More Truth about Drugs

From Dr. Marcia Angell's book, THE TRUTH ABOUT DRUG COMPANIES,what have we learned so far? We have learned that medical doctors, the very ones we entrust our lives and the lives of our children to, are taught about pharmaceuticals in school and out of school, by drug companies. We have learned that what is being taught is often not based on science but on flimsy studies. We have learned that what is being marketed as education, to our beloved, respected, medical doctors, is only what the pharmaceutical company needs them to know in order to turn a greater profit.

We have found, to keep turning a profit, as older (and effective) drugs are coming closer to expiration of their patent (to go to generic), drug companies have to create new ones to warrant a new patent. Then these are marketed as the newest and greatest to your medical doctors.

And we are being told this by one of the most reputable sources we could ever have--a woman who, as editor in chief for the New England Journal of Medicine--saw it all become worse and worse before her eyes.

According to Dr. Angell, the newest, is often not the greatest at all.

For me, the point is less that it is costing you more money (direct and through raised insurance premiums), the point is that these newest and best, often aren't that at all.

Chapter Six, p. 96

In an independent study done on a variety of hypertensive drugs (high blood pressure) with 42,000 people at more than six hundred clinics, this is what was found:

"To nearly everyones' surprise, the old-time diuretic turned out to be just as good for lowering blood pressure, and actually better for preventing some of the devastating complications of high blood pressure--mainly heart disease and strokes." ".....less likely to develop heart failure than those treated with Norvasc. ......less likely to develop heart failure, strokes and a number of other complications than those treated with the ACE inhibitor. As for Cardura, that part of the trial had to be stopped early, because so many people who received that drug developed heart failure. The director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute was unequivocal in his conclusion: "ALLHAT (the study) shows that diuretics are the best choice to treat hypertension, both medically and economically."

Considering I was on an ace inhibitor and had heart failure, well.... you can tell this matters to me.

Of course, I find myself thinking, well, heck why doesn't someone try doing what I did: drink at least half your body eight in water EVERY day, increase magnesium (to counter high calcium in your cells) and see how your blood pressure changes, increase potassium (to counter high salt in your cells) and see how your blood pressure changes, try some biofeedback and some acupuncture.

Why not? Well, number one, it doesn't make money for the pharmaceutical companies so your medical doctor isn't going to find out about it, is he (or she)?

Number two, the majority of the world with high blood pressure doesn't have Dr. Witter, a holistic chiropractor, http://www.thewittercenter.com/, or Dr. Manso, a holistic medical doctor, http://www.drmanso.com/ telling them these things work. This is why I keep telling you to get holistic every bodies: chiropractic, medical, pharmacy, acupuncture. They have access to information and tools that your traditional medical doctor simply does not.

I am not a doctor, so find doctors who have the information you need and who can diagnose and recommend to you what to do. Even a pharmacist can't tell you to go off your pharmaceutical or to prescribe on for you. Only a medical doctor can do that.

If you are thinking of going off your heart, blood pressure, pharmaceuticals without telling your medical doctor--I had this quite a lot working at the health food store--why not call the pharmacists at Peoples pharmacy in Austin FIRST--ask them your options and ask them to consult with your current medical doctor NOW, while you look for someone holistic. http://www.peoplesrx.com/

I know what it is like to have horrible side effects from an ace inhibitor that my cardiologist told me weren't side effects at all, yet totally went away when I went off the medications! I know where you are at. Luckily I had Dr. Witter and Dr. Manso.

Don't play Russian Roulette with your heart and your body! That is what pharmacists are for! Consulting with you, consulting with medical doctors. This is what they do!

I have worked for medical doctors. Doctors call pharmacists routinely to find out more about a certain pharmaceutical they know little about. Today there are so many pharmaceuticals (new patents, more money), doctors have to call pharmacists, when the pharmaceutical is not in their regular field (according to THE TRUTH ABOUT DRUG COMPANIES, no one has marketed to them about it).

Just remember, Peoples Pharmacy just also happens to have a vast amount of knowledge about natural ways to heal as well, including supplements and herbals. In other words, I am trying to tell you to call Peoples ASAP before going off your pharmaceutical without telling your current medical doctor and before finding a holistic medical doctor.

Recipe of the Day

Jicima (Mexican Potato, you can find in season at most food markets)

Peel and Slice. Place in a bowl. Sprinkle lime juice, salt, and good, fresh chili powder (all to taste) over it. Toss. Serve. Great snack food for anyone, kids included ;-)

THE TRUTH ABOUT DRUG COMPANIES

This is a great book! The Truth About the Drug Companies: How They Deceive Us and What to Do About It. the author is the former Editor in chief of The New England Journal of Medicine, Marcia Angell, M.D. You can buy it paperback for about 10 bucks. If you want to understand better why your western trained medical doctor doesn't really have the best tools at his disposal to help your health, this is a great first start. Click here to buy it:
http://www.amazon.com/Truth-About-Drug-Companies-Deceive/dp/0375760946/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1214318449&sr=8-1

Let me quote the first page of her preface:

I show that, contrary to its public relations, the industry discovers few genuinely innovative drugs, spends less than half as much on research and development as on marketing and administration (these two are inexplicably combines in drug company annual reports), and consistently has profit margins ar above those of most other Fortune 500 industries. The argument that it needs to charge ever-higher prices to cover its research costs is simply not true. I also show how drug companies put most of their efforts into turning out higher-priced versions of existing medicines (called "me-too" drugs) and persuading us to take more and more of them. (emphasis mine.) And I describe how the pharmaceutical industry uses its immense wealth and power to co-opt nearly every institution that might stand in it's way--including the U.S. congress, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the medical profession itself.

Recipe of the Day:
My own Balsamic Vinaigrette

• 1/3 cup expensive, $16 a bottle balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves crushed
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 large cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt (or six twists on a sea salt grinder)
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pepper (or 12 twists on a black pepper grinder.

Shake like mad in a lidded jar, and shake well again before serving.

Going Once, Going Twice ...

JOKE from http://www.rd.com/

Three women, obviously old friends, had just finished having dinner at the table next to me. When the waiter came with the bill, one said, "Give it to me."
"No. You got it last time," said another. "It's my turn."
The waiter stood there, unsure of what to do -- until the third woman said, "I'm the biggest tipper." He handed her the check.

Reader's Digest: Doctor's Secrets

This is from Reader's Digest Website, including Mr. Cutie Patootie with his mouth covered above.... http://www.rd.com/.

Pills, Pills, Pills

• Sometimes it's easier for a doctor to write a prescription for a medicine than to explain why the patient doesn't need it. --Cardiologist, Bangor, Maine

• Those so-called free medication samples of the newest and most expensive drugs may not be the best or safest. --Internist, Philadelphia

• Taking psychiatric drugs affects your insurability. If you take Prozac, it may be harder and more expensive for you to get life insurance, health insurance, or long-term-care insurance. --Daniel Amen, MD, psychiatrist, Newport Beach, California

• Ninety-four percent of doctors take gifts from drug companies, even though research has shown that these gifts bias our clinical decision making. --Internist, Rochester, Minnesota

I don't know about you, but we could talk on each one of these, couldn't we? And may in future blogs. For now, I wanted to let you know about the article. It is very informative.