Eczema makes your skin itchy, and for many people, it’s the worst part. Lots of adults say their itching is really bad, even when they try medicine. Some worry about using medicine for a long time, and others say it doesn’t help them much.

Eczema can come in different types and can be mild or really bad. Sometimes, people have bad times where their skin gets much worse, and they might need to go to the hospital for help.

Kids are more likely to have eczema, but adults can get it too. It’s not easy to tell if someone has it because it looks different on everyone. Some folks get a diagnosis quickly, but for others, it can take a long time.

Even though eczema can be tough, scientists are learning more about it. They did a study with animals and found out what makes the itchiness happen. Understanding eczema better can help doctors find better ways to help people who have it.

New Discovery: What Might Stop Eczema Itching

Scientists looked into how tiny creatures called microbes could be causing the itchy feeling in people with eczema. They found that a germ called Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) might be the culprit behind the itchiness. Even though S. aureus normally lives on our skin, it can make some people’s skin really itchy, especially if they have eczema.

To figure this out, the researchers tested the skin of 13 people with eczema and 14 people without it. They then exposed mice to S. aureus from these skin samples. The mice got really itchy and scratched their skin a lot, which ended up causing damage. After some tests, the researchers discovered that an enzyme called V8 protease, released by S. aureus, was making the itchiness worse by messing with the nerves in the skin.

The researchers also noticed that most people with eczema had more S. aureus on their skin compared to those without eczema. They found that the balance of microbes on the skin of people with eczema was different, which allowed S. aureus to grow more.

To try and stop the itchiness, the researchers thought of using a medicine that’s already approved by the FDA for treating blood clots. This medicine can block the same receptor on skin nerves that S. aureus activates to cause itching. The next step for the researchers is to test this medicine in a cream that can be put on the skin.

Eczema and Other Health Problems: What You Should Know

Eczema is a skin condition that can cause redness, itching, and inflammation. While the exact cause of eczema isn’t clear, scientists think that an overactive immune system might play a big role. This means that your body’s defense system might be working too hard, leading to skin problems.

Even though eczema itself isn’t an autoimmune disease, having it could mean you’re more likely to develop other autoimmune diseases. These are conditions where your immune system attacks your body’s own cells by mistake. Some examples of autoimmune diseases are lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and Crohn’s disease. People with eczema have a higher chance of getting these diseases.

A recent study looked at data from lots of people with eczema over many years. It found that those with eczema were more likely to have multiple autoimmune diseases, especially ones that affect the skin, gut, and connective tissues.

Scientists also think that certain chemicals in the environment, like pesticides and pollutants, might make autoimmune diseases more likely. These chemicals can mess with your immune system and cause problems.

So, if you have eczema, it’s essential to keep an eye on your overall health and talk to your doctor if you have any concerns.

Healing Eczema with Healthy Eating

Research data have uncovered a significant connection between diet and atopic dermatitis, offering promising avenues for natural alternatives in treating the condition. In a recent 2022 poster presentation at the Revolutionizing Atopic Dermatitis Conference, researchers delved into the outcomes of seven studies focusing on docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosatetraenoic acid (EPA) as potential treatments for atopic dermatitis. These omega-3 fatty acids are renowned for their anti-inflammatory properties and have been extensively studied for their health benefits.

The findings from these studies revealed that while omega-3 supplementation did not necessarily prevent allergic symptoms, it did exhibit a notable decrease in skin inflammation and the prevalence of atopic dermatitis within the study populations. This significant observation underscores the potential of omega-3 fatty acids in managing the condition, as highlighted in the subsequent publication of the poster presentation in the esteemed British Journal of Dermatology.

Moreover, omega-3 fatty acids encompass metabolites such as resolvins, which have demonstrated potent anti-inflammatory effects, particularly in allergic and inflammatory diseases. A notable 2015 study explored the administration of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in preventing atopic dermatitis, with a focus on long-chain omega-3 fatty acids showing promise in this regard.

The efficacy of omega-3 fatty acids in addressing atopic dermatitis could be attributed to the prevalent dietary imbalance typically observed in Western diets. Omega-3 fats play crucial roles in various bodily functions, including cell division, receptor function, cognitive processes, and heart health. However, maintaining a balanced omega-6 to omega-3 ratio, as advocated by James J DiNicolantonio, PharmD., in a 2016 editorial, is imperative for optimal health outcomes.

In essence, the potential benefits of omega-3 supplementation in managing atopic dermatitis underscore the importance of addressing dietary imbalances and incorporating key nutrients essential for skin health. By embracing dietary modifications that prioritize omega-3 fatty acids, individuals may alleviate symptoms associated with atopic dermatitis and enhance overall well-being.

Home Remedies and Techniques for Easing Eczema

Many individuals may not need to rely on medications to alleviate symptoms and enhance their well-being. Besides incorporating omega-3 fatty acids into your diet to address eczema internally, there are numerous home-based approaches with minimal side effects that can greatly alleviate symptoms.

As per the American Academy of Dermatology, treatments for dermatological conditions may involve various options such as corticosteroid creams, Pimecrolimus cream, tacrolimus ointment, Crisaborole ointment, or Ruxolitinib cream. Additionally, your dermatologist might recommend systemic biologic medications.

Changes in weather can trigger flare-ups of eczema for some individuals, particularly when the temperature drops. To manage this, the National Eczema Society recommends maintaining a consistent temperature in your home and dressing in lightweight, layered clothing that can be adjusted as needed. Using a humidifier during colder months can also help increase moisture levels in your home, potentially reducing the likelihood of eczema symptoms worsening.

Research from six randomized controlled trials, involving 241 individuals with atopic dermatitis, indicates that probiotics can have a positive impact. While the use of probiotics led to significant improvements in the SCORing Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) measure among adults, it did not show a notable enhancement in skin itch or severity.

Aloe vera gel, known for its antibacterial properties and ability to promote wound healing, is often used to hydrate the skin. In a 2020 study, researchers evaluated a combination product of aloe vera gel and virgin olive oil, comparing it to the use of a common systemic corticosteroid, betamethasone, over six weeks. The results showed that the combination product outperformed betamethasone in treating eczema, as evidenced by improvements in disease severity, quality of life, and eosinophil count.

In a study conducted in 2020, the effectiveness of colloidal oatmeal cream for hand eczema was assessed. The findings indicated that colloidal oatmeal, known for its natural barrier protection, moisturizing, anti-inflammatory, and soothing properties, could alleviate symptoms of eczema severity in patients with chronic irritant hand eczema.

In a study from 2019, the anti-inflammatory properties of virgin coconut oil (VCO) were demonstrated. The research showed that VCO could reduce inflammatory markers and enhance skin barrier function, providing protection to the skin. This study is the first to report on the anti-inflammatory and skin-protective benefits of VCO observed in vitro.

Managing stress is important as it’s linked to making atopic dermatitis worse. Finding ways to handle stress, like yoga, meditation, writing in a journal, gentle exercise, or Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), can be helpful for managing your eczema.

Witch hazel is known for its various medicinal uses, such as reducing inflammation, tightening the skin, moisturizing, and fighting microbes. These properties make it helpful for easing itching and managing oozing eczema symptoms.

Rose geranium essential oil has been identified as a promising source of new and safe anti-inflammatory treatments. Research has shown that it exhibits potent anti-inflammatory activity, comparable to diclofenac, as demonstrated by histological analysis of inflammatory inhibition.

Lavender oil has been noted for its anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive (pain-relieving) properties. Studies have shown its effectiveness in treating dermatitis and eczema, with results comparable to the corticosteroid dexamethasone in animal models.

https://nationaleczema.org/eczema/#h-what-are-the-causes-of-eczema
https://aacijournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13223-021-00597-4
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8451742/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8325494/
https://www.dermatologytimes.com/view/effects-of-omega-3-fatty-acid-supplementation-on-atopic-dermatitis
https://academic.oup.com/bjd/article-abstract/188/Supplement_2/ljac140.015/6997938
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7892455/
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ddg.12780
https://openheart.bmj.com/content/3/2/e000385
https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/eczema/types/atopic-dermatitis/treatment
https://eczema.org/information-and-advice/triggers-for-eczema/weather-and-eczema/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9386980/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7540232
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7103792/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6335493

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As a doctor, Dr. Wong claims that Ivermectin is an incredible drug, asserting its safety for human consumption and its ability to eliminate 99% of parasites within the human body with a minuscule dosage.

Initially, such a high cure rate seemed dubious, resembling a potential scam. However, upon conducting further research, the effectiveness of Ivermectin became evident. Dr. Wong contends that the limited adoption of this drug is due to pharmaceutical companies’ concerns about competition.

According to him, a mere 5 mL of Ivermectin should effectively target the majority of parasites within a human body. He stipulates that this quantity is suitable for an individual weighing around 50 kg. Consequently, those weighing a hundred kilos would require 10 mL of Ivermectin.

For more information on Ivermectin, you can visit this link. Notably, Ivermectin is an FDA-approved medicine primarily intended for specific parasitic ailments like river blindness. In my experience, a diet rich in meat often leads to parasitic infections, further emphasizing the relevance of this drug.

Parasites can cause a multitude of health issues within our bodies. Therefore, if the efficacy of Ivermectin holds true, I believe it merits an article on my website. Dr. Wong also asserts the drug’s absolute safety, asserting the absence of side effects.

However, a Wikipedia entry highlights a potential concern, citing the possibility of Ivermectin causing nervous system toxicity. Consequently, determining the veracity between Dr. Wong’s claims and Wikipedia’s information poses a challenge.

Furthermore, it’s important to note that certain dog species are highly allergic to Ivermectin.

Ivermectin Safety

But further research leads me to believe that it should be safe for human consumption because it’s made from natural ingredients that are generated as fermentation products by Streptomyces avermitilis, a soil actinomycete.

Satoshi Ōmura’s significant contribution to the discovery of Ivermectin was duly recognized with the Nobel Prize in 2015. The fact that this drug remains relatively obscure prompts a valid inquiry. Despite its entirely natural origin and lack of synthetic derivation, Ivermectin is predominantly utilized for animals.

This circumstance raises questions about the motives of the pharmaceutical industry, possibly driven by financial interests. Concealing the potential benefits of Ivermectin from the general populace might be indicative of a profit-driven approach that could potentially compromise public health.

I encourage you to view the linked video and undertake your own investigation to form a well-informed perspective on this matter.

To maintain your health and to avoid getting chronic diseases, get my ultimate health ebook here.

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From the statistics 85% of so called labeled patients who “have” schizophrenia came off drugs with this treatment and went back to work. Same goes for other so called “DSM diseases that shrinks use to label and fuck people up.”

This approach is really promising. It is widely used in western Finland. Finland used to have the largest number of suicides on the world. However, now, they have the best statistics in the world. Just imagining people getting well from shrinks in the western world. In fact, once you are in the system, you will not get out. You are labeled crazy, a danger, and have to take meds for the rest of your life. That is not the case with open dialogue. They use much less meds in the process, and the goal is to come off them. Not with regular shrinks where they put you on more and more meds all the time.

Research this guy, Jaakko Seikkula you will hear more great things about him in the future.

The post Jaakko Seikkula, Ph.D. And Open Dialogue Psychological Treatment In Finland appeared first on Alternative Complementary Medicine.

Apparently the consumption of vitamin K2 and D3 immobilizes calcium from heart, and vessels which lowers blood pressure. This guy in the video was completely cured of hypertension.

These two vitamins also apparently cure arthritis, because they pull out calcium from joints etc.

You should try this. I am getting pain in my knees myself at 40 yo, and I was praying to god for a cure, is that maybe my cure?

Here is one of the comments from the youtube from another user:

 So, I went to naturopathic doctor and she recommended 5000 IU of D3, vitamin K2 and spending time outside.  After about a month, arthritis is gone, I do not need beta blockers and my blood pressure is 115/60 average (I even measured 110/50 ) with as little as 45 heart beats at rest, almost like athlete!

Maybe this is worth trying. I will definitely try this if I get in more pain with my knees…

The post Wanna Get Rid Of High Blood Pressure And Arthritis in 1 Month? appeared first on Alternative Complementary Medicine.

On the other hand you see people selling grass spending years in jail. And these companies, that killed many babies with Thimerosal, cause numerous babies get autism, steal money from people, lie to public, they can just walk away. It is all about money. If you are rich, nobody can touch you. Right Mr Cosby?

I am appalled and sick how these pharma companies even fake their studies, still these days, and nobody gets punished. Please watch this video. if you or your family needs to get vaccinated, be sure to choose a Thimerosal free vaccines.

Thimerosal is a 50% mercury based preservative. 300 x more toxic than lead. It is the most toxic substance in the world bside radioactive substances. And still these money hungrly companies, governments allow us getting injected with this poison, just to squeeze more money out of vaccines…Lower cost, higher autism, and brain damage.

Mercury stays in the brain for decades. Brain has not ability to remove the mercury itself. When mercury passes brain barrier, we are f…cked. Mercury then causes all kind of problems, hormones, autism, ticks, ALS, cancer etc….

Please beware of this, beware of Thimerosal in vaccines.

The post Beware Of Vaccines Full Of Mercury (Thimerosal) appeared first on Alternative Complementary Medicine.

If your loved one has the same problem, you should try this. Doctor Newport claims that coconut oil helps also patients with :

• dementia
• ALS
• epilepsy
• autism
• schizophrenia
• Parkinson disease
• etc

But you need to buy pure coconut oil, non hydrogenated one. I recommend pure 100% raw coconut oil that has not been heated in any way.

Here is the video:

The post This woman cured her husband of Alzeheimer disease with this simple natural ingredient appeared first on Alternative Complementary Medicine.

I mean there are even new diseases like addiction to internet, that needs to be corrected with side effect infested psych drugs.

When will these animals pay for all the suffering they caused.

I mean they even drug small babies and diagnose them with bipolar disorder.

People even think that it is fashionable to take drugs with serious side effects.

Beware of this horrid money hungry industry that labels at least 50 % of people mentally ill that needs to be on drugs.

For god sake they even label women during the menstrual cycle and their attitude change, which is kind of normal, because the hormonoes are running wild at that period. They call it premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

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And oh boy there were so many mistakes by doctors in Cedar Sinai, one of the best hospitals in the world. There was this guy who had cancer, they had to cut out cancer because chemo did not work. They even cut large part of anus from this poor soul. Then filled him up with all kind of meds, he looked half dead to me. Then came the surprise, like all the doctors came in the room in the hospital and told this poor guy that the wound from surgery can’t heal, and that he will die. So they got the cancer out but he will de because his immune system is so low. They cut out chunks of flesh from this guy and now his body cant heal the wound.

Isn’t that just terrible? So they packed him home,and you should see the faces on these doctors, seems to me they faked the sad faces… But I guess that is how you react when so many people die in front of your eyes. You get used to it.

There was this Mexican boy next, who got leukaemia, they tried everything. The guy was almost dead. He went through countless chemo therapies. One after another made him even more sick.

Then before he died, the doctor came in and told him they can try another chemo but that could kill him. She suggested that he could go home and just die without a chemo because chemo can kill him on its own. I saw the doctor gave him hope with chemo, so the guy took it. She did not say you have 0% CHANCE OF SURVIVING THIS CHEMO, 5 minutes later she told Louis Theroux just that. That the poor guy does have 0% chance of survival and cancer remission. She never told that directly to boys face.

From watching the documentary, it was not clear to me that the doctor told him that, that he has 0% chance of remission.

So the guy with one foot in the grace took another chemo and died 2 days later…. This was just a joke from my observation.

The last guy story shocked me the most. I am still shocked after few days. He got into drugs, took too many heroin and overdosed himself. He ended up in kind of vegetative state. For 1 month he was in hospital. The doctor clearly told the family there is not hope, the damage of the brain is too big. Even another Chinese doctor from Cedar Sinai, checked the MRI of the brain and said the boy will be a vegetable all his life. But the family did not loose hope, especially boy’s sister.

She believed in him, even grandma came in hospital and prayed for the boy. They all believe he will make it. But the doctors told them there is no use to keep him plugged on to the machines.

The prognosis was terrible. But after few days later, the boy stood up, was walking around and could communicate properly. The brain damage was not that horrible. He made it through.

These are just samples of what is going on in hospitals and that doctors are wrong many times, many times they mess you up and kill you, or almost kill you before patients totally recuperates. I rather take raw food approach and not mess with these unskilled people.

I betcha they never give smoothies to patients in hospitals. I am sure some of them would made it, I am 100% sure. Usually they serve hot dogs, cows brews, etc, no way a body can heal itself when you feed it that kind of food.

The post Another reason not to trust doctors appeared first on Alternative Complementary Medicine.

I use the following ingredients.

• Baking soda
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Xylitol
• Tea Treal Oil
• Menthol oil extract

I just mix baking soda with peroxide so I get a paste, then I add few drops of tea tree oil, which is amazing antibacterial oil, I just added xylitol powder today and also some menthol oil, or mint oil extract so it tastes fresh. I am telling you, you don’t need fluoride in your paste, which is poison, also you dont need foaming agents, that just prevent teeth from self reminalization.

If you want healthy teeth, you need to make it yourself. Baking soda is a natural cleaning agent. It can be used for cleaning dishes, kitchen, and you will get better result than using standard liquid soaps. It is that powerful.

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I read that old crusty scammer Jim Humble book. First of all, he looks all sickly, is using cain, I think he is close to dying.

If you ever want to do a health scam, just copy everything Jim Humble is doing. It is so easy to claim that your “medicine” works because you are claiming the AIDS cure, cancer cure from people who live in remote Africa villages.

Of course nobody monitors those people, and the government down there is super corrupt.

And than comes this crusty old scammer full of claims, how this MMS crap cure everything.

If you want to find our what a crap MMS is, just google some youtube videos from people who tried MMS. I have never come across any cure. I only come across sad stories from desperate sick people, who were looking for cure.

If MMS would really work, people, than there would be hundreds of testimonials on youtube, facebook, but the only positive testimonials you can see are on the website who sell MMS:

This is how this scam works.

Just create a product that is used for disinfecting water, use people in remote village somewhere in Africa claim they were all cured with your snake oil. This is how you make money. Of course you need desperate and sick people who will try your product and believe everything you say.

But you know the health niche one of the most profitable niches in the world. Health and make money online are the niches where most of the scams appear.

I have researched numerous videos on YouTube, people who were taking MMS on a daily basis for weeks and never got healthy. They had to stop taking MMS because it had too much side effects. I know this for a fact because many people that I am in constant contact with told me never to try this crap. They experience horrible side effects and they all had to stop taking this snake oil.

Don’t believe Jim humble, he’s just an old crusty scammer who will sell you snake oil with strong side effect. Do a research online, check Facebook pages that talk about MMS, check YouTube videos that talk about MMS and you was soon find out what is the truth.

Trust me I’m right, don’t ever fall for scan where you see that the cure claims are shady.

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CHICAGO – Healthy adults taking maximum doses of Tylenol for two weeks had abnormal liver test results in a small study, researchers found, raising concerns that even recommended amounts of the popular painkiller might lead to liver damage. In the study, 106 participants took four grams of Tylenol — equivalent to eight extra-strength Tylenol tablets — each day for two weeks. Some took Tylenol alone and some took it with an opioid painkiller. Dummy pills were given to 39 others.

There were no alarming liver test results among the people who took the placebos. But nearly 40 percent of people in all the other groups had abnormal test results that would signal liver damage, according to the study that appears in Wednesday’s Journal of the American Medical Association.

“I would urge the public not to exceed four grams a day. This is a drug that has a rather narrow safety window,” said a study co-author, Dr. Neil Kaplowitz of the University of Southern California.

Heavy drinkers should take no more than two grams daily, Kaplowitz said.

Another co-author, Dr. Paul Watkins of the University of North Carolina, said he’s less worried than Kaplowitz, noting that acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, has been used for 50 years and has a good safety record.

The maker of Tylenol, McNeil Consumer & Specialty Pharmaceuticals, said its own research found much lower rates of abnormal liver results. The company’s studies tracked high-dose users over longer periods than did the new study.

“It doesn’t lead to liver disease and it usually resolves as patients continue to take acetaminophen,” said Dr. Edwin Kuffner, senior director of medical affairs at McNeil.

The researchers had been hired by the drug company Purdue Pharma LP, maker of the prescription painkiller OxyContin, to find out why abnormal liver tests were showing up in people testing a combination drug containing the acetaminophen and the opiate hydrocodone.

Purdue Pharma stopped its hydrocodone study early because of the abnormal liver tests. Researchers Watkins and Kaplowitz thought they would find the culprit in hydrocodone’s interaction with acetaminophen.

“Our jaws dropped when we got the data,” Watkins said. “It doesn’t have anything to do with the opiate. It’s good ol’, garden-variety acetaminophen.”

Acetaminophen is more popular than aspirin or ibuprofen. Each week, one in five U.S. adults uses it for pain or fever, a 2002 survey found.

Acetaminophen is included in numerous over-the-counter and prescription medications, making overdose possible as people unwittingly combine drugs. Overdoses of acetaminophen are the leading cause of acute liver failure.

“A week doesn’t go by when I don’t have to talk to someone about how much they’re taking,” said Kathleen Besinque of the USC School of Pharmacy.

Watkins said people considering switching painkillers should know that others have their own side effects, such as internal bleeding and stomach irritation.

New research under way at the University of North Carolina may determine if acetaminophen’s effect on the liver continues for long-term, high-dose users, or if the body adapts, Watkins said.

Source: Yahoo News

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That can lead to weaker bones and fractures. Read more……….. Researchers have found a correlation between broken hips and long-term use of certain heartburn drugs among older patients, according to a new article in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The study concluded that patients who used acid-fighting drugs known as proton pump inhibitors, such as Nexium, Prevacid and Prilosec, were more likely to suffer broken hips.

“It found that those undergoing anti-heartburn drug therapy had a 44 percent greater risk of hip fracture than those who were not taking the drugs. Furthermore, the study showed the longer the drugs were used and the higher the dosage, the greater the risk of fracturing a hip,” Reuters reported.

The Associated Press said “researchers speculated that when the drugs reduce acid in the stomach, they also make it more difficult for the body to absorb bone-building calcium. That can lead to weaker bones and fractures.”

The companies that manufacture these heavily marketed — and highly profitable — drugs claim their products are safe, and note that the study does not prove the heartburn medications caused hip fractures among patients.

“At this point, physicians should be aware of this potential association when considering (proton pump inhibitor) therapy and should use the lowest effective dose for patients with appropriate indications,” study author Yu-Xiao Yang told Reuters.

(Click “read more” for the entire AP story.)

Study Links Heartburn Drugs, Broken Hip

CHICAGO (AP) – Taking such popular heartburn drugs as Nexium, Prevacid or Prilosec for a year or more can raise the risk of a broken hip markedly in people over 50, a large study in Britain found.

The study raises questions about the safety of some of the most widely used and heavily promoted prescription drugs on the market, taken by millions of people.

The researchers speculated that when the drugs reduce acid in the stomach, they also make it more difficult for the body to absorb bone-building calcium. That can lead to weaker bones and fractures.

Hip fractures in the elderly often lead to life-threatening complications. As a result, doctors should make sure patients have good reason to stay on heartburn drugs long term, said study co-author Dr. Yu-Xiao Yang of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

“The general perception is they are relatively harmless,” Yang said. “They often are used without a clear or justified indication for the treatment.”

Some people find relief from heartburn with over-the-counter antacids such as Tums, Rolaids and Maalox. But for others, those medicines do not work well. Moreover, heartburn can be more than a source of discomfort. People with chronic heartburn can develop painful ulcers in the esophagus, and in rare cases, some can end up with damage that can lead to esophageal cancer.

Dr. Sandra Dial of McGill University in Montreal, who was not involved in the study but has done similar research, said patients should discuss the risks and benefits with their doctors and taper off their use of these medicines if they can.

Nexium, Prevacid and Prilosec are members of a class of drugs known as proton pump inhibitors. The study found a similar but smaller risk of hip fractures for another class of acid-fighting drugs called H2 blockers. Those drugs include Tagamet and Pepcid.

The study, published in Wednesday’s Journal of the American Medical Association, looked at medical records of more than 145,000 patients in England, where a large electronic database of records is available for research. The average age of the patients was 77.

The patients who used proton pump inhibitors for more than a year had a 44 percent higher risk of hip fracture than nonusers. The longer the patients took the drugs, the higher their risk.

The biggest risk was seen in people who took high doses of the drugs for more than a year. That group had a 2 1/2 times greater risk of hip fractures than nonusers.

Yang said that for every 1,262 elderly patients treated with the drugs for more than a year, there would be one additional hip fracture a year attributable to the drugs. For every 336 elderly patients treated for more than a year with high doses, there would be one extra hip fracture a year attributable to the drugs.

Dr. Doug Levine of AstraZeneca PLC, which makes Nexium and Prilosec, said the study does not prove that proton pump inhibitors cause hip fractures. It merely suggests a potential association, he said. Doctors need to monitor their patients for proper dosage and watch how long they take the drugs, Levine said.

Julia Ellwanger, a spokeswoman for TAP Pharmaceutical Products Inc., which markets Prevacid, said proton pump inhibitors’ safety has been well-established by rigorous studies, and the new study does not prove or disprove a connection to hip fractures.

Dr. Alan Buchman of Northwestern University, who was not involved in the research, said the study should not change medical practice, since doctors already should be monitoring the bone density of elderly people taking the drugs and recommending calcium-rich diets to all patients.

“Most people are not taking enough calcium to start with,” he said. He also wondered if a similar result would have been found in a sunny climate, because vitamin D from sunshine helps with calcium absorption.

Also, Buchman said it not known whether the acid-fighting drugs prevent esophageal cancer. He said the risk of esophageal cancer has been exaggerated in the marketing of these drugs.

“I think the risk has been overplayed and scared the community,” Buchman said.

Heartburn medicines are heavily are advertised in “Ask your doctor about …” commercials in this country, particularly during the evening news.

Nexium is the third biggest selling drug in the world, behind the cholesterol medicine Lipitor and blood thinner Plavix, with global sales totaling $5.7 billion last year, according to IMS Health, which tracks drug sales.

Yang and his co-authors disclosed in the paper that they have worked as consultants and received speaking fees from companies making acid-fighting drugs. The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the American Gastroenterological Association/GlaxoSmithKline Glaxo Institute for Digestive Health.

Men in the study had a higher drug-associated risk of hip fracture than women, possibly because women may be more aware of osteoporosis and may get more calcium in their diets, Yang said. He plans more research on whether calcium-rich diets or calcium supplements can prevent the problem.

Source: http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2006/12/study_link_betw.html

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Abuse of prescription and over-the-counter drugs is sending more people to emergency rooms than cocaine, according to new federal data that reflect the growing popularity of powerful painkillers such as OxyContin, Vicodin and hydrocodone.

The data, to be released today by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), show that 1.3 million people visited a hospital emergency room in 2004 for illnesses involving drug abuse. The administration collects data from 417 hospitals and 106 million total emergency room visits.
One in four — or 495,732 — drug-related emergency room visits involved pharmaceuticals: over-the-counter or prescription drugs. One in five — 383,350 — visits involved cocaine. Marijuana was involved in 215,665 emergency room visits.

“We need to see a real focus getting the message out that just because something is prescribed or over-the counter doesn’t mean it’s not harmful,” says SAMHSA administrator Charles Curie. “We want to recognize that medications prescribed by a doctor and taken exactly how the doctor prescribes can work wonders. But if it’s not prescribed for you, if it’s not taken the way it’s intended, it’s a recipe for disaster.”

Surveys nationwide have shown a surge in prescription-drug abuse. The number of addicts seeking treatment for abusing prescription opiates, while relatively small at 63,243 in 2004, was up 62% from three years earlier, according to data released last month by SAMHSA. About 2.4 million people abused painkillers for the first time in 2004, making it the drug category with the highest number of new users, according to the National Survey of Drug Use and Health.

“These drugs have become very, very popular with people who abuse substances,” says Joseph Troncale, medical director for Caron Treatment Centers based in Wernersville, Pa. He says up to 30% of the patients at Caron’s drug-rehabilitation centers are being treated for prescription-drug abuse.
The drugs are cheap and readily available on the street, Troncale says.
“OxyContin, Percocet — all these medicines are just being handed out like candy. I think there’s too much availability,” Troncale says.

Most prescription drugs abused or sold on the street come from pharmacy robberies, pharmacist dealers or doctor dealers, says Mark Caverly, an investigator for the Drug Enforcement Administration.

By Donna Leinwand, USA TODAY

Source: USA Today

The post OTC drugs, Prescriptions Are More Fatal Than Cocaine appeared first on Alternative Complementary Medicine.

Use of a type of anti-depressant medication during pregnancy may increase the risk of a stillborn baby, research suggests.

A Canadian study of almost 5,000 mothers found those who used SSRIs were also more likely to have premature and low birth weight babies.
However experts said women should not stop taking medication without expert advice.

The study is published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. The researchers, from the University of Ottawa, compared the health of babies born to 972 women taking SSRI anti-depressants with that of babies born to mothers who did not use anti-depressants.

SSRIs, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors work by increasing levels of the mood chemical serotonin in the brain. They include Prozac.

The researchers found women using the drugs were twice as likely to have a stillbirth. They were also almost twice as likely to have a low birth weight baby.

Almost 20% of women who used SSRIs gave birth prematurely, compared to 12% of those who did not use the drugs.

Babies born to women using SSRIs were also more likely to have seizures.

Benefits and risks

The researchers said women should be fully briefed about the potential risk of SSRIs before taking a decision about whether or not to use them.
Charlotte Davies, of Tommy’s, the baby charity said pregnant women could opt for other types of anti-depressant medication.

She said: “Whilst this study has found a correlation between SSRIs and pregnancy complications, it has in no way confirmed a clear causal effect between the two, so pregnant women should continue taking their medication as normal.

“Left untreated, the physical and psychological effects of depression can lead to problems during pregnancy.
“Sufferers of depression are far more likely to smoke, as well as lose their appetites and in extreme cases are more likely to attempt suicide, which can all have devastating effects on mother and baby.”

Other doubts

Previous research has also raised doubts about the safety of using SSRIs while pregnant.
Last year Danish and US scientists found use of the drugs in the first three months of pregnancy was linked to a 40% increased risk of birth defects such as cleft palate.

That research also suggested that use of SSRIs in pregnancy raised the risk of a premature birth.

In a separate study, Spanish research found that babies whose mothers used SSRIs are at risk of being born with withdrawal symptoms.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has warned doctors not to prescribe most SSRI drugs, apart from Prozac, to children.
This followed evidence that use of the drugs in young people might increase the risk of suicidal behaviour.

A spokesman for Eli Lilly, which manufactures, Prozac said the company had never promoted the use of the drug for pregnant or nursing mothers.

Source: BBC News

The post Link Between Stillbirth and Anti-depressants appeared first on Alternative Complementary Medicine.

By Brooke A. Masters
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, April 6, 2006; Page D01

A New Jersey jury ordered Merck & Co. yesterday to pay $4.5 million in the case of a man who blamed the firm’s Vioxx painkiller for his heart attack, but rejected a similar claim from a second plaintiff who had taken the drug for less time and suffered less severe damage to his health.

The split verdict came in the fourth Vioxx-related lawsuit to go to a jury since Merck pulled the drug off the market in September 2004. The company said at the time that its studies had linked the use of Vioxx for 18 months to a heightened risk of heart attacks and strokes.

The Atlantic City jury found that Merck, the nation’s fourth-largest drugmaker, had failed to warn John McDarby and Thomas Cona that Vioxx might be linked to heart trouble but said the drug was a factor only in McDarby’s illness.

The trial was the first involving plaintiffs who said they had taken Vioxx for more than 18 months. Merck had won two of three previous cases, all of which involved short-term use.

Whitehouse Station, N.J.-based Merck has been hit by more than 9,600 Vioxx lawsuits involving more than 19,000 plaintiff groups. But Merck has rejected calls for a blanket settlement, saying it handled the drug properly and that factors other than Vioxx caused the heart attacks and strokes at issue.

“Everyone thought that if we got to the long-term use cases it would clarify everything, but that was too simplistic,” said University of Richmond law professor Carl W. Tobias. “Merck now seems vindicated. It said it would fight [the cases] one by one, and there’s no reason to change that strategy now.” Merck has set aside $685 million to cover its legal costs.

The six women and two men on the Atlantic City jury heard evidence for about a month and deliberated for most of two days before reaching their split verdict.
They awarded $3 million to McDarby, 77, who had a heart attack, broke his hip and was hospitalized for three months in 2004 after using Vioxx for four years. His wife was awarded $1.5 million. McDarby had several serious risk factors for heart attacks, including his age and diabetes, and his lawyer Robert Gordon argued that McDarby’s doctor would not have prescribed Vioxx had he known of its connection to heart attacks and strokes.

“This is a victory for the 100,000 Americans who had heart attacks from Vioxx,” Gordon said in an e-mail after the verdict. “This is a victory for the tens of thousands of doctors Merck lied to. This is a victory for the civil justice system, which protects people from dangerous drugs because the [Food and Drug Administration] is bulldozed by the pharmaceutical industry.”

The jury will consider today whether to award punitive damages to McDarby, who still uses a wheelchair. Merck said in a written statement that it intends to “present evidence that shows the company submitted, to the FDA, information that was required concerning Vioxx” and therefore should not be further penalized. The company declined to comment further until the trial’s penalty phase is concluded.

The jury rejected a parallel claim from Cona, 60, who said he suffered a heart attack on the golf course after taking Vioxx for 22 months. Merck lawyers argued that his heart attack was so mild, he suffered no lasting effects and pointed out that he did not receive prescriptions for the full period. Cona contended that he used samples for the rest of the time. His lawyer, W. Mark Lanier, who won a $253 million judgment against Merck for a client in Texas, could not be reached for comment.

Merck shares were down $1.12, to $34.87, as of 7:59 p.m. in after-hours trading.

Source: Washingtonpost.com

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It’s an example of an open secret in medicine: Many of the articles that appear in scientific journals under the bylines of prominent academics are actually written by ghostwriters in the pay of drug companies. These seemingly objective articles, which doctors around the world use to guide their care of patients, are often part of a marketing campaign by companies to promote a product or play up the condition it treats.

Now questions about the practice are mounting as medical journals face unprecedented scrutiny of their role as gatekeeper for scientific information. Last week, the New England Journal of Medicine admitted that a 2000 article it published highlighting the advantages of Merck & Co.’s Vioxx painkiller omitted information about heart attacks among patients taking the drug. The journal has said the deletions were made by someone working from a Merck computer. Merck says the heart attacks happened after the study’s cutoff date and it did nothing wrong.

The Annals of Internal Medicine tightened its policies on writer disclosure this year after a University of Arizona professor listed as the lead author of a Vioxx article in 2003 said he had little to do with the research in it.

The practice of letting ghostwriters hired by communications firms draft journal articles — sometimes with acknowledgment, often without — has served many parties well. Academic scientists can more easily pile up high-profile publications, the main currency of advancement. Journal editors get clearly written articles that look authoritative because of their well-credentialed authors.

Increasingly, though, editors and some academics are stepping forward to criticize the practice, saying it could hurt patients by giving doctors biased information. “Scientific research is not public relations,” says Robert Califf, vice chancellor of clinical research at Duke University Medical Center. “If you’re a firm hired by a company trying to sell a product, it’s an entirely different thing than having an open mind for scientific inquiry. … What would happen to a PR firm that wrote a paper that said this product stinks? Do you think their contract would be renewed?”

Drug companies say they’re providing a service to busy academic researchers, some of whom may not be skilled writers. The companies say they don’t intend for their ghostwriters to bias the tone of articles that appear under the researchers’ names.

Authors “have to sign off on everything,” says Mark Horn, a Pfizer Inc. medical director. “This is properly viewed as a way to more efficiently make the transition from raw data to finished manuscript.” Professors who get writing help generally say they give the writers input and check the work carefully.

The criticism of ghostwriting is one of several issues that have put scientific journals on the defensive. Even journal editors acknowledge they have sometimes done a poor job of detecting when articles cherry-pick favorable data to promote a particular drug or treatment. Some health insurers have stopped taking what they read in the journals on faith and are employing analysts to scrutinize articles for negative data that are buried.

It’s hard to say how widespread ghostwriting is. An analysis presented at a medical-journal conference in September found that just 10 percent of articles on studies sponsored by the drug industry that appeared in top medical journals disclosed help from a medical writer. Often the help isn’t disclosed. An informal poll of 71 free-lance medical writers by the American Medical Writers Association found that 80 percent had written at least one manuscript that didn’t mention their contributions.

In the case of the vitamin D article, Dr. Brown says Abbott asked him to write it but he didn’t have time. He had written an earlier article on the subject. “They said they would have one of their people write it, update my old review article and I would check it,” he recalls. Mr. Anello, a Milwaukee writer who studied biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin, says he wrote the new article. “I’ve done a lot of ghostwriting jobs,” he says, adding that sometimes he works closely with the named authors.

Dr. Brown says he had to rewrite “at least 30 percent to 40 percent” of Mr. Anello’s draft. In retrospect, he says, he probably should have asked Abbott who Mr. Anello was and “if that person should be acknowledged.” Abbott said the article’s content was “under the complete discretion” of Dr. Brown and didn’t discuss details. The journal’s managing editor declined to comment because the journal is under new management.

Following questions from The Wall Street Journal, Mr. Anello removed the article summary from his Web site. Until recently, his online bibliography listed other scientific publications he has written under others’ bylines that have yet to be published. The byline on one was “author to be named.”

Medical writers frequently have scientific backgrounds. Some work for universities, drug companies or medical-communications firms, while others are free-lancers who typically get $90 to $120 an hour. A communications firm may charge $30,000 or more to have a team of writers, editors and graphic designers put together an article. Some of these firms are part of larger companies in publishing and advertising such as Thomson Corp. and Reed Elsevier PLC.

Elsevier’s Excerpta Medica unit helps clients craft publications for prestigious scientific journals. Elsevier itself publishes many such journals, most notably The Lancet. Excerpta Medica says on its Web site that its relationship with its corporate parent’s journals “allows us access to editors and editorial boards.”

But Sabine Kleinert, an executive editor at The Lancet, says she has never worked with Excerpta Medica and rejects articles that have a marketing spin. “Promotion has a different goal than publishing a legitimate research study,” says Dr. Kleinert. She suspects companies sometimes influence medical writers “to write it up in a certain way to make a product sound more efficacious than it is.”

A 1999 document that turned up in a lawsuit describes Pfizer’s publications strategy for its antidepressant Zoloft. The document, prepared by a unit of ad giant WPP Group, includes 81 different articles proposed for journals. They would promote the drug’s use in conditions from panic disorder to pedophilia.

For some articles, the name of the author was listed as “TBD,” or “to be determined,” even though the article or a draft was listed as already completed. Several of the listed articles ultimately ran in scientific publications — including one in JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association — without disclosing the role of outside writers.

In a statement responding to questions from The Wall Street Journal, Pfizer said agencies sometimes “pull together first draft manuscripts” based on information provided by researchers who will serve as authors. It says the academics who were later given credit as lead authors of the “TBD” articles were instrumental in designing the studies that the articles described. The lead authors said they had input into the drafts and approved the final papers.

In recent years, more journal editors have begun demanding that academic authors of studies explain their exact roles and disclose any work by medical writers. The editors say the writers can perform a valuable role so long as it’s disclosed to readers.

Writers agree — and the American Medical Writers Association is pressing for greater acknowledgment of its members’ work. But some medical writers say they fear articles with full disclosure are likely to get bounced. Editors “say they want disclosure, but if you do it, they scream, ‘ghostwriter!’ ” says Art Gertel, who oversees medical writing at Beardsworth Consulting Group in Flemington, N.J. “Despite the cries for transparency, the journal editors still feel that there’s an element of corruption if a medical writer is paid by a drug company.”

Catherine DeAngelis, JAMA’s editor in chief, says even a conscientious journal can only go so far in policing academics. “I don’t give lie-detector tests to people,” Dr. DeAngelis says.

BMJ, a British medical journal, has one of the toughest disclosure policies, but it can get misled. Last year, a note at the end of a BMJ article on painkillers and asthma said the article was “conceived and initiated” by its three academic authors. Lead author Christine Jenkins “performed the analysis and drafted the paper,” the note said, adding that the work wasn’t funded by a drug company. Dr. Jenkins is a senior researcher at Australia’s Wool*censored* Institute of Medical Research, which has ties to the University of Sydney.

In fact, a medical writer paid by GlaxoSmithKline PLC helped draft the manuscript, the drug company confirms. The analysis was almost identical to an earlier, unpublished one that the company says was “initiated” by that writer. Both analyses concluded that acetaminophen or Tylenol (sold under a different name by GlaxoSmithKline in Britain) was safer for asthma patients than aspirin or other painkillers.

Dr. Jenkins says the structure of her work was “suggested” by the company version but she and the other authors did their own analysis. Dr. Jenkins says she personally “wrote a very large chunk” of the BMJ article and worked closely with the writer. Dr. Jenkins and GlaxoSmithKline declined to give the writer’s name.

Dr. Jenkins says she didn’t know that the company paid the writer. GlaxoSmithKline didn’t pay Dr. Jenkins for the BMJ article, but the company previously paid her to speak at a conference and has given a major grant to the Wool*censored* Institute.

In a statement, GlaxoSmithKline says the paper “should have disclosed the involvement of a medical writer compensated by GSK.” The company says it “regards the omission as a lapse on the part of GSK.”

Fiona Godlee, BMJ’s editor, says Dr. Jenkins “should have declared the involvement of the medical writer.” Dr. Godlee says the journal will print papers that involve a medical writer, but she believes “the actual authors have to be incredibly closely involved.”

When articles are ghostwritten by someone paid by a company, the big question is whether the article gets slanted. That’s what one former free-lance medical writer alleges she was told to do by a company hired by Johnson & Johnson.

Susanna Dodgson, who holds a doctorate in physiology, says she was hired in 2002 by Excerpta Medica, the Elsevier medical-communications firm, to write an article about J&J’s anemia drug Eprex. A J&J unit had sponsored a study measuring whether Eprex patients could do well taking the drug only once a week. The company was facing competition from a rival drug sold by Amgen Inc. that could be given once a week or less.

Dr. Dodgson says she was given an instruction sheet directing her to emphasize the “main message of the study” — that 79.3 percent of people with anemia had done well on a once-a-week Eprex dose. In fact, only 63.2 percent of patients responded well as defined by the original study protocol, according to a report she was provided. That report said the study’s goal “could not be reached.” Both the instruction sheet and the report were viewed by The Wall Street Journal. The higher figure Dr. Dodgson was asked to highlight used a broader definition of success and excluded patients who dropped out of the trial or didn’t adhere to all its rules.

The instructions noted that some patients on large doses didn’t seem to do well with the once-weekly administration but warned that this point “has not been discussed with marketing and is not definitive!”

The Eprex study appeared last year in the journal Clinical Nephrology, highlighting the 79.3 percent figure without mentioning the lower one. The article didn’t acknowledge Dr. Dodgson or Excerpta Medica. Dr. Dodgson, who now teaches medical writing at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, says she didn’t like the Eprex assignment “but I had to earn a living.”

The listed lead author, Paul Barre of McGill University in Montreal, says Excerpta Medica did “a lot of the scutwork” but he had “complete freedom” to change its drafts. Dr. Barre says he helped design the study and enroll patients in it. In statements, J&J and Excerpta Medica offered similar explanations of the process. J&J says it regularly uses outside firms “to expedite the development of independent, peer-reviewed publications.”

A J&J spokesman said he wasn’t familiar with the details of the instruction sheet and referred questions about the highlighted data to Dr. Barre, who said he never interacted with J&J’s marketing department and doesn’t believe the article was biased. He said the higher figure was “more representative” because those patients followed the study’s rules. “Without wanting to distort data, you always want to put the spin that’s more positive for the article,” Dr. Barre says. “You’re more likely to get it published.”

Hartmut Malluche, an editor of Clinical Nephrology, declined to comment on details of the article. The journal doesn’t require authors to disclose the role of medical writers. But after hearing Dr. Dodgson’s story, Dr. Malluche said he would suggest changing the policy. “It’s not good if the company has control over the article,” he says.

Some academics are protesting ghostwriting. Adriane Fugh-Berman, an associate professor at the Georgetown University School of Medicine, says she received an email last year from a company hired by drug maker AstraZeneca PLC. The email offered her the chance to get credit for writing an article. ” … (W)e will forward you a draft for your input so that you would need only to review and then advise us of any changes required,” it said.

She says she was shown a draft but declined the offer. Then the Journal of General Internal Medicine asked her to peer-review a version of the same article, submitted by a different researcher. She decided to go public, and wrote about her experience in the journal.

AstraZeneca and the communications firm say it was all a mistake. Dr. Fugh-Berman should have been shown a different article from the one she was later asked to peer-review, they say. The article for peer review was in fact written by the author who submitted it to the journal, they say. AstraZeneca says it “does not support the practice of ghostwriting” and always discloses any support it gives to academic authors.

John Farrar, a pain expert at the University of Pennsylvania, says he once turned down a company’s offer to give him a ghostwritten draft about a study on which he had worked. “They said, ‘That’s unusual,’ ” Dr. Farrar recalls. He wanted to write the manuscript himself because “you can put your spin on it. … The way it is written — the way it’s structured — is yours.”

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

By Anna Wilde Mathews, The Wall Street Journal

post-gazette.com

The post Paid Writers Play Big Role At Medical Journals appeared first on Alternative Complementary Medicine.

The U.S. pain management industry is expected to surpass the $25 billion mark this year and is described as an exploding market that promises swift returns for manufacturers and investors who jump on the bandwagon to sell a growing array of “miracle” drugs, as well as fancy gizmos and devices promising a life without pain thanks to the magic of modern medical science.

Of course they don’t tell you that none of the long list of drugs and devices listed as pain management money-makers, actually address the root causes of most people’s pain. They are designed to only ameliorate symptoms. Nor do they tell you that most of the drugs for pain have serious side effects including death.

While some of these drugs and devices can be wonderful pain killers for people suffering from pain due to serious accidents, broken bones and some specific maladies, in real life, weight gain, inactivity, lack of exercise, and accumulated toxins and poisons from vaccines, medications, dental amalgams, and what you are eating, drinking, smoking, and breathing are the main causes. Inflammation is part and parcel of dealing with pain because your body reacts with an inflammatory response – heat, swelling, and pain – when it encounters anything “irritating”.

Pain and inflammation can start when you are about 15 pounds overweight. That extra pressure on your hips, knees and ankles can result in swelling and a tiny bit of fluid pressing on a joint, which can cause pain and starts the whole vicious cycle. If you have pain you don’t move around or exercise and then your joints get stiff. Off you go to your doctor who may not even weigh you but offers you some medicine for your “arthritis”. You are also told that when your joint is in real bad shape you will be scheduled for a joint replacement. It’s as simple as that, yet nobody tells you that with some discipline on your part, you can get rid of the pain.

Ever since aspirin came on the scene at the turn of the 20th Century, modern medicine has been awash with all kinds of pain killing agents and devices which make it possible for people to ignore the warning signals from their bodies that something is wrong. I learned acupuncture in an elective program I created in second year medicine because I knew there were no safe treatments for pain. Elissa started using the services of chiropractors when the mercury toxicity from her dental amalgams overwhelmed her system thus throwing her body out of subtle alignment from the inflammation. At that time, the last thing she needed was more chemicals in her body to further complicate matters.

If we don’t take our body’s pain message to heart, we gobble quick-fix drugs to silence the signal at the same time putting more and more burden on our bodies, which creates a vicious cycle of even more inflammation and more pain and, unfortunately, for many users of these drugs, a catastrophic stroke, heart attack, or death.

No more vivid an example of ignoring the message are the hundreds of thousands of people who took Vioxx thanks to the advice of their MDs. Studies now show that as many as 55,000 may have died using this drug –tens of thousands more have to live with Vioxx-damaged hearts, or live ruined lives suffering from damage caused by strokes such as paralysis, blindness, epileptic seizures and the like.

Vioxx was developed as a COX-2 selective, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). In short, it was developed to bring down the swelling associated with pain. It was intended for people with pain and inflammation from osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, management of short-term pain, treatment of menstrual pain, and treatment of migraine headaches.

Most people and many doctors don’t really have a clue what drugs do to your body. To some, the drug magically rushes to the pain spots to quell the crisis. Few people ever consider that the rest of your body is assaulted by toxic chemicals that create havoc everywhere else. Your liver tries to make the drug chemicals less toxic and tries to eliminate them but in some cases the liver ends up transforming these chemicals into even more toxic metabolites that further disrupt your health. Your immune system comes into play, also, by attacking the drug thus creating even more inflammation. When that happens, not knowing what is actually going on, most doctors would just tell you to double the dose.

At the time Vioxx was being developed, two other similar drugs, Celebrex and Bextra, were also in the pipeline and they were both touted by their backers to be the next great advance in pain medications. In this climate of competition, Vioxx’s manufacturer, Merck, dismissed the importance of a 1997 e-mail from one of its researchers who opened the Pandora’s box of the drug’s cardiovascular side effects two years before the drug was actually launched. At the time, Merck’s marketing honchos were intent on beating Celebrex to the market.

Vioxx was launched in 1999 with great fanfare in 80 countries around the world and a hefty advertising budget to match. But within a year, there were already obvious signs that there was something very wrong. Sidney Wolfe, MD, head of the Nader-created Public Citizen’s Health Research Group, tried to alert the public that in a published study in November of 2000, Vioxx caused a four-to-five fold increase in heart attacks and there were also increases in incidents of blood clotting as well as other adverse reactions such as strokes and hypertension. By September of 2001, all that the FDA was willing to do was to send a warning letter to Merck advising the company to list heart attacks as a warning in the Vioxx package inserts. During that same year, Merck’s PR propaganda machine hired famous figure skater Dorothy Hamill to launch a direct-to-customer marketing campaign to encourage patients to talk with their physicians about taking the pill Dorothy was promoting. That year, sales of Vioxx reached $2.6 billion, an 18% increase over 2000 –in spite of the growing concern about the drug.

Around that same time, other studies of COX-2 inhibitor drugs indicated all three of the drugs were having problems and in 2001 Wolfe and his group advised readers of its monthly newsletter, Worst Pills, Best Pills News, not to take any of the COX-2 inhibitor drugs.

As the Vioxx scandal played out in the media during 2004 and 2005, it became known that Dr. David J. Graham, associate director of science in the FDA Drug Center’s Office of Drug Safety, had told Senate investigators he was being “ostracized”, “subjected to veiled threats” and “intimidation” thanks to his cooperation with Senate investigators. A 20-year veteran of the agency, he also told Associated Press that raising safety concerns within the agency was “extremely difficult”. He had been concerned about the drug for some time. As I wrote in Death by Modern Medicine, in November 2004, Dr. Graham told the Senate Finance Committee looking into drug safety that the FDA is “virtually defenseless” against another Vioxx. Ironically, around the time Merck announced a voluntary world-wide withdrawal of Vioxx from the marketplace, the FDA had just approved the drug to treat juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

The next chapter in the Vioxx scandal was the vote by members of an FDA panel to put Vioxx and Celebrex (also off the market) back on the market but protect the public with “Black Box” warning labels. “Black Box” warnings are the strongest means of warning doctors and patients of the dangers of a drug available on the market. It also gets them off the hook because they can fall back on the black box to deny any liability. The same panel decided that Bextra was allowed to stay on the market.

Then, the New York Times broke the story that ten of the members of the 32-member FDA panel were consultants to the makers of one or more of the three drugs.

The actual panel votes to put or keep the drugs on the market were: Bextra 17-13 with two abstaining, Celebrex 31-1, and Vioxx 17-15. Had the 10 drug industry consultants not voted, the vote regarding two of these drugs would have been; 12-8 to pull Bextra off the market and 14 to 8 to keep Vioxx off the market.

Interestingly, in an April 2005 FDA action, Bextra was finally taken off the market when it was found to not only have all the problems the other two drugs had, but it also provided unacceptable risk to serious skin reactions. It’s as if the rug that these bodies are being swept under finally got too small and the evidence could no longer be hidden. At this same time, FDA officials directed manufacturers of over-the-counter pain management drugs such as Advil and Motrin to include label information that these drugs provided risk of cardiovascular incidents and gastrointestinal bleeding.

The first test of public opinion on the matter came in a Texas courtroom on Friday, August 19, 2005, when a jury found in favor of the widow of a man who died in 2001 of heart arrhythmia (irregular heart beat) after taking Vioxx for eight months for the pain in his hands. The victim was a produce manager of a Wal-Mart store who ran marathons and taught aerobics classes on the side. I venture that no doctor ever asked him if he ate a lot of potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, or paprika—a cause of small joint arthritis—or if he had enough vitamin B3, B-6, essential fatty acids, and magnesium.

Considered one of the weakest of the 4,200 cases against Vioxx now in line to be tried, the jury felt Merck had put profits over protecting patients. Ignoring the Texas caps on financial awards, the jury awarded the victim’s widow damages amounting to about $253.4 million.

While it is easy to gloat over the financial woes of Merck due to its behavior in this affair, and cry “ain’t it awful how bad the FDA screwed up on this situation”, the real message here is that we are the ones in charge of the decisions we make about what medications we take regarding our health and welfare.

As people committed to health freedom, both Elissa and I are not against every modern medical product or treatment modality on the market but we are against people who blindly follow the herd and “do what the doctor (or any health care provider) says” without asking a whole lot of questions, first. For that reason, we urge you to READ the package insert of any drug you may be thinking of taking then ask yourself… “Do I really want to take this stuff?” Package inserts are required by law because consumer groups fought for access to information so we could have the facts before taking the drug. While this information is usually typed in such small print you need a magnifying glass to read it, this same information, along with information from other sources is splattered all over the net, so there is really no reason not to know the side effects of any drug you are taking.

© 2005 Carolyn Dean – All Rights Reserved

Dr. Carolyn Dean is a medical doctor, naturopathic doctor, herbalist, acupuncturist, nutritionist, as well as a powerful health activist fighting for health freedom as president of Friends of Freedom International. Dr. Dean is the author of over a dozen health books, the latest of which is “Death By Modern Medicine”.

Elissa Meininger, is Vice President of Friends of Freedom International and co-founder of the Health Freedom Action Network, a grassroots citizens’ political action group. She is also a health freedom political analyst and can be heard on the natural health radio show SuperHealth, broadcast weekly on station WKY (SuperTalk AM 930) in Oklahoma City.

Website: www.deathbymodernmedicine.com
Website: www.carolyndean.com