contraceptive to prevent against pregnancy, treat acne and treat the symptoms associated with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). The medication contains the hormone estrogen and a type of progestin called drospirenone to prevent ovulation.

Yaz and Accutane both share several relationships, including:  Continue reading Before You Drug Yourself, Do You Research Prescription Drug Information? →

Concerned About Paxil Side Effects?

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On the Threshold of Eternity

There was recently a class action law suit filed against GlaxoSmithKline, the makers of Paxil, because “controlled release” tablets made between April 1, 2002 and March 4, 2005, contained a manufacturing defect that caused them to split apart.

Patient’s prescribed these drugs may have received the entire dose at once, or the time release portion of the pill without the active ingredient.

You should be concerned about Paxil side effects whether you took the pill back then, or you’re taking it today minus the manufacturer’s defect!

On March 22, 2004 the FDA issued an extraordinary Public Health Advisory that cautioned about the risks associated with the new generation of  antidepressants

  • Prozac
  • Zoloft
  • Paxil
  • Luvox
  • Celexa
  • Lexapro
  • Wellbutrin
  • Effexor
  • Serzone
  • Remeron

The warning followed a public hearing at which dozens of family members of victims testified about suicide and violence committed by individuals taking these medications.

From agitation and hostility to impulsivity and mania, the FDA’s litany of antidepressant-induced behaviors is identical to those induced by:

  • PCP
  • methamphetamine
  • cocaine

(Drugs known to cause aggression and violence.)

These older stimulants and most of the newer antidepressants cause similar effects as a result of their influencing brain levels of the same neurotransmitter, serotonin.

A new FDA warning issued on January 31, 2008 declared that yet another group of chemical agents used to treat mood disorders carried the risk of “symptoms such as anxiety, agitation, hostility, mania and hypomania” which “may be precursors to emerging suicidality.”

This time the culprits are antiepileptic drugs – medications used to control seizures.
Because they cause sedation, these drugs are commonly used in psychiatry as “mood stabilizers.”
As a result of an orchestrated psychiatric campaign to diagnose children with “bipolar disorder,” increasing numbers of children are being given these drugs.
Be aware that all of these drugs work in the same way.
Paxil is contraindicated for patients younger than 18 because Paxil side effects are just too dangerous.  (Look it up!)
Is the profit to be made by creating addicts very early in life causing the irresponsible recruiting of young people?
This group of anti-seizure medications includes:
  • carbamazapine (brand names Tegretol, Equetro)
  • gabapentin (Neurontin)
  • lamotrigine (Lamictal)
  • topiramate (Topamax)
  • valproate (Depakote)

All of these drugs are being prescribed for varying psychiatric purposes, including the treatment of anxiety, depression and bipolar disorder.

Shortly after the release of the Public Health Advisory the FDA and GlaxoSmithKline notified healthcare professionals of revisions to the WARNINGS and PRECAUTIONS sections of Paxil labeling to alert healthcare professionals that patients with major depressive disorder, both adult and pediatric:

“may experience worsening of their depression and/or the emergence of suicidal ideation and behavior (suicidal tendencies), whether or not they are taking antidepressant medications.”
In the most recent edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision  under Differential Diagnosis it states:
“Serotonin-specific reuptake inhibitor antidepressant medications may produce akathisia . . .” “Akathisia may be associated with dysphoria (restlessness, depression & anxiety), irritability, aggression, or suicide attempts.”

So you tell me,

Was it ethical for the FDA and GlaxoSmithKline to calm worries about these drugs by stating that worsening symptoms may occur with or without the medications?

Let’s talk side effects! Continue reading Concerned About Paxil Side Effects? →