"Lipitor Paradox"

In the last week, while Lena was out of town, I had live TV on in the background more (watching quake/tsunami coverage during breakfast, for example).

I'm amazed at the amount of pharmaceutical advertisements. It seems like most of what I hear in the other room are things like "Blah blah should not be used if you have high blood pressure. Tell your doctor if you have a heart condition. Side effects include..."

The same ads are played over and over. What a lot of money is involved.

YouTube - New Lipitor commercial
 
What gets me about those ads is the warnings they are now required to recite instead of using the small print. For most of the advertised on TV drugs, it's a wonder that anyone takes them after hearing about the possible side effects! I'd have to be desperate!
 
I took Lipitor for 2 years for high triglycerides (my HDL/LDL ratio was great) then I developed problems with my muscles. Upon reading, I noted that muscle deterioration was a side-effect. So I quit. Triglycerides are now within range as are cholesterol levels. I take no medication of any kind.
 
Corporate ORphan said:
Two years ago, my husband's cholesterol was elevated and his primary care doctor suggested altering his diet (cut out the daily pint of ice cream, etc.). We (I refer to myself as the "food nazi") got it down 100 points. Had it tested the other day and its still at a "good" level.

We are trying to get private health insurance and the insurance companies will use it against you if you have "high" cholesterol (BCBS charges you an extra 25% if it's between 200 and 260). I guess you could argue the ratio is "good" so that it doesn't matter if the total is a little high. I'm just glad his came in ok and we won't have to do it..

Many doctors are "compensated" by the drug companies. I don't know if they get actual $ but we had a doctor friend who lived 2 hours away from St Louis. THe drug companies would routinely bring him to St Louis in a helicopter to eat at the only 5 star restaurant we have here. I think he said they also treated him to rounds of golf at some of the country clubs we have here.
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I applied with BSBC for private insurance. My cholesterol 5 years prior was 220, but with diet and exercise in 5 years it was 199. I had to have 10 years of lab work sent in, but I was approved, std rate.
 
TromboneAl said:
I'm amazed at the amount of pharmaceutical advertisements.
Click to expand...

You mean the kind that induce otherwise healthy people to run to their doctor with a self-diagnosis for an ailment they'd never heard of before the commercial so they can get a pill to cure it? "Oh, I must have 'Low T' because I'm 65 and don't feel like I'm 18 any more."

Advertising is wonderful.
 
TromboneAl said:
I'm amazed at the amount of pharmaceutical advertisements. It seems like most of what I hear in the other room are things like "Blah blah should not be used if you have high blood pressure. Tell your doctor if you have a heart condition. Side effects include..."l
Click to expand...
My own personal theory about that (no one seems to agree with me) is that it's a marketing scam. The ad guys have discovered that most people's reaction to all the news about bad side effects is : hey, that must be some powerful stuff -- Cut me some of that!
 
Here in Yurp, the drugs companies are not allowed to run ads for prescription-only medicines. So doctors don't get all this carp from "informed" patients dangling magazines in front of them. (These days, of course, they do get the same carp as everywhere else from "infomed" patients dangling printouts from Wikipedia in front of them. :rolleyes:)
 
I tire of the drug commercials too. But I tire of all commercials. But, the drug commercials ended up significantly helping me. I have had for 30 years a very uncomfortable time going to sleep because of "restless legs." I had to get up and down, try massaging my legs vigorously, and end up being exhausted before I'd fall asleep. I had talked to whoever my doc was back years ago and it was shrugged off. I don't think people can appreciate how extremely uncomfortable this condition is and how it can interfere with your sleep. Then a few years ago the commercials started so I learned restless legs was something that might have a solution. It still took me a while to talk to the doc about it. I even posted about it here first. Now after trying several different drug combinations I can go to sleep. A real life for sure unequivocal benefit of tv advertising. But I have heard from people without RLS that the advertisements are a marketing scam and the drug advertised is a drug in search of an illness.
 
Martha said:
But, the drug commercials ended up significantly helping me. I have had for 30 years a very uncomfortable time going to sleep because of "restless legs."... Now after trying several different drug combinations I can go to sleep.
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I posted about this once before here but can't find the post so I can't link to the article but I want to caution you to be aware of a strange possible side effect. A partner at DW's firm took a Parkinson's drug for RLS and was helped but her doctors neglected to mention that a rare side effect was gambling addiction. The partner became addicted to online gambling (she had never even participated prior to this) and blew through most of her and her husband's savings before learning about the side effect. A change to another drug and she was "cured" of gambling. This is not a reason to discontinue an effective RLS drug, but just a caution of something absolutely wierd to be aware of. If DW's partner had known of the problem she could/would? have recognized it when it manifested.

Edit: I found the old post. Here is the article about DW's partner.
 
IBWino said:
Yeah, this definitely affects the doctor's actions. I've had total cholesterol between 200 and 220 for the past 15 years, but my doctor hasn't prescribed any medication because my HDL/LDL ratio is very high.
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Yep. Last time it was checked mine was 227, but my LDL (127) was less than twice my HDL (69). Based on that and the fact that 69 HDL is considered very good, especially for men, my doctor saw no cause for major concern other than just making sure it didn't trend higher in the future.

I suspect that high HDL may be part of the reason why there's no family history of heart problems that I could see going back at least three generations.
 
Another thing about drug ads: They'll saturate the airwaves with commercials for a while, and then nothing. For example, there are no ads for RLS anymore, whereas for a while they were very common.

Right now that weird-eyed female doctor for Restasis is on ALL THE TIME.

Why is that? Are the campaigns unsuccessful?
 
HFWR said:
Heh...

"Viagra: So hard a cat couldn't scratch it..."
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A few weeks ago my girlfriend told me, Ï just don't have the stamina I used to have."

All I can say is I'm glad I wasn't around back then...

Ha
 
haha said:
Maybe so, I'm still hoping to get an erection that lasts 4 hours.

Ha
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I'd be sure to tell my doctor in that case. Also the neighbors, my mailman, people in the checkout line at the store, ...
 
BigNick said:
Here in Yurp, the drugs companies are not allowed to run ads for prescription-only medicines. So doctors don't get all this carp from "informed" patients dangling magazines in front of them. (These days, of course, they do get the same carp as everywhere else from "infomed" patients dangling printouts from Wikipedia in front of them. :rolleyes:)
Click to expand...

I wish we had the same rules regarding ads for prescription-only medications here. I wonder if the bombardment by so many of these ads might turn us into a nation of hypochondriacs.

But then, maybe I worry too much.
 
donheff said:
I posted about this once before here but can't find the post so I can't link to the article but I want to caution you to be aware of a strange possible side effect. A partner at DW's firm took a Parkinson's drug for RLS and was helped but her doctors neglected to mention that a rare side effect was gambling addiction. The partner became addicted to online gambling (she had never even participated prior to this) and blew through most of her and her husband's savings before learning about the side effect. A change to another drug and she was "cured" of gambling. This is not a reason to discontinue an effective RLS drug, but just a caution of something absolutely wierd to be aware of. If DW's partner had known of the problem she could/would? have recognized it when it manifested.

Edit: I found the old post. Here is the article about DW's partner.
Click to expand...

Yes I had heard of this. So far no impulse control issues. :)
 
TromboneAl said:
Another thing about drug ads: They'll saturate the airwaves with commercials for a while, and then nothing. For example, there are no ads for RLS anymore, whereas for a while they were very common.

Right now that weird-eyed female doctor for Restasis is on ALL THE TIME.

Why is that? Are the campaigns unsuccessful?
Click to expand...

My best guess: They only have a fairly short time when the drug is actually on the market before the patents run out. So you get a few years of really pushing a drug, then the patent runs out, and there's no more need to push that commercial because X just replaced it from their company as needing the big push now.

I don't think I've seen any medical commercials on YouTube, Blip.tv or any other site that runs videos. I wonder if I just haven't been paying attention.
 
The guy that ran this study was on a bike tour, and stayed at my house:
In the first-ever controlled study measuring the effectiveness of pharmaceutical direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA), researchers found only a modest effect on drug sales. In some cases, DTCA had no effect at all.

img_1050381_0_b36e955a55783c2605098b126164419e.jpg

​
 
I hope the pharmaceutical companies listen to your friend, Al! I'd love for the number of ads for medications to decline over the years.

P.S. - - good looking bunch of people! :D
 
At a recent physical my BP was 160/95 and my doctor wanted to get me on a hypertension medication. I knew it was a one off due to nervousness, but he insisted. I measure my BP at home for the next week and went back to show him my BP chart, average 115/70. I have a new doctor
 
nun said:
At a recent physical my BP was 160/95 and my doctor wanted to get me on a hypertension medication. I knew it was a one off due to nervousness, but he insisted. I measure my BP at home for the next week and went back to show him my BP chart, average 115/70. I have a new doctor
Click to expand...

Perhaps it is white-coat hypertension - very common.

Or perhaps you were incensed that your doctor didn't pay enough tax.
 
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