HOW TO MAKE A KILLING: BIG PHARMA'S POISON PILLS

Big Pharma is learning from the BIG BOYS: to make a killing, sell to both sides.  Dyncorp. Ratheon. General Dynamics, Boeing.  EVERYBODY needs  tanks, guns, bombers, drones, artillery. Even frackers know that. Poison wells, sell bottled water.  One stone to kill two birds. And now Big Pharma takes its cue. Here’s how it works:

“Levaquin. We prescribe it for everyone!  It really works!” That’s what the guy in the white coat tells me.  It’s code for that’s what we give old geezers with pneumonia (and maybe the detail man helps him take his cut).

A five-day course.  Can’t stop once you start.  And start I do. Foolishly because I don’t read the side effects.  They are horrendous.  Several will be mine within weeks. Here’s the full list:

Yellowing of Skin or Eyes from Liver Problems	Severe
Any Disorder of the Brain	Severe
Numbness, Tingling or Pain of Hands or Feet	Severe
Nerve Function Blockage that Affects Normal Muscle Action	Severe
Detachment of the Retina of the Eye	Severe
Pancreatitis	Severe
Abnormal High and or Low Blood Sugar	Severe
Very Rapid Heartbeat - Torsades de Pointes	Severe
Prolonged Q-T Interval on EKG	Severe
Abnormal Heart Rhythm	Severe
Vasculitis	Severe
Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura	Severe
Inflammation in Lungs caused by Allergic Reaction	Severe
Acute Liver Failure	Severe
Hepatitis caused by Drugs	Severe
Interstitial Nephritis	Severe
Acute Kidney Disease	Severe
Clostridium Difficile Bacteria Related Colitis	Severe
Drug or Chemical-Induced Sensitivity to Sunlight	Severe
Erythema Multiforme	Severe
Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis	Severe
Stevens-Johnson Syndrome	Severe
Redness of Skin	Severe
Inflammation of the Tendon	Severe
Rupture of a Tendon	Severe
Rupture of a Tendon in the Shoulder Area	Severe
Rupture of Tendons that Extend the Hand and Wrist	Severe
Rupture of Tendons that Flex the Hand and Wrist	Severe
Rupture of the Tendon in the Back of the Heel	Severe
Serious Muscle Damage that may Lead to Kidney Failure	Severe
Hallucination	Severe
Seizures	Severe
Numbness	Severe
Rash	Severe
Abnormal Liver Function Tests	Severe
Life Threatening Allergic Reaction	Severe
Giant Hives	Severe
Allergic Reaction caused by a Drug	Severe
Allergic Reaction causing Serum Sickness	Severe
Numbness and Tingling	Severe
Inflammation of the Liver with Stoppage of Bile Flow	Severe
High Pressure Within the Skull	Severe
Abnormal Sensations of the Skin	Severe
Feeling Weak	Severe
Low Blood Sugar	Severe
Hemolytic Anemia	Severe
Low Blood Counts due to Bone Marrow Failure	Severe
Decreased White Blood Cells	Severe
Confused	Severe
Having Thoughts of Suicide	Severe
Nightmares	Less Severe
Feeling Restless	Less Severe
Depression	Less Severe
Problems with Eyesight	Less Severe
Ringing in the Ears	Less Severe
Hearing Problem	Less Severe
Painful, Red or Swollen Tongue	Less Severe
Burning Stomach	Less Severe
Inflammation of the Lining of the Stomach and Intestines	Less Severe
Inflammation or Infection of Vagina	Less Severe
Itching	Less Severe
Hives	Less Severe
Joint Pain	Less Severe
Muscle Pain	Less Severe
Involuntary Quivering	Less Severe
Abnormal Manner of Walking	Less Severe
Loss of Appetite	Less Severe
Nosebleed	Less Severe
Gas	Less Severe
High Blood Sugar	Less Severe
The Appearance of Crystals in the Urine	Less Severe
Acquired Decrease of All Cells in the Blood	Less Severe
Anemia	Less Severe
Decreased Blood Platelets	Less Severe
Deficiency of Granulocytes a Type of White Blood Cell	Less Severe
Mental Disorder Resulting from Poisonous Agents	Less Severe
Anxious	Less Severe

Then there’s the Mickey Mouse stuff: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, constipation, insomnia, dizziness, abdominal pain and gas, itching, and tendonitis.  Not recommended for pregnant or lactating women.  If it’s not good for a fetus or neonate, how come it’s good for you?

But Levaquin (otherwise known as Levofloxcin) really works. By December it had me in the emergency room after calling 911: they couldn’t bring down my racing heart for 12 hours, not even when they shocked me.

I’m on a new drug now for rapid heart beat. Dronedarone.

Dronedarone’s side effects are listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING section:

shortness of breath

difficulty swallowing or breathing

wheezing

chest tightness

dry cough

coughing up frothy mucus

difficulty sleeping due to breathing problems\need to prop yourself up with extra pillows in order to breathe at night

weight gain (of 5 or more pounds) in a short period of time

swelling of the eyes, face, lips, throat, hands, feet or legs

slowed heartbeat

fainting

fever

flu-like symptoms

yellowing of the skin or eyes

itching

unusual bruising or bleeding

nausea

vomiting

loss of appetite

pain in the upper right part of the stomach

tiredness or lack of energy

unusual darkening of the urine

light colored stools

sudden severe headache

sudden complete or partial loss of vision

weakness or numbness of an arm or leg

difficulty thinking clearly, remembering, or learning new things

Some weeks after Levaquin there’s a tender spot on the inside of my right ankle.  “Any idea what this is?” I ask my doctor.  “No idea.”

It just gets worse.  Now there’s redness.  Three weeks in it begins to swell.  Time to see my regular guy.  “Any idea what this is?”  He pulls up a picture of the tendons attaching the calf muscle to the foot arch: “Tendonitis.” Duh! Prescription options: another drug with lousy side effects, or Das Boot.  I choose Das Boot, and I’ve been hobbling in it now for going on three months with no end in sight.

Omeprazole for an encore:

I start coughing in March, 2013.  By July I’m coughing spasmodically.  Months later, after a missed diagnosis, I see a head and neck man. “Gastric reflux: Take Omeprazole. It really works.  But you’ve got it so bad, take a double dose, one with breakfast, one with dinner.” He doesn’t go into the side effects:

Back, leg, or stomach pain

bleeding or crusting sores on the lips

blisters

bloody or cloudy urine

chills

continuing ulcers or sores in the mouth

difficult, burning, or painful urination

fever

frequent urge to urinate

general feeling of discomfort or illness

joint pain

loss of appetite

muscle aches or cramps

pain

red or irritated eyes

redness, tenderness, itching, burning, or peeling of the skin

skin rash or itching

sore throat

sores, ulcers, or white spots on the lips, in the mouth, or on the genitals

unusual bleeding or bruising

unusual tiredness or weakness

drowsiness

fast, racing, or uneven heartbeat

mood or mental changes

muscle spasms (tetany) or twitching seizures

nausea or vomiting

trembling

What no one ever tells you is Omeprazole’s effect on the bones.  It has a way of turning them into chalk. Just the thing for my osteoporosis. Back in the hospital, an attending doctor asks me: “Do you think it works?” That’s my cue. I find a hundred-year–old Amish gastric reflex recipe on the internet. It works.  It really does.  I tried it.  Together with a tasteless diet, my coughing disappeared. It didn’t give me tendonitis.  It didn’t send me to Emergency. It didn’t eat my bones.

Is there an alternative to BIG PHARMA?

JUST SAY NO TO DRUGS.

And while we’re at it: JUST SAY NO TO FRACKING.

And JUST SAY NO TO BULLETS, BOMBS, AND DRONES AND TANKS AND PLANES.

and JUST SAY NO TO WAR. NOT JUST ANY WAR: BIG PHARMA’S WAR AGAINST

YOUR HEALTH AND MEDICAL SAFETY AND THE HEALTH AND MEDICAL SAFETY OF ALL AMERICANS.

And credit Nancy Reagan: JUST SAY NO TO DRUGS.