Googling your Symptoms:

[barrysloate]

Do you ever watch the endless commercials on TV for various pharmaceuticals, and then listen to the side effects: "this medication could cause blindness, deafness, heart attack, stroke, fallen arches, hysterical pregnancies, scurvy, madness, dry mouth, and may even lead to death."

It's usually along those lines. And yet the ads are apparently effective, and people who feel ill will go to their physicians and request those very same medicines.

[ALR-bishop]

....and always follow the directions

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

Do you ever watch the endless commercials on TV for various pharmaceuticals, and then listen to the side effects: "this medication could cause blindness, deafness, heart attack, stroke, fallen arches, hysterical pregnancies, scurvy, madness, dry mouth, and may even lead to death."

It's usually along those lines. And yet the ads are apparently effective, and people who feel ill will go to their physicians and request those very same medicines.

People just tune that noise at the end out and focus on the happy people in the ads who are all better. As you point out, it's almost comical when the announcers read them.

[frankbmd]

John Moschitta could make a fortune doing pharmaceutical ads. He’d knock off the side effects in 10 seconds giving viewers more time to ogle the actors.

But the actors in the advertising should actually have the disease that the drug they are promoting is intended for. Before and after pictures of patients taking some of drugs advertised could adversely affect sales though.

Live longer ads for fatal diseases are deceptive because the increased longevity is sometimes measured in months (or even weeks) and often not many. Live longer ads imply that the medication has essentially no curative potential.

[Stonepony]

My favorites are crazy supplements with " years of studies and trials" that will treat your baldness, prostate etc but " are not intended to treat, diagnose, prevent or cure any diseases ".... wtf!

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Stonepony

My favorites are crazy supplements with " years of studies and trials" that will treat your baldness, prostate etc but " are not intended to treat, diagnose, prevent or cure any diseases ".... wtf!

That's the state of the regulatory regime -- you can make these claims if you follow it up with a boilerplate disclaimer.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Stonepony

My favorites are crazy supplements with " years of studies and trials" that will treat your baldness, prostate etc but " are not intended to treat, diagnose, prevent or cure any diseases ".... wtf!

The alternative/integrative medicine world is truly a morass IMHO. But for economic reasons, mainstream institutions seem to be adopting it and offering it to their patients. E.g. the Cleveland Clinic and Brigham and Women's Hospital here in Boston.

[barrysloate]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

People just tune that noise at the end out and focus on the happy people in the ads who are all better. As you point out, it's almost comical when the announcers read them.

It is indeed funny to see just how happy those people appear to be. They are running and jumping and dancing and laughing and having the time of their lives. It astonishes me that consumers buy into this, but apparently they do.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

It is indeed funny to see just how happy those people appear to be. They are running and jumping and dancing and laughing and having the time of their lives. It astonishes me that consumers buy into this, but apparently they do.

And there's always ten seconds or so showing the patient meeting with his or her sincere and concerned doctor, and nodding thoughtfully.

[pawpawdiv9]

During the weekdays, at 2:30am the show "the doctors' is on and boy the crazy shat I seen so far. Just Friday was about your butt itching may be from anal worms. EEKS!!!
DUDES!!! WASH YOUR HANDS!!!!

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

And there's always ten seconds or so showing the patient meeting with his or her sincere and concerned doctor, and nodding thoughtfully.

For a lot of America they get told who their doctor is. I think they care but our system sucks bad. (imo)

As for the commercials and the endless side effects of curing the sniffles, they are a cause for laughter almost each time. It's like, ok, I have a headache and if I take this medicine it may cause internal bleeding, diarrhea, swollen glands, scoliosis and a whole litany of side effects up to and including, death. How many do I take?
.

[barrysloate]

Originally Posted by Leon

For a lot of America they get told who their doctor is. I think they care but our system sucks bad. (imo)

As for the commercials and the endless side effects of curing the sniffles, they are a cause for laughter almost each time. It's like, ok, I have a headache and if I take this medicine it may cause internal bleeding, diarrhea, swollen glands, scoliosis and a whole litany of side effects up to and including, death. How many do I take?
.

After you hear the litany of side effects, doesn't it cross your mind that maybe this medicine just isn't as safe as it should be?

[frankbmd]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

After you hear the litany of side effects, doesn't it cross your mind that maybe this medicine just isn't as safe as it should be?

CYA, Barry. You gotta keep the lawyers quiet.

I like to track the time between the initial release of a new medicine and the first ad regarding a class action lawsuit if you’ve taken that medicine.