What is the relationship between the Food and Drug Administration, Diabetes and my lack of ability to CLOSE MY MOUTH (also known as LOCKJAW?) Give up?
The answer can be found in an April 15th, 2016 article entitled, “FDA: 2 Diabetes Drugs May Be Linked to Heart Failure Risk.” In this article the FDA states,
“Diabetes drugs containing saxagliptin and alogliptin may raise the risk of heart failure.” They go on to mention the specific drugs including: Onglyza (saxagliptin), Kombiglyze XR (saxagliptin and metformin extended release), Nesina (alogliptin), Kazano (alogliptin and metformin) and Oseni (alogliptin and pioglitazone”)
EXCELLENT!
This means the FDA has identified the clear potential dangers of drug ingredients as well as identifying the specific medications containing these potentially dangerous ingredients. If the article ended here, I would have offered the FDA a “high five” for doing a fine job. Unfortunately, I read the ENTIRE article which resulted in my jaw dropping to an open and LOCKED position. Here is what caused this response!
The FDA said it’s asking doctors to consider discontinuing medications containing saxagliptin and alogliptin in patients who DEVELOP HEART FAILURE. If blood sugar is not well-controlled with current treatments, other diabetes drugs may be needed, the agency said.
SERIOUSLY?
“CONSIDER” discontinuing medications in patients who DEVELOP HEART FAILURE? I might have to write the FDA to see when it is medically indicated to continue prescribing a medication to a patient you have already helped achieve heart failure!!!!! The next sentence is almost as bad. “If blood sugar is not well-controlled, other diabetes drugs may be needed.” Does this mean if blood sugar IS WELL CONTROLLED, we should stay the course and see how much additional heart failure results? Maybe the next article written by the FDA should be entitled:
“UNDERSTANDING WHY IATROGENIC (means doctor induced) CAUSES ARE THE 3RD LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH” (behind cardiac disease and cancer!) Bet you didn’t realize that! It’s TRUE.
The article also stated:
“The agency (FDA) added that patients on these drugs should contact their doctor if they develop signs and symptoms of heart failure.” “People with type 2 diabetes who use these drugs should not stop taking them without consulting with their doctor.”
Now, when patients are placed on anti-anxiety medication they are advised to IMMEDIATELY STOP THE MEDICATION if suicidal thoughts appear. Apparently, symptoms related to heart failure aren’t serious enough to consider altering the use of this medication until a doctor is consulted. I’m certain the argument is based on a dangerous spike in sugar levels, right? Here’s a novel concept; prescribe alternative medications that control blood sugar WITHOUT CAUSING POTENTIAL HEART FAILURE in the first place!!! It doesn’t take rocket science to figure this out.
The purpose of this posting is to share reality with all of you. We like to believe that medicine is based purely on science. We like to believe our doctors know which medications are best for us. This post explains WHY you must learn to play a bigger role in your own health; not only from a preventative standpoint, but from a pro-active standpoint COMMUNICATING with your doctor. You must learn to ask questions and understand the potential risks to be able to decide WITH YOUR DOCTOR your best available options. Would you really want to take a medication that has proven to increase chances of heart failure if other options are available? Do you really believe your doctor will volunteer this information without be asked for the risks associated with it? Some may ask, “why would a doctor recommend a medication with increased dangerous side effects? I like to call it, RISK vs. REWARD. Is the RISK to your life worth the REWARD the doctor receives for prescribing the medication (also known as “the perks?”) Since the FDA has approved the drug, the doctor gets to wipe his or her hands clean if adverse reactions occur. It doesn’t matter if the doctor could have chosen a different medication. The decision would be considered within the standards of practice justifying its use. The only one hurt in the process would be YOU, THE PATIENT.
I hope this makes an impact on your thinking as well as an improved future relationship with your doctor. If you would like to read the actual article you can find it: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_158144.html
Don’t wind up with “LOCKJAW” looking like this fella because you ignored my advice!
All About Healthy Choices 
Consider! Wow, I’ve always found reading the possible side effects on my medications a bit terrifying bit knowing this makes me want to have deeper conversations. I don’t often see my doctor when I’m very ill as she’s 1 hour away so I rely on a walk in clinic.
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Hopefully as more people gain exposure to our regulatory agencies and our health care system, attitudes and awareness will change. ALL PARTIES (doctor, patient health care system) must be willing to accept greater responsibilities to improve outcomes. It starts with better COMMUNICATION.
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You wrote: “why would a doctor recommend a medication with increased dangerous side effects? I like to call it, RISK vs. REWARD. Is the RISK to your life worth the REWARD the doctor receives for prescribing the medication (also known as “the perks?”).
I think monetary reward (kick backs and other perks), is certainly one of the reasons why doctors prescribe these new meds, but I also think that there are physicians out there that are wannabe scientists and researchers, who get a thrill out of taking part in extended lab trials, ie: trials that are voluntary per patient use of new drugs. The fact that patients are in many cases not made aware of the less dangerous drugs they could be prescribed (or better yet, no drugs but behavior changes), is criminal in my opinion. I don’t want to be a lab rat, thank you very much!!!
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I think most people would agree with you and NOT want to be a “human” lab rat. Yet people often don’t realize their participation in the experimental process (Example-people eating genetically modified organisms while Big Business continues lobbying to prevent the labeling of GMO to “blind” the public to what they’re eating.)
I write to create better awareness; NOT to tell people “what to do.” I’ll leave it up to the public (with confidence in their intelligence) to decide what they feel is in their best interest.
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True…and then there are some thwt are just plain ignorant of things and do not read or study things.
I have to go with my daughter to ask questions. The doctors DO NOT like that at all. Period.
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Good doctors respond POSITIVELY to patients that ask questions because it shows their willingness and desire to participate in their own health. Bad doctors respond NEGATIVELY because they view questions as a challenge to their authoritarian role (also known as EGO!)
Your daughter may want to consider going doctor shopping.
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Dear God. This one gave me a headache. Gone are the days when we blindly follow the advice of medical professionals, let alone the bureaucrats at the FDA.
Wake up, folks, it’s your life.
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Clearly, you understand the point of my writing. As people assume greater responsibility for their health, these problems will dissipate. “Unlearning” the past doctor/patient relationship will be challenging, however. Many patients do not want to assume greater roles and many doctors enjoy the pedestals they are placed on. Unfortunately, these roles have lead to our current quagmire.
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Shame on you FDA. I don’t know much about diabetes or the meds/ Are there medications that do not contain these harmful drugs? Adn why would the FDA
state we should consider instead of eliminate?
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I listed the meds for those who are diabetic and possibly using them. For the average reader, I simply wanted to show the thinking behind the FDA (regulatory agency,) the doctors that prescribe these medications and the patients who unknowingly subject themselves to unnecessary harm.
Finally, the answer is YES. There are diabetic meds that do not list heart failure as a possible side effect.
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Understood. Then. why can’t the FDA recommend patients switching to the other meds that don’t lead to heart failure (instead of just considering).
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I’m all ears for a better explanation than “Return On Investment,” but no one has offered an alternative reason.
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Natural food for the lucky ones. Certain ones can work.
The cure is out there. They just don’t want us knowing it.
What good would that do for them? That….is the multibillion dollar question.
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I’m actually terrified of taking medicine. The side effects often seem worse than the problem at hand. My kids and I joke about the commercials for drugs that come on TV and have a list as long as your arm about the side effects. We always imitate them…”headaches, loss of vision, facial paralysis, left leg may fall off.” It’s very good advice for people to research what their doctor is prescribing. The more you know, the better able you are to help yourself.
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I don’t blame you. I haven’t taken a prescription or OTC drug in over 25 years. If people used them as designed and took responsibility for their health, they would offer substantially better benefits. They are ONLY a tool and should be utilized (in most cases) as an acute remedy to correct the body’s imbalance to the point of self correction. People need to understand our bodies are inherently HEALTHY (not necessarily just symptom free) if we provide the various components needed.
Naturally, there are situations where lifelong medications or alternative therapies are needed.
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We do that. We look up every med she takes. Some are really bad. Some tear up tendons for a long time..not just while you are taking it. And that is just a antibiotic!
Plants were put here for a reason.
Then some people who wanted $$$ decided to make things synthetic and make more money. Synthetic is not natural.
You can grow more natural…but they prefer quick and easy money.
The old oath they took, went out the window years ago… not all, but many many doctors.
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Excellent post! I will be sharing this with a number of people I love who take these medications.
On a side note, after reading more of your posts, I am working diligently to bring organic foods into our diets. We are also blessed to live only an hour away from organic Amish farms. I recently learned that I can order ranged “old-world” chickens from them. They even clean and bag…
Thank you so much for all the work you do!
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I am so glad you have found value in these articles and have chosen an eating pattern designed to fuel your body with quality INFORMATION and NUTRITION. This just proves the value you place on yourself. I hope others follow suit and reap the benefits. Thank you for letting me know. It truly means a lot!
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I forget which drug commercial it is, but I recently saw one where they did the side effects warning, and one was “[Some horrible problem on its own], which often leads to death.” The problem it was supposed to be curing was something entirely innocuous.
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Yet the consumer is so well trained to “take their medication” because it is good for them. You know what is even better for them? Exercise and Quality Nutrition WITHOUT the possible side effects of DEATH.
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It also seems like the possibility of death is almost a good thing on the commercials – you get the soft voice telling you of potential side effects, like they never actually happen to anyone, and even if they do, it won’t be so bad.
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This is why the big dollars are spent on these commercials. They are effective at generating significant revenue. For the consumer purchasing these “medications” it is like eating breakfast, lunch and dinner. They have come to accept these pills as an essential part of their lives. So SAD!
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It really is sad!
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Wow, that seems incredibly stupid and counterintuitive of the FDA to recommend such idiocy. Than I remember it’s the FDA we are talking about. Keep up the good fight in keeping us informed on stuff like this, Doctor Jonathan, you are making a difference.
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I question whether its “idiocy” or monetization? Think about it, how many people have had their prescriptions (which were effectively achieving the results the doctor was looking for) changed to newer medications? When a drug is working, what logical reason could we infer for a sudden change? Safety? Unlikely. More effective? Desired results are already being achieved. Return On Investment? Hmmmm!
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Things like this just make me wonder what other and more serious issues are being kept from us.
Totally crazy.
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Often the truth doesn’t have to be kept from us because many will choose the simpler (not easier) path in life. For example, drug commercial will list the most horrific side effects their drugs CAUSE, yet people won’t think twice about “popping the pill.” I wrote simpler, not easier because it is simpler to pop a pill than ACTIVELY participate in maintaining good health. It is not easier, however, to live a life under these circumstances.
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Absolutely….
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True.
Many people want the easiest way out. Not all, but many do.
Many also do not want to grow or cook. They depend on others for good food.
So many foods now that are processed, canned and packaged contain bad stuff that can make you very sick or croak.
I personally have saw CANNED food that has botulism in it and other bad things.
There are many canned goods I will not eat now because of that. And many are name brands.
My advise is to know what is in your food. Or..not. it is everyone’s choice.
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I encourage baby steps. Reasonable gradual change is easier to transform into lifestyle habits. As you know, it takes time and effort to achieve success. Patience is an important part of the equation.
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Yes it will take time.
Time to undo what we have been taught, ( most of it was wrong) time to relearn and time to adjust to what is good for us.
And learn to exercise the right way. Not just pushing buttons on a remote. 😉
When I was younger I played tennis twice a day. Once In the morinng, once in the evening. I ran distance running. And did exercises, lifted weights, yoga and all that.
Sometimes we get busy in life. Have a baby or get married or something and we slack off.
We still need to make some time for ourselves.
( lol..funny coming from me eh? 😉 )
But true still.
It doesn’t require hard exercise and it still can be fun. It depends on the person what and how much they want to.
And, it doesn’t have to be expensive either.
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SOLD!! You’ve convinced me. How about I follow YOUR LEAD!
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Doc, Did you ever see that cute little movie called “Wall E..or wallie?” It is a animated one.
I have watched it a few times and thought,
this will be US one day if we don’t change things.
Life in space because they tore up the earth.
And more importantly. The people NEVER got out of their chairs! Everything was handed to them…
And they were obese.
Just a thought.
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I do remember the movie. I’ll bet the love story between Wall-E and Eve (another robot) made a bigger impression than the destruction of society and the “chair bound obese lifestyle” the humans lived. What a sad but true commentary.
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Yes sadly it probably IS true…
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Yes we are looking. The problem is for a smallish town, we are running out of doctors.
The ego thing you call it, I also call it the “God Syndrome.”
They do not like me being in there with her. Because I ask questions. That…is where a person learns.
Knowledge is power.
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Knowledge is only power for those who use it for some purpose. Knowing what it takes to be healthy is NOT ENOUGH.
Knowledge + Action = MEANINGFUL OUTCOME. This is the mindset needed for change!
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True.
“Actions speak louder than words.” 🙂
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You absolutely have the best rants, and I mean that in the best possible way. You have passion as well as the insight. Preach on, my brother. Why isn’t this common sense? Why aren’t people rioting, ok protesting, in the streets about rx costs and there poisonous effects? About gmo’s and war?
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Until people are willing to point their finger at THEMSELVES recognizing the need to take greater self responsibility, the regulatory agencies, the medical institutions and the agricultural industry will gladly maintain the current status quo. The sound of the cash register (cha-ching) is a powerful motivator for them.
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I liked that. It was true and straight to the point.
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Jaw dropping stupidity – every medication has side affects and the mixture of some people’s cocktails can have gross repercussions. Grateful you are alerting people, let’s hope they are listening.
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You’re smart enough to know this. A recent survey of high school students demonstrated a lack of concern for danger in using other student’s prescriptions for their personal use. The “dangerous” side effect warnings are perceived as a joke. Don’t you wonder how many lives will have to be destroyed before people wake up to the reality that prescription use is NOT a short cut to joyful, healthy living?
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Reblogged this on Molleysteffy | Blog.
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When the side effects are worse than your original condition (or there are more of them), I think that you really need to consider what you’re taking. I think a lot of people blindly trusts the organizations that they assume are here to protect us (and I used to as well). It’s quite disheartening and terrifying to realize that we can’t.
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Here’s the good news! Include the components in life that promote good health and watch the need for pharmaceutical assistance dissipate. This reduces our dependency on regulatory agencies and other bureaucratic organizations. Educating oneself to the credible options available in life increases our CONTROL over health care choices and reduces the importance of relying on the FDA for HEAVILY biased information.
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That phase “Negative effects of properly prescribed drugs” has an Orwellian ring. Some of the deaths in that category may be unavoidable tragedies, as when Joe has a stroke, is given a clot-buster drug, and has a violent allergic reaction to it. But is it “proper” to manage diabetes with drugs that increase the risk of one of the major complications of diabetes? Doctors should consider discontinuing a medication after it causes heart failure and farmers should consider closing the barn door after the horse has run off. Is the FDA trying to make the Supreme Court’s decision in the Citizens United case look reasonable by comparison?
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I don’t foresee our regulatory agencies altering their current policies and approaches toward drug assignment, however, I do foresee the public slowly opening their eyes to better approaches as the MEDICAL FIELD deals with factional dissent among their own colleagues. Functional Medicine is gradually gaining greater acceptance challenging the conventional allopathic approach to disease care. These doctors, along with complementary health care physicians are creating new opportunities for patients. The next decade will bring a major paradigm shift in the patient/doctor relationship.
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Again great blog with very interesting stats, death due to Medical errors is 3rd leading cause of death while death from firearms is way down the list…never hear that in the MSM!
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So true Frank. I’ll bet few people are aware that WE DOCTORS are classified as the 3rd leading cause of death. Doesn’t seem to affect people’s willingness to come back over and over again for new prescriptions. This helps doctors maintain their positioning on the statistical charts. 🙂
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It is appropriate time to make some plans for the future and
it is time to be happy. I have read this post and if I could I wish to
suggest you some interesting things or advice. Maybe you could write next articles referring to this article.
I want to read even more things about it!
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I’m not quite clear on what you are asking me to write about. Can you provide some examples for me? There are many topics I cover and explore with my fellow readers.
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Interesante Blog.
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Thank you.
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