A few posts ago I talked about The Senior Medicare Drug Scam. Here is a brief follow up on the drugs mentioned in that article. Again we ask you to think (and see) for yourself.
Lipitor and Zocor - Statin Class of drugs used to allegedly lower cholesterol. Of course there is not a very real need to do this because cholesterol is a necessary substance. See the scientific work of many doctors such as Uffe Ravnskov.
The Active ingredient in Lipitor costs $5.80. The profit on an average prescription is 4,696%. Zocor cost is $8.63, profit margin is 4,059%.
more here
These drugs are known to lead to liver failure and this is the reason you should be getting liver function tests frequently while taking the drugs.
Remember Baychol? These drugs also can cause a fatal side effect called rhabdomyolysis. This is a disorder leading to kidney failure caused by the breakdown of muscle tissue and cells. The pigments released from cells during this process overload the kidneys and can lead to problems.
These drugs cause the liver to be unable to make CoEnzymeQ10, necessary for heart health and cellular respiration. They also cause depletion of a several key
nutrients, such as folic acid, needed for heart health.
Zoloft - Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI)are usually used for depression,
yet may cause many serious side effects. Side effects may include suicide, aggressive behavior, weight gain or loss, mania and other very serious side effects.
Cost of the active ingredient, $1.75, profit per average prescription 11,821%.
Actonel, Fosamax - please refer to previous BLOG post for comments.
Aricept - used for Alzheimer's disease
Cardiovascular Conditions
Because of their pharmacological action, cho-linesterase inhibitors may have vagotonic effects on the sinoatrial and atrioven-tricular nodes. This effect may manifest as bradycardia or heart block in patients both with and without known underlying cardiac conduction abnormalities. Syncopal episodes have been reported in association with the use of ARICEPT®.
May cause gastrointestinal bleeding because it tends to increas secretion of acid in the stomach. (And then they can give an Rx for another dangerous drug.)
Adverse effects are numerous and since this drug is used to treat Alzheimer's, perhaps more studies are in order.
Celebrex - Active ingredient $0.6, profit 21,712%
http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/coxib_wcp.htm
CELEBREX may cause an increased risk of serious cardiovascular thrombotic events, myocardial infarction, and stroke, which can be fatal. All NSAIDs may have a similar risk. This risk may increase with duration of use. Patients with cardiovascular disease or risk factors for cardiovascular disease may be at greater risk (see WARNINGS and CLINICAL TRIALS).
CELEBREX is contraindicated for the treatment of peri-operative pain in the setting of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery (see WARNINGS).
Gastrointestinal Risk
NSAIDs, including CELEBREX, cause an increased risk of serious gastrointestinal adverse events including bleeding, ulceration, and perforation of the stomach or intestines, which can be fatal. These events can occur at any time during use and without warning symptoms. Elderly patients are at greater risk for serious gastrointestinal events (see WARNINGS).
Nexium, Prevacid, Protonix - These drugs can do some real > damage to your health by interfering with the P450 cytochrome detoxification pathways needed to protect you from invading organisms. Protonix was found to be carcinogenic in lab animals but this was never tested in humans. They also lower stomach acid which is necessary for protection as it is for protein digestion. There are many safe and effective natural remedies for so-called acid reflux.
Prevacid's active ingredient costs $1.01, or 34,136% profit
Stomach Acid Suppression and Increased Risk of Pneumonia - Risk of Community-Acquired Pneumonia and Use of Gastric Acid-Suppressive Drugs. Laheij, RJF, et al. JAMA 292,16, 2004
Norvasc (ingredients$0.14, profit 134,493%), Toprol XL
Norvasc is a calcium channel blocker. Increased Angina and/or Myocardial Infarction may occur as might severe peripheral hypotension. Not for use with persons who have any degree of liver impariment. Elderly persons whould receive a low dose because Norvasc is not excreted well in this population.
Many urged the FDA to take this class of drug off the market some years ago but money won in the end.
Toprol can cause heart failure and serious bronchospasm.
Plavix - Risk of prolonged bleeding and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP).
TTP is a dangerous condition and requires emergency treatment. GI (mainly stomach), brain, liver and kidney bleeding are a concern.
Xalatan - used to relieve high pressure within the eye (a hallmark of the condition known as open-angle glaucoma). This drug may lead to changes in chromosomes, changes in pigment of eyelids, eye color and other effects on melanocytes, macular edema,
intraocular inflammation and other complaints.
Now you may begin to understand the danger in drugs and search for safe and sound ways to get and stay healthy.
1 comment:
Perhaps you have seen the Direct-to-Consumer TV and print advertisements with Robert Jarvik, the inventor of the Jarvik Heart, speaking on behalf of the Pfizer’s anti-cholesterol drug, Lipitor.
Perhaps Jarvik is not the best choice for the Lipitor campaign which has had mixed reviews. Instead of Jarvik, a more convincing yet unlikely spokesman would be the popular Duane Graveline MD MPH, a former NASA astronaut, and author who was started on Lipitor during an annual astronaut physical at the Johnson Space Center, and 6 weeks later had an episode of transient global amnesia, a sudden form of total memory loss described in his book, Lipitor Thief of Memory.
Two more unlikely spokesmen for the Lipitor ad campaign include Mary Enig and Uffe Ravnskov.
Should either one be selected as Lipitor spokesman, I myself would run down to the corner drug store to buy up the drug. It seems unlikey that even Pfizer’s deep pockets could ever induce them to recant their opposing position on the cholesterol theory of heart disease.
Mary G. Enig writes, ”hypercholesterolemia is the health issue of the 21st century. It is actually an invented disease, a problem that emerged when health professionals learned how to measure cholesterol levels in the blood.
Uffe Ravnskov MD PhD is spokesman for Thincs, The International Network of Cholesterol Skeptics, and author of “The Cholesterol Myths, Exposing the Fallacy That Saturated Fat and Cholesterol Cause Heart Disease”. His controversial ideas have angered loyal cholesterol theory supporters in Finland who demonstrated by burning his book on live television.
For more discussion on this, see my newsletter: Lipitor and The Dracula of Modern Technology
Jeffrey Dach MD
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