SubscribeSibutramine Warning: Heart Risks
Start making too many comments about "Big Pharma" and people think you're a conspiracy theorist. However - it's right to be a little suspicious about the pharmaceutical industry. The amounts of money poured into drug marketing are so huge as to be incomprehensible.
It becomes all too easy to gloss over the worst side effects - such as a recent death linked to Sibutramine (Meridia).
Sibutramine is a prescription appetite suppressant (marketed as Merida in the USA, and Reductil in Europe).
Recently in New Zealand, a 40 year old woman suffered a cardiac arrest - just 25 days after beginning sibutramine (Reductil). Sadly the woman had an undiagnosed genetic heart condition known as long QT syndrome. The case prompted new research into the link between sibutramine and heart arrythmias (see British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
Drug-maker Abbott Laboratories defended the drug by pointing out that "obesity was a major risk factor for the development of many serious medical conditions, including high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke." That may be true - but how ironic that a pill meant to 'treat' obesity and thus prevent heart disease ended up shutting down the heart.
The dollars poured into pill-pushing are overwhelming. Drug companies spend far more on hawking their wares than they do on finding cures.
The top 10 drug firms invest $42 billion a year on research, 14 percent of sales -- yet they plow more than twice that much into marketing and administration. (via Wired)If you think your doctor is immune to all the marketing - think again.
In a decade, drug firms have almost tripled the ranks of salespeople calling on physicians, to 100,000, according to Verispan. That's one seller for every 9 docs; in 1996 it was one for 18. Often they encourage unauthorized off-label uses or sponsor "continuing medical education" sessions to stoke more prescriptions and broaden a drug's patient base.The marketing works. People want the drugs:
"One doctor had a stand-up row with a patient who was not obese but demanded Reductil because she needed to drop two dress sizes for a wedding," he said.Despite billions upon billions of dollars changing hands - I have yet to see any 'magic' pill maintaining its place as a cure-all for weight problems.
http://juliahavey.typepad.com/my_weblog/2006/04/the_allyoucanst.html
Replya blog post about Xenical and the miracle diet pill claims!
Just a comment - although the drug Meridia isn't for everyone, it can do wonders for some people. I have been on Meridia for 11 months and have lost 83lbs. I don't believe the drug is a cure-all, but it does help get you push started in the right direction by turning off a huge appetite. I still exercise and eat well, but Meridia has greatly impacted the success of my diet program. I have about 20lbs left to lose, and plan on stopping Meridia soon, just to reduce my monthly bills - not because of any problems with the drug.
ReplyAll drugs should be looked at in terms of benefit vs. risk. There are risks to taking a drug and there are risks to being overweight. The pharmaceutical companies however often do minimize the risks associated with their drugs by controlling the research funding. Used sensibly along with lifestyle changes the medication may certainly help.
ReplyThere are also many instances of very fit people who happen to be fat. It isn't necessarily true that obesity leads to other health problems, but it's what we've been led to believe by our government and health policy leaders. The book "Fat Politics" is enlightening.
As for Big Pharma, they're interested in making money. Period. Of course they don't spend research money trying to cure disease – if they did, they wouldn't be able to rake in the bucks selling drugs to treat symptoms. I wish Americans would wake up to that fact, quit "asking their doctors" for whatever they see advertised on the evening news and start taking responsibility for their health and well-being.
This is a hot-button for me ... can you tell?
ReplyI took Meridia for a year and lost 110 pounds. I know there are serious risks when taking this medication, but that goes for any other drug you may take. As long as you and you're doctor monitor and treat the symptoms, it's a great tool for weight loss. I support this pill because it gave me back my life when all other methods failed.
ReplyIf overweight people truly want to help themselves, they should stop looking for the magic wonder pill that means they can sit back, relax and lose weight and do what is necessary to fix their problem... there is no substitute for a healthy balanced diet and exercise.. although it has to be a lifelong commitment, they would find themselves healthier, fitter and above all more confident and happy with themselves.
ReplyThat last comment sure sounds like someone who has been thin their whole life.
ReplyYet as someone who was fat and who was put on Meridia once, I agree. So far, no diet pill actually works. Maybe one day they will.
ReplyMAXIDEX WARNING
I had eye surgery and in the post-op pack was MAXIDEX(dexamethasone) drops by ALCON LABS.
Two days later I was BLIND
Use Google and enter EPOCRATES MAXIDEX to verify
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