Comments on: Drug Safety: Balance and Discretion Needed http://www.ideasforwomen.com/news/general-health-research/2008/06/10/222/ News and Issues About Women Thu, 20 Nov 2008 08:49:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Trisha http://www.ideasforwomen.com/news/general-health-research/2008/06/10/222/#comment-23288 Trisha Fri, 13 Jun 2008 21:16:17 +0000 http://www.ideasforwomen.com/news/?p=222#comment-23288 @spostareduro - yes, doctors need to explain more to their patients and not assume we won't understand what they are talking about. @Nicole - I heard lots of bad things about ambien too. Publicly funded studies wouldn't solve the problem, but I think it would help balance it out a bit. @spostareduro - yes, doctors need to explain more to their patients and not assume we won’t understand what they are talking about.

@Nicole - I heard lots of bad things about ambien too. Publicly funded studies wouldn’t solve the problem, but I think it would help balance it out a bit.

]]> By: Nicole http://www.ideasforwomen.com/news/general-health-research/2008/06/10/222/#comment-23271 Nicole Wed, 11 Jun 2008 13:07:26 +0000 http://www.ideasforwomen.com/news/?p=222#comment-23271 Even if, as you suggested there was more publicly funded studies to help offset the tendency of companies to skew and exaggerate their own studies I am sure the pharmaceutical companies would still find a way - its a multi billion dollar industry. Currently in Australia we have a drug controversy over a sleeping tablet called Stilnox or Ambien in America. Interestingly, it was one of the drugs Heath Ledger had been prescribed when he died. This drug has been linked to 14 deaths and a range of bizarre side effects, from hallucinations to sleep driving. Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration, has upgraded warnings on the drug but it is still believed that it is being over prescribed by doctors. The makers of Stilnox have opposed the move calling instead for better education about the use of the drug. Does this surprise us? Even if, as you suggested there was more publicly funded studies to help offset the tendency of companies to skew and exaggerate their own studies I am sure the pharmaceutical companies would still find a way - its a multi billion dollar industry.

Currently in Australia we have a drug controversy over a sleeping tablet called Stilnox or Ambien in America. Interestingly, it was one of the drugs Heath Ledger had been prescribed when he died.

This drug has been linked to 14 deaths and a range of bizarre side effects, from hallucinations to sleep driving. Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration, has upgraded warnings on the drug but it is still believed that it is being over prescribed by doctors.

The makers of Stilnox have opposed the move calling instead for better education about the use of the drug. Does this surprise us?

]]> By: spostareduro http://www.ideasforwomen.com/news/general-health-research/2008/06/10/222/#comment-23267 spostareduro Wed, 11 Jun 2008 01:42:37 +0000 http://www.ideasforwomen.com/news/?p=222#comment-23267 i agree completely with needing to educate the patients better, plus they need more discretion in how the meds are evaluated. i remember being placed on neurontin for bipolar disorder a few years ago..it didnt work of course and we changed meds after a short time..but later, i saw television commercials about lawsuits that were being saught sa a direct result of promoting the drug for purposes it was not designed for or even useful for. i agree completely with needing to educate the patients better, plus they need more discretion in how the meds are evaluated.

i remember being placed on neurontin for bipolar disorder a few years ago..it didnt work of course and we changed meds after a short time..but later, i saw television commercials about lawsuits that were being saught sa a direct result of promoting the drug for purposes it was not designed for or even useful for.

]]>