Prolia: Another Wonder Drug that Wasn't (2015 Article)

On 17 May 2017, the Swiss newspaper Tribune de Genève published an article on the side-effects of denosumab (Prolia), a medication widely prescribed in Switzerland against osteoporosis. Swissmedic, the Swiss drug authority, has just issued a warning that this new medication could provoke "multiple spontaeneous vertebral fractures" when treatment is stopped. Switzerland is one of the first countries to signal this. Some 10,000 persons in Switzerland are being treated with this medication.

Prolia: Another wonder drug that wasn't
by Martha Rosenberg, Center for Health Journalism Member Blog, 20 March 2015

Monkeys developed tooth and jaw abscesses and two died of protozoal infections. Human subjects developed cervical, ovarian, pancreatic, gastric and thyroid cancers and breast cancer was the "most common adverse event that led to discontinuation" in trials. Adverse event?

Ten people were hospitalized with the skin infection cellulitis during trials and one died.

Interview with the Author of « Big Pharma, An All-powerful Industry that Toys with Our Health »

I am currently reading "Big Pharma", a very revealing book about the ways in which the pharmaceutical industry is toying with our health.  The Nouvel Observateur interviewed the author, Mikkel Borch-Jacobsen, on the parts of the book about the drug "misinformation" on the Internet and environmental pollution of medications. (The book is not yet available in English.)

"For information on health, the Internet is completely unreliable"
by Anne Crignon , Nouvel Observateur , 29 September 2013 (translated from French by the Editor of this blog)

Mikkel Borch-Jacobsen publishes "Big Pharma". Interview.


Mikkel Borch-Jacobsen, 20 July, at his home in Paris, the day he finished "Big Pharma". Born in 1951 of Danish parents, MIKKEL BORCH-JACOBSEN grew up in Strasbourg and studied philosophy in France, where he defended his doctoral thesis before a jury which included Derrida, Levinas and Lacoue-Labarthe. He left for the United States in 1986, where he currently teaches literature at the University of Washington in Seattle.

In "Big Pharma", Mikkel Borch-Jacobsen… has asked a group of Anglo-Saxon authors to refine his study of a milieu that he has been scrutinizing for the past ten years: the pharmaceutical industry.

BibliObs: There is a debate in France. Some believe that we are now in an era of medical misinformation or manipulation by prescribers, scientific knowledge being "in the hands of” drug manufacturers; and those who complain are often perceived as Manichaean accusers. Has medical knowledge been corrupted?

How to Reduce Cholesterol Levels by Natural Means

Too many doctors write a prescription for statins for their patients the moment they see cholesterol levels that are too high. This was the case with my (now former) family doctor. I told him, “Give me a few months to change eating habits, and the levels will be lower”. We must challenge our doctors’ recommendations because sometimes medications can be more harmful than beneficial, as is the case with statins prescribed to persons who have not had a previous cardiac event. This article gives excellent dietary advice to those persons who wish to lower their cholesterol levels through natural means.

Getting Cholesterol Too Low May Put Older Woman at Risk
People's Pharmacy, 28 October 2013

Q. Dear Joe & Terry Graedon,

Thank you for all the information you make available to the public about alternatives to many pharmaceuticals. You are providing a needed service to the public.  I looked on your website for alternatives to statins to lower high cholesterol. I found a suggestion about using vinegar, but none of the respondents had reported whether it worked.  My cholesterol was 187 and my doctor has said if I don't lower it in three months on my own, he wants to put me on statins. I would prefer not to take such drugs.  Do you know of any other options that might work? I would like to lower my cholesterol naturally before my next appointment.  Again, thank you for your public service.

Pearl

A. Dear Pearl,

Thank you for your thoughtful question. If you have not had a cardiac event, we're not sure your doctor would be doing you any favors by prescribing a statin. In fact, if your total cholesterol is 187, we are hard put to understand why he would want to lower your cholesterol levels any further.

Statin Use Associated with a 27% Increased Risk of Cataracts

Pharmaceutical companies have been able to downplay the risk of cataracts associated with statins for 25 years. Very few physicians ever mention this as a complication of statin therapy.

A new study published in JAMA Ophthalmology (online, Sept. 19, 2013) titled: "Association of Statin Use with Cataracts." Texas researchers compared 6,972 statin users to 6,972 nonusers.  The authors concluded: "this study found statin use to be associated with an increased risk for cataract." Specifically, they found a 27% increased risk of cataracts in statin users.

Statins and Cataracts: Why Did It Take So Long to Uncover This Connection?

People's Pharmacy, 22 September 2013

Lovastatin was the first of the new-generation statin-type cholesterol-lowering drugs on the market. It was approved by the FDA for sale in 1987. Even before the drug was approved, however, studies in dogs suggested that lovastatin might trigger cataract formation. A review in the journal Pharmacotherapy in 1987 titled "Lovastatin: A New Cholesterol-Lowering Drug" noted:

"The most common adverse effects are gastrointestinal, while the most serious are elevated transaminase levels and the potential for lens opacities."

Transient Global Amnesia (TGA) and Lipitor - 2

by Duane Graveline, M.D., MPH, People’s Pharmacy, 24 July 2013

(from 1997 through May 15, 2012)

FDA has opened the shelves of MedWatch to those of us wishing to review for ourselves the status of statin adverse drug reports (ADRs). This has been all the more imperative since FDA has been extremely reluctant to report side effect data on the statin class of drugs.

I was last able to access MedWatch data in 2006. Following that, in the beginning of 2007, my access to MedWatch data was denied despite legal pressure from my lawyers. Even in 2006 the process had not been easy, for it meant I had to tackle the immense challenge of reviewing manually some 64,000 Lipitor ADRs using the "find" mechanism on my PC. This was necessary, I was told, since the appropriate software for reading MedWatch data was available only to FDA and drug company officials. The rest of us had to be content with the time-honored and accurate but painfully slow process of counting each case one by one using the search mechanism on our PC.

Statins and Transient Global Amnesia - 1

Dr. Duane Graveline, aerospace
medical research scientist

Dr. Duane E. Graveline was a family doctor, aerospace medical research scientist, USAF flight surgeon and NASA astronaut. Dr. Graveline interned at the famed Walter Reed Army hospital. He became a flight surgeon and did space medical research on zero gravity deconditioning. He held a unique position as medical analyst of the Soviet bioastronautics program, NASA flight controller and finally, in 1965, was selected as a NASA scientist astronaut. Dr. Graveline still is affiliated with the space program as consultant to the special cosmic radiation hazards to man of "return to the moon and on to Mars."

In his article, he delivers a personal testimony of his experience of transient global amnesia (TGA) when taking the statin Lipitor (atorvastatin). Pfizer, the manufacturer of Lipitor, estimates that 35 million persons are now taking this drug.  Dr. Graveline believes this is the reason for “an epidemic of statin-associated TGA” in the United States since 1999. “Everyone should be aware that any statin could cause TGA or interfere with cognitive function,” he writes.

Pilots & Statins: A Cause for Concern?
by Duane Graveline, MD, MPH, People's Pharmacy, 22 July 2013

Lipitor Diabetes Litigation

Should you consider the Lipitor lawsuit as a result of your diabetes diagnosis?
Tor Hoerman Law

If you are one of the more than 20 million people that takes statins, such as Lipitor, to control your cholesterol and you developed diabetes, you may be entitled to compensation by filing a Lipitor Lawsuit against the manufacturer, Pfizer.

If you or a loved one was diagnosed with diabetes and believe the diagnosis is the result of their use of Lipitor, our Lipitor Lawyers will be happy to assess your claim with a quick, no charge evaluation to see if you qualify for the Lipitor Diabetes Lawsuit.

Lipitor Diabetes Risk

Lipitor, manufactured by Pfizer, is the most-prescribed medicine in history but several studies now indicate that it is linked to an increased risk of diabetes.

United States: ADHD Seen in 11% of Children as Diagnoses Rise

“Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (A.D.H.D.) has historically been estimated to affect 3 to 7 percent of children. The disorder has no definitive test and is determined only by speaking extensively with patients, parents and teachers, and ruling out other possible causes — a subjective process that is often skipped under time constraints and pressure from parents. It is considered a chronic condition that is often carried into adulthood.”

Few people consider environmental factors as a cause of ADHD – like exposure to the electromagnetic radiation from wireless technologies, which many young people use for long periods throughout the day, or certain food additives. Other factors implicated in the rising rates of ADHD are the aggressive marketing by pharmaceutical companies of drugs used to treat ADHD and parent and school pressure to improve a child’s performance or control his behavior. Drugs used to treat ADHD can lead to addiction, anxiety and occasionally psychosis. 

A new study finds that children who use cell phones who are exposed to lead are at greater risk of developing ADHD that lead-exposed children who do not use cell phones much or at all.  Advice to parents:  Encourage your children to switch off their cell phones! (See "Children's Cell Phone Use May Increase Their Risk of ADHD".)

A.D.H.D. Seen in 11% of U.S. Children as Diagnoses Rise
by Alan Schwarz and Sarah Cohen, New York Times, 31 March 2013

Nearly one in five high school age boys in the United States and 11 percent of school-age children over all have received a medical diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, according to new data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Attention! This Contraceptive Can Harm Your Health

Reposted:   On 8 December 2011, the Swiss TV – Télévision Suisse romande – showed a documentary on the dangers of this contraceptive, “Attention, cette pilule peut nuire à votre santé” (“Attention, this pill can harm your health”).

Update (17 January 2013): As of March 2012, approximately 12,000 lawsuits have been brought against Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the manufacturer of Yasmin, Yaz, Beyaz and Safyral, alleging an increased risk of blood clots (deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism (PE)) and gallbladder problems. Ocella, the generic version of Yasmin, is also associated with serious side effects. As well as blood clots, DVT and pulmonary embolism, all of the oral contraceptives containing ethinyl estradiol and the new "fourth generation" progestin drospirenone (DRSP) have been linked to: blood clots, gallbladder disease, stroke, cerebrovascular accidents (CVA), heart attack, myocardial infarction, death. (Ref: Lawyers and Settlements.com : Yasmin / Yaz Birth Control Side Effects)

Atorvastatin (Generic Lipitor) Side Effects and Complications

Not only is there a problem with contaminated atorvastatin (generic Lipitor) but also it has serious side effects and complications. 

Atorvastatin (Lipitor) Side Effects & Complications
People’s Pharmacy, 29 October 2012

It is not entirely clear why Lipitor became the most successful drug in the history of the pharmaceutical industry. Tens of millions of people have taken Lipitor to lower their bad LDL cholesterol. It is estimated that sales of this single drug brought in over $130 billion to Pfizer, its manufacturer. No other drug in history has ever come close to this mind boggling number.

Now that Lipitor has become available in its generic form as atorvastatin, it will no doubt continue to be taken by millions of patients, though the cost will clearly come down. Despite its popularity with physicians and its clear ability to bring cholesterol numbers down, there are some serious side effects to contend with. Many of these complications were not discovered until years after the drug was on the market.

Dr. Annie Sasco Silenced After London Conference on Childhood Cancer

On 26 April 2012, Dr. Annie Sasco, Director, Epidemiology for Cancer Prevention, INSERM (Institut national de la santé et de la recherché médical, France) delivered a presentation at the Childhood Cancer 2012 conference in London under the topic, “What positive steps can be taken to reduce the risks of childhood cancer”.  When she returned to France, she was informed that she could not continue her teaching work at Segalen Bordeaux II University.  This may have been related to the fact that Dr. Sasco, who has 3 degrees from Harvard University and worked at the International Agency for Research on Cancer for 22 years, spoke up in the conference very clearly about the reasons for cancer and conflict of interests.  The conference was watched livestream on the internet internationally. 


In her lecture, Dr. Sasco devoted at least 10 minutes to the risks of electromagnetic fields emitted by wireless technology, particularly cell phones.  Her lecture was delivered in session number 12 (see here for full program and access to all the lectures and discussions).  Her comments on conflict of interests in the panel discussion which followed are available at the end of the same session.  Following session 6, she commented on the study on aspartame causing cancer in animals by Dr. Morando Soffritti where she spoke up about the similarity between cancer findings in animals and humans. Following is my résumé of her presentation at the conference, in part verbatim and also based on her slides.  Thank you to Microwave Factor for this information.


We cannot allow industry and others to bully experts who admirably and courageously speak the truth!

Statin Controversy - UPDATED 18 May 2012

We are hearing more and more from health experts about harmful side effects of medications – certain painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs, statins.  This article is being re-issued for a second time because there is more and more evidence that, among other serious side effects, statin-type cholersterol-lowering drugs, are associated with increased risk for type 2 diabetes and memory problems.  Statins are one of the biggest swindles that pharmaceutical companies have created.  They are being used widely in secondary prevention and even their effectiveness in primary prevention is being questioned.

UPDATE (7 July 2012):  An article published on 25 June 2012 in the Archives of Internal Medicine concludes:  Statin therapy is an effective intervention in the secondary prevention of cardiovascular events in both sexes, meaning, those who have already had a heart attack, but there is no benefit on stroke and all-cause mortality in women.   Click here for full article.

UPDATE (18 May 2012):  On 16 May 2012, the Television Suisse Romande (RTS) showed a documentary on statins as part of its health program "36.9". Worldwide, pharmaceutical companies earn $30 billion per year from the sale of statins. AstraZeneca, producer of Crestor, is the 5th largest pharmaceutical company in the world, representing total net sales of $33 billion per year, 17% of which is earned from statins. Originally developed for a specific cholesterol problem, diagnosed family hypercholesterolemia, these drugs are prescribed to millions more persons in the world: 20% of Americans take statins and 10% of Swiss. Insurance companies in Switzerland are paying out some $160,000 million per year for statin prescriptions without questioning their effectiveness or serious side effects. 

News from Geneva: Lecture on "The Marketing of Madness": Psychiatric Medications Dominate Mental Health

On 18 April 2012, the Citizens’ Commission for Human Rights (CCHR) organized a lecture in Geneva, Switzerland, on the marketing of psychiatric diagnoses and medications and their adverse effects on health.  Dr. Nicolas Franceschetti, President of CCHR, Geneva, introduced the evening by referring to recent developments such as the British Medical Journal article published on 27 February 2012 warning about the deadly adverse effects of regular ingestion of hypnotics (sleeping pills) which include shortening of lifespan and cancer.

A nurse who works at a “home” for aged persons (EMS) in Switzerland gave testimony of the over-prescription of medications to the elderly in these establishments.

Extracts of the documentary, “The Marketing of Madness” were shown. (YouTube access to the 177-minute film is available at the end of the article).  The film discusses “how psychiatric medications with deadly side effects and no known rate of cure came to dominate the field of mental health”, for example through the drawing up of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV).  This manual creates “disease out of everyday suffering and as a result, pads the bottom lines” of pharmaceutical companies (ref: “Inside the Battle to Define Mental Illness”, by Gary Greenberg, 27 December 2010, Wired Magazine).  Another example is the prescription of atypical antipsychotics to some 2.5 million children in the United States.  This new type of psychiatric medication, which includes Risperdal and Zyprexa, can cause weight gain, cardio-vascular dysfunction and Parkinson’s disease-like symptoms.  These drugs sometimes require the prescription of other psychotropic medications to lessen side-effects, a practice called “poly-pharmacy”.

Bipolar Disorder without Medication - 3

A Long Road to Success

It was a long road to success after my decision to come off of the medication. I first tried to do so in August of 2001, two and a half years after I had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and prescribed Lithium Carbonate. While I was successful for some time in staying off of the medication, I was somewhat depressed during most of the first ten months, and I began to have psychotic symptoms at the end of the ten months. The psychotic symptoms were so scary, that for the following three and a half years, I was convinced that I needed to stay on the medication for fear that I would return to the scary place that my mind had taken me at that time.

Bipolar Disorder without Medication - 2

The Decision to Come Off of Medication and the Benefits it has Reaped

I decided to come off of the medication for a number of reasons. Mostly, I intuitively believed that taking medication was the wrong path. My intuition was connected with how I perceived my surroundings on and off of the drugs. On the medication, things appeared very one-dimensional, seeming only to possess a physical dimension. Off of the medication, things more often took on a spiritual dimension in addition to the physical. For example, when I read spiritual literature such as the Bible while on the medication, it did not speak to me in the same profound way it did while I was off of the medication.

In addition to this spiritual reason that could be classified as subjective by some people, there


were also more objective reasons that made it easier for me to believe in my intuition.

Bipolar Disorder without Medication

My nephew, David, has written this testimony, in several parts, of living with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder and coming off the medication to treat it.  He is sharing this testimony with a sincere desire to "help others learn how to tap into who they truly are without having to suppress their true selves with medication." David and his wife, Jade, would appreciate hearing from you.  They may be contacted through me by posting comments at the end of the articles. 

Bipolar Disorder without Medication

My name is David. I am 34 years old, living with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder.  For many years, I was prescribed Lithium Carbonate, as well as other psychotropic medications, and was told by my doctors that I must take some sort of medication for the rest of my life. However, I have not taken any medication for bipolar disorder for over two and a half years, since April 13 of 2009. I am writing in the hope of reaching those who suffer with mental illness or diagnoses of mental illness and are trying to get off of medication and also those who are supporting someone trying to live with mental illness without medication.