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The
Truth About Prescription Drugs
It's a vicious
cycle. Your doctor prescribes a powerful drug to treat a symptom... The
drug has unpleasant side effects...The doctor prescribes another drug
to counteract the side effects...This causes other problems. The next
thing you know, youÕre sicker from the drugs prescribed by your doctor
than from your original symptoms.
Over 100,000 people
die each year from the effects of prescription drugs used as prescribed,
and countless more suffer side effects that range from minor to life threatening.
But there are alternatives: powerful natural therapies that can not only
alleviate your symptoms, but actually reverse your condition.
There are circumstances
when medications are absolutely necessary. And you should never discontinue
any medication or treatment without consulting with your doctor. But by
learning about and using these safe, natural therapies–and working
with your doctor–you can break free of the debilitating drug cycle.
Important
Message:
It is important that you
do not reduce, change or discontinue any medication or treatment without
consulting your physician first. Please note that the brand names mentioned
in this guide are the registered properties of their manufacturers.
Warning:
Prescription Drugs May Be Hazardous To Your Health
Important Message:
It is important that you
do not reduce, change or discontinue any medication or treatment without
consulting your physician first. Please note that the brand names mentioned
in this guide are the registered properties of their manufacturers.
ACE
Inhibitors
ACE inhibitors–unlike
beta blockers and calcium channel blockers–improve heart function,
making them one of the better options if you must take medication for
hypertension.
ACE inhibitors, however,
disturb the body's levels of trace minerals, for example decreasing
selenium and zinc levels and increasing copper levels.
Long-term use of medications that alter any of your natural body
functions is obviously dangerous. Such drugs should be used for
immediate intervention only, while you're making the necessary
changes for long-term correction of underlying health problems.
Antibiotics: Be Warned
In theory antibiotics are
a good thingÐand in life-threatening situations they still are. When
all goes well, an antibiotic attacks and destroys the "bug." But largely
through the misuse and overuse of antibiotics, some "bugs" have become
resistant or impervious to these drugs.
The cover story of the March
28, 1994 issue of Newsweek, "Antibiotics: The End of Miracle Drugs?"
was a sobering look at the failure of antibiotics, once thought to herald
the end of all infectious disease. Instead, it has been a game of leapfrog
between bacteria and drug researchers: bacteria mutate (adapt) and become
resistant to an antibiotic, companies come out with another antibiotic
to which bacteria will eventually become resistant, and so on.
Significant problems are
occurring throughout the world with resistant bacteria. In New York
a tuberculosis strain resistant to seven antibiotics was discovered,
and in England a strain of E. coli was noted to be resistant to 20 antibiotics.
We may even unknowingly be
consuming antibiotics in our food! Many animals are given antibiotics,
which in turn show up in many products including poultry, beef and dairy
products.
If you must take antibiotics
for a bacterial infection (they are useless for viral infections) be
sure to complete the entire course (stopping the drugs in mid-course
contributes to antibiotic-resistant bacteria). And, take plenty of probiotics
such as yogurt with active cultures or acidophillus and lactobacillus
supplements to replace the friendly bacteria destroyed.
Benzodiazepine Drugs - Tranquilizers -
Anti Anxiety
Many people over the age
of 50 are put on these medications for extended periods, even though
none of these drugs has been studied for long-term benefit or safety.
Approximately 17% of people over 65 years–or almost one in five–are
given these tranquilizers. In older people, they often cause forgetfulness
and other behavior that is attributed to "old age." Almost 14% of all
hip fractures and 16,000 automobile accidents per year are linked to
benzodiazepine drugs.
There are natural alternatives
to these anti-anxiety medications which, are more effective.
Beta Blockers - Weakens Your Heart
Beta blockers are designed
to weaken the heart, so that your blood pressure is lowered and heart
pain is reduced. They can be beneficial for temporary relief, but most
physicians prescribe these drugs for indefinite use. I believe their
popularity contributes to the epidemic of congestive heart failure in
this country. Hospital admissions for congestive heart failure have
more than doubled to 822,000 from 1979 to 1992, despite a significant
drop in heart attacks since the early 1960s. If you are taking a beta
blocker, work with your physician if you want to reduce or eliminate
this medication. Do not suddenly stop taking this medication.
Calcium Channel Blockers - Magnesium is Nature's
Calcium Channel Blocker
Like most drugs, calcium
channel blockers are designed to alter some system in your body to produce
a desired effect. Calcium is an essential component in a variety of
cardiovascular functions. Calcium channel blockers may weaken the
heart and possibly increase mortality rates. Researcher Bruce
Psaty, M.D., found that people on calcium channel blockers experienced
a 60% increase in heart attacks compared to people taking diuretics
or beta-blockers. Another study found that older people who took these
drugs developed cancer at twice the rate of other people with hypertension.
Also, it could be dangerous for diabetics to takecalcium channel blockers.
Other side effects include potassium loss and elevated serum cholesterol.
If you take a calcium channel
blocker, do not take your medication with grapefruit juice. One study
showed that the amount of the drug in the blood jumped 284% beyond predicted
levels when it was taken with grapefruit juice. The flavonoids in the
juice are suspected of slowing the metabolism of calcium channel blockers.
Other juices tested did not have this effect.
Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs Reduce CoQ10 Levels
Americans have made great
strides in changing their diets, eating lower fat and higher fiber foods.
The average cholesterol level in the United States has dropped from
220 in the 1960s to 205 today. But high cholesterol is not the only
factor in heart disease, and it's foolish to concentrate only on drugs
that lower cholesterol as a way to prevent heart disease! A recent study
showed that groups in Japan and Southern Europe who have the same cholesterol
levels as Americans have only one-third the heart attack rate. Obviously,
something else is going on here.
A very significant side effect
of the statin drugs used to lower cholesterol that is not mentioned
in the Physician's Desk Reference is a reduction in your body's production
of coenzyme Q10. CoQ10 is integral to energy production at the cellular
level and is especially essential to heart health. People with heart
failure always have extremely low levels of coenzyme Q10.
Diuretics–Not
for Long-term Use
For anyone with congestive
heart failure, literally drowning in fluid that has collected in the
lungs, a strong diuretic is a lifesaver. It improves the kidneys' normal
function, causing a flood of excess water to be excreted, and gives
rapid relief to people with excess fluid. However, the long-term
use of diuretics to manage high blood pressure dangerously depletes
your body of vital minerals, which are lost with increased urination.
Twenty percent of people
over 65 years of age take some type of diuretic, and in that age group,
diuretics have more adverse side effects than any other prescription
drug. Diuretics are overused, extremely dangerous, and are the specific
cause of thousands of deaths per year. In the Multiple Risk Factor
Intervention Trial (MRMIT), a large double-blind, placebo-controlled
study done in 1985, men with high blood pressure were divided into two
groups. One group received the standard drug therapy for blood pressure
control, while the other received an aggressive treatment that involved
the increased use of diuretics.
In the diuretic group, the
death rate increased, even though their blood pressure was lower than
that of the other group. There was also a significant increase in the
onset of cardiac arrhythmias. Both of these were likely due to the substantial
mineral loss that occurs in your body with the aggressive use of diuretics.
The most commonly prescribed
medications for high blood pressure are the thiazide diuretics. These
diuretics cause marked losses of potassium, magnesium, and every other
mineral, which can cause a lot of problems, including irregular heart
rhythms.
In 1982, Heinz Salmeyer,
the 1980 World Lightweight Body Building Champion, died of a cardiac
arrhythmia brought on by diuretic-induced losses of magnesium and potassium.
In addition, thiazide diuretics also elevate the blood cholesterol and
triglyceride levels, which could offset some of the benefits from lowering
the blood pressure, as this would increase the risk of heart attack.
They also elevate blood uric acid levels and sometimes contribute to
gouty arthritis, and may bring about or worsen the diabetic condition,
a warning that is clearly listed in drug inserts and the Physicians'
Desk Reference.
Natural treatments are not
only safer, they actually address the root problem.
Drugs
for Ulcers and Heartburn
If you don't have enough
acid in your stomach to digest your food, you are going to have indigestion,
bloating, belching, and gas.
Medications such as Zantac,
Tagamet and Axid are "histamine receptor antagonists." They block the
action of histamine on the cell sites in the stomach, reducing the amount
of acid. They are conventional medicineÕs solution to stomach ulcers,
despite the fact that for many people they simply donÕt work.
We now know that the primary
cause of an ulcer is a bacteria called Helicobacter pylori, a pathogen
that lodges beneath the stomach wall, allowing stomach acid to cause
an ulcer. Supplementary with Hydrochloric Acid often remedies teh problem.
Also, a natural product know as HP Fighter is known to kill this bacteria.
See your doctor to test for
H. pylori and to rule out any more serious stomach problems, especially
if you experience signs of acute bleeding such as black stools or sweating
and dizziness upon rising.
NSAIDs
Can Make Arthritis Worse
Pain relief is big business
for pharmaceutical companies. Every few months there is a newly minted
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) on the market, announced
with expensive ads on its ability to relieve arthritis pain. NSAIDs
are liberally prescribed for arthritis pain, despite the fact that more
than 20,000 people per year die from the side effects of these drugs!
In fact, one fifth of all suspected adverse drug reactions reported
to the FDA are linked to NSAIDs.
Initially, these drugs will
take care of your pain, and this makes them seem like a real solution.
However, their side effects include gastrointestinal upset and bleeding,
kidney and liver damage, and water and sodium retention.
The worst side effect of
NSAIDs is seldom mentioned: They actually block the bodyÕs ability to
produce cartilage and increase the destruction of cartilage lining the
ends of the bone. In a study of 186 arthritis patients, physicians in
Norway studied the x-rays of 294 arthritic hips. Fifty-eight of the
patients were taking the NSAID Indocin, and 128 were not taking NSAIDs.
Those on Indocin had far more rapid hip destruction than the non-medicated
group.
Pain
Relievers
Pain is something we all
experience, because it is one of our bodyÕs mechanisms to signal that
something is wrong.
If you are taking muscle
relaxers for back pain, do yourself a favor and increase the amount
of water youÕre drinking–water cushions the vertebrae in the spine–and
keep moving once you are out of acute pain. Walking
is one of the best exercises for back pain.
Steroids
Doctors routinely prescribe
steroids such as prednisone for acute flare-ups in arthritis and asthma
patients. While steroids are very powerful for reducing inflammation,
their long-term side effects far outweigh this short-term benefit. Steroids
can bring on heart disease, diabetes, eye problems, and severe osteoporosis,
as well as facial and body changes. Long-term steroid therapy is neither
desirable nor safe.
Steroids prevent white blood
cells from carrying out their normal defense functions. Therefore, be
aware that while you are on steroids there may be a decreased resistance
to infection and an extreme reaction to diseases such as chicken pox
and measles. Avoid contact with exposed or contagious people.
While the verdict among many
physicians is that inhaled steroids are less damaging than the oral
form, all steroids should raise a red flag and prompt you to try to
correct the underlying health problems.
The
Medical Economics of Hypertension
With high blood pressure
existing in one of every three American adults, itÕs clear that pharmacologic
management of hypertension pulls in big bucks. According to a recent
article in the Journal of the American Medical Association, "Treatment
of hypertension has become the leading reason for visits to physicians
as well as for drug prescriptions."
Close to $9 billion dollars
a year is being spent to treat hypertension. This figure includes neither
the dollars spent on medications prescribed to mask the side effects
of antihypertensive drugs nor the increased price of treating heart
attacks and strokes associated with these antihypertensive drugs, which
cost the nation another $8 billion a year.
Despite substantial evidence
that lifestyle changes alone can in many cases reduce blood pressure,
antihypertensive drugs are still the most common form of conventional
treatment.
Unlike nutritional therapies,
drugs are xenobiotic agents, or substances not found in nature. They
alter our own biological systems and, as such, can be termed poisons.
The theory behind their use is that they bring about a certain desired
effect which, in the case of hypertension, is reduced blood pressure.
But, as you can see from the listings in this section, they have side
effects that may be more dangerous than the disease itself.
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