Thursday, November 10, 2011

Are the pills you are taking worth it?

I was walking through my living room and there was one of those attorney’s ads that advocate rights for people suffering from side effects from whatever medications they had taken.  This particular ad was for “Accutane” and the announcer proceeded through the list of side effects you may have suffered, and if you have suffered from any of these symptoms, including death, please call. 
Huh?  Death?
Must have missed the side effect part of you dying and then reviving long enough to file a lawsuit.  Hopefully they buried you with your cell phone.
As a person that tries to avoid any medication, I am amazed of the “side effects” of medications supposedly administered to treat one ailment, but may cause a myriad of others.
Most of the meds I checked on all have some sort of digestion distress (e.g., diarrhea, upset stomach, nausea). 
Probably because your body is trying to tell you that it’s not good for you and trying to expel it.
An natural practitioner told us that if his body was experiencing vomiting, diarrhea, runny nose or any other type of bodily expulsion, that he was happy because his body was attempting to rid itself of the harmful items.
For instance; a sleep aid (“Ambien”) may cause drowsiness (Really?) or a drugged feeling (You ARE taking a drug).  Confusion, abnormal thinking (?!?!?), behavior changes (Good or bad?), memory loss (How are you supposed to remember to take the meds?), swelling of the body (All over, including the head), new or worsening depression (Great), suicidal thoughts or actions (Youtube!), and vision changes (For the better?).
So if you experienced some confusion or abnormal thinking from taking the “Ambien”, the doctor would probably prescribe some mood-altering drug such as “Cymbalta”, “Prozac”, “Xanax”, “Paxil” or “Zoloft”.
Side effects of those?  Same nausea, diarrhea, headaches, vomiting as before.
How about loss of sleep? (Take some “Ambien”) Mood changes including hostility, irritability, confusion, “bizarre behavior”, suicidal thoughts, etc.
The other disturbing side effect?  Different colored stool.  Pale, bloody, black, tarry, etc. Urine may take on a kaleidoscope effect too. Might be entertaining in the bathroom while you look for the end of the rainbow.
Severe allergic reactions can occur resulting in rashes, hives, itching, difficulty in breathing or swallowing and swelling.
Seems like the drug(s) you would be taking to boost your mood would actually depress you further.  The doc may be happier since you would be visiting the office more frequently.
How about your cholesterol medications?
Same side effects as before with the whole nausea, constipation, headache, stomach pain, etc. and again with the severe allergic reactions, the palette of color waste products, etc., etc.
Most of the cholesterol meds as well as most other meds cause liver stress and require constant monitoring by the doc (Are you seeing a pattern yet?) because, guess what?  The doc has a med for the stressed liver.  When your body organs are stressed, especially the most important organs such as your liver and kidneys, it can lead to high blood pressure (Doc’s got a pill for that), diabetes (Yup, pills or shots for that), weight gain (The new fad is injecting a female hormone into your body) and other maladies that the doctor will readily prescribe a pill, inhalant, patch, injection or other temporary remedy for you.
Many of the side effects were listed on drugs.com, but many were not listed, including my favorite, death.
How about the “little blue pill Viagra”? Again with the diarrhea, headaches (not that one), upset stomach, allergic reactions, chest pains, fainting (hope you fall backwards), memory loss (that really sucks since you took the pill to do what?), painful and prolonged erection (painful for who?), and possible loss of vision AND hearing. 
Of course, you should contact your doctor if any of the symptoms pop up (sorry).  But if you lose your hearing and vision, how are you supposed to call your doctor?
Picture this.
Dialing the phone.  Ring.  Ring.  Ring.  “Hello?”.  “Hey Doc, I took the little blue pill and have a raging erection that won’t go down.  My girlfriend’s worn out and won’t let me near her again.  I can’t see and can’t hear too well.  What do I do?” “Oh, sorry mom”.
Seriously, everyone should pick their medical professional carefully.  The doctor should have your best interest at heart, not how fast they can get you in and out of the office.  If you’re walking out with a handful of prescriptions, it’s probably time to get a second opinion. 
Ask Dr. (soon to be ex-Dr) Conrad Murray (soon to be inmate Murray). (insert Conrad pix here)

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