How to brand a disease -- and sell a cure

[Joefnh]

I am going to let this article speak for itself.

Well worth reading


http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/10/11/e ... tml?hpt=C2


--Joe

[mbeezie]

Thanks for sharing Joe - it's true but depressing. Just wait until Dr. Fasano's drug hits the market - with the number of people estimated to have gluten intoelrance, this is sure to be a branded disease that big pharma will market heavily.

Mary Beth

[wonderwoman]

Very interesting article Joe.

[tex]

Joe,

I doubt the information in that article comes as a big surprise to any of us, but it's still sad to see it spelled out so clearly. The part that I don't understand is why doctors are such willing accomplices. Why do they fall right into line, and help the drug companies to pull this off on the public. I realize that by writing all those prescriptions, they're only responding to public demand. But aren't they under some sort of obligation to point out that the demand only exists because of an advertising campaign, to promote a "synthetic" disease? Why are such well-educated people so easily persuaded to create the illusion that these "synthetic" diseases are "dangerous", and should be treated with drugs?

Consider GERD, for example, since that was mentioned as an example in the article. I actually thought that untreated GERD is dangerous. Since it's a branded disease, does that mean that GERD is not dangerous? Presumably, the author is trying to say that dangerous or not, it can be effectively treated without drugs. Of course, the thing that bothers me the most about GERD treatments, is that the PPIs that are used to treat it, are more dangerous than the condition itself, because they are virtually guaranteed to create a dependence on the drug. That is to say, the drug is only supposed to be used for a couple of months, and yet withdrawal is impossible, because if a PPI is used for a couple of months, then acid reflux will be worse when withdrawal from the drug is attempted, than it was to begin with. To add insult to injury, recent research now shows that taking a PPI can increase the risk of a heart attack for heart patients taking the antiplatelet drug Plavix, and yet doctors commonly prescribe the two drugs concurrently.

So I googled "GERD treatment", and of the first half-dozen "hits" that turn up, all of them promote diet and lifestyle changes first, and mention drugs if those changes don't work, or surgery as a last resort. Even the Mayo Clinic mentions diet and lifestyle changes first, in their treatment discussion. So why is virtually everyone diatnosed with GERD, taking either a histamine 2 blocker, or a proton pump inhibitor? Here is a typical treatment outline, from a "non-medical institution" site:

There have been many reports about the harms of antacids and acid reflux drugs over the years, but they have always been ridiculed by the mass media and the medical community. Although it is known that acid inhibitors and similar drugs must only be taken for a maximum of 2 months, many ignore the dangers and the side effect warnings.

Acid reflux is big business. In 2006 alone Americans spent $942 million dollars on over-the-counter antacids, and a whopping 13.6 billion dollars on prescription acid suppressants.It’s a drug company’s dream come true

But acid reflux is not a disease, as the drug companies would have us believe. It is simply a condition, and one that can be healed.

The medical community would have us believe that only drugs can treat acid reflux. This is simply not true –there are natural ways to treat this condition.
After years of suffering from acid reflux, I decided to do something about it. I stopped taking prescribed drugs and experimented with natural home remedies. Through trial and error, using herbs, tonics, meditation and diet I did, indeed, cure himself.
The 3 Step Method – Natural Treatment for Acid Reflux

* Step 1- Change you diet – find what foods are good for you and which ones are actually making you sick. Acid reflux is not something you “catch” like a cold, instead you develop it in time. What you are eating is a major factor to this
* Step 2 – Change your lifestyle – eating only at specific hours and actually chewing your food teaches your body the right time to release acid and for how long. Don’t eat at night and try having smaller meals that are easier to digest.
* Step 3 – Reduce stress – I know we live in struggling times, but when you’re upset, the digestive system is the first to suffer from this. You’ve got to learn how to relax and have more fun.

http://acidrefluxdietcure.com/acid-refl ... treatment/

This seems to work. After my last surgery, I was very concerned to discover that I was having acid reflux problems while sleeping, with a disturbing regularity. I would wake up with a burning sensation in my throat, and sometimes there was even acid in my mouth. I even gave some serious thought to trying to sleep sitting up. I was able to solve the problem, though, by not eating at night. I haven't had a single instance of acid reflux, in the last 6 months, (thank goodness).


Mary Beth,

I think you're right on target with that one. Dr. Fasano is no dummy. He knows that people would rather take a drug, than to make the healthy choice, and modify their diet, or they would rather have the freedom of being able to "cheat a little", now and then. Many will say that they use the pills as "insurance", but the point is, they wouldn't need "insurance", unless they're willing to eat gluten.


Thanks for the link, Joe.

Tex

[Zizzle]

Very interesting. My hubby's grandma takes diuretics for her heart. She complained to her doctor that she couldn't stand going to the bathroom so often, so he dx'd "overactive bladder" prescribed Detrol, a $500 drug, and I beleive Medicare is paying for it!!