A man shows his Lisinopril Normon hypertension tablets as he waits to replace them at a hospital in Panama City on October 9. Spanish drug maker Normon SA denied its hypertension tablets were the cause of a mystery illness in Panama that has killed 20 people over the past month. Panama withdrew some 2 million Lisinopril tablets from health facilities after noticing that nine of the people who fell sick with the illness had been taking the drug. Of those nine, five have died. - Reuters

Today's society encourages a culture of heavy drug use. We warn our youngsters and athletes about the dangers of illegal drugs but turn a blind eye to the harsh reality that legally-prescribed drugs kill and harm vast numbers of innocent victims every day.

A recent report entitled 'Death By Doctoring', indicates that the number one cause of death in the United States is now prescription medication.

At the same time, Jamaican men, women and children are consuming more prescription drugs than ever before. Though prescription drugs may sometimes save lives and alleviate suffering, they can also do great harm.

It was Benjamin Franklin who said, "The best doctor gives the least medicines." I would phrase that differently: "The best patient needs the least medicines." Anything that you can do to be healthier is likely to reduce the number of drugs that your doctor would need to prescribe for you. A good doctor should certainly want the patient to take as little medicine as possible, as all drugs carry a risk.

LIFESTYLE LINK

Medical research clearly shows that most of our common diseases - heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis and many cancers - are the result of unhealthy lifestyles. They, in my experience, can often be prevented and even reversed by changing your lifestyle.

Simple non-drug interventions like optimal nutrition, vitamin, mineral and herbal supplements, exercise and effective stress management, in most cases can restore health and prevent the progression of illness.

Yet it is not uncommon to find people taking as many as 15 different prescription medicines at the same time. Sadly, the majority of these drugs are meant only to manage the symptoms that the patient has but do not deal with the underlying cause of the problem.

The main reason why medical drugs require a prescription is because they are potentially dangerous. Doctors try to carefully figure just how much of the medicine you should take without undue danger. Despite this, 150,000 deaths occur each year in the U.S. from patients taking drugs that their doctor prescribed for them!

The drug manufacturer provides information on drug safety for doctors. The patient can sometimes find this information in a leaflet included inside the box with your prescription.

You can also get this information from a reference book called the Physicians' Desk Reference (PDR). The PDR is basically an over 2,000-page manual of every drug. It is easy to look up any drug that you or a family member may be taking. Be ready for some unpleasant reading. Most drugs have many more warnings and precautions than uses, more dangers than benefits. In fact, some of the drugs commonly prescribed are needed to help counter the side effects of your other medication.

To make things worse, taking more than one drug at the same time can cause drug interactions - another set of dangerous problems due to the combination. The more you combine drugs, the more dangers you create.

BIG BUSINESS

Why then are so many drugs still used? Modern Western medical tradition is very drug-oriented and there is lack of emphasis on natural therapies in modern medical training. Most of the safe alternative treatments I use were not taught to me in medical school. I had to educate myself.

Money - big pharmaceutical industry money - is a huge reason. Look at the increasing number of pharmacies opening up all over the country. Selling drugs - legal or illegal - is big business. Then consider even another reason: patients have come to accept and even demand drug therapy. They accept the risks and the side effects because they want a quick fix. If the doctor says it's OK, then it is OK.

"Fix me up, Doc!" puts the physician on the spot. The doctor has to do something, and since his/her background is in drugs and surgery, that's what he/she recommends. Of course, the public is continually being programmed by the massive advertisement campaigns of the drug companies.

WHAT PATIENTS CAN DO

Ask the doctor to fully explain the risks and side effects of any drug prescribed. Then ask for an explanation as to why you should take those risks. If you do not get a straight answer, or if the doctor is "too busy" to discuss this with you, then it may be time to consider seeing another doctor.

Ask to be given the minimum possible dose of the drugs prescribed. Get back to the doctor right away if there are any negative effects of the medication.

Ask for possible non-drug alternatives! Some doctors are happy to work with interested patients who want to avoid medicines when they can. If your doctor is not interested, then you can find a doctor who is.

IF YOU ARE ALREADY TAKING MEDICATION

It is not a good idea to just suddenly stop taking medication. This is especially true if you are taking something more than pain-relievers or other non-essential drugs.

Share with your doctor that you are interested, if possible, in getting off the medicine that you are on or to decrease the amount that you have to take. It is best to work with the physician who prescribed the medicine for you in the first place. It is usually necessary for your doctor to monitor your progress while you carefully follow his/her instructions.

If your doctor believes that you cannot reduce the level of your medication at all, you can honour that viewpoint without agreeing with it. A second medical opinion might be in order.

BOTTOM LINE

Drugs are common options for treating illness. They are, however, capable of doing significant harm, and great caution should be used in prescribing and taking these drugs, especially for long periods. If proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle bring you good health, then there may be no need for medication.

Email Dr. Tony Vendryes at Vendryes@mac.com or visit the website www.anounceofprevention.org. You may also listen to 'An Ounce of Prevention' on Power 106 FM on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m.