All right — I am married to a man I love and I dearly love my profession. So how could a “boy she has it all” woman like me possibly get depressed?
Mine didn’t look exactly like the criteria laid out in the DSM-IV. I mean, I am not going to sit around for two weeks feeling this way just so I can meet criteria. But other than the two-week bit — I was depressed. I did not want to do much of anything except cry. I could not believe the negative thoughts creeping into my consciousness and I was having a hell of a time pushing them out. I felt sleepy, listless, the whole nine yards.
I did not prescribe myself an antidepressant. I do not think that anybody really believes at this point that a congenital lack of antidepressant has made anybody depressed — ever. Read more on Things to Consider Before Reaching for Antidepressants…
Filed under depression by on Jun 14th, 2012. Comment. 
I’m nowhere near what anyone would call a “News Junkie.” My husband, a former newspaper man, often calls my attention to articles of interest and I see headlines occasionally on various web pages, such as Yahoo or Google. But this type of story seems to come up pretty regularly any more.
Yes, most people in our country are in terrible shape. I probably harp about it more than I need to. But remember what Mark Twain (another newspaper man) once said:
“Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it!” Read more on Who Needs Wonder Drugs? We Have Vitamin C!…
Filed under medicine, News, prescription drugs, weight by on Aug 19th, 2011. Comment.
Why would a pharmaceutical manufacturer want to change a drug from prescription to over the counter (OTC)?
Well, one thing I’ve learned in my lifetime is – When the Question is “WHY?” then the answer is “MONEY.”
In this case, the most obvious reason is more money for pharmaceutical companies. I certainly cannot think of anything — I mean any way shape or form — that can benefit patients.
Oh, sure – in our economically-ignorant country, many people think – “Whee! I can buy any drug I want without spending money on a doctor’s appointment and without having to get a prescription! ”
These people are prime candidates for the Darwin Awards.
Yes, believe it or not, the “RX to OTC Switch” can actually HURT patients.
Drug patents expire relatively quickly, competitors are waiting at the gates with generic equivalents, and when a drug becomes OTC, there is a chance that insurance does not cover it.
This makes insurance companies and government programs (Medicare, Medicaid/Medi-Cal, etc.) very happy. They are so strapped for cash that even paying for a cheaper generic is a strain on the budget. When this kind of money is involved, you can bet that lobbyists are pressuring the government to ease their restrictions so that drugs once considered risky enough to warrant a prescription so that not just anybody can have access will be available to anyone who can walk into a drug store or click on a shopping cart on the web.
Patients will have to pay for OTC meds in cash money and doctors usually do not bother prescribing an equivalent drug. If they do not already know of an equivalent, they will probably — and generally do — just tell a patient to go buy it over the counter.
A patient who cannot afford the drug will go off it.
OK – so what’s the big deal if a cold medicine, allergy remedy or hair-restoring pill is no longer a prescription drug?
Filed under prescription drugs by on Aug 14th, 2011. Comment.