Exactly. Whoever thought heart medication could make hair grow on bald men?
As pointed out above all drugs have side effects. I am hard pressed to think of a human activity that doesn’t. The question is are the side effects worth suffering because the condition or ailment treated is far worse
People are funny. They want silver bullets to cure complex diseases without any side effects. Lots of them believe that's possible if we'd just let government control evil big pharma.
Drug companies will also incrementally modify their drugs after they've been commercialized. When they do this many times it's because they've found a way to alleviate or minimize some of the side effects.
The choice is ours. No one puts a gun to our head and forces us to take these things.
That's right. The advertising doesn't bother me nearly as much as leaving the choice for treatment entirely up to the MD. Greater awareness of options is a good thing.
Yes.
I have been taking blood pressure medicines for about 3 years now. I don’t like them because they make me feel a little dopey and have an effect on my memory that I dislike. But it is a lot better than chest pains and possible heart attack or stroke.
Also, I have had a prostate problem for years. About 8 years back I was prescribed a blood pressure medicine to help with this but quit taking it because of the side effects which I judged more annoying than the problem with the prostate. Last month I was given modern prostate medication that helps with that problem with virtually no side effects.
I occasionally give thanks to God for the gift of human ingenuity and the scientific method. The developement of effective pharmaceuticals has been of enormous positive effect to humanity. People forget that less than a century ago millions would die of infections and diseases that today we can cure in the overwhelming number of cases when the correct drugs are applied in the correct manner. I do not begrudge the drug manufacturers their profits but am thankful that conditions exist that encourage them to research and make breakthroughs that save more lives and alleviate more suffering. And I fear, very much, that government control of health care will curtail research and retard the discovery and developement of new drugs that could provide even more relief to those who suffer.