| Prescription drugs are the duct tape of health | | | | on the chemical and relied too heavily on industry |
| care today. Just like the silver-sided wonder of | | | | research. While other countries like Canada have |
| home repairs drugs usually deal with the effects, | | | | already ruled against BPA in products for babies |
| not the real source of the problem. Duct tape | | | | and children Americans are still exposed to this |
| used around the house can be a cheap, fast and | | | | dangerous chemical. Clearly the drug industry has |
| easy solution to repair something that's broken. | | | | lots of friends in Washington and the FDA. |
| Drugs can keep you working but the problem is | | | | The Journal of the American Medical Association |
| you become a drug addict in the process. They're | | | | published a study this year warning against a new |
| also expensive, dangerous and the pharmaceutical | | | | generation of "biological" drugs. Nearly 1/4th of |
| industry wants to keep you a customer forever. | | | | these drugs produced serious side effects that led |
| Duct tape is an amazing creation that can keep a | | | | to safety warnings soon after they went on the |
| pipe from leaking, hold things together and do | | | | market. Originally everyone thought that a drug |
| many other household tasks quickly and cheaply. | | | | based on biological, instead of chemically artificial, |
| It wasn't designed to be a permanent repair for | | | | ingredients would be safer. Clearly that idea has |
| the most part, just to hold things together until | | | | been disproven. |
| something absolutely had to be repaired or | | | | Americans don't even know what incentives the |
| replaced. It's amazing how long some of us | | | | pharmaceutical industry is providing to doctors to |
| manage to delay making permanent repairs as | | | | stimulate more drug sales. Numerous attempts to |
| long as there is duct tape around! | | | | pass legislation requiring disclosure have been killed |
| Prescription drugs are quick and easy to take but | | | | by industry lobbyists at both state and federal |
| they certainly aren't cheap. They also are a | | | | levels. There have been several cases making |
| temporary repair to keep things working. They | | | | headlines recently about incredible payments to |
| don't cure your health problem because there is | | | | doctors to promote drugs. It's reached the point |
| more money to be made in keeping you a drug | | | | that Eli Lilly and other drug companies are |
| customer for life. Unfortunately when you take | | | | beginning to post the amounts they pay doctors |
| one drug there is often a side effect that requires | | | | for speeches and consulting because they realize |
| you to take a second drug, which causes an | | | | it's becoming a public relations nightmare. With |
| additional side effect in turn that requires yet | | | | more than two-thirds of professors and |
| another drug and the process continues. | | | | authorities at medical schools having direct financial |
| America is only one of two countries in the world | | | | ties to the drug industry the public sees what |
| that permit direct-to-consumer advertising of | | | | appears to be a too-close relationship between |
| prescription drugs. With only 4.3% of the world's | | | | doctors and drug companies. Senator Charles |
| population we consume nearly 50% of the world's | | | | Grassley (R-Iowa) continues to press for new |
| prescription drugs. If we were the healthiest | | | | sunshine laws to shed a little light on this cozy |
| people on earth that would be fine but we rank | | | | arrangement that puts the health of all Americans |
| #29 in the world for longevity today, much worse | | | | at risk. |
| in many other categories. At the same time we | | | | You're already taking drugs that your doctor |
| spend more on health care than any other nation | | | | never prescribed. That's because hospitals and |
| on earth at 16.3% of our GDP in 2007. Clearly | | | | nursing homes currently are legally dumping more |
| America's prescription drug based medical system | | | | than 250 million pounds of prescription drugs into |
| isn't working, except to profit the pharmaceutical | | | | America's water supply every year. USA Today |
| industry. | | | | and other publications have reported that these |
| Mainstream medicine used to prescribe mercury | | | | drugs are making it through the treatment |
| and other heavy metals to patients but we're | | | | process and into the tap water of millions of |
| much smarter now. We know that those | | | | Americans. Again the FDA says the amounts are |
| substances will kill you. One hundred years from | | | | too small to be dangerous. In contrast to that |
| now (hopefully sooner) we'll figure out that the | | | | opinion, homeopathy is a 100-year-old treatment |
| current crop of medications are also toxic. There | | | | used widely in Europe is based on the concept |
| are so many drugs on the market today with so | | | | that even minute amounts of a substance can be |
| many possible interactions and long-term effects | | | | biologically active. Again, how many years will it |
| that no one really knows what they're doing to | | | | take for someone at the FDA or in Congress to |
| Americans. We are simply profitable guinea pigs | | | | realize the health of our nation is at risk because |
| for the pharmaceutical industry. The government | | | | of prescription drugs? |
| is doing such a great job of protecting you that | | | | Meanwhile the health of Americans continues to |
| the number of serious drug interactions rose in | | | | decline even while our drug use continues to climb. |
| the first quarter of this year (2008) to a new, | | | | Obesity in our country has caused the rate of |
| record high that included almost 5,000 deaths. The | | | | diabetes to double in just the last ten years. We |
| 21,000 reports in the quarter were three times | | | | have lots of drugs to treat diabetes but none to |
| higher than any quarter in 2007. | | | | prevent it. How many of these drugs are causing |
| Even when used properly according to current | | | | the obesity that in turn results in diabetes? |
| protocols drugs can have unintended | | | | Four hundred years ago the author of Gulliver's |
| consequences. A few years ago a patient | | | | Travels, Jonathan Swift, wrote that the three |
| checked into his local hospital with an infection and | | | | best doctors in the world were Dr. Diet, Dr. Quiet |
| was promptly given antibiotics. Twelve weeks | | | | and Dr. Merryman. Four centuries later we're still |
| later he died from the infection. By studying the | | | | discovering that what we eat and drink, the |
| germs's genetic development while he was in the | | | | peace we find within ourselves and the joy we |
| hospital researchers have discovered there were | | | | find within life are the foundation of our health. |
| 35 distinct evolutionary developments within that | | | | (Since they didn't have cars and power tools back |
| short time span which eventually made the germ | | | | then I'd probably add Dr. Exercise today.) |
| completely drug resistant. | | | | To illustrate the importance of lifestyle to our |
| Antibiotic treatments can also have a negative | | | | health, this year Medicare approved the Ornish |
| impact on beneficial bacteria the live in our guts, | | | | Program as the first lifestyle therapy to reverse |
| especially with prolonged or repeated treatments, | | | | heart disease. The therapy was accepted |
| according to a recent study. We need good gut | | | | because it's been medically proven to be more |
| bacteria for nutrition, metabolism and immune | | | | effective than drugs. Yet it's still considered an |
| responses. While taking antibiotics researchers | | | | alternative therapy because most doctors would |
| discovered that 30% of the bacterial species and | | | | rather write prescriptions for drugs or give |
| strains were significantly affected and it took up | | | | angioplasty, stent or even by-pass surgery than |
| to four weeks for most of them to return to | | | | talk about a lifestyle therapy with their patients. |
| pre-treatment levels. | | | | To be fair, most patients would rather pop a pill |
| Maybe there are reasons so many doctors are | | | | or have surgery than radically change their |
| using placebos? A study published recently in BMJ, | | | | lifestyle to promote better health. |
| formerly the British Medical Journal, found that | | | | Instead of popping another dangerous drug |
| 50% of doctors say they prescribe placebos for | | | | maybe it's time for Americans to take |
| their patients and more than two-thirds believe it's | | | | responsibility for their own health and look at the |
| permissible to do so. The study was partly funded | | | | choices we make every day. Instead of putting |
| by our National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the | | | | more duct tape on their health problems maybe |
| results are similar to surveys of physicians in | | | | it's time to repair the source of the problem |
| Israel, Denmark and in Britain. | | | | properly. First of all you should give yourself time |
| Congress heard testimony this year that the | | | | to heal naturally or try some chicken soup instead |
| Food & Drug Administration (FDA) simply | | | | of running to the doctor for antibiotics or steroids |
| does not have the manpower to guarantee the | | | | ever time you have a sniffle. Try looking for a |
| safety of these products. There have been | | | | complementary or alternative therapy to treat |
| several reports in the news this year of biased | | | | the source of your health problem instead of |
| studies being submitted to the FDA for drug | | | | simply covering it up with more prescription drugs. |
| approval which do not present the whole story on | | | | Next time you use duct tape around the house |
| the drug's dangers. In the case of BPA, which the | | | | remember that how you make a repair, and how |
| FDA has ruled to be "safe", their own review | | | | you take care of your health, are choices you |
| panel has said the agency ignored federal studies | | | | make for yourself. |