Monday, May 5, 2014

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.

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