Doping

[Chuck(G)]

One of my closest friends (since the 9th grade...a fine saxophone player, as well) is an E.R. and G.P. Doctor. He bluntly informed me one day that the vast majority of over-the-counter and prescribed drugs are sold to hypochondiacs.

Or very dangerous people. Judging from the number of patent drug ads, you'd think we were a bunch of psychotic terminally ill rabbits. "Ask your doctor if PLACEBOTOL is right for you." Gee, if he hasn't suggested it already, how the heck is he supposed to know?

http://www.strattera.com/1_1_about_stra ... _about.jsp

.Much of the advertising is pure snake oil:

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/041018/sfm046_1.html

[ThomasDodd]

Acid Reflux is very real. My dad has it. He didn't "discover" it from a commercial either. His was actually diagnosed.

Didn't mean to knock it. But untill the new treatments showed up on TV I'd never heard of it.
No the doctors, especially GPs should at least be able to recognize the symptoms and then send you to the correct place for diagnosis. The general public doesn't need to know the durgs for treating it, or a myrid of other obscure ailments, by name. My 10 year old can tell you the names of 10 drugs, yet has no idea what they are for. Like Celebrex, Zoloft, or Nexium.

Was you father diagnosed before the commercials started?

Too many see those commercials and go see the doctor, exaggerating their symptoms. Worse, many doctors will prescribe the new wonder drugs without proper diagnosis. Hell they prescribed my wife one of them when she was pregnant. She doesn't have acid reflx, but the doc was quick to get her taking and expensive med for her heat burn.

[funkcicle]

Here's another one, Thomas-

"Do you feel nervous when you walk into a room filled with strangers? You might suffer from social anxiety disorder! Ask your doctor about Zoloft."

We're in an age of drug companies inventing ailments, then coming up with drugs to treat them. Of course you feel nervous when you walk into a room filled with strangers, it's human nature! Sure, getting stoned is nice way to overcome this anxiety, but it's hardly necessary....and there are much cheaper ways than Zoloft!

[Rick Denney]

If it's a problem, you go see a reputable doctor. You and the doctor should then decide a course of treatment.

When I go see a doctor about something like that, I would say, "Gee, Doc, people I know control these symptoms with a beta blocker like Inderal, in about a 10 mg dose. Whaddya think?" The doc says, "Here's a script--let me know how it works. How's your golf game these days? You should lose some weight. Next!"

This stuff is sold over the counter in many places outside the U.S. Sheesh!

Now, if the doc says, "Inderal is fine, but I think Fryberol is better, and this is why..." then I'll listen. Or, if he says, "I don't recommend it, because..." then I'll listen to that, too.

But I think your reaching with your reverse placebo thing. There a symptoms. There is a drug that relieves those symptoms with such a small dose that occasional use has little potential to cause even minor side effects. Big deal.

I'm not disagreeing about all the drug commercials. But I think the desire of people to have their ailments fixed immediately by whatever means is related to their desire never to have to be the victim of any misfortune. The ads would not continue if they did not work, so people are susceptible to the suggestion they present. It's okay with me if we remove those ads, but at the same time, we need to work on the real problem, which is that people don't realize that a certain amount of suffering is part of the gig.

Rick "who occasionally takes Aspirin for a headache, even though it sometimes causes an upset stomach" Denney

[Rick Denney]

What the hell is "Acid Reflux"? When did that come about?

A very long time ago. If you've never had it, then don't be smug. It's nasty. I've had nights when I woke up unable to breathe because the acid had burned my throat to the point that I could not stop coughing. I've had nights when I had to sleep sitting up in an easy chair. I've controlled it for the most part with changes in my diet. But I still have attacks from time to time.

Don't tell me you are one of those people who doubts the existence of ailments that have never afflicted you nor anyone close to you?

Rick "who knows firsthand the difference between acid reflux and heartburn" Denney

[Rick Denney]

Was you father diagnosed before the commercials started?

I suffered dearly from this ailment long before there were commercials. I used to buy Tums by the case, but it was not really effective. There were times when I tried Pepto Bismol to coat my throat, but that didn't work either. I even tried cough syrup a couple of times just so I could start breathing again.

I went to the doctor, and he ran the usual series of unspeakably horrible tests, only to tell me to watch my stress. "Next!"

Fact is, doctors can't keep up with the drugs that are available. If I'd seen the ads then, I might have suffered less.

I take about four pills a year, usually the strongest of which is a decongestant for cold symptoms or an Aspirin for a headache. You will not find evidence yours truly is in any way a hypochodriac.

Rick "who has to be dragged kicking and screaming to the doctor" Denney

[Doug@GT]

Was you father diagnosed before the commercials started?

I don't really know. I was a way at school at the time. Someone sent me a message one wednesday night, soemthing like "Hey dude your dad had a heart attack at church tonight." So I called home and by that time he'd been to the doctor and they properly diagnosed it. We had a good laugh. But any type of heartburn that looks like a heart attack seems pretty serious to me.

I've had nights when I woke up unable to breathe because the acid had burned my throat to the point that I could not stop coughing. I've had nights when I had to sleep sitting up in an easy chair. I've controlled it for the most part with changes in my diet. But I still have attacks from time to time.

I can empathize, Rick. I've never been unable to breathe, but I get pretty bad attacks myself--I'll wake up in the morning and be unable to roll over because my throat hurts so bad. Thankfully in my case a couple of reg. strength Tums does the trick.

Doug "who thinks that acid, however severe, is not fun"

[Chuck(G)]

Rick "who has to be dragged kicking and screaming to the doctor" Denney

Now that you're a married man, Rick, you'd be well advised to change your attitude. Like it or not, the body starts breaking down after middle age and most problems are best caught early.

Or you might wind up like a friend who, a couple of weeks ago, dropped dead in the middle of a sentence. He was 51 and had untreated hypertension.

I've learned to go for my annual physical, even if it involves a colonoscopy and to take my BP meds like a good boy. It does much to preserve domestic tranquility.

[ThomasDodd]

What the hell is "Acid Reflux"? When did that come about?

A very long time ago. If you've never had it, then don't be smug.

Don't tell me you are one of those people who doubts the existence of ailments that have never afflicted you nor anyone close to you?

I don't doubt it exists. But I think too many people think they have the hot new illness, and talk med for that illness, instead of treating their problem. Their are lot's of rare illnesses. Since they are rare, few know about them, and they tend to be slowly diagnosed. Putting adds on TV for drugs that treat them is not the answer though. Lot's of strange illnesses become popular when a drug to treat them is released and marketed. Suddenly a problem that affected 0.01% of the population is being treated in 5% of the same population. Look at all trhe kids taking drugs fro ADD or ADHD now. 20 -30 years ago very few had had symptoms sever enough to require meds. Now kids get meds for minor behavioral problems.

The Inderol is just another case of people jumping at the quick fix instead exploring the alternatives. Not to say that there is no benifit, or that none taking it actually need it. But most don't, but haven't bothered to find out. Like the high number of kids on meds for ADD or the huge number of people taking GERD treatments for simple heartburn.

[funkcicle]

Yes, there are cheaper ways, but are they legal?

well... NOW we're just bickering over details!

[RyanSchultz]

I totally agree with Sean about this.

One of my colleagues (who recently moved from Seattle to take a position with a major symphony orchestra) always took beta-blockers for auditions. Prior to winning his current position he won several one year positions and was in the finals for Chicago Symphony and a number of other orchestras. Some of my colleagues don't use the stuff, many do. The pressure of a big performance and/or spending tons of money and time to take an audition really kicks in the autonomic nervous system for many folks.

To the original point, (in my opinion, protected by the 1st amendment of the US Constitution) it is ludicrious that such a fine teacher lost her position over such a recommendation.

[Rick Denney]

I don't doubt it exists. But I think too many people think they have the hot new illness, and talk med for that illness, instead of treating their problem.

And I think a lot of people who have never had particular health problems think those who claim to be suffering from them are just crybabies. Who's right?

Let's find the middle ground.

For example: About 15 years ago, I started to feel pain in my right leg. It grew gradually until when standing I had shooting plain from my right hip to the sole of my foot. I could not walk without a limp, nor could I stand at a conference for more than 15 minutes without needing a chair. The pain was sufficient to cause me to tear up (please exercise caution before believing that I have no tolerance for pain).

There is a name for the condition that afflicted me: Sciatica. Yet there are many doctors and many more regular folks (in particular, health insurance adjusters) who believe that sciatica is one of those mythical complaints that is most frequently experienced by hypochondriacal middle-aged women.

(...MA will roast me for THAT bit of hyperbole...)

Their doubts provided little relief to my pain, however.

(As an interesting paradox: The MD to which I took my complain prescribed muscle relaxants, and suggested that if those didn't work I'd need back surgery. The chiropractor from whom I got a second opinion suggested flexibility exercises, weight loss, strength training, and physical therapy. Needless to say, I followed the latter path, and it proved to be effective. But if I thought the drugs would have relieved not only the symptoms but the underlying cause, I would have gone that way. I like to think that I'm in control of my own medical decisions.)

There are drugs that cause more problems than they solve, and there are drugs that mask other more serious problems. And there are people who take drugs just because they need the placebo. But there are also drugs that are surprisingly effective and safe in controlling the symptoms of particular real maladies, especially those that appear only occasionally and in response to known causes. Just because there are those who abuse drugs, those who expect life to be free of suffering, and those who credulously believe all they hear in television ads, doesn't mean that safe and effective drugs are therefore evil.

Rick "in all things: moderation" Denney