Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Legal Drug Dealers

It kills me, when Mariah and I are sitting with our drinks and watching our TV shows at night. Well…THAT in itself is great…the part that kills me is when the commercials come on. I am not talking about the HoverRound or the Sham Wow…I am talking about those medicine commercials.

We watch and listen as the narrator walks us through the symptoms and then on to how this great new medicine will bring peace and harmony to the sufferer…and their loved ones.

The ones that really ‘get my goat’ (that was just said for Mariah’s benefit) are the ones for allergies and insomnia….which in my mind are not the most severe illnesses in the world. Yeah, fine, if you can’t sleep or sneeze when you go outside…it must SUCK…but you really need to listen to the end of the commercials, when they start talking faster and announce all of the possible side effects. Read the following two lists of side effects and tell me if you’d rather sneeze a bit …or have trouble sleeping rather than potentially suffer from the side effects.

Allergy medication:
side effects
skin rash, bruising, severe tingling, numbness, pain, muscle weakness;
mood or behavior changes, anxiety, depression, or thoughts about suicide or hurting yourself; tremors or shaking; severe sinus pain, swelling, or irritation; or worsening asthma symptoms.
Less serious Singulair side effects may include:
headache; stomach pain, heartburn, upset stomach, nausea, diarrhea; tooth pain; tired feeling; fever, stuffy nose, sore throat, cough, hoarseness; or mild rash. (Isn’t this the symptoms of allergies?)


Insomnia medication:
side effects:
Constipation; diarrhea; dizziness; drowsiness; dry mouth, nose, or throat; excitability; headache; loss of appetite; nausea; nervousness or anxiety; trouble sleeping (Hello? A medicine for insomnia); upset stomach; vomiting; weakness.

Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); dark urine or pale stools; difficulty urinating or inability to urinate; fast or irregular heartbeat; hallucinations; seizures; severe dizziness, lightheadedness, or headache; stomach pain; tremor; trouble sleeping; unusual fatigue; vision changes; yellowing of the skin or eyes.

To me…any of the possible side effects listed would be worse than the original symptoms.

It is like these drug companies know that we are all suckers and that we will take anything to relieve long-standing symptoms…then the fuck us again by making us take something else to counteract the side effects…and so on and so on.

Can’t we just go back to when we cured our ailments with what Mother Earth put here for us? Snake bile, peyote, smoke from a burning termite nest, leaches, etc.

I give up!!!!

10 Comments:

chocdrop said...

It is sad the amount of side effects that are associated with any medication..especially death.

What concerns me is the older folks, those in their 60's are taking about 15-20 medications. Seriously how do they function and when is enough enough????

Debz said...

Hmmm, would I rather have insomnia and not be able to sleep or constipation, diarrhea and vomiting and not be able to sleep?
What's a girl to do.
If I have insomnia, I just grab the liquor bottle, drink, then sleep. Works everytime.

DGB said...

I hear ya, but I gotta say when allergies strike, I'm really glad that I can pop a Claritin.

Kimberly Wright said...

Yeah its nuts. I also laugh about all the side effects they try and rush through at the end of the commercial.

I love this "if you are pregnant or think you might become pregnant" - okay, so if you are a woman with working ovaries and are having sex don't take our medication.

Kristen said...

My least fave is for the Extenze enhancement commercial. It taunts me and reminds me that I need a man. Damn them all! (The commercials...not men)

LiteralDan said...

Don't dark urine and pale stools pretty much cancel each other out?

Just Jules said...

I threw them all away. The idea of it all makes me so angry. We now visit the vitamin/natural food store and the chiropractor when something strikes us.

If people would live a healthier lifestyle in the first place, raise their immunity levels and get rid of the toxic chemical crap in their house......

ok time to stop - this is such a passion of mine. I could go on forever!

btw - I agree with soxy deb - grab the hot brandy and take a shot, your cough will go away and you will sleep like a baby!

nitebyrd said...

The side-effects are most times worse than the disease.

Although, one of the side-effects of the nicotine patch is "vivid" dreams. I'm actually enjoying that side effect.

Teri said...

Yeah, I'm with ya. If you read the comments (in teeny tiny letters) in magazines re: these meds, many of them say "and in some extreme cases may cause death." Yowza. BUT...I have to admit that I finally got a scrip for Ambien and it works WONDERS - for me. I only take it about once a week. After I have had several nights of no sleeping. I have heard of some of my friends, though, who wake up in the middle of their Ambien sleep and buy stuff on eBay or cook meals. I swear, it's true. :-) Not me, I'm out like a light.

Scary Mommy said...

Leaking oily stool is my favorite. Yummy!

 

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