Sometimes called CAM, complementary and alternative medicine broadly encompasses therapies and treatments that lie outside the conventional practice of medicine, and are used together with it, or in lieu of it. IMPORTANT: Before sending a query, please read the Terms of Use at right.

Directories

Physicians

Hospitals

Pharma
Companies

Drugstores

Sections

RxPinoy
Ask-a-Doc

RxPinoy
Health Digest

Doctors
Online

Join
RxPinoy

Contact
RxPinoy

ASK-A-DOC IS NOT FOR EMERGENCIES AND TIME-SENSITIVE SITUATIONS.
Since these physicians offer to share their knowledge in the spirit of public service, and have active practices, it may take a few days to a few weeks for a reply to reach your inbox. If you or your loved one feel any pain or discomfort, seek real world medical attention immediately.

We read and appreciate all the email you send us, but cannot publish and reply to every letter, as the volume is too large for us to handle.

This service should not be used to get an official diagnosis or second opinion. The Internet is a not the venue for medical consultation, since a mere written description of symptoms is rarely adequate. Real-time interaction, physical examination, diagnostic tests, or some combination of these, are needed.

Students, please refrain from using this service for reports, term papers, or homework. We monitor all submissions for relevance and propriety. Thanks for understanding.

Before filling up the form below please be advised that email cannot replace seeing your doctor. This information is for educational purposes only. In no event shall RxPinoy or its experts be liable to you or anyone else for any decision made or action taken by you in reliance on this information.

How Safe Are Prescription Drugs?

Arthur M. Echano, MD, ND, MACNEM

There is widespread assumption that prescription drugs are pretty safe. Many reason out that since these drugs have been approved, then safety should no longer be a concern. Thorough pre-release testing are completed before these drugs are made available to the public, many might add.

FDA'S Protective Role

In the U.S., the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) is the government agency that is suppose to make sure that any drug approved for use is free from possible dangerous side effects when taken at the right dose. So when a drug has the FDA's stamp of approval, we should not worry at all. Right? Not really.

Bombshell Last September

What happened on September 30, 2004 that is of significance to health seekers globally? On that day, the medical community received a shocking news when global pharmaceutical company, Merck & Co. announced the withdrawal of its bestselling anti-arthritic drug-Vioxx. The decision was based on a clinical study in the use of this non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that was cut short.How come? Vioxx appears to double the risk of having heart attack and stroke compared to those taking placebo.

This was truly a disturbing news for the FDA. It now needs a lot of explaining to the public as to how a potentially dangerous drug like Vioxx got approved for public use. How real is the danger of Vioxx use? It is estimated that close to 140,000 Americans suffered from heart attacks and strokes due to Vioxx intake. No wonder, Dr. David Graham, associate director , FDA Office of Drug Safety called the Vioxx case, "The single greatest drug safety catastrophe in the history of this country or the history of this world."

Silenced By The FDA

The Vioxx story is one that put Dr. Graham in hot water. When he submitted this negative study on Vioxx to the FDA, he was apparently put under intense pressure by intimidation and exclusion for blowing the whistle. What could be the reason? Economics. The annual market for pain killers is not exactly small- $10 billion! A drug recall will definitely affect the profit figures of Merck & Co. It is set to lose about $30 billion in this drug expose. It will also tarnish the FDA's image. A U.S. congressional testimony by Dr. Graham on Vioxx last November 2004 has certainly put the FDA on a warning list. That it better get its act together.

This will not end with Vioxx though. Vioxx is just one of a number of COX-2 inhibitors, drugs that block the cycloxygenase-2 inflammatory pathway. Celebrex, another COX-2 inhibitor marketed by equally huge pharma giant Pfizer, could also end up in Merck & Co.'s awkward situation, a drug recall. And billions lost in future sales. A sharp drop in share value and of course, a long list of lawsuits worldwide from angry consumers and relatives, are also ugly scenarios waiting for these two multinational drug companies.

Lessons to Learn

What can we learn from the Vioxx recall? That there is no such a thing as a perfectly safe drug. The body will always react in one way or another to any drug especially when the drug is taken for a long time. The FDA or any governmental agency approval for a drug does not carry a 100% safety guarantee. It just does not exist. If it does, how come it is only now that these potential harmful effects have been reported in the media? Vioxx was released way back in 1999.

Reports point to the fact that more than half of FDA-approved drugs show newer side affects after these "safe" drugs hit the market. Sometimes, the FDA is not the one at fault. Intense pressures from the medical community, the consumers, and the industry for the FDA to approve promising drugs result in drugs released even if their safety and efficacy are still unclear.

Treat the Cause, Not the Symptoms

The use of pain killers like Vioxx is a band-aid kind of treatment, affording at best temporary relief. You may take it forever more but it will not fix your arthritis, menstrual cramps and other bodily pains. The cause of the pain needs to be addressed and dealt with. For example, in arthritis, the major role of complementary medicine is no longer a secret story. You must have heard of fish oil, lyprinol, good diet, exercise, bovine cartilage (glucosamine and chondroitin), vitamin D, colloidal gold, immune system modulators and many other natural remedies that really work.

Natural Medicine: A Safe Alternative

These natural remedies have been proven to provide significant relief to arthritic sufferers. They also play a role, directly or indirectly, in fixing the root cause of the arthritic problem. For example, glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate provide the raw materials for rebuilding damaged joints. Immune system modulators like Bovine Cartilage and Transfer Factor are good for rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease. A diet that suits well with your metabolic type is a move in the right direction.

You don't have to get killed with dangerous drugs like Vioxx to kill your pain. There are alternative ways, safer and equally effective in shortcircuiting pain sensation. And in restoring function and mobility. An integrative medical practitioner can enlighten you more about this approach.

So would you like to be another guinea pig in the unending release of supposedly harmless drugs? Remember that many drugs don't have the thorough premarketing testing that would make them more or less safe for use. The Vioxx story is just the tip of the iceberg. Why take chances with potentially dangerous pharmaceutical pain killers? Certainly, digging the root cause of the problem and dealing with it at that level is a more rational course of action. If we want a more permanent clinical result.

Arthur M. Echano is a nutritional medicine specialist Down Under. He is a 1978 UST medical graduate and earned a doctorate degree in naturopathy (ND) from the U.S. A full member of the Australasian College of Nutritional & Environmental Medicine (ACNEM) he may be reached on (02) 9834 4154 or email: art@foodheals.net.

IMPORTANT: Before sending in your query, please read our Terms of Use at right.