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Religion & Big Pharma


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It occurred to me today that religion and big pharma have much in common.  Mainly, they're both selling us cures for shit they made up. GONZ9729CustomImage1539775.gif

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Please name some diseases/infirmaries/medical conditions that big pharma has "made up".

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Binge Eating Disorder.  Restless Leg Syndrome.  I mean, come on.  There's a pill or injection for everything, and most of the time, the side effects are worse than the illness itself.  I totally believe that here in the US we are medicated to death. Literally.

 

Just my opinion.

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You claimed big pharma has invested cures for diseases big pharma has "made up".  Indeed, you compared big pharma to religion in this regard.  I asked you to name some diseases/infirmaries/medical conditions that big pharma has "made up".  You responded with (i) binge eating disorder and (ii) restless leg syndrome.  Just to be clear, are you claiming big pharma "made up" that disorder and syndrome?

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What I'm suggesting is that big pharma has directly contributed to our becoming lazy and dependent on medication for just about anything that you can think of.

 

Restless Leg Syndrome?  Really?  Is this a fatal malady?  And when did anorexia and/or bulimia, or binge and purge, become this BED?

 

Your kid a bit hyperactive?  Instead of drugging him/her, send their asses outside to play and not sit in front of the x-box all freakin day.  And that goes for otherwise healthy adults too.  Be active, don't go crying to the doctor because you're over-weight and you want some magic pill.

 

Big Pharma peddles these miracle medications on TV big time.  They're selling anti-depressants using CARTOONS! 

 

I do of course know and understand that there are medications that are needed and are effective to control illnesses like diabetes, hypertension, depression (each of which I take).

 

People are dying, overdosing on opiates prescribed by physicians for pain.  All well and good.  Until recently there was no system in place to track which doctor was prescribing what to who.

 

In Florida, there are more "pain clinics" than there are McDonalds, and that is not an exaggeration.

 

Because many of the current medications in use are patented, the manufacturers charge outrageous prices.  It's out of control man.

 

Restless Leg Syndrome.  Whatever.

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Restless leg syndrome was initially described by Thomas Willis. This was the same Willis who discovered a critical structure that provides blood supply to the base of the brain and allows for collateral circulation now known as the circle of Willis. Thing is, Willis described restless leg syndrome in the 1600's.

 

Now, controversy exists about how to treat it and drug companies have been involved in some..."Interesting" marketing for sure. However, it is a bit intellectually dishonest to say big pharma made up a condition that has been in the literature for hundreds of years.

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I see what you're saying. It's interesting to me that pharmaceutical companies are not allowed to advertise on tv in other countries. I still don't get why they do it here. I've never seen a commercial and then thought, "I need to make an appointment with my doctor so I can get a prescription for that!" Maybe doctors are their target? I don't know. Anyway, I don't know if they actively make up diseases, but they certainly look for any kind of condition they can market a treatment for. I thought it got ridiculous when they started advertising a drug for shyness (social anxiety?). Really!? When the AMA officially recognized obesity as a disease, I'm sure the pharmaceutical industry went into overdrive working on pills to treat it. Come on! A completely preventable condition that can be completely cured through behavior modification (eat less/exercise more) is now a disease!?

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What I'm suggesting is that big pharma has directly contributed to our becoming lazy and dependent on medication for just about anything that you can think of.

 

Restless Leg Syndrome?  Really?  Is this a fatal malady?  And when did anorexia and/or bulimia, or binge and purge, become this BED?

 

Your kid a bit hyperactive?  Instead of drugging him/her, send their asses outside to play and not sit in front of the x-box all freakin day.  And that goes for otherwise healthy adults too.  Be active, don't go crying to the doctor because you're over-weight and you want some magic pill.

 

Big Pharma peddles these miracle medications on TV big time.  They're selling anti-depressants using CARTOONS! 

 

I do of course know and understand that there are medications that are needed and are effective to control illnesses like diabetes, hypertension, depression (each of which I take).

 

People are dying, overdosing on opiates prescribed by physicians for pain.  All well and good.  Until recently there was no system in place to track which doctor was prescribing what to who.

 

In Florida, there are more "pain clinics" than there are McDonalds, and that is not an exaggeration.

 

Because many of the current medications in use are patented, the manufacturers charge outrageous prices.  It's out of control man.

 

Restless Leg Syndrome.  Whatever.

 

 

 

That's fine, feel free to rant about big pharma.  I agree with much you say.  

 

But you still haven't addressed my request regarding your initial claim.  You have provided no evidence to support your claim that big pharma has invented, or "made up", diseases/infirmaries/medical conditions.  I suspect you won't because you can't.  No big deal.  Your initial claim is bogus.  So what?

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What I'm suggesting is that big pharma has directly contributed to our becoming lazy and dependent on medication for just about anything that you can think of.

 

Restless Leg Syndrome?  Really?  Is this a fatal malady?  And when did anorexia and/or bulimia, or binge and purge, become this BED?

 

Your kid a bit hyperactive?  Instead of drugging him/her, send their asses outside to play and not sit in front of the x-box all freakin day.  And that goes for otherwise healthy adults too.  Be active, don't go crying to the doctor because you're over-weight and you want some magic pill.

 

Big Pharma peddles these miracle medications on TV big time.  They're selling anti-depressants using CARTOONS! 

 

I do of course know and understand that there are medications that are needed and are effective to control illnesses like diabetes, hypertension, depression (each of which I take).

 

People are dying, overdosing on opiates prescribed by physicians for pain.  All well and good.  Until recently there was no system in place to track which doctor was prescribing what to who.

 

In Florida, there are more "pain clinics" than there are McDonalds, and that is not an exaggeration.

 

Because many of the current medications in use are patented, the manufacturers charge outrageous prices.  It's out of control man.

 

Restless Leg Syndrome.  Whatever.

 

 

 

That's fine, feel free to rant about big pharma.  I agree with much you say.  

 

But you still haven't addressed my request regarding your initial claim.  You have provided no evidence to support your claim that big pharma has invented, or "made up", diseases/infirmaries/medical conditions.  I suspect you won't because you can't.  No big deal.  Your initial claim is bogus.  So what?

 

You're correct.  I haven't presented any evidence to support my claim that pharmaceutical companies are inventing heath problems.  My OP was meant as more of a joke.  Baseless maybe, but a joke.  Thank you for confronting me with that.  I'll be more careful in the future.

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.

.

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IF one is so inclined look up "black box warnings" and/or "off label treatment uses" of any specific "medication".
 

Might cause one some serious concern about what is being prescribed. As far as diabetes, that led to dialysis. I kept ahead of the game by continuing to take a strong regiment of anti-oxidants, daily doses of pro-biotics and Vit D3 totally against the strong will and advise of Nephro-Doc.

Always do your own research, look for unintended consequences, ask tons of questions. 
 
WTF, O? It is just YOUR life.

 

kL

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What I'm suggesting is that big pharma has directly contributed to our becoming lazy and dependent on medication for just about anything that you can think of.

 

Restless Leg Syndrome?  Really?  Is this a fatal malady?  And when did anorexia and/or bulimia, or binge and purge, become this BED?

 

Your kid a bit hyperactive?  Instead of drugging him/her, send their asses outside to play and not sit in front of the x-box all freakin day.  And that goes for otherwise healthy adults too.  Be active, don't go crying to the doctor because you're over-weight and you want some magic pill.

 

Big Pharma peddles these miracle medications on TV big time.  They're selling anti-depressants using CARTOONS! 

 

I do of course know and understand that there are medications that are needed and are effective to control illnesses like diabetes, hypertension, depression (each of which I take).

 

People are dying, overdosing on opiates prescribed by physicians for pain.  All well and good.  Until recently there was no system in place to track which doctor was prescribing what to who.

 

In Florida, there are more "pain clinics" than there are McDonalds, and that is not an exaggeration.

 

Because many of the current medications in use are patented, the manufacturers charge outrageous prices.  It's out of control man.

 

Restless Leg Syndrome.  Whatever.

 

 

 

That's fine, feel free to rant about big pharma.  I agree with much you say.  

 

But you still haven't addressed my request regarding your initial claim.  You have provided no evidence to support your claim that big pharma has invented, or "made up", diseases/infirmaries/medical conditions.  I suspect you won't because you can't.  No big deal.  Your initial claim is bogus.  So what?

 

You're correct.  I haven't presented any evidence to support my claim that pharmaceutical companies are inventing heath problems.  My OP was meant as more of a joke.  Baseless maybe, but a joke.  Thank you for confronting me with that.  I'll be more careful in the future.

 

 

Cool.  The main complaint I have with big pharma is that the products usually cost too much.

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.

....

Always do your own research, look for unintended consequences, ask tons of questions.  

 

...

 

Yup. You are the one who is ultimately responsible for your health. And while Big Pharma may not be inventing illnesses, they are certainly taking advantage of the same thing religion takes advantage of: fear.

 

My doc's office is part of a large group practice. Every single time I go in there at least one drug sales rep is passing through, frequently bringing snacks for the staff. At one point, everything in the office had a pharma name on it: all the notepads, pens, clocks, posters on the wall, demonstration models of body parts, and on and on. The tables in the waiting room were completely covered with pamphlet displays and you couldn't look in any direction without seeing commercial advertising. Finally, the doc and I were having a heart-to-heart about some other issues with his office and I mentioned the message this was sending to his patients. Since then the posters have disappeared and the other stuff is way down. But the reps continue to flow through. I frequently wonder how much of the decision-making of a doc is influenced by the sales reps.

 

At another place I go, the large staff is treated to lunch which is brought in every day by a different pharma. This outfit spends millions a year on drugs. I've mentioned that in my profession, accepting anything at all from anyone is a major ethical breach and grounds for dismissal, but they just shrug and enjoy the feast.

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.

....

Always do your own research, look for unintended consequences, ask tons of questions.  

 

...

 

 

Yup. You are the one who is ultimately responsible for your health. And while Big Pharma may not be inventing illnesses, they are certainly taking advantage of the same thing religion takes advantage of: fear.

 

My doc's office is part of a large group practice. Every single time I go in there at least one drug sales rep is passing through, frequently bringing snacks for the staff. At one point, everything in the office had a pharma name on it: all the notepads, pens, clocks, posters on the wall, demonstration models of body parts, and on and on. The tables in the waiting room were completely covered with pamphlet displays and you couldn't look in any direction without seeing commercial advertising. Finally, the doc and I were having a heart-to-heart about some other issues with his office and I mentioned the message this was sending to his patients. Since then the posters have disappeared and the other stuff is way down. But the reps continue to flow through. I frequently wonder how much of the decision-making of a doc is influenced by the sales reps.

 

At another place I go, the large staff is treated to lunch which is brought in every day by a different pharma. This outfit spends millions a year on drugs. I've mentioned that in my profession, accepting anything at all from anyone is a major ethical breach and grounds for dismissal, but they just shrug and enjoy the feast.

That is disgusting. I've always been suspicious that my doctors didn't know as much as everyone assumed they did. They don't have time to pour through reams of research to determine what would be best for their patients. They have to go by what they're told as much as anyone, and if they're constantly bombarded by drug reps spouting their own companies research, they're going to get influenced by them. Doctors are caring, intelligent people, but they get influenced just like the rest of us.

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...

Yup. You are the one who is ultimately responsible for your health. And while Big Pharma may not be inventing illnesses, they are certainly taking advantage of the same thing religion takes advantage of: fear.

 

 

Bingo.  This sums up nicely what I was trying to say in my OP.  I'm pleased that what I intended as a joke turned into a real discussion.  Thanks all!

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-larry-dossey/big-pharma-health-care-cr_b_613311.html

 

It's true that many diseases and syndromes are products of marketing and a less than honorable FDA cohort. Those who make the expensive drugs that treat our maladies control what our target numbers should be for our blood work. Of course, the cholesterol number keeps getting lower and will continue to do so until virtually everyone needs statin drugs.

 

And BO is right about the diabetes scam. If you investigate you'll see that the infamous "food pyramid" the government pushed on us was designed by sugar and grain interests. Note that the epidemic of obesity, pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes correlates perfectly with the timing of the bought and paid for government wisdom on nutrition. After decades of absolutely wrong emphasis of eating more carbs and fearing fat, even the mainstream medical establishment can't deny the in your face reality of criminally incorrect dietary advice. I myself stopped diabetes in its tracks by turning official medical wisdom on its head and eating low carb and high fat food. I realized several other benefits from this switch that I won't enumerate here. The point is that drug companies DO unethically influence their markets.

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This documentary is on Netflix right now and is eye opening! It starts with body builders and pro wrestlers and pain meds, but continues on with all kinds of conditions and the FDA's involvement.

 

http://www.prescriptionthugs.com/

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-larry-dossey/big-pharma-health-care-cr_b_613311.html

 

It's true that many diseases and syndromes are products of marketing and a less than honorable FDA cohort. Those who make the expensive drugs that treat our maladies control what our target numbers should be for our blood work. Of course, the cholesterol number keeps getting lower and will continue to do so until virtually everyone needs statin drugs.

 

And BO is right about the diabetes scam. If you investigate you'll see that the infamous "food pyramid" the government pushed on us was designed by sugar and grain interests. Note that the epidemic of obesity, pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes correlates perfectly with the timing of the bought and paid for government wisdom on nutrition. After decades of absolutely wrong emphasis of eating more carbs and fearing fat, even the mainstream medical establishment can't deny the in your face reality of criminally incorrect dietary advice. I myself stopped diabetes in its tracks by turning official medical wisdom on its head and eating low carb and high fat food. I realized several other benefits from this switch that I won't enumerate here. The point is that drug companies DO unethically influence their markets.

Lipitor is another scam. Avoid it like the plague (do your research) no matter what your doctor says.

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I think I know what you mean by big pharma inventing diseases to diagnose. While I believe in the ability of modern medicine to improve lives I think people have forgotten that THEY are In charge of their wellness and have a lot of power and a different type of knowledge, though not necessarily as much training. I don't believe you should always listen to doctors.

 

For instance, if a doctor says you have cancer, you should listen. you should not go to  a homeopath to cure you instead, you should listen to your doctor, and if you want to do anything on your own homeopathically to help keep yourself strong, good. UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF A DOCTOR.

 

instance number two, and this is where i agree with you in the making shit up department, there are a lot of very vague illnesses, (which there happen to be a TON of expensive drugs for) that can be plastered on anything to make a diagnosis instead of actually diagnosing. Fibromyalgia for instance. Fibromyalgia is a real thing, there are many people with widespread pain that no one can find the cause for. The sufferers are real, I am not minimizing their pain, let me be clear in that. sometimes fibromyagia recognized as a symptom of another disease. sometimes the doctor does not feel like really finding out what is wrong, and sometimes the patient is just looking for drugs. 

 

There are people who suffer with a fibromyalgia misdiagnosis for years because their doctor does not care to find out whats really going on, when the real disease is hard to find but very treatable.

 

but there are many well meaning doctors out there,what are they to do? If you look at it from their perspective, some seemingly very healthy patient comes in with widespread pain or very ambiguous symptoms day after day, that's all they have to work with. some of them are hypochondriacs, some are seeking drugs, some are suffering from a condition that is not life threatening but seriously reduces quality of life, and some are dying quickly but the doctor cant tell, no matter how much they really care. The doctor believes the patient can be helped. they want to believe in the easiest fix. They are heavily influenced by big pharma, no matter how hard they try.

 

I once heard a story of an ex con who went to his doctor over and over, complaining of horrible panic attacks, and racing heart like he had never experienced before.  his doctor was convinced that he had PTSD because of his history, and kept trying to send him to therapists, everyone he went to tried to get him on medication for psychological problems. finally after a good long while, the doctor tested him for everything under the sun. by the time they found the massive cancerous tumor on his adrenal gland, he had weeks to live. Those people wanted to believe that a band aid would fix it. they wanted to improve his quality of life. they thought they were helping. or maybe they just didnt care, maybe they saw him as a useless degenerate who had brought his own situation upon himself.

 

If you are a doctor, it's hard to look past the idea that you know whats wrong with a patient. if you have seen these meds that help other people with similar symptoms, you want to believe in that easy fix. you have seen it improve the quality of life for some people. But that can be a deadly way of thinking. 

 

And the crap that is sold otc. oh, my god. are you freaking kidding me. cough medicine containing dextromethorphan that kids are using to get fucked up. it's no joke, that shit is as strong as mushrooms in a bottle. it's a powerful dissasociative. I have done it, I know a ton of people who got seriously into it, and really fucked themselves up. BADLY, and I don't mean just for the night.

 

antiacids, medication for heartburn, things that people use everyday.. Lo and behold, deplete your vitamin b12 levels, and users show a frighteningly high incidence of dementia https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/does-your-heartburn-drug-make-you-vulnerable-to-dementia/2016/02/22/deaa0f90-d66e-11e5-be55-2cc3c1e4b76b_story.html

the list goes on. my sister in law has been taking them unneccesarily for years, raising her risks, only to find out she has very treatable gallstones the entire time. her doctor says thats what it was the whole time. now she has a comprehensive list of diet changes that will help her prevent a flare up, no more pills, and if the diet doesnt take care of it, she can have the stones removed. never has to take another pill for it again. but how much damage have those pills done? no one knows.

 

By blindly using a band aid, you invite misdiagnosis and fraud. 

 

for people searching for a gentler homeopathic cure, the danger is still comparable to prescription drugs. nature is no joke. plants are not anything to fuck with without knowing whats up either. unless it's sold at wal-mart in the natural supplement section, then shit gets really funny http://www.cbsnews.com/news/herbal-supplements-targeted-by-new-york-attorney-general/ 

 

Florduh, you are so right about the diet thing. So right. there is so much research backing it up and it was ignored for years. 

 

burnedout, my father in laws story is the same!

 

Eat healthy, exercise, laugh often, spend time outside. get some sun. its good for you. and ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. 

try to eat more organic, at the very least free range. throw out your sugar. get all your vitamins from your food if at all possible.

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...

 

Eat healthy, exercise, laugh often, spend time outside. get some sun. its good for you. and ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. 

try to eat more organic, at the very least free range. throw out your sugar. get all your vitamins from your food if at all possible.

 

This ^^

 

I often wonder if drugs have become the default treatment for every ailment when often something simpler would do.

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I often wonder if drugs have become the default treatment for every ailment when often something simpler would do.

 

That is clearly the case. In addition, many drugs need another drug to counteract side effects. Meanwhile, unknown damage that may not be evident for years is being done in many cases.

 

To be clear, I am not anti medicine. Sometimes a risky drug is the best alternative for a debilitating or life threatening condition. We just don't need a pill for every time we have indigestion or a headache. We also don't need pills for the purpose of chasing the ever changing target numbers from blood tests. We don't need an onslaught of advertising prescription drugs we need to ask our doctor about; the doctors should know what to do without patients telling them to try the latest miracle advertised on Real Wives of Whatevertown.

 

Rounding back to topic, it's a bit like sending up a fervent prayer every time we misplace our car keys or can't find a parking spot.

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I often wonder if drugs have become the default treatment for every ailment when often something simpler would do.

 

That is clearly the case. In addition, many drugs need another drug to counteract side effects. Meanwhile, unknown damage that may not be evident for years is being done in many cases.

 

To be clear, I am not anti medicine. Sometimes a risky drug is the best alternative for a debilitating or life threatening condition. We just don't need a pill for every time we have indigestion or a headache. We also don't need pills for the purpose of chasing the ever changing target numbers from blood tests. We don't need an onslaught of advertising prescription drugs we need to ask our doctor about; the doctors should know what to do without patients telling them to try the latest miracle advertised on Real Wives of Whatevertown.

 

Rounding back to topic, it's a bit like sending up a fervent prayer every time we misplace our car keys or can't find a parking spot.

 

BOOM!

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