Posted on 03/27/2005 8:35:20 AM PST by Pharmboy
Alexandria resident Martha Clement pops seven prescription pills each morning, washing them down with an 8-ounce glass of water. She takes two more in the evening. The retired 78-year-old started most of her seven medications in the past decade, primarily because heart conditions and arthritis pain had cropped up. "I feel very lucky that at my age I am independent, in the sense that I can take care of myself and sort out my own medication," Ms. Clement said. She is one of the estimated 119 million Americans, or 44 percent of the population, who take at least one prescription drug to quell ailments ranging from chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure to "lifestyle conditions" such as sexual impotence and baldness.
(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...
--The huge primary care diseases (in no particular order, diabetes, ear infections, sinus infections, coronary artery disease, hypertension, heart failure, asthma and chronic bronchitis/emphysema and others) can now--to a large extent--be taken care of very nicely with generics (for example, statins, calcium blockers, metformin, ace inhibitors, beta blockers, inhaled steroids, all sorts of bronchodilators, diuretics, antibiotics, etc.)
--Research has now moved away from cardiovascular and into cancer and lifestyle
--Although it's not quite the government, managed care has profoundly changed the drug industry
--Biotech drugs still need to be injected (because they're proteins, like insulin), expensive and aimed at less common diseases
I really do think a lot of people can stop popping pills if they care to address their lifestyle and mental condition. Some just don't and are lazy. I say this because even in a health food store, some people just want to pop some cortislim and lose a hundred pounds.
Read Overdosed America by Dr. John Abramson, it will enlighten everyone about the drug industry.
Notice in my comment I didn't even bring up the psychotropics...I'm talking about diabetes, hypertension, etc. Categories where the drugs have a proven positive track record.
I don't have to--I've been in the industry for a while.
Another reason to be cautious of pharmaceuticals:
Lots of people lost their "shirts" on the new MS drug Tysabri. It was fast tracked, made it through trials with wonderful results, but had only been on the market a few weeks when they found that one of the participants in the trial had died from a deadly brain infection and another patient was showing signs of the disease.
The price of Elan stock fell from $27 bucks to $8 in a day, then proceeded down to around $5. It's now back in the 7-8 dollar range, but has stayed down in that range for weeks.
There's a lot to be made if a new drug is successful, there's a lot to lose if not.
The drugs may have a good track record but there are a lot of fat people popping pills. I am not against drugs, just against pill popping excessiveness. Many folks have insurance policies that charge very little co-pays for medicine, retirement insurance and all of that sort of thing. It's not all the doctor's fault though. Whenever I ask someone if they exercise and what did the doctor say, they whine and say 'oh yeah that's what my doctor said but you can't trust doctors' *LOL*
Are you in South San Francisco?
It's mindboggling how many abuse drugs - legal and illegal. I'm definitely including the above mentioned pill poppers.
Anybody born before 1940 can thank a large part of their longevity to the miracles of modern chemistry---
I just saw on TV an advertisement for a book:
NATURAL CURES THEY DONT WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT by Kevin Trudeau
The guy says that you can cure cancer and diabetes naturally and that the gov/drug industry/fda is keeping quiet about it.
So I run to my computer to check out the reviews on Amazon and I discover that the people who bought the book were very angry because all the book did was lead you to his website in order for you to subscribe for the "real" info.
And, for those who dwell in the Land of 1001 Excuses, yes, I know all about hereditary diabetes and high blood pressure. They are BOTH on BOTH sides of my family.
That's why I know about gluttony - sloth and diet - exercise.
I DON'T want to have to take nine pills a day.
I DON'T want to have NOTHING to talk about with my friends beyond ailments, diseases, operations, hospitals, convalescent homes, doctors, nurses, treatments, pills, aches, pains and complaints, anecdotes, descriptions and "I suffer more...." martyrdom.
Jeez.
Get off yer BUTT, exercise, CLOSE yer mouth and PUSH AWAY from that refrigerator.
My 2 cents.
Not only diet and exercise, but stress too...not too many people know that stress can aggravate sugar and cholesterol. Many people are overworking themselves, aren't dealing with stressful family members,etc.
From Jan to today I have gone from 200 lbs to 175 lbs.I did it by reducing caloric intake such as not drinking 6-9 beers a day and eating bags of potato chips and the like during the day and evening.I also started to exercise more at a fitness center and around home.I need to come up with a catchy name so I can market this as a weight loss miracle.
Symptoms of Syndrome-X can be treated by using a fistful of side effect laden generics, or a single dose of one of the new metabolic disorder meds. Cool new frontier.
Pharma will go through massive changes in their business model very soon. Look for pharrma to boost profits by cutting field sales forces. Direct to doc marketing for primary care meds, as well as more (ugh) DTC will bring better results with smaller headcount.
There is yet profit to be made, even in the mass markets.
The usual story was (is) the family pools all of their resources, sends the patient to Mexico for the "cure" and then the patient dies--
( :-D
"N o ~ P I L L S ~ F O R ~ Y O U ! "
Yes, the oldsters take too many pills, period, end of sentence, no argument whatsoever, that's the God's honest truth, ask him, he'll tell you!
Epsom salt, oatmeal, valerian root & other herbs & vitamins could reduce our health care to a fraction of the worry & expense we now experience, period, end of sentence, no argument whatsoever, that's the God's honest truth, ask him, he'll tell you!
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