Dangerous (?) Drug Alert

[Michaelangelica]

Originally Posted by dkv

US is world's largest consumer of illegal drugs. Roughly 4 times its nearest competitor. More than 20% of teenagers get involved with drugs at age less than 13. More than 50% teenagers drink and drive. The situation is alarming.
The doctors cheat .. they prescribe wrong drugs to the patient.
More than 14000 patiets entered the emergency rooms due to drug overdose.
Highly educated Americans are also the most irresponsible.

I just wanted to look at current legal drugs here.It is hardly a comprehensive thread as I would need to work on it full time
But I suspect prescription drugs are a bigger cause of death than illegal drugs. This is not only a US problem.

Iatrogenic(doctor-related) causes and Prescription Drugs Are The Leading Cause of Hospitalization and Death in the US, Causing over 250,000 Hospital Related Deaths Every Year; Prescription Drugs are Responsible for over 100,000 Deaths Every Year (documentation provided)



While doctors provide needed treatment successfully for many patients and conditions, it is also well documented that doctor errors and adverse effects of doctor-prescribed drugs or treatments is one of the leading causes of hospitalizations, deaths, and other adverse health events(1-28). 14 % of the U.S. Gross National Product is related to medical and health care, but in spite of the much higher levels of spending on health care the U.S. ranks very poorly compared to other developed countries regarding health statistics and effectiveness of health care(18,etc.). Experts analyzing the basis for this have suggested that a profit driven medical system dominated by pharmaceutical companies and advertising result in over use of technology and pharmaceutical drugs and expensive procedures that have significant risk of adverse health effects(11,1,28)

The following hospitalization, death, and adverse annual effects statistics come from the medical literature, as referenced:
Hospital Events Annual Incidence Related Deaths

In-hospital (ADR): 2.2 million (3,4,10,11) over 100,000
Hospital medication errors (5% of patients) over 300,000 harmed, over 7,000(9,13) Infections and antibiotic-resistant infections ? over 80,000 (10,20)
Also

!!

Iatrogenic(doctor-related) causes and Prescription Drugs Are The Leading Cause of Hospitalization and Death in the US, Causi

Table Of Iatrogenic Deaths In The United States
(Deaths induced inadvertently by a physician or surgeon or by medical treatment or diagnostic procedures)
Condition Deaths Cost Author
Adverse Drug Reactions 106,000 $12 billion Lazarou (1) Suh (49)

Table of Iatrogenic Deaths in the United States
"First, do no harm"
Pharmaceutical Industry and FDA Endangering Your Health for Profit

[Moontanman]

Actually I read a study done several years ago and it found that for every death attributed to illegal drugs there was 1000 deaths attributed to alcohol and tobacco. Kinda makes you wonder don't it?

[Moontanman]

I often take a sleep aid called ambien, as long as you don't drink alcohol with it it's relatively benign but drink a couple of beers and you may as well call the men with the butterfly nets. No telling what you might do and have no memory of it all.

I used to take methadone for chronic pain, it wasn't very effective and very addictive. I lost consousness a couple of times while taking it and told the doc I wanted off of it. Now that I hear of all the deaths I am glad I stopped taking it.

Drugs for chronic pain are a dangerous trade off, the entire idea of taking opiates in larges doses over time is less than ideal to say the least. they say they are effective long term even though people build tolerances to them but in reality they only work for a short time and then it becomes taking the pills to avoid withdrawal more than for pain relief.

Oxycontin is simply evil You may as well take heroin, research into more effective non addictive herbal medicines is prohibited by the government to avoid admitting they have lost the "War On Drugs" The entire situation is crazy, highly addictive but less than effective drugs are legal and more effective less than addictive drugs are illegal.

[dkv]

Precription drugs is the leading cause of deaths but there are many deaths due to alcohol and smokin. 9% brave teenagers attempt suicides... More than 80% teenagers suffer from some kind of depression..
The situation becomes more worse when take into account the obesity related health factors.
Teenagers are increasingly becoming more obese.And still an average american manages to live upto an average life span of more than 78 years...
Thats very surprising but still less than 30 other countries.
Japan has one of the highest suicide rates in the world yet we see than quite a number of traditional people manage to live upto 80.
India a developing country has a good average life span.
Nigeria has one of the worst record with average life expectancy of 47 years.
allAfrica.com: Nigeria: Life Expectancy - Why Country is Not Improving (Page 1 of 2)
Clearly the health problem is much more serious in Africa than in America.
And we need to much more in the health sector globally.
160 nations have agreed to ban the tobacco but we know no one is actually going to ban the smokin because we are AFRAID of financial suicide...
The cowards are giving lessons of life.

[dkv]

Human Development Report 2007/2008 - Life expectancy at birth, annual estimates (years)
The report above provides a clear picture of the coutry wise health.
African countries have the worst life expectancy of around 50... (most infected with diseases)
Gerogia ,Russia,Syria has a life expectancy of 65 less than India and other developing countries.
Russia also has one of the highest abortion rates in the world.
US is fairing no better .. in some areas of US (like New York)the abortion rates 75% .. in other words out 100 pregnancies 75 are aborted.
The situation is worse.

[Michaelangelica]

Prescription Drugs More Deadly Than Cocaine, Heroin, Amphetamines

Prescription Drugs More Deadly Than Cocaine, Heroin, Amphetamines

[Michaelangelica]

Vytorin Linked to Cancer

(NaturalNews) In an unprecedented change of posture, the New England Journal of Medicine has reversed itself on the issue of whether Vytorin causes cancer. In the initial release of data back in July, NEJM stood by Merck and Schering-Plough, who hired an Oxford consultant to rule that a 50% statistically significant increased risk of cancer was by chance. I pointed out in an earlier posting that such statistical manipulation, based primarily on the opinion of the Oxford reviewer, was ridiculous. NEJM has had a sudden change of heart and now agrees with me.

Vytorin Linked to Cancer; Prominent Medical Journal Reverses Stance

Many think statins are a worry generally.

[Michaelangelica]

An interestin service from the FDA
here is their Sept 5 warnings

Potential Signals of Serious Risks/New Safety Information Identified by the Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS) January - March 2008
Product Name: Active Ingredient (Trade)
or Product Class Potential Signal of Serious Risk/New Safety Information
Arginine Hydrochloride Injection (R-Gene 10) Pediatric overdose due to labeling / packaging confusion
Desflurane (Suprane) Cardiac arrest
Duloxetine (Cymbalta) Urinary retention
Etravirine (Intelence) Hemarthrosis
Fluorouracil Cream (Carac) and Ketoconazole Cream (Kuric) Adverse events due to name confusion
Heparin Anaphylactic-type reactions
Icodextrin (Extraneal) Hypoglycemia
Insulin U-500 (Humulin R) Dosing confusion
Ivermectin (Stromectol) and Warfarin Drug interaction
Lapatinib (Tykerb) Hepatotoxicity
Lenalidomide (Revlimid) Stevens Johnson Syndrome
Natalizumab (Tysabri) Skin melanomas
Nitroglycerin (Nitrostat) Overdose due to labeling confusion
Octreotide Acetate Depot (Sandostatin LAR) Ileus
Oxycodone Hydrochloride Controlled-Release (Oxycontin) Drug misuse, abuse and overdose
Perflutren Lipid Microsphere (Definity) Cardiopulmonary reactions
Phenytoin Injection (Dilantin) Purple Glove Syndrome
Quetiapine (Seroquel) Overdose due to sample pack labeling confusion
Telbivudine (Tyzeka) Peripheral neuropathy
Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) Blockers Cancers in children and young adults

Potential Signals of Serious Risks/New Safety Information Identified by the Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS) January - March 2008
Talk to your doctor before stopping any medication.

[Michaelangelica]

Anti-Smoking Drug Chantix Causes Potentially Deadly Traffic Accidents

Anti-Smoking Drug Chantix Causes Potentially Deadly Traffic Accidents

Could anyone please help me keep up with this thread?
I really can't keep up with all the latest information

[Michaelangelica]

Great links DVK
A full time job to keep up with it all!
the FDA is now publishing alist of drugs they are rewiwng for safty info
their resons and links to reports are here
http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/GuidanceCom...ects/UCM082196
This is the latest list although formatting will not paste over

Product Name: Active Ingredient (Trade)
or Product Class Potential Signal of Serious Risk/New Safety Information

Additional Information

(as of May 7, 2009)
Apomorphine (Apokyn) Psychiatric events FDA is continuing to evaluate this issue to determine the need for any regulatory action.
Choriogonadotropin alfa (Ovidrel) Anaphylactic reactions FDA is continuing to evaluate this issue to determine the need for any regulatory action.
Clomiphene citrate (Clomid) Visual disorders FDA is evaluating this issue to determine if the labeling, which includes visual disorders in the Warnings and Adverse Reactions sections, is adequate.
Clozapine orally disintegrating tablet (FazaClo) Deaths This issue relates to a finding, based on AERS reports, that the proportion of death events versus all events is higher for FazaClo than for other clozapine products. The reported events in the death cases are similar for FazaClo and other clozapine products. FDA is continuing to evaluate this issue.
Darifenacin (Enablex) and Solifenacin (Vesicare) Angioedema and other allergic reactions FDA is continuing to evaluate these issues to determine the need for any regulatory action.
Drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol (Yasmin) Pancreatitis FDA is evaluating this issue to determine if the labeling, which includes pancreatitis, is adequate.
Efavirenz (Sustiva) Birth defects involving the eye and face This issue stemmed from a case of anophthalmia in AERS that was originally reported to the Antiretroviral Pregnancy Registry (APR). The labeling was updated in March 2009 to include a description of this case.
Efavirenz (Sustiva) labeling
Fibrin sealant, human (Evicel) Air embolism FDA is evaluating this issue to determine if labeling is adequate.
Hydrochlorothiazide in combination products Skin reactions FDA is evaluating this issue to determine if labeling is adequate for the various hydrochlorothiazide-containing combination products.
Imiquimod cream (Aldara) Dysuria due to severe local reactions during use in the genital area

This issue was identified during a review of imiquimod adverse events as required by the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act and was presented at the November 18, 2008 Pediatric Advisory Committee meeting: One Year Post-Exclusivity Adverse Event Review: Imiquimod Pediatric Advisory Committee Meeting November 18, 2008 (PDF - 83 KB) (refer to Slide 24).

The labeling will be updated to include this event.
Modafinil (Provigil) and Armodafinil (Nuvigil) Serious skin reactions

This issue was originally identified from AERS reports and added to labeling in 2007. An FDA Drug Safety Newsletter article featured this issue in Fall 2007: Modafinil (marketed as Provigil): Serious Skin Reactions.

FDA is continuing to evaluate this issue to determine the need for any further regulatory action.
Orlistat (Xenical, Alli) Hepatotoxicity FDA is continuing to evaluate this issue to determine the need for any regulatory action.
Polyethylene glycol oral laxative (various trade names) Neuropsychiatric events FDA is continuing to evaluate this issue to determine the need for any regulatory action.
Raltegravir (Isentress) Psychiatric events The Adverse Reactions section of labeling (postmarketing experience) was updated to include psychiatric events.
Raltegravir (Isentress) labeling
Selegiline (Emsam) Hypertension FDA is continuing to evaluate this issue to determine the need for any regulatory action.
Sumatriptan/naproxen (Treximet) Myocardial infarction FDA evaluated case reports in AERS and determined that the current labeling, which includes a Boxed Warning addressing myocardial infarction, is adequate.
Testosterone gel (Androgel, Testim) Adverse events from accidental exposure May 2009 FDA News Release, Testosterone Gel Safety Concerns Prompt FDA to Require Label Changes, Medication Guide, describes the addition of a Boxed Warning to the labeling addressing adverse events in children and women due to accidental exposure to testosterone gel.
Tolterodine tartrate (Detrol) Stevens-Johnson syndrome FDA is continuing to evaluate this issue to determine the need for any regulatory action.
Varenicline (Chantix) Angioedema, serious skin reactions, visual impairment, accidental injury FDA is continuing to evaluate these issues to determine the need for any regulatory action.

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Page Last Updated: 06/04/2009

http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/GuidanceCom.../ucm161063.htm