I just saw yet another advertisement for a medication on TV and cannot help but wonder if no one else sees how ridiculous the advertisements sound…

First they start off saying how miraculous the drug is and how much it is going to help people who suffer from certain symptoms.  Their life is going to be so much better, why would they not want to try the medication in question.  A no brainer, right?

Then the advertisement goes on to list the possible side effects that may be encountered while taking the drug.  So, take this drug and it may help you, but it may also cause a litany of other problems.  The relief may only be temporary.  Funny how drugs do that, maybe because drugs of any kind affect your body adversely, so it is most likely best to take as few as possible.

Are you willing to take the chance to get the relief you seek?  Just when your brain decides that maybe you will take the chance on the drug, the advertisement continues by warning consumers that the drug may not be for them after all.  To protect the manufacturers and distributors of the medication or drug, the advertisements list the health conditions under which one should not take the drug.  This is a disclaimer to prevent lawsuits when the patients’ health goes further awry as a result of the medication and its interaction with other drugs as well as the vulnerable or compromised organs of the body.

To top it off, also using TV advertisements, law firms announce class action suits against pharmaceutical companies that manufactured and sold certain drugs now known to be harmful.  For example, I have recently seen an advertisement complaining about Lipitor, a drug heavily promoted in the last few years to lower cholesterol.  Apparently it is now suspected of causing diabetes.

Do people not realize that these medications or drugs are just “band-aid fixes?”   Instead of treating the symptoms, why not address the causes of the condition?  Are we so busy that we cannot take the time and energy to perform a little research to determine what is best for our bodies and health?  For example, if one is regularly constipated, is it too difficult or time-consuming to determine what may be causing the constipation?

Our bodies are designed to display symptoms when they are not getting what they need and deserve.   Addressing the cause of the symptoms as they emerge by making changes in our dietary and exercise habits or lifestyles may alleviate the symptoms.  Increased water consumption, sleep and exercise go a long way to improving many symptoms. This would prevent an unnecessary visit to the doctor for a prescription for an even more unnecessary drug.

Think about it the next time you are tempted to pop a pill to alleviate the discomfort you feel.  Remember that these symptoms are your brain’s way of warning you to pay attention to your body and change your lifestyle!