New Alternative Medicine article

[Guest guest]

The anti-alternative medicine camp is at it again, with new headlines popping up

today referring to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) as " unorthodox "

and " mystical mumbo jumbo " . (see recent article in the Idaho Statesman) The

implication is that CAM therapies are not only unorthodox and unapproved, but

also dangerous. This is a change from some other recent posts siting NCCAM

reports that the alternative therapies, studied by the National Institutes of

Health (NIH) department of complementary and alternative medicine, are nothing

more than ineffective placebos. So in the space of about a week, alternative

medicine went from placebo to something dangerous that should be avoided at all

costs. Interesting.

 

More remarkable are reports now not only questioning the validity of homeopathy,

but also placing it in the " potentially harmful " category after the recent Zicam

scare. Although not all papers are making the distinction, it is important to

note that the harmful effects of certain Zicam products were linked to the

ingredient zinc gluconate, and not any of the homeopathic medicines.

(Incidentally, homeopathic remedies have been regulated by the FDA since 1938)

However, one source, the Statesman Journal, even links homeopathic medicines to

everything from vomiting to attempted suicide! Sounds like a pretty fantastic

claim about a medicine that is supposedly nothing more than a sugar pill. Not

too unlike the ridiculous claims of demon possession and " bewitching " suffered

by three young girls back in Salem, Massachusetts at the end of the 17th

century. If these unorthodox and mystical therapies are paradoxically both

ineffective and harmful at the same time, perhaps the real question is, " are FDA

approved drugs, therefore, more safe? " Let's examine a few facts from the FDA

website:

 

Leukotriene Inhibitors: Montelukast (marketed as Singulair), Zafirlukast

(marketed as Accolate), and Zileuton (marketed as Zyflo and Zyflo CR)- The FDA

has issued a warning about neuropsychiatric events seen with use of these drugs.

" The reported neuropsychiatric events include postmarket cases of agitation,

aggression, anxiousness, dream abnormalities and hallucinations, depression,

insomnia, irritability, restlessness, suicidal thinking and behavior (including

suicide), and tremor " .

Stimulant Medications used in Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity

Disorder - Communication about an Ongoing Safety Review. Products involved

include: Focalin, Focalin XR (dexmethylphenidate HCl ); Dexedrine, Dexedrine

Spansules, Dextroamphetamine ER, Dextrostat (dextroamphetamine sulfate); Vyvanse

(lisdexamfetamine dimesylate); Desoxyn (methamphetamine); Concerta, Daytrana,

Metadate CD, Metadate ER, Methylin, Methylin ER, Ritalin, Ritalin-LA, Ritalin-SR

(methylphenidate); Adderall, Adderall XR (mixed salts amphetamine); Cylert

(pemoline) and generics. - The FDA is warning pediatricians and other healthcare

professionals about the potential risks of these medications, and " compared the

use of stimulant medications in 564 healthy children from across the United

States who died suddenly to the use of stimulant medications in 564 children who

died as passengers in a motor vehicle accident.The study authors concluded that

there may be an association between the use of stimulant medications and sudden

death in healthy children " .

Cefepime (marketed as Maxipime) Update of Ongoing Safety Review - In another

startling report, the " FDA notified healthcare professionals that it has

finished its analysis of a possible risk of higher death with cefepime, an

antibiotic, following publication of a study that suggested a higher rate of

death in patients treated with this drug, as compared to patients treated with

similar drugs " .

Vioxx (a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that was approved by FDA

in May 1999) - It is well known that Merck voluntarily pulled Vioxx from the

market in 2004 after the Data Safety Monitoring Board found " an increased risk

of cardiovascular events (including heart attack and stroke) in patients on

Vioxx compared to placebo, particularly those who had been taking the drug for

longer than 18 months " .

And from the " MedWatch - What's New " page of the FDA website:

 

Propylthiouracil- Risk of serious liver injury, including liver failure and

death, associated with the use of propylthiouracil in adult and pediatric

patients. Posted 06/04/2009

Simponi (golimumab) - Risk of serious fungal infections associated with TNF-á

blockers, including Simponi (golimumab). Posted 05/28/2009

Digoxin, USP 0.125 mg, Digoxin, USP 0.25 mg (Caraco brand)- UPDATE - Recall due

to variance in amount of active ingredient. (UPDATED 05/12/2009)

Tarceva (erlotinib) - May 2009 Dear Healthcare Professional letter issued to

warn about GI perforation, exfoliative skin conditions and corneal

perforation/ulceration. (Posted 05/08/2009)

Just to name a few...

 

In the above examples, the FDA does make it clear that it continues to study

these drugs to determine their safety for the public. However, the public may

not find that very reassuring. Other drugs that have come under scrutiny for

their dangerous side effects include: Lipitor, Fosomax, Reclast, Oxycodone

(Percocet), among others.

 

The following video from 60 minutes on Aspartame gives a glimse of the FDA

approval process and leaves one questioning how it is that some drugs get

approved even though there are documented dangerous side effects:

 

 

Thanks,

Tracey Planinz