Pharmaceuticals are killing us

[Jman]

I get so pi**ed about this. My mother in law is on a slew of crap. She acts like she is someone on speed. The so called "doctors" have her on 160mg of Prosac!
To put this in perspective, 80mg(half the amount) is normally prescribed for giant football players and obese people with extreme circumstances. When I challenged her about this (especially liver damage) and she asked her so called "doctor" about this, he said -"sometimes it is not the quantity of life but the quality". He says this knowing full well she has signs of liver damage. What an a**hole! Lets all just throw band aids at the problems in this country instead of fixing the actual problems and make a profit while were at it! It seems to me that the drug dealers of today don't work in dark alley ways and on street corners. They were white overcoats and work at Walgreens and hospitals. Anyone else have any input on this or similar experiences?

Originally Posted by Jman

I get so pi**ed about this. My mother in law is on a slew of crap. She acts like she is someone on speed. The so called \"doctors\" have her on 160mg of Prosac!
To put this in perspective, 80mg(half the amount) is normally prescribed for giant football players and obese people with extreme circumstances. When I challenged her about this (especially liver damage) and she asked her so called \"doctor\" about this, he said -\"sometimes it is not the quantity of life but the quality\". He says this knowing full well she has signs of liver damage. What an a**hole! Lets all just throw band aids at the problems in this country instead of fixing the actual problems and make a profit while were at it! [SIZE=\"5\"]It seems to me that the drug dealers of today don't work in dark alley ways and on street corners. They were white overcoats and work at Walgreens and hospitals[/SIZE]. Anyone else have any input on this or similar experiences?

Ain't that the truth!!!

My father inlaw's soon to be ex is the same way. She gets Valium from her doctor and all kinds of other crap. She can get all the drugs she "wants" whenever she wants it. She is a total head case and she is more than addicted to these "meds." They are all in denial about being addicted. She has actually overdosed on the "meds" and had to have her stomach pumped.

I don't think there is anything you can do. How does your wife feel about this?

[Nelly]

Originally Posted by Jman

I get so pi**ed about this. My mother in law is on a slew of crap. She acts like she is someone on speed. The so called \\"doctors\\" have her on 160mg of Prosac!
To put this in perspective, 80mg(half the amount) is normally prescribed for giant football players and obese people with extreme circumstances. When I challenged her about this (especially liver damage) and she asked her so called \\"doctor\\" about this, he said -\\"sometimes it is not the quantity of life but the quality\\". He says this knowing full well she has signs of liver damage. What an a**hole! Lets all just throw band aids at the problems in this country instead of fixing the actual problems and make a profit while were at it! It seems to me that the drug dealers of today don't work in dark alley ways and on street corners. They were white overcoats and work at Walgreens and hospitals. Anyone else have any input on this or similar experiences?

Hi Jman,
I understand that you are feeling very aggrieved at the treatment your mother in law is receiving.
Its difficult for anyone one a public forum to make a really informed answer without all of the history. A public forums is perhaps not the best place to bare the soul of her problems either. I am not suggesting for a minute you do not air your views.
If you think that your she is receiving unfair or unfit medical attention you are by law allowed to seek a second opinion from another physician.

There are hundreds of drugs that are used outside licensing limitations and dosages that provide a huge benefit to many patients.
The down side is the story that you mention, where it would seem that a patient is offered a quality of life via "Chemical cosh".

There is also in my opinion something very valid to be said for quality of live. If you read the contraindications of any drug they will all mention risk of liver damage as all drugs end up being metabolized by the liver. Patients on Long term therapies can often mean that a normal therapeutic dose will not give the same therapeutic levels over an extended period and the dose levels will be increased.

I really hope that you are able to get some resolution with this issue and I strongly advice you to seek another opinion.
Good Luck

Nelly

[Oscar54]

Originally Posted by Jman

I get so pi**ed about this. My mother in law is on a slew of crap. She acts like she is someone on speed. The so called \"doctors\" have her on 160mg of Prosac!
To put this in perspective, 80mg(half the amount) is normally prescribed for giant football players and obese people with extreme circumstances. When I challenged her about this (especially liver damage) and she asked her so called \"doctor\" about this, he said -\"sometimes it is not the quantity of life but the quality\". He says this knowing full well she has signs of liver damage. What an a**hole! Lets all just throw band aids at the problems in this country instead of fixing the actual problems and make a profit while were at it! It seems to me that the drug dealers of today don't work in dark alley ways and on street corners. They were white overcoats and work at Walgreens and hospitals. Anyone else have any input on this or similar experiences?

You are absolutely right Jman. All someone has to do is pay attention to all the adds on TV to see what is going on. It IS all about profit and very little to do with health.

The doctors are not the real problem though. They practice the way they are taught. They also stick to "Orthodox" medicine because deviation means looseing your license. The real problem is quest for profit.

Now before someone starts calling me a communist or socialist, etc. I know that being in business to make a profit is necessary to stay in business. The problem is that the consumer of healthcare is not in a strong bargaining position with big Pharma, Hospitals and Health Insurance Companies, when you are sick. That is why you have to have government regulation like the FDA. Unfortunately, the free market adminstrations have loaded them with Pharma Lobbyists and not healthcare professionals who really care about OUR national health.

So our only recourse is to try to stay healthy with diet and excercise, research our prescriptions before you buy them and eat them to see if you can live with the side-effects (they all have them) and elect and pressure your local, state and federal representatives to keep these guys in line.

Just as an aside, I have high colesterol but I will not take Lipitor or anything else because it will affect my liver (that is what it is designed to do) and can have very negative side-effects. From what I have come to believe from news, some research, and life observation, the jury is still out on whether these meds really do reduce heart attacks. So my thinking is why should I trade one risk (heart attack) for two (maybe less chance of heart attack and more chance of liver disease?). I have decided not to take that bet.

I wish you well with your mothers health.

Lewis

[Jman]

Originally Posted by jsteinb95

Ain't that the truth!!!

My father inlaw's soon to be ex is the same way. She gets Valium from her doctor and all kinds of other crap. She can get all the drugs she \"wants\" whenever she wants it. She is a total head case and she is more than addicted to these \"meds.\" They are all in denial about being addicted. She has actually overdosed on the \"meds\" and had to have her stomach pumped.

I don't think there is anything you can do. How does your wife feel about this?

She thinks that its ridiculous, but the only person that can change it is the person taking the meds.

[Jman]

Originally Posted by Nelly

Hi Jman,
I understand that you are feeling very aggrieved at the treatment your mother in law is receiving.
Its difficult for anyone one a public forum to make a really informed answer without all of the history. A public forums is perhaps not the best place to bare the soul of her problems either. I am not suggesting for a minute you do not air your views.
If you think that your she is receiving unfair or unfit medical attention you are by law allowed to seek a second opinion from another physician.

There are hundreds of drugs that are used outside licensing limitations and dosages that provide a huge benefit to many patients.
The down side is the story that you mention, where it would seem that a patient is offered a quality of life via \"Chemical cosh\".

There is also in my opinion something very valid to be said for quality of live. If you read the contraindications of any drug they will all mention risk of liver damage as all drugs end up being metabolized by the liver. Patients on Long term therapies can often mean that a normal therapeutic dose will not give the same therapeutic levels over an extended period and the dose levels will be increased.

I really hope that you are able to get some resolution with this issue and I strongly advice you to seek another opinion.
Good Luck

Nelly

Hey Nelly, I'm sorry if it seemed like I was being too personal with this. I happen to have my own very strong opinion about this and was using the situation as a vehicle to highlight my point. It is a personal decision and as long as the person realizes the risks - they must assume the consequences. I just think that it is hypocritical of our country to go after drug dealers when our FDA and health care system is pedaling just as addictive and damaging drugs. I work in the medical field and have personally seen too many results of this garbage. Don't get me wrong - I do not advocate drugs of any kind, it just seems like a double standard. Thanks for the feedback man!

[Jman]

I don't mean to offend anyone by this thread!!!! I know there is a time and place when prescribed drugs are the only option left. I'm only addressing the side of modern medicine that is getting out of control.

[Jman]

Oscar, on a side note - I like your avatar