Healthcare system symptoms and conditions

Just had to comment on these side effects I'm reading about Lipitor and other Statin drugs. I don't take anything and I never will after finding this site. Guess what, I have had high cholesterol since I was in my early 20's. When I say high... it ranged from 240 - 260...remember when 250 was OK? Well folks, it's 30 years later, my cholesterol is just about the same range, and Oh My GOD...I'm still here without any drugs.!!! They lowered the range so they could pass out the pills!!! Greed, greed, greed. Do you wonder why our Healthcare system is out of control? Well, when you keep feeding people medications that are presenting the side effects they do, making them sicker, they just keep testing and testing and testing for other things. Let's do blood work, MRI's, CAT Scans, Spect Scans, Pet Scans...Scan away...and guess what...all comes back OK...hmmmm why not look at the drugs you're prescribing. We need to see "all the side effects" listed. Not just some. They're misdiagnosing, Alzheimers, Fibromyalgia, MS, Lupus, Dementia, Arthritis, and on and on when it's been the drugs causing the diseases!
Ween off everything and anything you can...take your chances...when God wants you, he's going to come and get you no matter what you're doing...right or wrong!

I took Yaz for a month and the whole time I suffered from urinary tract infections. After taking 4 different antibiotics and having my doctor say that the cause could not be the birth control pill I decided to discontinue. I'm lucky to be a researcher and have access to journals and research information that helped me figure out that it was, in fact, the pill. Doctors do not know anything and I lived in HELL for a month because of yaz with people treating me as if I'm crazy because they would not admit it was the pill. Their only suggestions was to see a urologist. As I imagined, once I stopped taking the pill the uti symptoms went away. THIS PILL AND THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM INCLUDING DOCTORS THAT CAN NEVER BE REACHED SUCKS. THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA HAS THE WORST HEALTH CARE AND THEY TREAT PATIENTS LIKE CATTLE. YAZ is a horrible drug that is overrated.

I have been on anti-depressants for about 10 years now. I've tried Wellbutrin, Lexapro, Prozac, and Effexor (just to name a few). I've been on Effexor (this is my 2nd time) for about 4 years now. I finally decided to get off the effexor and I desperately want to share what's been happening ever since. I slowly weened off of it, starting at my regular 175mg a day for 2 1/2 weeks, then down to 125mg, 75mg, and then 37.5. My doctor suggested I change doses every week, however I went 2 1/2 weeks because of the AWFUL side effects.

I have had the typical head "buzzing" is what I call it and my nerves are a wreck 24/7 but the worse problem I'm having and the one I haven't seen anyone write about yet is my severe stomach problems. I have had diarrhea everyday, all day, since I went off Effexor. It's been over 2 weeks since I've taken my last pill and it's not getting any better. My dr. thinks it could be IBS or bad eating habits, but I've tried changing my diet, etc. and nothing is giving me any relief. It's come to the point where I can't tell if my nerves are what is upsetting my stomach or if my upset stomach is what is setting off my nerves. Anyone else with these issues??

And in case anyone reads this before starting Effexor, please please don't use this medication. Try any and/or all other anti-depressants before using Effexor. It may work for your depression, but the side effects highly out weigh the benefits. I'm finding that out the hard way now. I would have never taken this drug if I knew what I would be in for 4 yrs down the road. And I can't help but be upset with our healthcare system when doctor's would actually prescribe this to their patients.

I just got a very condescending private message from a doctor on this site who said that while my articles from Europe are very helpful that I don't know what I am talking about and that I could mislead the public. Then I see how many parents and patients got a condescending attitude from their own doctors.

Well the public has been mislead but it is not my fault. I don't see any experts in this field stepping up to the plate to acknowledge that these side effects exist, have been reported by authorities in other countries, and that these experts are interested in learning why they are happening. This is an extremely widely prescribed medication that involves the lives of millions.

Merck's research director was quoted as saying that they know of no mechanisms by which these side effects could be related to psychiatric adverse drug reactions. That was a flat out LIE. So what if I quoted you a research article from China that was very complicated and yes, could possibly be misinterpreted by somebody? I just needed to give you an example. The only expert so far that had the guts to give you a truthful statement was Dr. J. Douglas Bremner. Thankfully, he corrected a misunderstanding about saying that it was "unclear."

I hope that we will all hang in there and something will be said by somebody, anybody on this site that will make the FDA listen and investigate Singulair (montelukast) all the way back to the very original studies done in test tubes not on people. And, then take a new look at it from the standpoint of what we now know about human genetics. I guess I will keep repeating myself about one size does not fit all.

I would also PRAY that all clinical studies on Singulair (montelukast) would be suspended until the FDA decides why these side effects occur. And that they would issue a statement to doctors to make conservative decisions regarding treatment with Singulair until the results of the investigation have been reported.

I hope that nobody thinks that I am trying to mislead anyone. The answers are either unknown or being hidden by Merck. How would I know the answers? I don't work for Merck. How many other people are out there trying to translate articles in foreign languages to see what's going on? American doctors are calling Merck and being assured that there is nothing to these claims.

I wonder how many experts there are that just don't want to be another Jeffrey Wigand or don't know what is wrong?

I know that I am ranting but somebody should do it.