Five Drugs Cited as Potential Health Risks

The Washington Post ^ | November 18, 2004 | Diedtra Henderson

[FITZ]

Some scare me --- but you can still find some who aren't that into drugs. A friend of mine's mother was gulping down handfuls of pills several times a day and her blood pressure was still out of control. When they moved, she found a new doctor who took her off all medications, prescribed one hour of walking every day --- rain or shine and a balanced diet but mostly fruit and vegetables. Her blood pressure soon fell. Maybe the pharmacuetical companies weren't too fond of him. Health care is big business and it's best to remember that.

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

I know and the sad part is that sometimes the effects of these medical mistakes are not reversible. We have a friend in a wheelchair, supposedly the victim of a statin drug. There are safe natural alternatives.

My mom is hopelessly addicted to Serax plus other drugs doctors have prescribed for her for anxiety, depression, etc.

This is the start of the horror stories I know. The horror stories are not the exception, they're the rule. That's the scary part.

[Osage Orange]

Serevent isn't supposed to be used as a "rescue" bronchodilator....It's generally used as a long-term, twice-daily maintenance treatment for asthma. More is not better, in the case of Serevent.

IMO, many times MDI's get a "bad rap" because they are misused. I've had pt's take 40-50 puffs of their MDI's ( Proventil, Combivent..) without checking their PF's, without calling their PCP.....before they eventually call for help, or it get's called for them.

I suspect many of these "warnings" are flawed in sampling.....but with just about any drug, there can be problems/abuses......

I guess for me...and other poster's here....most of these drugs, Advair, Spiriva, Foradil, Serevent, etc..etc...have made many people's life's much more livable than not.

All...FWIW-

[stands2reason]

What if your hand is hurting and there's nothing that is hurting it?
You could have a nerve disorder.

With brain disorders, there is no reason for the pain, because the brain isn't working right. Or do you believe the brain is the one organ that never fails?

BTW, drugs for depression aren't mood enhancers. They aren't at all like uppers and downers, and if working right, shouldn't interfere with normal emotions, which means, if bad things happen, you still experience emotional distress. Like NORMAL PEOPLE.

For most people taking drugs for mental illness, that's all they want-- to be normal.