Archive for the ‘Drugs’ Category

No Health Insurance

Tuesday, October 16th, 2007

Thankfully the democratic party candidates are in tune with the fact that we have 47 million Americans without health insurance, sometimes due to job elimination, like myself. And health insurance is not affordable without assistance from an employer, except for the very wealthy, and those that have spouses and domestic partners whose insurance they can tag on to.

And why is health insurance beyond our reach? Obviously, the insurance industry wants profits by driving up rates. And I believe that the pharmaceutical companies are creating diagnoses, and recommending drugs, that we all “need! “Just ask your provider,” whoever that is…

And who are two strong lobbies: the insurance industry and the pharmaceutical companies? And who is helping to finance most of the presidential aspirants?

What on earth is a “nervous breakdown”? why can’t people sleep at night? what is “restless leg syndrome”? Where did this stuff all come from? We should all be taking 21 drugs each day? Oh, and you need a stool softener, and laxative for breakfast that may make you “regular”. And a daily decongestant, whereas just being in a vertical position and blowing your nose in the morning may work just fine. Why? Why not choose a healthy lifestyle instead?

Why not jog or walk your dog (you would both benefit), stretch, swim, eat properly i.e. a diet rich in fruits, veggies, grains? Try to avoid anything but the essential drugs that you really need to stay alive.

All of these drugs, too many drugs, interact with each other, and can kill you. Less is better.

Research Results, Including HRT

Sunday, September 16th, 2007

A national newspaper printed an article today about health care issues, including HRT.   All research must be taken with a grain of salt. I was recruited, years ago, for the Nurses’ Health Study. After filling out their questionnaire, I received a letter informing me that I was ineligible as a participant since I had taken steroids. I have never taken steroids in my life! I didn’t write back because I didn’t have the time (full time working mom, grad student, with two little boys). So now, even though public health is my love, I look at all research with more acute skepticism

As for HRT, I did that for about 5 years, then quit cold turkey because my gynecologist told me she could not in good faith prescribe it anymore. I have a friend who has been “tapering off” HRT for the 3 years I have known her. Tapering off a relatively innocuous drug? I can only suspect that her gynecologist is her age as well, and the looks of skin and hair are more important than the total health picture? Or maybe not? Maybe it doesn’t matter if we do HRT or not?

There is a lot of spurious, and confounding, information in these studies…I am a medical professional, but also a skeptic. I have attended prestigious universities, have worked at prestigious universities. But that doesn’t mean anything. What is important is the integrity of their representatives, their scientists, of their reporting of results of their studies. They need to be honest, not just writing what the public wants to hear.…

Just ask your prescriber…

Wednesday, June 6th, 2007

I have often said that I felt my internist received her medical education from watching drug ads on television. Just take this drug and that drug…

I was shocked this morning, to hear a drug ad for a sleep medication, and the commercial asked you to talk to your “prescriber”. What is a “prescriber”? So we don’t even need physicians anymore, do we? Just prescribers. What are their credentials? Who are they?

For complex medical problems, we do have specialists. But what about the average person who has minor aging conditions, and doesn’t need a simple pill, but some sound advice? Like diet and exercise and lifestyle changes? Where do they go for assistance?