Did you see the article called “Drugs doctors won’t take”?
It was published several years ago now, and variations on that attention-grabbing title have been used many times since.
Why?
Because there’s a lot of interest in knowing what doctors themselves would never take. And here’s the shocker — doctors continue to prescribe these dangerous medications for their patients.
Perhaps you are taking one of these risky prescription drugs or been advised to have one of these useless-but-expensive medical procedures. By reading this article, you will be better informed about the issues involved.
What follows below is a (short and incomplete) list of problematic drugs and medical treatments. Links to further information are in the references list at the end of this article.
But first… why do doctors prescribe dangerous drugs or fail to warn against risky practices? One reason is that they don’t know the dangers.
ADVAIR. For asthma.
ANTI-DEPRESSANTS.
ANTI-PSYCHOTICS.
ASPIRIN.
AVANDIA. For diabetes.
BLOOD PRESSURE DRUGS.
CARDIAC IMAGING.
CELEBREX. For pain.
IBUPROFEN. For pain.
IMAGING.
INDIGESTION PILLS.
KNEE SURGERY.
LOWER BACK PAIN. “The American College of Physicians suggests doctors recommend exercise and treatments like heat wraps, yoga, and mindfulness meditation to their patients before turning to medications like opioids or even over-the-counter painkillers… Exercise or alternative therapies, the ACP noted, can work as well as or better than medications, but don’t come with the side effects.” Reference 1.
METFORMIN. For diabetes.
MOBILE PHONE USE WHILE PREGNANT. “Radiation from mobile (cell) phones and wi-fi dramatically increases the risk of miscarriage, a new study has discovered.”
NEXIUM. For acid reflux and heartburn.
NOLVADEX.
PRILOSEC. For acid reflux.
PROSTATE CANCER TEST.
PSEUDOEPHEDRINE. Decongestant.
RESUSCITATED. Why one doctor doesn’t want CPR.
SLEEPING PILLS.
SOTALOL. Antiarrhythmic agent for the heart.
SPINAL FUSION.
STATINS.
STENTS.
TEETH WHITENING.
VISINE ORIGINAL. Eye drops.
To Do Your Own Drug Self-Education
There are sites that provide a wealth of information about drugs and their adverse side effects, so these days you can be your own drugs educator. Sites such as
— drugwatch.com
— drugs.com
— medlineplus.gov/druginformation.html
While you’re on your quest to understand the corporate medical world better, here are two must-reads:
— “Why American doctors keep doing expensive procedures that don’t work: The proportion of medical procedures unsupported by evidence may be nearly half.”
— “When Evidence Says No, but Doctors Say Yes.”
***
References:
vox.com/science-and-health/2017/2/14/14609508/doctors-admit-drugs-cant-fix-back-pain
wddty.com/news/2017/12/mobile-phone-radiation-triples-miscarriage-risk.html
vox.com/the-big-idea/2017/12/28/16823266/medical-treatments-evidence-based-expensive-cost-stents
pharmacytimes.com/contributor/timothy-o-shea/2016/02/10-scariest-prescription-drug-side-effects?p=4
pharmacytimes.com/contributor/timothy-o-shea/2016/02/10-scariest-prescription-drug-side-effects?p=5
newsmax.com/health/health-wire/drug-side-effects-doctor/2013/06/11/id/509283/
mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/health/what-doctors-wont-do-take-1560972
theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/02/when-evidence-says-no-but-doctors-say-yes/517368/
wddty.com/news/2017/12/common-blood-pressure-drugs-raise-skin-cancer-risk-seven-fold.html
wddty.com/news/2017/11/indigestion-pills-increase-stomach-cancer-risk-by-up-to-800.html
wddty.com/news/2017/12/serious-side-effects-force-a-third-of-diabetics-to-quit-common-drug.html
