| Having a chronic illness makes one look at | | | | stuck pig." He said that the drug helped thicken |
| doctors, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies and | | | | my blood. |
| the FDA differently. They are not infallible and | | | | Okay, now I'm not a medical professional, but it |
| none of them have my best interests in mind as | | | | seemed reasonable to me that if the drug was |
| much as I do. That's not a jaded opinion, it's a | | | | causing my blood to thicken, then it could certainly |
| fact, proven by the treatments or lack thereof | | | | have been responsible for people having blood |
| that I have received in my journey with | | | | clots, strokes and heart attacks. It certainly |
| fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and depression. | | | | explained why, when I bumped my hand (with the |
| I took one anti-inflammatory for quite a while for | | | | permanently thinned skin due to having had |
| my pain, and really had no idea that it was among | | | | steroid and cortisone injections for my back), that |
| the drugs in the midst of lawsuits for heart | | | | the blood did not flow from the wound, but |
| problems. Then I had my first of two chest pain | | | | merely pooled around it. |
| incidents that sent me to the emergency room. | | | | I insisted on having another anti-inflammatory. |
| (My chest pains turned out to be spasms of my | | | | Since then, I have learned that many of the |
| veins and arteries, something I didn't discover until | | | | NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) are |
| after the second emergency room visit, a heart | | | | thought to cause heart problems. They certainly |
| catheterization and a scheduled, but not | | | | do affect my digestive system, and today, unless |
| completed, angioplasty.) | | | | I have a new injury (like when I fell and hurt my |
| After the first chest pains, emergency room visit, | | | | wrist), I don't take them regularly. |
| overnight stay and subsequent arguments | | | | Yes, I have learned to research any drugs I am |
| between the emergency room doctor, cardiologist | | | | prescribed. |
| on staff and my personal physician about whether | | | | I am quite perturbed at the regular news media |
| my problems were related to my heart or my | | | | for not stepping forward to warn us when drugs |
| gall bladder, I started researching all of the drugs I | | | | come under question. I was amazed that one of |
| was taking. That's when I discovered that Vioxx | | | | the morning shows spent time commenting about |
| had been recalled and Celebrex was under | | | | the commercial about a prescription medication, |
| investigation for having caused strokes and heart | | | | but did not bother to give any information about |
| attacks. | | | | what side affects that drug might have. |
| When I asked my knee specialist about these | | | | I also know not to take any one media source |
| investigations, his response was, "Oh, all drugs end | | | | seriously, even when it is one singing out about |
| up in lawsuits. As soon as they hit the market, | | | | the horrors of medicine and politics. Still, if you |
| some lawyers drum up a few people who had | | | | have never read any of Devvy Kidd's writings, |
| problems and start a class action suit." Huh? | | | | you might be interested in what she has to say |
| He didn't want to change my medications, not | | | | today about deaths and serious problems with |
| because I would benefit by taking the one he | | | | one new drug that has seen a lot of commercial |
| prescribed over any other anti-inflammatory, but | | | | and news time. |
| because it was better for him. What??? Yes, | | | | Here is her article: |
| that's what he explained. He said that if I had to | | | | Kidd talks about many drugs. She mentions drugs |
| have further knee surgery, because I was taking | | | | for diabetes, pain, Parkinson's, and stomach |
| this particular drug, , I would not "bleed like a | | | | problems, and others. |