Dr. Mercola September 27 2008 103,139 views
A 2007 federal law requires the FDA to disclose all its investigations into reports of possibly drug-related adverse events. The first of this series of quarterly reports has been released. It includes adverse events reported between January 1 and March 31, 2008.
Here's the list of drugs and the adverse events that have been reported:
It’s difficult to fathom the immense power of the pharmaceutical industry at times, but consider this: The global market for pharmaceuticals was worth more than $693 billion in 2007.
It is expected to increase to over $737 billion in 2008 and will top $1.0 trillion by 2013.
To put these mind-boggling numbers into a larger perspective, the pharmaceutical industry was worth more money in 2007 than the gross domestic product (GDP) – which is the market value of all the output produced in a nation in one year -- of these COUNTRIES, according to statistics from the World Bank:
In fact, if placed on the list ranking the countries of the world according to gross domestic product, the pharmaceutical industry would rank number 17 out of 185 countries in 2007!
So, when I liken the pharmaceutical industry to a giant wielding a mighty club, I really mean it. Their power and influence over government, the field of conventional medicine, and your mind through massive marketing efforts, is in a class of its own. It’s just that most people don’t realize the magnitude of their financial influence, and therefore are blinded and deceived by the manipulated perception that the industry is “helping mankind.”
However, as has been repeatedly demonstrated, and as this latest FDA watch-list of drugs that potentially pose serious risk, the pharmaceutical industry is NOT putting out magic elixirs for good health.
On the contrary, the industry is gaining power and strength from propagating disease, not from achieving cures.
With Friends Like That, Who Needs Enemies?
These numbers are a sad reminder of just how successfully the industry has turned our society into a “pharmacracy” where every twitch and hiccup is deemed treatable with another prescription.
Unfortunately, treating disease symptoms with drugs will invariably create other health problems, which lead to yet another prescription to counteract the side effects from the first one, followed by another one, and another… It’s an evil circle that is clearly evident when you review the statistics of prescriptions per capita, which has grown exponentially in the past 75 years.
In 1929, the average American received less than two prescriptions per year. By 2006, the average annual prescription rate per capita in the United States was:
If these drugs did in fact treat and cure disease, the United States would have the healthiest inhabitants on the planet. Instead, we’re seeing ever mounting numbers of people suffering from completely preventable diseases like diabetes, and we’re seeing a mounting death toll directly attributable to prescription drugs.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), adverse drug reactions from drugs that are properly prescribed and properly administered cause about 106,000 deaths per year, making prescription drugs the fourth-leading cause of death in the U.S. Compare this to the death toll from illegal drugs -- which is about 10,000 per year -- and you begin to see the magnitude of the problem, and the magnitude of the coverup.We are indeed a nation of drug addicts, and just like old-fashioned street junkies, we’re spending every penny we have to feed the beast; we believe the sweet-talking, free-sampling salesmen, and are dying in droves because of our dependency on a quick fix.
Looking for a Safe Drug? Keep Lookin’
But how can it be that clinically tested, FDA-approved drugs that are supposed to “cure” diseases are ending up hurting, and in some cases killing, so many people?One reason is because even under the BEST circumstances -- such as with a drug that has gone through unbiased, stringent, long-term testing -- when it is released into the uncontrolled environment of your body, literally anything can happen. It may interact badly with another drug you’re taking, or perhaps a food you eat causes an unforeseen reaction, or maybe your genetic makeup, metabolism or the state of your immune system will cause it to have an unpredictable impact. There are countless possibilities, and only a tiny fraction has been “tested for” in a lab.And that’s the best case scenario. Unfortunately, studies are frequently biased, results are skewed, and drugs are put on a fast-track to be approved long before anyone knows whether they’re safe.
In essence, it’s all a gamble, and there are NO 100 percent safe drugs.
To Medicate or Not to Medicate, That is the Question
You have to remember that, ultimately, it’s your body, and the decision to medicate yourself for an ailment is yours alone.
If your doctor suggests you take a drug, research it before you take it. Do not believe for one minute that your physician will have all the answers and all the latest research findings at his or her fingertips. They won’t. Most physicians will have little to offer you aside from the lines they learned from their drug reps.Make sure you are aware of the potential side effects of the drug, read the package insert, and remember that even if it lists a side effect as rare, it can still happen to you. Then decide whether the potential benefits truly outweigh the potential risks.
Also remember that a large number of drugs are vastly over-prescribed and unnecessary. They’re frequently referred to as “blockbuster drugs.” If several people you know are on it, ask yourself, “why?”
Curing Disease Means Finding Health
If you make drugs a last option, not a first choice, you will have taken a major step in the right direction.
For example, all of the following conditions can be treated or prevented with LIFESTYLE CHANGES, yet if you go to a typical doctor, you will likely be prescribed a potentially dangerous drug instead:
I realize that it takes a massive shift in thinking to realize that your body can heal itself, and that often drugs only hinder the process. But I can’t stress enough the importance of the most basic principle of HOW to resolve an illness: finding the underlying cause of the problem. Masking it with a drug that lessens your symptoms does not fix anything.
Disease can only be resolved by addressing its root cause.
What many people fail to realize is that it is possible to maintain optimal health by simply avoiding unnecessary drugs and by understanding the fundamentals of good nutrition and exercise, which include:
I had fibromyalgia 15 years ago. I was on tons of medicines. Fortunately i had a DR with an awful attitude that mad me angry. That sent me on the search for a natural cure. My pain was caused by a severe magnesium deficiency. Pretty easy fix for me. Now I am a Certified Natural Health Practitioner. I tel my clients that there is a use for medical doctors. If your broken or bleeding you need to go to the ER. If you have a broken neck then of course you need help from the medical doctors and pharmaceuticals. It's the healthy people who get trapped in the viscious circle of treating side effects from drugs with drugs that are our concern here. Every body is different and everyone has a different reaction to what they ingest. There are so many easy fixes for peoples ailments that people don't know about but should. It's all about education. An educated person is able to make informed decisions about thier healthcare. An educated person tho is harder to control. I believe that is what we are fighting against. I applaud Dr. Mercola for getting the information out. You don't have to believe everything you read but it's a real good idea to be informed of all of the options and possiblities. It may save your life or your freedom one day.
terytoo: I'm so happy you were able to discover your magnesium deficiency and correct your medical issue. I've been trying to get info from Dr. Mercola on the use of B17 (Amigdalin) but have had no success. I'm currently taking 100 mg. daily as a preventative. Please comment on B17, and thank you.
Hi terytoo,
is this magnesium deficiency you had the same for all who have fibromyalgia?
I cared for my elderly father, who was a victim of 'layering' which is when doctors add one more medication after another, whether it be for blood pressure or pain, etc. When his body became toxified, as the acid waste in body tissues builds up from poor diet, inadequate liquid and/or medications, he broke out in rash, then hives, then began having anaphylactic reactions. Over the 12 years of overseeing his care, I see the same pattern in these care center/hospitals, many doctors not bothering to ask me as his medical representative if more meds were okay, etc., as if they have an inalienable right to medicate anyone against their will. Mainly medication of seniors is for convenience, so the profit margins stay up, and 18 yr. olds or a marginal staff can 'manage' the shift with more 'patients' than they can really care for. Any emotion is pathologized, and drugged. For instance, since being away from family causes sadness, and many are lonely, the antidepressants are started, etc. etc.. Many children of the elderly trust the doctor or nurse practitioner in charge, don't check on medications, or don't care. The largest abuse of our elderly comes from medication abuse. Most drs. I"ve tried to work with are insulted when I get pharmacy consultations that show medication mismanagement and harm. Now the latest institution is going for Guardianship, so they can take me out of the decision-making/oversight picture entirely. Whether it's children taken from parents who choose natural methods and object to their child being part of the 1/3 of the drugged classroom, inmates, VA patients, or Workman's Comp, most don't understand how big Pharma has taken our rights away as human beings and US citizens. Who knows a good Elder abuse lawyer-as in ethical and knowledgeable who will stand up to big Pharma and the medical field? (Oregon) My father has suffered a long time. Our generation is next. Politicians, mainly lawyers, are in bed with Pharma.
leangreencafe@yahoo.com
It'$ called "Polypharmia" and it'$ the late$t in Pharmaceutical health promotion$. Very effective marketing $trategy.
I have been thoroughly castigated, as a dangerous threat to health, by suggesting to people that multiple meds aren't helping the victim,... uh,... I mean patient.
Now I market myself as a fringe lunatic. Makes it easier for the "ten percenters" to find me.
Truth in Labelling!
SO WHAT CAME FIRST --- THE CHICKEN OR THE EGG ? --- or in this case --- a totally out of control beast called BIG PHARMA ---- or a lazy dumbdowned population ( starting in the 50s ) ---- spending big bucks on all sorts of LABOR SAVING DEVICES --- including over processed frozen factory meals to pop in the OVEN so mom could stay glued to the tube -( quite a novelty in those days ) --- and that wanted a QUICK FIX PILL for anything that ailed them ? ---- hhhhmmmmnn --- in other words --- did BIG PHARMA SEE A " NEED " ( MARKETING OPPORTUITY ) ---- and MEET IT --with a VENGENCE --- -and grow --- and grow --- into the monster it is today ? --- I am 74 and saw all this transpire --- I grew up in a " middle class " neighborhood --- I mowed the lawn with an old reel type push mower --- many neighbors rode those wonderful silent ELECTRIC BUSES we had --- our family doctor lived 2 doors away --- and would stop over on his way to his office to check out any serious health problems my brothers and I might have had ---- etc --- etc --- there were no SHOPPING CENTERS that my dad had to travel miles to --- just the local grocery store and pharmacy a few bloclks away --- and we neighborhood kids entertained ourselves with pickup games of baseball --- football --- and ice skating in the winter ---- and a bike ride could turn into an all day adventure --- exploring the nearby countryside ---- and a HEALTHY ---- THRIVING FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD LIFESTYLE ---- SLOWLY VANISHED ---- with the INTRODUCTION OF STRIP MALLS AND SHOPPING CENTERS --- THE TUBE --- ORGANIZED SPORTS FOR LITTLE KIDS --- I occasionaly visit my old neighborhood --- it has survived --- and a lot of the 2 story frame houses have had facelifts and improvements made to them --- including central air ----- BUT THERE ARE NO KIDS PLAYING BALL ON THE CORNER --- THERE ARE NO PEOPLE SITTING ON PORCHES --- CHATTING WITH PASSING NEIGHBORS - ---- AND OF COURSE THE NEIGHBORHOOD STORES HAVE DISAPEARED CHUBBY
Your reminiscence has brought up alot of nostalga in me. I am 59 and also remember those day when I was a kid. It may be just my own innocence as a small child, but it felt safe back then. It did seem like we had control over our lives and more trust is each other as humans to do the right thing. I think many of us are not so far away from those ideals, still, and can help younger folks with our model of society, which is some of the old combined with the newer technologies (usnig one as we speak) to bring us together in what Andrew Harvey call "Sacred Activism". Our example of how to treat one another can mean everything in these chaotic times.
I'm only 41, yet our days in the sun were the same in the 70s.
The most common yell heard in our sub was, "GET OUT OF THE HOUSE!!!!"
We were allowed tv in small doses, while mom wasn't the best cook, not being wealthy meant the pop and treats didn't flow freely.
Now, rather from misplaced fear or outright laziness, parents don't allow chidren to play and run. And the nature of the computer, tv and video games keeps kids from wanting to do that themselves.
Couple this lack of activity and sweating, with thousands of chemicals pumped into our children and it is no surprise to me why we are on the verge of a health catastrophe--if we aren't already there.
I don't hear anything about it in the news, but the drug Amioderone (brand name Pacerone) killed my mother in 2005. She was being treated for atrial fibrillation and according to the PDR, it was only supposed to be used for ventricular fibrillation with a huge warning on the page to be used only as a last resort. Mom was on the drug for two years before it actually caused her to get fibrosis of the the lungs. We probably had a law suit, but Mom knew the dangers and actually told me one day, "This drug will probably kill me." It was her choice because she wanted to be well as long as possible to take care of my dad who died 10 days before her of dementia.
Just a warning out there...Stay Away from Amioderone!!!!
ETML,
For some reason, my post wont go underneath your comment.
I am very happy that you found something to work for you... even if it means taking the Cymbalta.
Who cares about quantity of life when there is no quality, right? Since you have tried everything, and it is the only thing that works, I say, "continue what works!"
I know someone like you that also broke his back, and uses 3 pain killers per day, and even that does not work for him. I think if someone gives you a speech about what you are doing, obviously that person needs to walk a mile in your shoes.
The fact that you have not given up shows a HUGE amount of character and strength in you.
GOOD LUCK!