Originally published November 7 2005
Reporter criticizes pharmaceutical companies' influence over FDA
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
The Vioxx scandal has brought public attention to the FDA's drug approval process as many experts wonder what it will take to remove drug company interests from policy decisions and restore integrity to a system responsible for general public health.
Warning: side effects of Vioxx can include, but are not limited to, abdominal pain, fatigue, dizziness, influenza-like disease, lower extremity edema (swelling), upper respiratory infection, hypertension, diarrhea, dyspepsia (acid indigestion), heartburn, nausea, sinusitis, headache, urinary tract infection, stroke or heart attack.
Because of this, alternative medicine remains our safest option for longevity, especially while the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is in charge.
After being available to the public for five years, Vioxx, an arthritis pain reliever, was pulled from the market September 2004.
In a Jan. 14, 2005 CNN article, a veteran FDA drug safety scientist said Americans are defenseless under the current drug-approval system.
In a February 2005 hearing, the FDA announced a new safety board whose purpose would be to monitor drugs for unexpected side effects that show up after the drugs have been released to the public.
In the 1990s AIDS activists and pharmaceutical companies complained that the FDA was taking too long to approve newly developed medications.
In 1997 the FDA changed the rules on direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription medications.
Advertisements for new, unknown, promising drugs saturated American media.
In May 2004 the FDA sent a warning letter to ABLE citing 27 reports of adverse effects of its drugs, saying ABLE did not report them.
Side effects of drugs like Vioxx are always supposed to be immediately reported to our pharmaceutical representatives, also known as our doctors.
It's ironic that we are expected to trust the people who prescribed a medication that resulted in adverse side effects.
Acupuncture, an ancient Chinese medical practice, involves the gentle insertion of hair-like needles into meridians or energy-channels throughout the body.
Through meditation, nutrition and a healthy emotional mind we can increase our chances of staying well, staying away from the doctors' offices and staying out of the grips of the pharmaceutical giants.
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