One usually thinks of a doctor as one who gives out prescription – sometimes much too easily.  I’m often known as the doctor who declines to push drugs.

I take these things seriously.  I’ve studied long and hard and know what drugs can do – both positively and negatively.  If the risks outweigh the benefits, I can be down-right stubborn.  However, I’ll always have an alternative that can help.

I’m reminded of one case where a woman wanted Chantix (varenicline) – a prescription medicine FDA approved to help people stop smoking — and I said “No.”  To my knowledge and experience, the drug has some problems. The last patient I saw who was already taking Chantix asked me for a renewal. I told her that the symptoms of which she was complaining would probably disappear completely if she got off the Chantix.  I never saw her a second time. Read more on Its Not Only The Smoking That Can Kill You…