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calimary

(80,693 posts)
6. Okay, NO doctor here, so my opinions should be regarded accordingly. However,
Thu Oct 9, 2014, 12:45 PM
Oct 2014

it just strikes me as a big red flag when watching these commercials about all these drugs, whether it's for non-smoking or flaccid penises or depression or "COPD" or whatever cutesy, coy little nicknames (heard a new one just yesterday -"Hep-C" - file that one away next to "Low-T" and all the "hip" little abbreviations and nicknames and 140-character approaches, I suppose) we have these days that allow us to avoid naming the actual names of the disease/syndrome/malady/whatever-the-hell.

And that's ANNOYING AS HELL, just by itself.

But what else bothers me is - if you'll notice during any one of these commercials, a comparatively long portion of the voice track involves reading the fine print, the contraindications, the "don't take this if you have blah, and blah-blah, and blah-blah-blah, or blah-blah-blah-blah, or colon-blah-blah-blah, or ailment A-B-or-C-blah-blah-blah" - and finally even to the "may-cause-death-blah-blah-blah." That makes me wonder - um... gee, um... should we REALLY be advertising this? Should we REALLY be pushing this particular medication that "may cause death..." ?

It makes me wonder what might happen if the pharmaceutical conglomerates redirected all those billions of dollars in advertising money getting you to "ask your doctor if blah-blah-blah is RIGHT for YOU!" into MORE RESEARCH so that maybe we'd be a little more sure of some of these drugs? Maybe we'd come up with a few safer options? If almost half the commercial - featuring a fast-reading voice-over announcer trying to squeeze a LOT of complicated copy into just a little window of time - cautions about the hazards of taking such a drug, WHY is there such an aggressive push to get people to take it?

I would rather they splurge all that ad-buying money into research and development of more and better, more effective, and possibly even more AFFORDABLE meds.

Again, not a doctor here. Not even married to one. So my views on this issue are probably already compromised to some extent. And undoubtedly naive. Deep down, I know what the answer is. Cuz they're in it for the money - just more corporate vultures looking to exploit the large available pool of gullible and/or desperate consumers with health challenges. But that's my mental go-to, every time I see one of those commercials.

Please K&R to the greatest - to help remove this awful drug from the market. TheNutcracker Oct 2014 #1
I gotta say that it worked for me... Oktober Oct 2014 #5
worked for mrs. central scrutinizer central scrutinizer Oct 2014 #10
K & R !!! WillyT Oct 2014 #2
K&R 2naSalit Oct 2014 #3
I am very sorry for you and your friend. littlewolf Oct 2014 #4
So sorry for you as well. Another friend never smoked and has one lung cuz 2nd hand smoke as child TheNutcracker Oct 2014 #16
Okay, NO doctor here, so my opinions should be regarded accordingly. However, calimary Oct 2014 #6
I think most of the so-called research done by drug companies arikara Oct 2014 #11
Would be useful if the names of the advocacy groups were given in the article. HERVEPA Oct 2014 #7
Many links on google for this story. Maybe they are in others? TheNutcracker Oct 2014 #17
I've heard horror stories about Chantix. NaturalHigh Oct 2014 #8
Not everyone reacts the same to any medicine. I did witness this, with this person. AWFUL! TheNutcracker Oct 2014 #13
Don't know about the psychiatric problems it may cause, but it gave me some REALLY vivid dreams... truebrit71 Oct 2014 #9
Congratulations to you!!! It's the best thing, one of the hardest a person can do! TheNutcracker Oct 2014 #14
Yup. It was my eighty-millionth time at quitting... truebrit71 Oct 2014 #22
Honestly, I believe Cold Turkey is the best and most complete way to quit smoking.. Tikki Oct 2014 #25
Every month, I calculate how much money I "saved" by not buying cigs. arcane1 Oct 2014 #28
I tried everything without success ... GeorgeGist Oct 2014 #32
My son used the gum and that did the trick for him...you are correct...WHATEVER it takes... Tikki Oct 2014 #33
I had a terrible reaction Treant Oct 2014 #12
Are you smoke free? I hope so after all you went through... TheNutcracker Oct 2014 #15
The Chantix failed Treant Oct 2014 #29
Got it 2 yrs ago Uben Oct 2014 #18
This is so true...... a kennedy Oct 2014 #19
After one week, I was really ditzy and had trouble making decisions. broiles Oct 2014 #20
It was the last pharmaceutical drug I ever put in my body. tridim Oct 2014 #21
That's what it did to me as well BobbyBoring Oct 2014 #23
It worked for me forthemiddle Oct 2014 #24
My daughter used Chantix a few years ago, trying to quit. Tracer Oct 2014 #26
You couldn't PAY me enough to take this awful drug. arcane1 Oct 2014 #27
I was told it was very expensive as well TheNutcracker Oct 2014 #30
K&R and get this crap taken off the market TheNutcracker Oct 2014 #31
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