Drug Deaths | 2008

Drug Deaths | 2008 Latest News

Here are the latest news about drug deaths – deaths in 2008 due to ingestion of prescription medication. Prescription Drugs normally considered “safe” by the medical community may have some serious side effects and sometimes cause deaths.

As a matter of policy, we do not repeat the same story from various websites twice to avoid information overload unless the story offers significantly new information on the drug deaths which may be of interest to our readers.

We do not cover deaths due to consumption of narcotic drugs or substance abuse in this page.

Stay informed of side effects on approved medicines and medical procedures. Do not rely solely on your doctors’ advice when taking drug prescriptions. Do your own research, inform prescription drug users and help avoid drug deaths.

Links to news and institutional reports at this site (below) will keep you informed of the latest drug deaths (other than statins and other cholesterol drugs which are covered in another page on this site). This page will be updated almost daily or when there are news-breaking articles posted on the Internet, so use our RSS feed or bookmark us for regular updates.

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Ex-Drug Sales Rep Tells All. Former Eli Lilly Rep Says He Wined and Dined Doctors to Make a Sale. During their five-week training class, Ahari claims that instructors teach sales tactics, including how to exceed spending limits for important clients, being generous with free samples to leverage sales, using friendships and personal gifts to foster a “quid pro quo” relationship, and how to exploit sexual tension. —– (ABC News, 12 March 2008)

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Sanofi diet drug misses mark in heart study. Sanofi-Aventis SA’s weight-loss drug Rimonabant failed to slow heart disease by a key measure in obese patients with fat around the middle, and it significantly raised the risk of anxiety and depression, U.S. researchers said. More than 40 percent of patients who took the drug, sold as Acomplia in Europe, developed psychiatric problems, and one committed suicide, the researchers told an American College of Cardiology meeting in Chicago. Rimonabant is not available in the United States after an expert panel last year recommended against its approval because of concerns over psychiatric risks. —– (Reuters, Apr 1, 2008)

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Drug Makers Near Old Goal: A Legal Shield For years. Johnson & Johnson obscured evidence that its popular Ortho Evra birth control patch delivered much more estrogen than standard birth control pills, potentially increasing the risk of blood clots and strokes, according to internal company documents. More than 3,000 women and their families have sued Johnson & Johnson, asserting that users of the Ortho Evra patch suffered heart attacks, strokes and, in 40 cases, death. From 2002 to 2006, the food and drug agency received reports of at least 50 deaths associated with the drug. —– (New York Times, April 6, 2008)

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Death by Rx (Rx is the symbol for prescription drugs). Instead of cocaine, heroin or methamphetamines — the drugs you were warned about in health class or public service advertisements — these deaths are blamed on drugs produced in corporate pharmaceutical laboratories, marketed to doctors and, in theory, given to people in pain. They are diazepam, alprazalom or opioids, known by other names such as Valium, Xanax, Lortab and OxyContin.While celebrity deaths like Heath Ledger and Anna Nicole Smith draw momentary attention to the problem, they don’t reflect how widespread the epidemic has become.—– (News Journal Online, March 31, 2008)

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10 Deadliest Drugs. Approved by the FDA—but are your meds safe? Critics claim tragic failures like the approval of the painkiller Vioxx, which may have caused up to 100,000 heart attack and stroke deaths, are a direct result of prioritizing speed over safety reviews. So what can you do in the meantime to minimize risk from medications? The first thing is to be an informed consumer and be sure that the drugs you take are necessary and have not been flagged as potentially problematic. For example, the mild opioid drugs Darvon and Darvocet have been found to be no more effective than aspirin—and they can cause heart damage.
Rank – Drug – Type – Deaths 1998-2005
1 – Oxycodone – Prescription opioid painkiller* – 5548
2 – Fentanyl – Prescription opioid painkiller* – 3545
3 – Clozapine – Antipsychotic – 3277
4 – Morphine – Prescription opioid painkiller* – 1616
5 – Acetaminophen – Over-the-counter painkiller – 1393
6 – Methadone - Prescription opioid painkiller*/addiction medication – 1258
7 – Infliximab - Immune-system modulating drug – 1228
8 – Interferon beta – Immune-system modulating drug – 1178
9 – Risperidone – Antipsychotic – 1093
10- Etanercept – Immune-system modulating drug – 1034
Source: Moore TJ et al., Serious Adverse Drug Events Reported to the Food and Drug Administration, 1998-2005, Archives of Internal Medicine, Sept. 10., 2007; 167 (16): 1752-1759 —– (WXii, 24 March 20008)

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FDA Looking At Diabetic Foot Drug and HIV Drugs. The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday it’s conducting a safety review of Regranex, a Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) becaplermin gel approved to treat diabetic foot and leg ulcers after a study suggested the product might increase the risk of cancer-related deaths. The study showed patients who were prescribed Regranex three or more times had an increase in the number of cancer-related deaths compared to those not receiving the product.

Separately, the FDA said it was also looking at HIV drugs, Ziagen, by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), and Bristol-Myers Squibb’s (BMY) Videx to see if the drugs increase the risk for heart attacks. The FDA said an analysis from a recently published study about heart attack risk is “incomplete,” but is currently evaluating the “overall risks and benefits” of the drugs. —–(CNN Money, March 27, 2008)

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Study finds 98% of child drug trials lack independent safety checks. The team found that children experienced adverse effects caused by the drugs in a third of the trials – nearly 37%. In 11%, side-effects were moderate or severe and even sometimes life-threatening. Deaths were highest in trials involving premature babies – who are often very sick. There were also deaths in trials of drugs for infectious diseases, neurology, and respiratory and kidney problems. —– (The Guardian, UK, March 19 2008)

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Adverse Drug Events (ADEs) Result in More than 770,000 Injuries and Deaths Each Year and Cost up to $5.6 Million per Hospital, Depending on Size. —– (Business Wire, March 19, 2008)

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FDA calls Medtronic drug pump warning Class I. Medtronic Inc said on Wednesday that U.S. regulators classified its move to inform physicians about an increase in the rate of inflammatory mass cases in patients receiving drugs through the company’s implantable infusion pumps as a Class I recall. The Food and Drug Administration defines a Class I recall as a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that use of the product will cause injury or death. —– (Reuters, Mar 19, 2008)

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Data shows more deaths with Medtronic’s AneuRx: FDA. “We now calculate, based on the latest information supplied by Medtronic, a mortality rate associated with the initial surgery of 2.3 (percent) instead of the 1.5 (percent) originally calculated for the AneuRx patients,” the FDA said. AneuRx is a stent graft system, which treats artery bulges in the abdomen. Medtronic spokesman Daniel Beach added the deaths cited by the FDA were 13 out of 931 patients the agency studied. Other factors affecting death rates besides the device, including “poor follow-up, patients refusing treatment, and an elderly patient population,” he added. The agency earlier warned of other serious complications in patients receiving the product, including rupture. —– (Reuters, Mar 18, 2008)

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UPDATE 3-US says UCB cough medicine overdose can kill. U.S. health officials warned parents and doctors about Tussionex, the prescription cough medicine, saying it may have fatal side effects if used inappropriately. The FDA said it had received numerous reports of health problems and deaths among children and adults who took Tussionex, which contains the narcotic pain reliever Hydrocodone. Too much hydrocodone can cause life-threatening breathing problems. —– (Reuters, 11 Mar 2008)

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Risks of Anemia Drugs for Patients With Cancer to Get More Scrutiny. On Thursday an advisory committee to the Food and Drug Administration will consider placing further restrictions on use of the medicines — Amgen’s anemia drugs Epogen and Aranesp, and the Johnson & Johnson drug Procrit. All the drugs are synthetic forms of a human hormone called erythropoietin, or Epo, that spurs production of red blood cells. Dr. Anagnostou’s 1990 study was one of the first to suggest a different role for Epo. He was trying to figure out why Epogen caused high blood pressure in some patients. So he put endothelial cells, the type that line blood vessels, into a lab dish and exposed them to Epo. To his surprise the cells were stimulated to proliferate. He commented in his paper that this could possibly spur the formation of blood vessels that would nourish tumors. —– (New York Times, 12 Mar 2008)

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FDA Chief in Very Hot Water with Congress. It now appears that the FDA Chief Andrew von Eschenbach, M.D. has committed perjury before Congress. Unlike Roger Clemens, who also seems to be putting his foot in his mouth before Congress, von Eschenbach´s actions appeared to have allowed unnecessary deaths to Americans –hardly the mission of the FDA. —– (American Chronicle, March 9, 2008)

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Baby’s death puts focus on over-the-counter drugs. After exhausting traditional home remedies to soothe their colicky baby, a Washington state couple tried what they thought was the next best thing: over-the-counter drugs. The couple say they only wanted to help Thomas, who suffered from colic and acid reflux. After searching the Internet for dosing information, they gave their baby small amounts of Benadryl, an antihistamine; Zantac, which reduces stomach acid; and Unisom, a sleeping aid, all diluted in water. —– (Union-Tribune San Diego, March 9, 2008)

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Watchdog voices dismay at failure to police industry. GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) could not be prosecuted for concealing results which proved the antidepressant Seroxat caused children to become suicidal because the law only obliges companies to hand over safety data from trials when drugs are being licensed. That loophole will now be closed. Seroxat is licensed for adults but not for children, even though doctors were prescribing it for up to 8,000 under-18s by 2003. Doctors can prescribe unlicensed drugs on their own responsibility. —– (The Guardian UK, March 07, 2008)

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Drug Company Rapped Over Teen Deaths. Glaxosmithkline submitted information about the drug Seroxat to British regulators in May 2003 – and regulators say they are still “concerned” that GSK could have submitted the information earlier. The information showed the drug Seroxat was ineffective in young people under the age of 18 – and that there was also an increased risk of suicidal behavior. —– (Staff Nurse, March 7th 2008)

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Drug regulator keeps watch on flu drug. Australia’s drug regulator will monitor the safety of the flu drug Tamiflu in the wake of label updates warning of possible delirium and abnormal behavior. US regulators and the pharmaceutical company Roche have warned doctors of psychiatric events, some of which resulted in death, in patients taking the medication. Tamiflu and another drug, Relenza, are used widely to treat influenza A and B viruses in the early stage of infection. Governments worldwide have also been stockpiling both drugs as a first line of defense in case the bird flu virus sparks a human influenza pandemic. —– (The Age, Australia, March 5, 2008)

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FDA requests more safety data on asthma drugs. The drugs, known as long-acting beta agonists, include Glaxo’s Advair and Serevent, Novartis AG’s Foradil, and AstraZeneca Plc’s Symbicort. They are used to treat asthma and other respiratory conditions. Concerns about the class of drugs date back to 2005, when the FDA asked makers to add new warnings that the medicines may increase the risk of asthma-related deaths. Other manufacturers include Mylan Inc, which sells Perforomist, and Sepracor Inc, maker of Brovana —– (Reuters, March 5, 2008)

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Flood of drugs, little oversight. Three patients had become ill after taking the blood-thinning drug Heparin. One had developed the same reaction during a dialysis treatment in November. Minutes after dialysis needles punctured their veins, the boys’ lips and eyelids swelled. Their blood pressure dropped, and their heartbeats raced at dangerous levels. A close look at the FDA’s resources and inspection record paints a picture of an agency struggling to keep pace. Although its officials insist the agency inspects every foreign plant sending medical products to the U.S., the agency’s own data make it appear unlikely. —– (Chicago Tribune, March 2, 2008)

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Savient Updates on Deaths From Trials. Savient Updates on Patient Deaths, Safety Results From Trial With Experimental Drug Puricase. Puricase is intended for use in gout patients who have already failed a prior treatment. The condition, caused by excessive amounts of uric acid, is a severe form of arthritis and causes sudden pain and swelling in joints. —– (CNN Money, February 29, 2008)

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Rezulin suit disruptive, Pfizer tells US high court. Rezulin, a withdrawn diabetes drug first approved in 1996, was pulled from the market in March 2000 after about 100 people who took the medicine (Rezulin) needed liver transplants or died from acute liver failure. —– (Reuters, Feb 25, 2008)

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Controversial sleeping pill faces regulator’s scrutiny. The Therapeutic Goods Administration is looking at whether the controversial sleeping pill Stilnox should be reclassified as drug of abuse. There have been allegations that Stilnox is linked to people sleepwalking to their deaths. The National Drugs and Poisons Committee is meeting in Sydney this week to consider bringing Stilnox into line with more addictive drugs, such as morphine. —– (ABC News, 19 February , 2008)

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Deadly Combinations. The drugs that are killing the most people right now didn’t originate on the street, but with a prescription. Statewide (Florida), prescription drug overdoses caused 1,720 deaths in 2006, up about 40 percent from just three years earlier. In 2007, the state was on a pace of about 2,000 deaths. Prescription opioid painkillers and anti-anxiety drugs mentioned causing these deaths include – Methadone, Xanax, Valium, OxyContin, Oxycodone, Fentanyl —– (St Petersburg Times, February 17, 2008)

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China doesn’t check plants that make U.S. drugs. This week, a Chinese factory was identified as the source of an ingredient linked to a potentially deadly allergic reaction in a blood thinner sold by Deerfield-based Baxter International Inc. Waunakee, Wis.-based Scientific Protein Laboratories owns the factory outside of Shanghai and supplies the active ingredient, derived from an enzyme in pig intestines, in the thinner known as Heparin. Baxter processes, sterilizes and packages the drug for U.S. distribution. Concerns over inspection standards in China’s drug industry are particularly acute at a time when the country has emerged as the top supplier of active ingredients in pharmaceuticals. China also is making a big push into production of generic drugs, a market India has dominated. —– (Chicago Tribune, February 16, 2008)

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Researcher: FDA Was Too Slow On Trasylol. Tells 60 Minutes He Estimates 22,000 Lives Could Have Been Saved. —– (CBS News, 16 Feb 2008)

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Study: GSK vaccine may increase risk of convulsion, death. GlaxoSmithKline’s rotavirus vaccine, called Rotarix, is associated with an increased risk of convulsions and pneumonia-related deaths in children taking it, according to a review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. —– (Triangle Business Journal, February 15, 2008)

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Pain-relief patch recalled due to potentially fatal leak. “Fentanyl (Gel) is a potent opioid analgesic with high desirability as a drug of abuse,” the study concluded. The synthetic opioid is considered several times more potent than heroin. —– (National Post, February 15, 2008)

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Baxter Halts Heparin Production Amid Reactions – an injectable blood thinner.—–(CNN Money, 11 Feb 2008)

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Oxycodone linked to two deaths. Oxycodone is a Schedule II narcotic prescribed as a painkiller for moderate to severe ongoing pain. —–(Courier News, February 11, 2008)

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Methadone Deaths Gain Attention Of Medical Examiners (used to treat heroin addiction). —– (MSNBC, 9 Feb 2008)

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FDA warns of deaths in kids treated with Botox. —– The nine most terrifying words. 100,000 people a year in this country die from pharmaceutical side effects. —– (The Oregonian February 06, 2008)

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GPs have got Britain ‘hooked on painkillers‘· Inquiry slams mis-prescribing of drugs · Doctors ‘ignoring official guidelines’. —– (The Observer, UK, February 10 2008)

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FDA says 23 deaths linked to unapproved drug : injectable anti-gout drug – Colchicine —– (Reuters India, 7 Feb 2008)

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Deaths Halt Part of Large Diabetes Trial : Avandia (rosiglitazone) linked to higher risk of heart attack —— (Washington Post, 6 Feburary 2008)

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Study: Heart attacks, deaths rise after Plavix stopped. —–(Dallas Morning News, February 5, 2008)

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Drug experts tackle trouble with medication names —– (Newsday, 4 February 2008)

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Anti-fungal tablet linked to liver deaths —– (Herald Sun Australia, February 04, 2008)

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Daiichi Sankyo Co.’s drug Injectafer should be sold in the U.S. as a backup treatment for iron deficiency anemia, a panel of U.S. advisers recommended, even though regulators had expressed concern about safety risks. —– (Bloomberg, 2 Feburary 2008)

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More money, less health—–(Baltimore Sun, 29 January 2008)

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Drug-name mix-ups hurt patients, getting worse. The top 10 drugs sold in the United States in 2006 all made the mix-up list—–(Reuters, 29 January 2008)

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Coroner warns against flu drug overdose (Guaifenesin, Dextromethorphan, Ephedrine and Pseudoephedrine). The first one is an expectorant found in cough syrup and the others are decongestants usually found in caplets to cure the flu.—–(OttawaCitizen.com, Canada, 29 January 2008)

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Ambien Linked to 6 UK Fatalities, Possible Suspect in Heath Ledger Death (sleeping pill trade name Zolpidem in the United States & Stilnoct in UK) —–(News Inferno, UK, 28 January 2008)

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Two Women Die After Receiving Cervical Cancer Vaccine - marketed under the name Gardasil, in Germany and Austria, respectively—–(FoxNews, 25 January 2008)

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UPDATE 1-US group wants Botox warning after 16 death reports—–(Reuters, 24 January 2008)

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Is Your Doctor Prescribing Placebos?—–(Time, 3 January 2008)

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Prescription drug deaths double in a decade—–(Telegraph UK, 24 October 2007)

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Watch this interesting video Big Bucks, Big Pharma – Marketing Disease, Pushing Drugs:

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© http://teamrich.wordpress.com 2008 – drug deaths 2008

The Corporation (2004)

The Corporation (2004) | DVD Review

This highly engrossing documentary begs the question – “Can Corporations be Moral in their Pursuit of Profits?” Judging from the state of the environment, the general health of the people and the widening gap of the rich and the poor, we have reasonable cause to worry.

If this is the situation, who is to blame? Is it the Government for not enacting laws to reign in these increasingly aggressive and powerful Corporations? Is it the fault of the Corporations for not acting responsibly? Or is it the general population across the globe for not making responsible choices in the products and services they use?

The problem is a highly complex one and there is no easy solution in the immediate horizon either.

Joe Balkan, a law professor notes that today’s Corporations are “singularly self-interested and unable to feel genuine concern for others in any context.” (pg. 56). This documentary is inspired by the works of Joe Balkan’s book – “The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power” (2004).

Dr. Robert Hare, a consultant to the FBI on psychopaths, draws parallels between a psychopath and the modern Corporation. In the documentary, it is revealed that his findings corroborate the following behavior:

• Callous unconcern for the feelings of others
• Incapacity to maintain enduring relationships
• Reckless disregard for the safety of others
• Deceitfulness: Repeated lying to and deceiving of others for profit
• Incapacity to experience guilt
• Failure to conform to the social norms with respect to lawful behaviors.

To be frank, though the arguments put forth in this DVD documentary may not as forceful as many other recent documentaries (see below), it does nonetheless, reward those who are prepared to sit through a nearly 3 hour exposé on the history and activities of Corporations since the birth of America.

The film touches on a variety of issues, such as sweatshop labor, the world bank, free trade, environmental problems, health and safety problems, corporate media control, anti-trust and monopoly violations, child advertising and corporate propaganda, genetically modified (GM) foods, et cetera.

This documentary is crammed with dense theorizing, it requires concentration, but viewers are rewarded by a thorough and well-argued film which doesn’t feel the need to couch its message in comedy.

Watching this DVD, one cannot help but feel sorry for the anti-Globalization protesters as their frustrations and desperation turn to violence.

The following recent documentaries overlaps some of the topics covered in “The Corporation” documentary:

Al Gore’s “The Inconvenient Truth” (2006),

A Must-See for everyone who is concerned about the environment by Director Davis Guggenheim with Al Gore as the poster boy of global warming. An Inconvenient Truth makes the compelling case that global warming is real, man-made, and its effects will be cataclysmic if we don’t act now. Gore presents a wide array of facts and information in a thoughtful and compelling way: often humorous, frequently emotional, and always fascinating. In the end, An Inconvenient Truth accomplishes what all great films should: it leaves the viewer shaken, involved and inspired.

The documentary won an Oscar Award this year and Al Gore got a Nobel Prize for bringing global warming message to the fore.

Morgan Spurlock’s “Supersize Me” (2003)

Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, rejected five times by the USC film school, won the best director award at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival for “Supersize Me” – a irreverent look at obesity in America and one of its sources – fast food corporations.

Michael Moore’s “Roger & Me” (1989)

When General Motors Chairman, Roger B. Smith closes down a profitable auto factory in his home town, Michael Moore embarks on a journey to interview Roger hence the title “Roger & Me“. Michael Moore’s sharp wit and working class roots endears him to his audience and me as he goes on a quest to find out: “What is Corporate America’s responsibility to the country’s citizens?”. A question no one at GM wants to answer, certainly not Roger.

Eugene Jarecki’s Why We Fight (2006)

Why We Fight is the provocative documentary from acclaimed filmmaker Eugene Jarecki (The Trials of Henry Kissinger) and winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival.
Why We Fight goes far beyond the headlines of various American military campaigns in the last half a century to the deeper questions of why America is seemingly so pre-occupied with war. What are the forces – political, economic, and ideological – that drive America to battle against an ever-changing enemy? This documentary challenges viewers to examine the mechanizations of the secretive and ever persuasive military-industrial complex and its influence on the US government decisions.

Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005)

Based on the best-selling book of the same name by Fortune reporters Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind, this is a multidimensional study of one of the biggest business scandals that rocked Corporate America. The Enron documentary takes a look at one of the greatest corporate disasters in history, in which top executives from the 7th largest company in the USA walked away with over one billion dollars, leaving scores of investors and 20,000 employees with nothing in 2001.

Jamie Johnson’s “Born Rich” (2002).

Jamie Johnson, 20-year-old heir to the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical empire, made this documentary about the lives of the children of the wealthiest families in the world. You would expect these Born Rich children from the elite of our society to have something important to say or do. Or at least get a glimpse of their glamorous lives. Instead, what you get is an insight of the aimless lifestyle of kids Born Rich. Paris Hilton, where are you when we needed you?

If you liked these documentaries, you will certainly like this hard hitting Canadian documentary “The Corporation”. It is a must-see for any one who is concerned about the products they buy and the companies they invest in.

Here are some short streaming video trailers of ‘The Corporation” on YouTube:

Dangers of Genetically Modified (GM) Foods:

Please visit our new movie review blog: goingtomovies for the latest movie reviews and the most anticipated movies for 2008 and beyond.

© http://teamrich.wordpress.com – the corporation

Statin | Side Effects

Statins | Side Effects

Below are links to more reputable and reliable Reports issued by the Major News Media, Government and Institutional organizations on the Side Effects of Statins and Diabetes Drugs. As a matter of policy, we do not repeat the same story from various websites twice to avoid information overload unless the story offers significantly new information on Statins and related drugs side effects.

This page on Statins Side Effects is updated almost daily or when there are reliable, news-breaking Statins side effects articles posted on the Internet, so subscribe to our RSS or bookmark us for regular updates:

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For 2008 News Reports on Statins Side Effects, please click on this link

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Pfizer hit by whistleblower lawsuit on Lipitor…..(Web MD, December 21, 2007)

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Studies tracking Ezetimibe safety never published…..(New York Times, December 21, 2007)

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Zetia marketers never fully revealed liver risks: …..(NY Times, December 21, 2007)

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Pfizer Is Sued Over Lipitor Marketing…..(Wall Street Journal, December 20, 2007)

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Cholesterol drugs won’t be sold over the counter. FDA panel rejects bid for nonprescription Statin sales for the third time.…. (MSNBC, 13 December 2007)

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Consumer’s Union Opposes Merck’s Application for OTC Cholesterol Drug Mevacore…..(Source: “Consumers Union Opposes Over-The-Counter Cholesterol Drug” prnewswire, 13 December 2007)

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Lipitor Linked to Bleeding After Stroke…..(Web MD, 12 December 2007)

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Scientists Identify Gene Responsible for Statin-Induced Muscle Pain. Approximately five years ago, the study’s co-senior author Stewart Lecker, MD, PhD, and colleagues in the HMS laboratory of Alfred Goldberg, MD, first discovered the atrogin-1 gene, so named for its role in muscle atrophy. “We learned that atrogin-1 is rapidly turned on in wasting muscle,” explains Lecker, who is an investigator in the Division of Nephrology at BIDMC and Assistant Professor of Medicine at HMS. Muscle wasting occurs in a large number of disease states, including cancer, AIDS, and kidney disease and can also occur when muscles are underused due to injury or lack of exercise. “In the absence of atrogin-1 activation,” he adds, “muscle atrophy is diminished.” —– (Newswise, 27 Nov 2007)

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Statin drugs side effects like Enhance, Zetia, Vytorin, Lipitor, Zucor, etc.…. (New York Times, 11 November 2007)

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Relationship Between Statins And Cognitive Decline More Complex Than Thought….. (ScienceDaily, November 8, 2007)

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Sleepless? Maybe it’s your Statin…..(Reuters, November 7, 2007)

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Rosiglitazone (Avandia) – A commonly-prescribed drug for type 2 diabetics may increase the risk of brittle bone disease, say researchers.Bayer Trasylol (heart surgery drug) trial halted (because of increased risk of death from bleeding), FDA advises doctors….. (Reuters, 25, October 2007)

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Long-term risk of cardiovascular events with Rosiglitazone: used to treat Type 2 Diabetes….. (Jama, 12 September 2007)

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More Studies Cast Doubt on Safety of Diabetes Drug – Avandia….. (New York Times, 12 September 2007)

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Expert: Certain drugs like Lovastatin can effect sexual energy….. (AZ Central, 19 September 2007)

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Statin Drugs Side Effects Up.….(Huffington Post, 12 September 2007)

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FDA Moves To Shut Down Red Yeast Rice Distributors Online….. (News Target.com, 20 September 2007)

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Statins! The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly….. (American Chronical, 26 Sept 2007)

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Drug Company-Funded Statin Studies Biased.…. (Epoch Times, 10 Sept 2007)

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Another benefit of Statins? Not so fast…(CNN, 28 August 2007)

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Taking Statins may increase cancer risk…..(The Times, 24 July 2007).

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Effect of Rosiglitazone on the Risk of Myocardial Infarction and Death from Cardiovascular Causes…..(New England Journal of Medicine, 14 June 2007).

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Statin Therapy Associated With Regression Of Coronary Atherosclerosis With Key Lipid Level Changes…..(ScienceDaily, Feburary 9, 2007)

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Statins less effective for women: Study…..(Canadian Press, January 29, 2007)

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Statin heart drugs are linked to Parkinson’s Disease..…(The Times January 15, 2007)

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Statin drugs expose patients to dangerous, debilitating side effects – Lipitor….. (News Target, 8 Jan 2007)

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Statins may not cut colon cancer risk…..(Los Angeles Times, January 8, 2007)

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Statins: Side effects of anti-cholesterol drugs questioned.…. (Daily Mail, 27 September 2006)

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Survey Finds Physicians Often Dismiss Complaints About Drugs’ [like Lipitor and Zucor] Side Effects.…. (Washington Post, 28 August 2007)

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Experts question use of Statins among elderly…..(Guardian Unlimited, August 10, 2007)

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A Downside of Statins?…..(U.S. News & World Report, July 29, 2007)

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New Study To Test Statin-Parkinson’s Link…..(ScienceDaily, January 18, 2007)

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Statin statistics…..(New Scientist, 4 November 2006)

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Patients Can Report Statins’ Adverse Effects On New Web Site….(ScienceDaily, September 18, 2006)

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Doctors Refuse to accept Statins’ Side Effects.…. (Second Opinion, 11 September 2006)

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Statins Could Cause Legal Headaches. Pfizer insists that Lipitor’s safety record “is very well established”…..(Business Week, August 14, 2006)

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High Doses of Statins Carry Dangers, Swedish Report Says….. (News Target, 14 July 2006)

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Pfizer Sued Over Lipitor’s Alleged Side Effects.…. (The Wall Street Journal, 8 June 2006)

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Pfizer sued over alleged Lipitor side effects.…. (CNN Money, 8 June 2006)

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Pfizer sued by two men over Lipitor side effects. Anti-cholesterol drug caused lasting muscle damage, lawsuits claim…. (MSNBC, 9 June 2006)

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THE LEAN PLATE; Paring down diet can cut need for Statins..…(Los Angeles Times, Apr 3, 2006)

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New studies discount Statins as cancer protection…..(USA Today, 1 March 2006)

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What is the Side Effects of Statins.…. (UK National Library of Health [NLH, NHS], 31 January 2006)

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Statins: A risk to your baby?…..(USA Today, 1 December 2005)

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Statins don’t help severely ill diabetics…..(Charlotte Observer (NC), 21 July, 2005)

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Statins May Not Fight Dementia…..(FoxNews, July 12, 2005)

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Statins fail to hold off Alzheimer’s in study…..(USA TODAY, 7 November 2005)

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Crestor (Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2005)

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Death May Be Rare Side Effect Common to All Cholesterol-Lowering Statins – Crestor.…. (The Observer, 16 Jan 2005)

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Should Healthy People Take Cholesterol Drugs?…..(Web MD, December 16, 2004)

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Risk Of Muscle-damaging Disorder Low For Most Commonly Prescribed Statin Drugs…..(ScienceDaily, December 8, 2004)

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Baycol Pulled Drug Too Late…..(Associated Press, 23 November 2004)

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Statins’ Side Effects Under Fire. Some Docs Say Statin Guidelines Should Get Independent Review, – Zucor…. (CBS News, 11 October 2004)

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Coalition Says 2nd Look at Statin Use Needed…..(Los Angeles Times, September 24, 2004)

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Statin-fortified drinking water?…..(BBC News, 1 August 2004)

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Don’t Focus on Statins Alone…..(Washington Post, July 20, 2004)

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Seeking a Fuller Picture of Statins…..(New York Times, 20 July 2004)

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Statins’ Mind-Boggling Effects – Lipitor.…. (CBS News, 24 May 2004)

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For decades the advice has been to cut cholesterol Now some doctors think it makes no difference…..(The Guardian, April 6, 2004)

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Group seeks ban of latest Statin because of muscle side effect…..(USA Today, 3 April 2004)

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Statin Face-Off…..(CNN Time,, November. 24, 2003)

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You Want Statins With That?…..(Newsweek, 15 September 2003)

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Forget The Statins…..(Forbes, 14 August 2003)

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Just how many people with Statin Side Effects.…. (Rx List, the Internet Drug Index, 8 February 2003)

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Statins‘ Nerve Problems; Lipid Drugs Linked to Rare Neurological Ills…..(Washington Post, 3 September 2002)

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Study links Statins to nerve damage…..(Washington Post, September 10, 2002)

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Statin side effect rare, but be aware…..(USA TODAY, 18 August 2002)

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Statin Drugs May Increase Risk Of Peripheral Neuropathy…..(Science Daily, 15 May 2002)

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Your Child’s First Statin Merck’s Mevacor (lovastatin) — but Does He Need It?…..(Washington Post, May 7, 2002)

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The Safety of Statins Weighed After Recall…..(Philadelphia Inquirer, The (PA), 27 August 2001)

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Group wants tougher warning on Statins…..(CNN, 20 August 2001)

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Cerivastatin, a popular cholesterol-lowering drug voluntarily withdrawn from the market after the deaths of 31 patients…..(Washington Post, 10 August 2001)

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Are Statins Right for You?…..(CNN Time, 30 October 2000)

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Study: Cholesterol Drugs Cause Cancer In Rats Effect Of Statins, Fibrates Observed In Research Tests…..(The Herald, (Biloxi, MS), 3 January 1996)

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Why take the risk of side effects from Statin drugs when there is a clinically proven, safe, natural alternative to Statins? Find out more.

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© http://teamrich.wordpress.com 2007 – statin drugs side effects

The Secret to Success | Happiness

The Secret to Success and Happiness:

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Be Positive

Being Positive helps you to cope with Stress. People who are positive have better control of their lives and consequently better at Problem Solving and Creative Thought Processes.

Avoid Stress.

Stress ranks number 2, after the consumption or exposure of certain kinds of foods and harmful substances, as the major cause of heart disease and cancer. Studies showed that people with good Stress Management Strategies or who generally have a Happy Predisposition are generally less likely to suffer from heart attacks.

Managing Stress.

Reducing Stress helps to build up your immunity system resulting in less frequent bouts of coughs and colds etc.

Symptoms of Stress include:

• Eating problems.
• Muscle aches and pain.
• Headaches.
• Memory problems.
• Mood Swings.
• Difficulty in Thinking clearly and Making Good Decisions.
• Insomnia.
• Lack of Energy.
• Chest pain, irregular heartbeat.
• High blood pressure or Hypertension.
• Weight problems.
• Asthma or shortness of breath.
• Skin problems.
• Decreased sex drive.

Think (and more importantly, Visualize) Positive Things You Want in Your Life.

In the Visualization Technique, you use Mental Imagery and Positive Thinking to achieve your Goals. When you repeatedly and intensely reflect on the thoughts, images and feelings associated with your goals, you begin accept the fact that the goal can, not only be achieved, but that it is fait accompli. This strong conviction that you can 100% achieve your goals, allows you to open your mind and notice in your everyday life the information, guidance, ideas, insights, and inspirations that will make your goals a reality. With preparedness of mind, you will be ready, and more importantly have the courage, to seize opportunities that may come your way. Your resolve will be hard to break and no one will be able to stop you from your predestination. You will be mentally prepared to pay the price to make your goal a reality as success is seldom a free lunch.

It is similar to the Concept of Prayer where you believe that the Almighty will intercede and make your Prayers come true because of your strong Faith in Him. In prayer too, you will have a price to pay as a weak prayer equals a weak Divine Intervention or even no Intervention at all.

Avoid Reading, Watching or Listening to depressing News, Movies and Music.

Although such news or entertainment may not impact on you directly, it has a way of creeping into your sub-conscious mind and weighing down on your thought process and consequently on the way you are likely to think or behave. It can also result in mood swings.

Some pop, rock, rap music may seem like love songs. But in reality, they are sometimes about committing suicide or even murder. Genres like metal, punk, emo rock and rap music have a preoccupation with such themes.

One famous example is the song called “Without You” which was widely covered by many well known artistes including Mariah Carey, Air Supply, Clay Aiken. The song was number one Billboard hits for Harry Nilsson (1971) and Mariah Carey (1994). Coincidentally, Mariah Carey’s “Without You” was released just one week after Harry Nilsson died of a heart attack at the age of 52. Mariah Carey suffered a nervous breakdown in 2002 as a result of a failed relationship. Clay Aiken recorded “Without You” and “Invisible” after his success in “American Idol”. His “claymates” deserted him when he confessed he was gay.

The song was originally written and recorded by the Beatles’ protégés – the “Badfinger” in 1970. The chorus of Badfinger’s “Without You”:

“I can’t live, if living is without you
I can’t give, I can’t give anymore
I can’t live, if living is without you
I can’t give, I can’t give anymore”

trademarked their preoccupation with loss, grief, regret and hopelessness. The two creative members of Badfinger (Pete Hams & Tom Evans) who wrote the song subsequently committed suicide by hanging in what was one of the most bizarre and heartbreaking stories in the annals of pop music. During their brief career, the band received much critical acclaim and their music shone like a brilliant beacon in the bleak landscape of the post-Beatles period. Badfinger was hailed as the successors to the Beatles throne and was expected to be the standard bearers of pop music now littered with the corpses of rock icons of the late 60s. Alas, this was not to be. Badfinger themselves fell victim to the excesses of the 70s. Badfinger’s financial problems with their manager and the consequent legal entanglements made the lawyers the only ones who were enriched by their work. These plus their pessimistic outlook in life made them one of rock and roll’s most famous tragic stories. It is interesting to note that Badfinger’s biggest hit, a Paul McCartney of the Beatles song “Come and Get It” predicted their financial problems to come:

“…..Did I hear you say that there must be a catch?

Will you walk away from a fool and his money?

If you want it, here it is
Come and get it
But you better hurry ’cause it’s going fast…..”

They could have recovered from their financial loss by writing new songs. But instead, they chose to immortalize their grief.

The band got their name from a John Lennon demo song called “Bad Finger Boogie” (an early version of “With A Little Help From My Friends“). John Lennon alluded to playing piano with “his bad finger” ie. playing piano with his middle finger after hurting his forefinger. John Lennon was shot dead by a crazed fan in 1980 because he wanted “to steal John Lennon’s fame”. John Lennon wrote a tongue-in-the-cheek Beatles song “Happiness is a Warm Gun” which was unfortunately highly fatal for him. This cautionary tale of Badfinger and Lennon tells us to Be Careful What We Wish For, for we could get it – but not in the way we had intended.

Slow Down and Learn to Enjoy Life.

Learn to smell the roses.

Enjoy the sunset.

Partake in little pleasures that do not have harmful side effects.

Pursue a hobby with a consuming passion.

Pray or meditate a little.

Read, Watch or Listen to inspirational works.

Focus on the Important Aspects of Your Life - like health.

Don’t let the grind of your daily life wear you down. Take more breaks or simply take more time to have happy thoughts by yourself or with the ones you love. Have Vacations that do not burn a hole in your pocket or leave you more tired than reinvigorated.

Learn to Laugh.

Laughter is the best medicine. Be excessively and unreasonably happy. When you laugh heartily, you take in more oxygen and increase nature’s very own anti-oxidant in your body.

“When we laugh, natural killer cells which destroy tumors and viruses increase, along with Gamma-interferon (a disease-fighting protein), T-cells (important for our immune system) and B-cells (which make disease-fighting antibodies). As well as lowering blood pressure, laughter increases oxygen in the blood, which also encourages healing.” – “Science of Laughter” Discovery Health Website.

There is lots of research to back up my advice:

• Laughter activates the Immune System
• Laughter reduces the Stress Hormones (or stressors)
• Laughter relaxes the Muscles
• Laughter reduces Pain
• Laughter increases Blood Flow as much as exercise does
• A Cheerful Disposition can lengthen your Lifespan, regardless of age, weight, or smoking habits
• Laughter helps Diabetics process Blood Sugar better
• Positive Temperament can help you see Life’s Bigger Picture

Research shows that laughter creates bonding within a group. So laugh in a group, it’s contagious. Share this YouTube video with others and strengthen bonds of friendship.

How to Make Yourself Laugh

1. Laugh at Yourself
2. Laugh with Others
3. Make Fun of Your Fears
4. Remember A Hilarious Moment
5. Look for Light Hearted Things in Everyday Life
6. Collect Joke Books
7. Watch a Funny Movie or Video

Don’t Watch This YouTube video If You Don’t Want To Laugh.

Learn to Be Grateful.

Show outward manifestations of Gratitude. Say “Thank You” more often. Write and send more “thank you” notes. You will make at least two people happy – yourself and the recipient of your “thank you”. Say thank you and most of the time you be rewarded with a smile. That said, you should be warned that some people are incapable of saying “thank you” or giving a smile. But don’t let that discourage you. You’ve done good. Give yourself a pat in the back. You are on the way to Success and Happiness.

Statin Drugs | Side Effects

Statin Drugs | Side Effects (stated by manufacturers)

Tips on how you can find out what are the Side Effects of various Statin drugs on Users.

Drug Packaging Materials

Statin drug manufacturers are required, by law, to state, on their promotional literature and in their product boxes or packaging, the possible side effects of their drugs on users.

Often times, the packaging is not even given to patients and therefore the users are not fully aware of the dangers of using Statin drugs.

In Dr Ray D. Strand excellent book Death by Prescription, Dr Strand describes prescription drugs as dangerous drugs that is why the law states that it must be prescribed only by a medical doctor who has to follow the prescribing instructions strictly and take immediate action should there be complications from the drug usage. It may usually have a long list of side effects, some known and some unknown – especially newer medications – says Dr Ray. Users of such drugs have to be monitored continuously and the risk of adverse drug reactions is always a possibility however small the risk is said to be.

If you are a statin drug user, it is advisable that you go through the list of side effects (though reportedly of low risk, according to the manufacturers) but which may hold a risk to you if you fall within the risk profile mentioned in the statin drugs company’s literature. If you are not sure the prescribed statin drug will put you at risk, seek a second opinion particularly with a doctor who practices a more holistic approach towards the treatment of the heart disease or at least a doctor who is more familiar with the side effects of statins and its risk to you based on your medical history.

Subscribe to our RSS or bookmark this page to keep updated on new developments on Statins and its side effects.

Links to Official Websites giving Statins Side Effects

Below are the links to the big 3 Pharmaceutical Companies whose statins are widely used by doctors to treat heart diseases worldwide:

Simcor (niacin/simvastatin) – Abbott Laboratories

Lipitor: (atorvastin calcium) – Pfizer Pharmaceutical Co.

Zucor (simvastatin) – Merck & Co Inc

Pravachol (pravastatin sodium) / Mevalotin– Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.

Lescol, Canef (fluvastatin sodium) – Novartis

Mevacor, Altocor (lovastatin) - Merck & C. Inc (Wikipedia: In 1998, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) placed a ban on the sale of dietary supplements derived from red yeast rice, which naturally contains lovastatin, arguing that products containing prescription agents require drug approval).

Mevastatin – Pharmg Kb (Naturally-occurring compound. Found in red yeast rice. Mevastatin is not used in therapy of hyperlipidemias because of multiple side effects but it is the only source for production of other statin – pravastatin (Source: Wikipedia).

Livalo (pitavastatin) – Kowa Pharmaceuticals, Tokyo (The manufacturer’s site is in Japanese – see Wikipedia and other sites for side effects)

Crestor (rosuvastatin) – AstraZeneca

Lipobay, Baycol (cerivastatin) – Bayer Pharmaceutical Division (withdrawn from the market because of adverse side effects) (see Wikipedia.org, Drugs.com and other sites)

Other Drugs (Fibrates, Sartan, etc) Used to Treat High Cholesterol, Diabetes and their Side Effects (as stated by the Manufacturer):

- TriCor (fenofibrate)
- Vytorin (ezetimibe and simvastatin)
- Caduet (amlodipine and atorvastatin)
- Aprovel/Avapro (IrbeSartan)(angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), AT1-receptor antagonists or sartans)
- Diovan/Co-Diovan (ValSartan)
- Cozaar/Hyzaar (LoSartan)
- Micardis (TelmiSartan (Systemic)
- Atacand (CandeSartan)
- Benicar/Olmetec (OlmeSartan medoxomil)

- Norvasc (Amlodipine besylate)
- Adalat (Nifedipine)
- Altace/Delix/Tritace (Ramipril)
- Accupril (Quinapril hydrochloride)
- Coreg (Carvedilol)
- Seloken/Toprol-XL
- Lotrel (amlodipine besylate and benazepril hydrochloride)

If you are taking any other statin medication mentioned above, you can check for yourself what side effects they may have by going to Search Engines like Google, Yahoo, Live Search (MSN) etc and type “the name of the statin drug you are taking” and then add word “side effects” next to it and look for particular statin drug manufacturer’s “Official Site”. Then look for the side effects page or page equivalent to “Doctor’s Prescribing Instructions“.

Statin Companies + Doctors

You can get some interesting articles on the relationship between statins companies and doctors by searching “statin companies + doctors“.

Also see videos on YouTube (below).

Those interested in this subject are recommended to read Dr Ray D. Strand’s (M.D.) excellent book “Death by Prescription“. Learn the shocking truth behind an OVERMEDICATED nation.

Get the latest news about statin drugs, its side effects etc with this link.

Statin drug lawsuits

Another useful source of fairly reliable information on statin drugs side effects are the online news media reports (eg. newspapers, TV broadcasters etc). They usually report pending or past litigation cases against the pharmaceutical companies or statins users’ experiences with a particular drug. Search “statin drugs lawsuits”.

 

Determining Statin Side Effects from Personal Observations

Until statistics (not sponsored or commissioned by pharmaceutical companies) on the side effects of statin drugs are published, we will never really know the true impact of long term use of statins on the user’s health. You can guess its side effects simply by observing the health of long term users of statin drug users around you, particularly family members as they probably may have the same risk profile as you due to genetic and dietary factors.

 

 

More Links to authoritive sites providing press and institutional reports on the Side Effects of Statins and Diabetes drugs

Back to Bios Life Business Franchise Model.

More Cholesterol

Featured Videos from YouTube:

“Money Talks: Profits Before Patient Safety” Video:

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