And all the doctors thought I was BSing them...

[fr0sty]

Well said.

Dude, i am sorry but you are crazy if you really believe this. I have been in the medical field one way or another for the last 7 years and what you have just said is complete rubbish. The physicians are not "taught" to use drug company drugs. They are taught however, to make a decision on what drug to use based on Evidence Based Medicine. There is tons of research and development done to give them the best option to use. While I will agree with you about Botox and some of the "negatives" that are associated with it, for the most part it is a Luxury type of drug. Not a necessity. I am not sure why the physician decided to go this route with Botox other than he obvioulsy thought it was the right move. Believe me, no physician is going to prescribe any product because the drug company says to. They are responsible for any outcome form any malpractice that occurs under their supervision and they know that.

To say that about Vioxx is just silly, too. Vioxx is one of the most prescribed drugs in the history of medicine because it works when prescribed correctly. The 50mg dose is the dose in question and only became a problem for people who took it everyday for years who already had a pre-existing heart condition. The incidence of hypertension and edema being increased was about 15% in those cases. Now let's look at the numbers. There were MILLIONS of prescriptions of Vioxx written for the signs and sympotoms of osteoarthritis over the past 10 or so years. The number who have died "because of Vioxx" is less than 20 in all those prescriptions. There are plenty of people out there still alive with no side effects whatsoever. The 12.5mg and 25mg doses worked just fine.

If it were me, and I had cancer or any other type of disease, I'd want the best that money could buy. I have no problem with holistic type drugs and they have their place in the medical field, too. I think different types of medicine work for different types of people and they all respond to them differently. A good balance is probably best.

Charvelrocker, I am sorry to hear about your situation. That sucks for sure. I would definitely get a second opionion and go to who you think is best for you. I hope the best for you, stay tough!

[drockilles]

Good to hear you're better man, and good luck with the USAF. You might have a tough time getting processed in with your medical history, expect to see a bunch of specialists to get waivers. I had to go through hell to get into the USN just because I had asthma as a child and dislocated my knee when I was 14.

[CharvelRocker]

UPDATE: We have decided to pursue legal action against the maker of the drug (which I do believe is just known as Botox). We're scouting lawyers right now. In a Google search for cases and groups who have dealt with these deals. The group "Mark & Associates P.C." came up. They are based in Uniondale, NY and Boston. Anyone heard of this group or ever dealt with them for that matter? We're still doing some digging on google about them, but not much has come up. Was going to take a shot in the dark and see if anyone here knew anything.

[jacksoncsplayer]

PM sent.

[lerxstcat]

Sorry to hear your story, and you should pursue the matter as far as you can - not just for yourself, but for the others that they're doing this to and telling them that there's no way it's a problem. That's atrocious!

[åron]

That is one hell of a story. I'm glad to hear you're doing better now, and thrilled to hear that you're taking control of your life. Just because some ahole has a medical degree doesn't mean he/she always makes the right decisions. Doctors are the same as any other professional.

cheers,
Aaron

[Jacksons Shred]

Damn dude, I'm sorry to hear that, as I was reading, it started similar to Jason Becker's discovery of ALS..I thought that was the case, luckily, it's not. I hope everything goes well with your medical help for the future though.

Should get yourself a Jackson CS with the lawsuit money, if you win.

[CharvelRocker]

Small update. We spoke to an awhile back attorney and he advised we wait for a class action suit against the company, as the chances of success were much higher. Two days ago, a class action suit against the company was filed. We're going to be consulting with one of the lawyers involved in the lawsuit to join in it. It claims the company supported use of the drug to treat cerebral palsy, despite being unapproved in the US and knowing it could be dangerous.

[lerxstcat]

That's good news man! Perseverance will pay off in the end by bringing them to account for their carelessness and negligence. Thanks for the update and keep us posted!

I just got a recall notice on Digitek the Digoxin generic that I was taking. They made the pills double strength for several months.

The drug, which regulates heartbeat, is toxic when you get too high a dose. The therapeutic dose is basically 60% of a toxic dose, so I was getting a toxic dose for several months.

The drug mimics snake venom in that it slows and strengthens your heartbeat. Since the therapeutic dose slows your heart, an overdose can STOP your heart. Good times, eh?

[Newc]

Dude, i am sorry but you are crazy if you really believe this. I have been in the medical field one way or another for the last 7 years and what you have just said is complete rubbish. The physicians are not "taught" to use drug company drugs. They are taught however, to make a decision on what drug to use based on Evidence Based Medicine. There is tons of research and development done to give them the best option to use. While I will agree with you about Botox and some of the "negatives" that are associated with it, for the most part it is a Luxury type of drug. Not a necessity. I am not sure why the physician decided to go this route with Botox other than he obvioulsy thought it was the right move. Believe me, no physician is going to prescribe any product because the drug company says to. They are responsible for any outcome form any malpractice that occurs under their supervision and they know that.

To say that about Vioxx is just silly, too. Vioxx is one of the most prescribed drugs in the history of medicine because it works when prescribed correctly. The 50mg dose is the dose in question and only became a problem for people who took it everyday for years who already had a pre-existing heart condition. The incidence of hypertension and edema being increased was about 15% in those cases. Now let's look at the numbers. There were MILLIONS of prescriptions of Vioxx written for the signs and sympotoms of osteoarthritis over the past 10 or so years. The number who have died "because of Vioxx" is less than 20 in all those prescriptions. There are plenty of people out there still alive with no side effects whatsoever. The 12.5mg and 25mg doses worked just fine.

If it were me, and I had cancer or any other type of disease, I'd want the best that money could buy. I have no problem with holistic type drugs and they have their place in the medical field, too. I think different types of medicine work for different types of people and they all respond to them differently. A good balance is probably best.

Charvelrocker, I am sorry to hear about your situation. That sucks for sure. I would definitely get a second opionion and go to who you think is best for you. I hope the best for you, stay tough!

And, what most Drs will not tell you, they get a paycheck from certain pharmacoms whenever you fill a prescription. If your Dr recommends a generic, that either means they're not getting a check for the "name brand", or the generic is made by the same company.

If they try to convince you that the side effects are not related to the drug, then you know they're getting a kickback.


I guess truth in labeling doesn't cover pharmaceutical products, does it?

[442w30]

And, what most Drs will not tell you, they get a paycheck from certain pharmacoms whenever you fill a prescription. If your Dr recommends a generic, that either means they're not getting a check for the "name brand", or the generic is made by the same company.

If they try to convince you that the side effects are not related to the drug, then you know they're getting a kickback.


I guess truth in labeling doesn't cover pharmaceutical products, does it?

Another Dr. excuse for getting you off of older drugs or generics are that they have to put you on the new stuff because they are responsible for making sure you have the best care possible and newer drugs have to best tested, so they are better.

Although, I seriously question that. With things like cholesterol and blood pressure 99% of the time the symptom is treated, not the cause which will CURE most people- diet and excercise.

It would be amazing AND refreshing for a Dr. to say - "Take X and Y drugs until you drop 30 lbs. Please go see this personal trainer and this nutritionist."

Until medicine reaches this point where it treats illnesses and root causes instead of symptoms medicine in the western world will continue to be an unfunny joke.

I don't know anything about eastern medicine, I assume it's just as bad or worse so don't think I am a Euro lover or someone who thinks the Chinese can cure AIDS with a plant.

[Newc]

Agreed. Western (American) Medicine treats the pain, not the injury, 90% of the time. The remaining 10% they treat with surgery.

I always found it funny that most medical doctors sneer at Chiropratic spinal treatment, yet recommend back surgery so they can do the exact same thing - manually manipulate the spine - just with clamps and hammers.

There is no money to be made in cures, but there's a gold mine in treatments.

[Ben...]

Small update. We spoke to an awhile back attorney and he advised we wait for a class action suit against the company, as the chances of success were much higher. Two days ago, a class action suit against the company was filed. We're going to be consulting with one of the lawyers involved in the lawsuit to join in it. It claims the company supported use of the drug to treat cerebral palsy, despite being unapproved in the US and knowing it could be dangerous.

Keep us posted on this. I am especially interested in this because I have always been against a lot of the stuff they use nowadays. It's getting to the point where I feel like refusing some of it. Hearing your story has backed up my beliefs even more. Good luck with everything.

[zeegler]

Shit man, that really sucks. I don't know how many drugs have to cause stuff like this before we realize that they have to be tested more thouroughly before they can be used on humans. I truly believe that pharmaceutical companies frequently fudge results of tests to get new drugs on the market. It's all about making the bucks after all. Why should drug companies have any morals when no one else does?

[Spivonious]

And, what most Drs will not tell you, they get a paycheck from certain pharmacoms whenever you fill a prescription. If your Dr recommends a generic, that either means they're not getting a check for the "name brand", or the generic is made by the same company.

If they try to convince you that the side effects are not related to the drug, then you know they're getting a kickback.


I guess truth in labeling doesn't cover pharmaceutical products, does it?

That is complete BS. My father is a physician and aside from the occassional free super box at the baseball game (in exchange for listening to a sales pitch at the 7th inning stretch) or tons of pens, he gets no "kickbacks" for prescribing certain drugs over others. He always suggests generics if they are available.

As far as the other posts complaining that they prescribe the newest thing and ignore the older, cheaper meds, that is directly related to the rampant malpractice suits in this country. If the doctor doesn't use the absolute latest techniques and medicines, he can be found liable if the patient gets worse or dies. Malpractice insurance costs doctors tens of thousands of dollars per year.

Bottom line is, if you feel your doctor is not treating you correctly, then FIND ANOTHER DOCTOR. It's not like there's a shortage.

And I know this is a pretty old thread, but CR, I would file a malpractice suit against your doctor for continuing the Botox injections. He should have seen the effect it was having on you. Class action suits only make the lawyers rich. Say the settlement is for $2,000,000. Lawyers get half, 20,000 people in the class action get $50 each. Was it someone at LGH?