Reinvention of Statins - a Desperate Measure

[saved from statins]

OK, I get it--heart attacks are caused (at least, in part) by INFLAMMATION.
Statin drugs have an antiinflammatory effect. However, statins frequently have HORRIBLE, PAINFUL, DEBILITATING, sometimes LIFELONG unacceptable side effects. Just what is the medical community (physicians and research entities) offering us in the way of antiinflammatories that protect against heart disease? It seems to me that once the cat was out of the bag about the unacceptable side effects, the greedy drug companies have been desperately trying to reinvent statins. They are suddenly now antiinflammatories. I, for one, am not buying this load of horse manure. I will continue telling the whole truth about statins until my dying breath. I tell everyone and anyone. Unfortunately, I am a nurse, and ethically I cannot discuss this with my patients. I just refer them to the PDR, their pharmacist, and their physician, knowing that chances are they will not get the whole truth. We all deserve to know the entire truth about anything we take into our bodies. It is a legal, ethical and moral issue which has been obfuscated by greed and ignorance. spacedoc.net is a tiny little light of hope shining in the darkness.

[David Staup]

I also try to inform everyone I can and had had much success by putting together a short handout that includes the five faces and quotes from an article in discover mag. from last june titled "wonder drugs that can kill".

I don't understand why you think ethical considerations should stop you from informing your patients here is a brief definition:

Ethics is a major branch of philosophy, encompassing right conduct and good life. It is significantly broader than the common conception of analyzing right and wrong. ...

Does the doctor or facility you work for have a problem with fully informing thier patients or are they intimidated by the drug companies? the research pointing this may not be commonly known but in fact they are the ones, in truth , ethically bound to fully inform thier patients of the potential side effects of any drugs that thier are taking.

were I you I'd find an employer that understands this.

david

[Cat Mom2]

Unethical? How can it be wrong to tell a patient that a drug they are on is causing the problem they are having? I would think it is unethical NOT TO as well as leaving that doctor open to malpractice!

I would tell them to refer to the internet to educate themselves on the whole cholesterol/statin drug thing and simply say, there ARE other options other than drugs! Or would that be unethical too? (Not meaning to be as snippy as it sounds.. I am just asking.)

At least point out to the doctor that whatever that person has could be due to the statin and needs to be reported to the FDA. (Yea, he will love that, huh?)

I just find it amusing that the statin drugs commercials on TV have come to a screetching hault... even those that say "ask your PERSCRIBER if this drug is right for you".. Did your doctor like being called a "PRESCRIBER"? I would be terriably offended if I were a doctor and the drug companies started referring to me like that.