FDA Approved Drugs Anyone?
Posted: Friday, August 20, 2010
by Grace O'Malley
Do you ever wonder why our over the counter drugs are packaged the way they are? You have to practically blast the cap off an aspirin bottle and use gardening shears to take the protective skin off a cold medicine. Years ago some sick individuals found a way to taint the packaging and cause minimal but serious issues. Our FDA took a stand and required manufacturers to make it impossible to access the medicines without multiple layers of protection. YAY! It may be a pain in the butt to open a bottle or package now, but better safe than sorry, right? Good job FDA.
As further protection to the US public, our government does not allow our citizens to purchase prescription drugs from other countries. After all none of these drugs have been tested and approved by our government agencies. They also have not been approved by one of this country's largest lobbying group: the pharmaceutical industry.
Supposedly it takes 10 years of research on a new drug before the FDA approves it for consumption. The results of the research testing along with possible side effects are recorded and submitted with the patenting request. Once checked the medication is now approved or rejected for sale.
In 2004 the manufacturers of Vioxx, Celebrex and Bextra removed their drugs from the market because deaths were occurring from high dose usage. On March 11, 2009: "Scott S. Reuben, former chief of acute pain at Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, Mass., revealed that data for 21 studies he had authored for the efficacy of the drug Vioxx had been fabricated in order to augment the analgesic effects of the drugs". What happened to the safety of the American people? Wasn't the approved testing of the drug done according to government standards?
How many times have you watched a commercial for a prescription drug and been shocked about the possible side effects? I know I have. Sometimes the side effects seem worse than the condition. I know I try and avoid taking medications I do not have to. I have Crohns disease. My condition was treated with a few "approved" medications to try and control the progression of the disease. Unfortunately for me I was in the group of people who had side effects. On every one of the medications I took. I gave up attempting any more as I did not want more conditions than the arthritis and nerve damage I already developed from the ones I had tried.
The FDA is now approving a new drug for the treatment of Crohns. To say I was shocked and appalled when reviewing the side effects is an understatement.
Humira: used in the treatment of Psoriatic Arthritis, Crohn's Disease and Plaque Psoriasis.
Possible side effects: Tuberculosis , upper respiratory tract infections, bronchitis and urinary tract infections, pneumonia,septic arthritis, prosthetic and post-surgical infections, erysipelas, cellulitis, diverticulitis, and bacterial infection of the kidney. More cases of malignancy have been observed. Fever, infection, pain in extremity, pelvic pain, sepsis,surgery, thorax pain, Arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation, cardiovascular disorder,chest pain, congestive heart failure , coronary artery disorder, heart arrest,hypertensive encephalopathy, myocardial infarct , palpitation, pericardialeffusion, pericarditis, syncope, tachycardia, vascular disorder, Lupus erythematosus syndrome, Cholecystitis, cholelithiasis, esophagitis, gastroenteritis, gastrointestinal disorder, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, hepatic necrosis, vomiting, Parathyroid disorder, Agranulocytosis, granulocytopenia,leukopenia, lymphoma like reaction, pancytopenia, polycythemia, dehydration, healing abnormal, ketosis, paraproteinemia, peripheral edema, Arthritis, bone disorder, bone fracture (not spontaneous), bone necrosis, joint disorder, muscle cramps, myasthenia, pyogenic arthritis, synovitis, tendon disorder, Adenoma, carcinomas such as breast, gastrointestinal, skin,urogenital, and others; lymphoma and melanoma , Confusion, multiple sclerosis , paresthesia, subduralhematoma, tremor, Asthma, bronchospasm, dyspnea, lung disorder, lung function decreased, pleural effusion, pneumonia, Cellulitis, erysipelas, herpes zoster, cataract, Thrombosis leg, Cystitis, kidney calculus, menstrual disorder, pyelonephritis.
Ummm, wow?
With all these possibilities, you can pretty well assume that you would have at least one of the above reactions. But which one? When you are already ill and in pain, the last thing you want is more problems, but what do you do?
Right now this country is going through great changes concerning healthcare. No matter where you stand on the debate, one thing is for sure, the pharmaceutical industry is salivating with the opportunities coming their way.
Who is running the show in Washington? Is it the FDA or the pharmaceutical companies and their lobbyists? They actually approved a drug that can cause you to die. This is not just a disappointment but criminal. What is it going to take for this agency to wake up and stop doing this kind of thing? How many people are going to develop permanent illnesses and possible death before someone says enough?
Instead of looking to increase government intervention in our healthcare, maybe it should instead look at a massive overhaul of an agency that will be tasked to overseeing that health care agenda first. That's right the United States Department of Health and Human Services who oversees the FDA, the same agency that allows a drug to be distributed that can cause your death, is going to be in charge of our national health care agenda. I don't know about you, but that scares the c#^% out of me.
Those "unapproved" drugs from other countries aren't looking so scary to me now.
Vioxx anyone?
Supposedly it takes 10 years of research on a new drug before the FDA approves it for consumption. The results of the research testing along with possible side effects are recorded and submitted with the patenting request. Once checked the medication is now approved or rejected for sale.
In 2004 the manufacturers of Vioxx, Celebrex and Bextra removed their drugs from the market because deaths were occurring from high dose usage. On March 11, 2009: "Scott S. Reuben, former chief of acute pain at Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, Mass., revealed that data for 21 studies he had authored for the efficacy of the drug Vioxx had been fabricated in order to augment the analgesic effects of the drugs". What happened to the safety of the American people? Wasn't the approved testing of the drug done according to government standards?
How many times have you watched a commercial for a prescription drug and been shocked about the possible side effects? I know I have. Sometimes the side effects seem worse than the condition. I know I try and avoid taking medications I do not have to. I have Crohns disease. My condition was treated with a few "approved" medications to try and control the progression of the disease. Unfortunately for me I was in the group of people who had side effects. On every one of the medications I took. I gave up attempting any more as I did not want more conditions than the arthritis and nerve damage I already developed from the ones I had tried.
The FDA is now approving a new drug for the treatment of Crohns. To say I was shocked and appalled when reviewing the side effects is an understatement.
Humira: used in the treatment of Psoriatic Arthritis, Crohn's Disease and Plaque Psoriasis.
Possible side effects: Tuberculosis , upper respiratory tract infections, bronchitis and urinary tract infections, pneumonia,septic arthritis, prosthetic and post-surgical infections, erysipelas, cellulitis, diverticulitis, and bacterial infection of the kidney. More cases of malignancy have been observed. Fever, infection, pain in extremity, pelvic pain, sepsis,surgery, thorax pain, Arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation, cardiovascular disorder,chest pain, congestive heart failure , coronary artery disorder, heart arrest,hypertensive encephalopathy, myocardial infarct , palpitation, pericardialeffusion, pericarditis, syncope, tachycardia, vascular disorder, Lupus erythematosus syndrome, Cholecystitis, cholelithiasis, esophagitis, gastroenteritis, gastrointestinal disorder, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, hepatic necrosis, vomiting, Parathyroid disorder, Agranulocytosis, granulocytopenia,leukopenia, lymphoma like reaction, pancytopenia, polycythemia, dehydration, healing abnormal, ketosis, paraproteinemia, peripheral edema, Arthritis, bone disorder, bone fracture (not spontaneous), bone necrosis, joint disorder, muscle cramps, myasthenia, pyogenic arthritis, synovitis, tendon disorder, Adenoma, carcinomas such as breast, gastrointestinal, skin,urogenital, and others; lymphoma and melanoma , Confusion, multiple sclerosis , paresthesia, subduralhematoma, tremor, Asthma, bronchospasm, dyspnea, lung disorder, lung function decreased, pleural effusion, pneumonia, Cellulitis, erysipelas, herpes zoster, cataract, Thrombosis leg, Cystitis, kidney calculus, menstrual disorder, pyelonephritis.
Ummm, wow?
With all these possibilities, you can pretty well assume that you would have at least one of the above reactions. But which one? When you are already ill and in pain, the last thing you want is more problems, but what do you do?
Right now this country is going through great changes concerning healthcare. No matter where you stand on the debate, one thing is for sure, the pharmaceutical industry is salivating with the opportunities coming their way.
Who is running the show in Washington? Is it the FDA or the pharmaceutical companies and their lobbyists? They actually approved a drug that can cause you to die. This is not just a disappointment but criminal. What is it going to take for this agency to wake up and stop doing this kind of thing? How many people are going to develop permanent illnesses and possible death before someone says enough?
Instead of looking to increase government intervention in our healthcare, maybe it should instead look at a massive overhaul of an agency that will be tasked to overseeing that health care agenda first. That's right the United States Department of Health and Human Services who oversees the FDA, the same agency that allows a drug to be distributed that can cause your death, is going to be in charge of our national health care agenda. I don't know about you, but that scares the c#^% out of me.
Those "unapproved" drugs from other countries aren't looking so scary to me now.
Vioxx anyone?
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)Not to mention that the Pharmaceutical companies write all the medical textbooks - this is why our family doctor looks at things through the eyes of "what pill can we throw at this?" rather than getting to the cause and fixing what is wrong at the source. Very few with those coveted initials after their name (MD) have any idea about nutrition, natural alternatives or something to give a patient which doesn't have 2 pages of side effects. SCARYHow many people know that about Pharmaceutical companies Marijo? I don't want myself and my family pilled to death. If I would have been treated differently at the onset I can imagine how differently I could now be living. Darn those people!What piece of yours can I read to hear your story about this? I missed something here....In the above article I referred to having Crohns disease. I have written about it before in my article I Would Rather Die Than Be You. Sorry I referred to it in my previous comment. Ooops?I need to read that one! thanks!
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