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----- Original Message -----
From: "Teresa Slack" <tslack@...>
My New Year's Resolution is not exactly about weight but factors in. I read
a feature in a local paper a few weeks ago about a 96-year-old woman who
does not take any prescription drugs. That blew me away. I thought, "Is it
possible?" (etc.)
Hi Teresa -
I meant to write back sooner and share that my grandparents are in their
late 80's and take no medications at all. Most people think they are at
least 10 years younger than they are. Neither has any serious health
problems. They get a bit stiff, they have hearing aids...but they do nearly
everything they want to do. Grandma, in fact, still forgets her age and
takes a tumble every now and then when she walks too fast or loses her
balance. So far she hasn't broken anything but a toe, so I hope this means
her bones are strong!
They take good vitamins (not Centrum or One-a-Day variety!) and have done so
for about the past 30 years. They have also kept a boring refrigerator for
longer than I've known them...originally having been turned on to nutrition
by Adele Davis, and still following many of her principles. Because my
grandparents' interest in nutrition was passed on to my dad and mom, our
whole family is (unfairly!) known as health nuts, but...the results speak
for themselves. I don't plan to be popping expensive prescription medicines
which probably do more harm than good, when I'm old.
Grandma is overweight, Grandpa just a bit, but neither has high blood
pressure or any other problem related to the weight. Ooops...I just
remembered that Grandma recently started on thyroid--she's been borderline
since she was much younger, was put on and taken off before, but now she's
gotten on it again, mainly for low energy and coldness, I think. But that's
not *caused* by overweight, is it? And I don't consider thyroid a drug,
though it's available only by prescription. She still eats too much sugar
at times, for all the same reasons most of us do...I've been thinking of
asking if she'll join me on NoS.
Anyway, this is just something else to add to your file. I honestly don't
think the current epidemic of prescriptions is necessary, they probably do
as much harm as good...but although I read a lot, I haven't done all the
research myself, I'm not a qualified professional, and I probably shouldn't
say more! Just my opinion. However, I'm also going to paste in (since we
can't do attachments) an article I scanned long ago for another list... I
hope nobody minds having this long text in their Digest version! I think
you'll find it interesting.
Diane
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Article from Dr. Julian Whitaker's "Health & Healing," October 2000,
_____
Read by more people than any other independent newsletter. Call (800)
539-8219 or visit www.drwhitaker.com to subscribe.
Just Say No to Drugs
Iatrogenesis: Any adverse mental or physical condition induced in a patient
through the effects of treatment by a physician or surgeon. - Taber's
Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary
According to an article published in The Journal of the American Medical
Association (JAMA) in July 2000, at least 225,000 Americans die each year
from iatrogenic conditions. Twelve thousand preventable deaths are
attributed to unnecessary surgery, 27,000 to medication and other treatment
errors in hospitals, 80,000 to infections contracted in hospitals, and an
astounding 106,000 to non-error adverse effects of drugs (meaning these
drugs were used as prescribed by physicians). Other than heart disease and
cancer, nothing - not stroke, diabetes, pulmonary disease, AIDS, accidents,
murder, or illegal drugs - kills more people than the medical industry. And
the worst culprit is FDA-approved drugs.
Americans give millions of public and private dollars to organizations that
seek cures for cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other killers. A
significant portion of our taxes fund highway patrol officers, firefighters,
safety inspectors and others devoted to curtailing accidents. Billions of
dollars have been spent on the "war on drugs." Yet for reasons which I
cannot fathom, one of the most significant threats to our health - the real
drug problem in this country - is ignored altogether.
There is no public uprising to get to the bottom of these unnecessary and
preventable drug-related fatalities. Instead of being vilified, the entities
behind the third-leading cause of death in our country are the heroes of the
evening news, the darlings of Wall Street, and the chums of congressmen.
Furthermore, the FDA, the government agency entrusted with regulating this
industry, ignores blatant conflicts of interest, turns a blind eye to
fraudulent testing, and approves record numbers of new drugs - many of which
are subsequently pulled from the market because they maim and kill people.
Why Do We Ignore the Obvious?
The multibillion-dollar drug companies have penetrated our society to such a
degree that we've come to look to drugs as the answer for everything that
ails us. Although much of the blame lies with physicians and the
pharmaceutical companies that court them to the tune of $13,000 per doctor
per year, patients don't get off scot-free. We want those magic bullets that
absolve us of taking responsibility for our health.
This trend has accelerated now that the pharmaceutical industry has been
given the FDA's blessing to advertise drugs directly to consumers. By
glorifying their products with slick marketing campaigns, glossy magazine
ads and prime-time commercials, they create a false impression that
prescription drugs are panaceas with an unblemished history of success and
safety. And we swallow every word of their advertising hype. Thanks to this
relatively new and ominous development, patients themselves have begun
asking their doctors for the latest drugs by name, and doctors usually
oblige by writing a prescription.
A Witch's Brew of Drugs
The result is that we are taking more and more drugs and placing ourselves
at greater risk of serious harm. More than three billion prescriptions were
written in the U.S. last year. In 1998, Americans between the ages of 65 and
75 received an average of 11 prescriptions; those over 75 received an
average of 13.
Folks, this is the makings of a virtual witch's brew! There are no studies
to demonstrate what occurs when several drugs are mixed, and no one - and I
mean no one - can predict what will happen in the long run. Yet patients are
rarely told about the potential problems of polypharmacy (the use of
multiple drugs to treat several health problems at the same time). On the
contrary, they're often told that the many drugs they are taking are the
only things keeping them alive.
Take Charge of Your Health
One of my patients told me a story that dramatically illustrates this point.
Several years earlier this woman had a number of health problems, including
heart disease and hypertension, for which she was taking several
prescription medications. She felt sick all the time and had absolutely no
energy. Furthermore, she was lonely, depressed, anxious, living in a
retirement community and separated from her family. After much deliberation
she decided to commit suicide and came up with what she thought was a
fail-proof plan.
The doctor who had prescribed all of her medications told her that she would
have to take these drugs for the rest of her life, and that if she ever
stopped them she would die. Believing this rhetorical nonsense, her suicide
plan was to discontinue these medications. She did so and lay down each
night expecting not to awaken.
Well, she didn't die, and after being off drugs for three weeks she felt so
much better that she began enjoying a happy, active retirement!
I am not suggesting that you throw away all of your medications. I recognize
that in some case drugs are absolutely essential. However, the JAMA study
cited above clearly demonstrates that we have a very serious problem with
prescription drugs.
Recommendations
- Take charge of your drug regimen. Work with your doctors, but do not hand
the reins of your health over to them. Ask questions. Do your own research.
Those 100,000+ people who die each year - and the millions of others who are
made ill - listened to their doctors and took their drugs exactly as
instructed. Never forget that you own your health, and you control what goes
in your body.
- Understand your drug regimen. Make a list of each and every drug you are
taking, including over-the-counter medications. Go over each drug with your
physician (if you see more than one physician, let each one know every drug
you are on). Make sure that you understand why you are taking each drug, how
long you will be taking it, how it interacts with other drugs and foods, and
what adverse effects are associated with it. Ask about safer alternatives
and find out if you could get by on a lesser dose - or discontinue it
altogether. If you're over 65, remind your physician that seniors metabolize
drugs differently. For many drugs, the initial dose for older people should
be only one-half to one-fourth the usual recommended dose. If a physician
wants to add a new drug, go through the same drill.
- Substitute lifestyle changes and nutritional supplements. In the vast
majority of cases, drugs can be reduced or eliminated - provided you're
willing to make some changes in your life. By watching your diet,
exercising, and following a nutritional supplement regimen, you can avoid
becoming a prescription drug statistic. Visit www.drwhitaker.com for
information on natural alternatives to prescription drugs.
- Find a physician-partner. If your doctor is not willing to work with you
on this, I suggest you look for a new doctor. For a referral to a physician
in your area knowledgeable in non-drug therapies, contact ACAM at (800)
532-3688, www.acam.org.
-----------------
References:
Starfield, B. Is US health really the best in the world? JAMA 2000 July 26;
284(4):483-5.
Pinkowish, MD. Prescribing for older patients: 5 points to remember.
Patient Care 2000 Aug 15:45-52.
Miller, D. Trends in self-care. Patient Care 2000 Aug 15:57-72.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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