You NEED these drugs!

[bucktalk]

It seems like drug companies are trying to control us. I watched a 30 minute news broadcast earlier. Within 30 minutes there were 12 (TWELVE!!) drug commercials saying "you should take..." this drug or that drug. I realize drug companies do a lot of good for mankind. But at the same time I feel like drug companies are like the Pied Piper leading us toward doom. Its at a point where so many drug commercials pushing their drugs is both ridiculous and alarming.

[FighttheGoodFight]

Only two countries in the world allow direct to consumer medicine ads and we are one.

I cut the cord 5 years ago and haven't looked back. I am not paying to get advertised to anymore.

[Bellaboo]

Lol. Remember 'Restless Legs Syndrome' ?

It's been a while since that ones been played.

I always thought they had invented a reason to sell.

[chuck5815]

Only two countries in the world allow direct to consumer medicine ads and we are one.

I cut the cord 5 years ago and haven't looked back. I am not paying to get advertised to anymore.

I'm not brave enough to cut the cord, but I'm fully on board with limiting the ability of these companies to advertise. I imagine that doctors are simply inundated with requests for prescriptions to these heavily marketed drugs. And what is the doctor to say? If he or she cares about keeping the patient on as a client, they are probably inclined to write the script even if the patient's case doesn't necessarily support it.

[Bunty]

Oklahoma lawmakers refuse to legalize medical marijuana, because they are afraid it's too dangerous to use, yet I never hear them complain about drugs being advertised on TV that among other dire warnings, warn that they make you feel like killing yourself.

[Bullbear]

I'm amazed people would want these drugs with the long list of complications and side effects. they scare the bejesus out of me.. and they are just ridiculous commercials for the most part. Don't take XYZdrug if you are allergic to XYZDrug. and the use of Moderate to severe over and over urks me to no end.

[jerrywall]

I'm amazed people would want these drugs with the long list of complications and side effects. they scare the bejesus out of me.. and they are just ridiculous commercials for the most part. Don't take XYZdrug if you are allergic to XYZDrug. and the use of Moderate to severe over and over urks me to no end.

I think the commercials need to stop, but on the side effect list, it sounds worse than it is, thanks to our disclosure laws. Basically, ANYTHING any of the test patients experience during the trials ends up getting listed. Have a headache at some point? Listed. Have indigestion? Listed. Feel sleepy? Listed. Bad night's sleep? Listed. And so on.

That being said, you always have to balance out the risk vs rewards. For example, there is no anti seizure medication without pretty crappy side effects. I'm in a love hate relationship with mine, but I'll take the one with nausea and loss of appetite over the one that causes incontinence.

[Bullbear]

yah I realize all those symptoms don't occur for every patient. but for me it makes me think.. HMMM no thanks.. but I am fortunate ( knock on wood ) that at 46 I only take a multi-vitamin

[Martin]

yeah... this has bugged me for awhile. my take: if tobacco companies (who sell products that i can legally decide to purchase without any prior authorization) can't advertise to me, then pharmaceutical companies (who sell products that require me to get a professional's authorization to purchase) shouldn't be able to advertise to me, either.

[SoonerDave]

Most people here may not remember that the outrageous level of pill advertising is a fairly new phenomenon. When I was a kid, and we're talking 70's now, you didn't have any advertising for prescription meds - plenty of OTC ads for Bayer Aspirin and Doan's Pills, but this stuff with these infuriatingly crafted phrases of "moderate to severe (insert disease here)" you should take "predeathovere" happened only after, as I recall, some lawsuit was filed claiming such restrictions were unconstitutional restraint on free speech. I'd hate to be a doctor with my patients coming in every day asking "Doc, should I be taking "polysyllabicpill" for my hair follicle psoriasis?"

Same thing happened with legal advertising. Yeah, kids, there was a time when lawyers couldn't advertise, and you didn't have half your evening lineup caked with ambulance chasers promising you untold fortunes from that $300 fender-bender. As I recall, some state's BAR association sued on the free speech issue, won, and here we are.

Somehow, I don't think the founding fathers envisioned freedom of speech as a means to keep people drugged up and lawyered up.

[stile99]

I used to be amazed at one of the depression medications saying that it would give you diabetes. Not that it was a possible side effect, that it was a likely result. My take on that was "Well yeah, now I'm depressed, you freaking gave me diabetes!"

Now there's a diabetes medicine that lists depression and suicidal thoughts as a likely side effect. Again, not possible, likely.

You just can't make this crap up, folks.

[SoonerDave]

I used to be amazed at one of the depression medications saying that it would give you diabetes. Not that it was a possible side effect, that it was a likely result. My take on that was "Well yeah, now I'm depressed, you freaking gave me diabetes!"

Now there's a diabetes medicine that lists depression and suicidal thoughts as a likely side effect. Again, not possible, likely.

You just can't make this crap up, folks.

Keep in mind that there was evidence behind a spike in diabetes among women taking statins for *years* before they actually did anything about it....but don't get me started on those bad boys. That's a rant for a different thread.

[rezman]

How about the fat blocker drug advertised in the early 2000's who's main side effects were "gas with an oily discharge, sudden and frequent bowel movements and the inability to control them".

.... In other words, ... this stuff will make you sh*t in your pants.

[jerrywall]

^^ Sort of like the potato chips fried in olestra...

[SoonerDave]

I used to be amazed at one of the depression medications saying that it would give you diabetes. Not that it was a possible side effect, that it was a likely result. My take on that was "Well yeah, now I'm depressed, you freaking gave me diabetes!"

Now there's a diabetes medicine that lists depression and suicidal thoughts as a likely side effect. Again, not possible, likely.

You just can't make this crap up, folks.

At the opposite extreme are doctors who are more than willing to bring in folks who do nothing more than check a box on a pharmaceutical company's, ahem, "screening form," and you'll get a slot-machine of drug-du-jour. I know a doctor like that. Makes me furious.

[TheTravellers]

Ain't the free market and unfettered capitalism and Big Pharma's lobbying (heard their lobby is actually larger than the miltary-industrial complex's lobby) great?

[Jersey Boss]

Meh, I would be happier if a restriction was in place on car dealers who engage in deceptive advertising practices and are fined over it. I'm looking at you, David Stanley.

[jerrywall]

Ain't the free market and unfettered capitalism and Big Pharma's lobbying (heard their lobby is actually larger than the miltary-industrial complex's lobby) great?

Defense isn't even in the top 10. (Nor is the gun lobby, btw).

Pharma's lobby is the biggest, followed by insurance.

[BLJR]

My favorite all time side effect was "anal leakage"....

On a serious note, they advertisements are already out there, but you will see a drastic increase of opiate addiction drug advertising. Ironically, this is a huge market right now created by the large pain killer market several years ago..... This is why I try to limit myself to any prescription drug, and as soon as I am feeling better, I quit taking them.

[stile99]

This is why I try to limit myself to any prescription drug, and as soon as I am feeling better, I quit taking them.

Please tell me that's not your policy for antibiotics.

[betts]

Ignore all drug commercials. If you need a particular drug, your doctor will tell you. Commercials shouldn't drive medical decision making.

[RadicalModerate]

[An Apology for the Absence--or Lack--of the Like Button]

In my opinion, it is unlikely that any words, ever typed, were closer to the truth than those typed by the OP (bucktalk) at the top of this thread. And I'm too lazy to do the traditional C&P. Hence, the Apology.

Even a recent visit to a physician, a person I think is a good doctor and fine human being (in order to get my blood pressure meds refilled and to, once again, eschew adding Statins to the Mix, while encouraging shots for kids against all of the childhood diseases . . . polio, whooping cough, tetanus, etc. yes--not so much measles and mumps) revealed that even he, in casual conversation, conceded that it's all about Big Money and Big Pharma. I simply smiled and nodded and said, "Thanks, Doctor. My blood test will be OK." (and It was).

I'm thinking about developing an App (not Abb improvement) to track every television program and the percentage of advertising devoted to medicinal drug use. After that, I think that a rewrite of "Brave New World" (by Aldous Huxley) might be in order. The prototype/beta version is a spiral notebook and a Gel Pen. JUST KIDDING.

ps/edited to add: "Soma" was the drug in "Brave New World." The Doors of Perception was the other story.

btw: I never had a bad meal at Deep Fork, The Mushroom Ravioli at Romano's Macaroni Grill was nearly nearly perfect and I don't really miss The Split T. =~)

[SoonerDave]

Ain't the free market and unfettered capitalism great

If we actually had it, yes. We have neither.

....and Big Pharma's lobbying (heard their lobby is actually larger than the miltary-industrial complex's lobby) great?

[bradh]

Ignore all drug commercials. If you need a particular drug, your doctor will tell you. Commercials shouldn't drive medical decision making.

Yeah I never understood it either betts, it's not like you watch some commercial and think "man sitting in side by side bathtubs with my wife looks fun" and then head to the doc and say "hook me up with some of that!" A good doctor would look at you and tell you "nice try." These things still have to be prescribed by a professional.

[Celebrator]

It's a big business and what they are really selling is the ailment not the meds.