Does medicine ever change the rules to gain patients?

More studies have come out showing that blood sugars in the 120–140 range, which we consider “glucose intolerance” can: 1) cause complications if present for a long time and 2) lead to frank diabetes if not corrected. That’s why the thresholds were adjusted downward.

Is there anything anyone can say to convince you otherwise?

I can’t answer with certainty, of course, however I can’t help but share your suspicions.

This is a real “duhhh.” Blood pressure: many years recommended diastolic 80; they switched it to 75. Now more people are on meds. I think they’ve switched values for cholesterol but I don’t know what they are. Bottom line: everyone needs medication.

It is not totally untrue.

@Dr_Dredd – Given the previous manipulations by drug companies and the incestuous relationship they have with the AMA and the CDC,you don’t think that these studies can’t be manipulated? Witness recommendations for 10 year olds to begin taking statin drugs and the recalls of diabetic medications.

I agree with what @Aster said… everyone needs medication. I am only 28 years old (I use “only” very loosely..ha), but I have seen in my lifetime such dramatic changes in the medical community. Everyone that I know has some kind of disease or disorder. Not to discredit anyone, but I’m not sure another pill is really what we need. I recognize that we are living longer and that modern medicine has made massive leaps forward – but I am concerned with how heavily medicated our society is, and especially how heavily medicated our children are. I would be lying if I said that I didn’t believe at this point, in the USA, that medicine is very much about profit.

@nikipedia – My motives aren’t in question.Yours now are.Either answer the question or don’t.

@Aster- ;) Creating consumers

Not in my country. Most drugs are on the PBS, so getting more people to take drugs would cost the government a huge amount of money.

@TheOnlyNeffie -Well said! :)

@FireMadeFlesh -I hear you.Depending on where you live,you’re only diabetic if you can afford to be ;)

@lucillelucillelucille That is true. I have a bit of an objection to regular medical check-ups for that reason. There are a myriad of minor disorders that you can live with perfectly well, but if you go for check-ups someone will tell you that they can be fixed, and inevitably you will end up paying to fix things that never bothered you before. I only ever go to the doctor if something has changed. I don’t know if low level diabetes fits into that category, but since almost every condition has a range of severity I’d be willing to bet that some diabetics need only monitoring, without any specific treatment.

@FireMadeFlesh -You sound so rational and are a breath of fresh air.:)

It breaks my heart how they’re medicating kids, saying they “have ADD” or ADHD (take your pick, there will be another catchy-sounding illness soon) to help the teacher control the classroom. I can’t stand it. The comedian Sinbad said “they thought I had ADD. My father only had to unbuckle his belt. I got over my ADD real fast.” don’t flame me; I never said it.

@Aster- XD

@FireMadeFlesh right. It’s like having a roofer over and asking, “do you think I could use a new roof?” LOL !!!

I agree with @Dr_Dredd‘s post. In addition, a diagnosis of diabetes (type 2) does not alway mean you have to go on medications. If your sugars aren’t super high, you can monitor them and start with lifestyle changes (eating right and exercising). If your sugar levels are really high, you start on medications to control then and work on the lifestyle changes at the same time and then try to wean off the medications.

Complications from high blood glucose levels can be very serious and it’s best to take care of it before you get them with prevention. My grandmother had diabetic retinopathy with blood sugars that were below 200 (over the course of many years). It’s definitely a concern.

As far as people being over medicated. I think there are a lot of people to blame for that. Pharmaceutical companies run commercials that seem to convince people they need these meds. People then go to their doctors and insist they have such and such condition and need this or that medication. We also seem to live in a time were people really want that “miracle pill” that will make everything better.

If people stopped insisting that they needed all these medications or stopped insisting that their children needed medication, we would have a lot less medicated people.

@FireMadeFlesh Prevention is key, if people actually went to annual physicals, they could catch a lot of things early on and make lifestyle changes before they needed medications. Instead, people wait to go to the doctor until they are sick.

Okay, but seriously, what evidence would it take to convince you otherwise?

@Seaofclouds “People then go to their doctors and insist they have such and such condition and need this or that medication.” Really? I didn’t know that was happening. I have only heard of them wanting this or that medication if it’s a tranqulizer.

@Seaofclouds -I have been type 1 diabetic for 20 years and am well aware of what can happen.;)
I agree and donot think drugs should be advertised for the reasons you cite.

@nikipedia -This is serious.
Stop trying to make it about me and either the question or go away.

@lucillelucillelucille I hate seeing medication commercials and really hope they are done away with some day. I didn’t mean to imply you didn’t know what could happen, I was just stating the importance of preventing those complications from happening. :)

The commercials themselves reek of exactly what is wrong with our approach towards medicine, though. It is not news that many pharmaceutical companies are in the pockets of many doctors, and that in itself should be a huge concern to the general public. Do we really need all of these drugs? Where is the line drawn between helping people, paranoia, and turning a profit?

…..and what are the diabetes meds that have caused heart attacks? Actos? Or has no one dropped over with that one yet. Amaryl ?

@Seaofclouds -It’s quite alright.I didn’t really take it that way and I do agree that one should try to take care of themself.—The doc told me my pancreas just “quit” as I have been a bit of a health nut—Sometimes things just happen no matter what you do.

@lucillelucillelucille That’s very true. It really sucks when our body decides to quit on us.

@Aster Yes, there have been medications that have caused serious problems. It’s not all medications, but it’s enough that people (patients and doctors) should want to avoid unnecessary medications. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. I’m not sure if you were being serious or sarcastic about your comment to me, but yes that really does happen and if you seriously didn’t know that, I think you would be very surprised by the number of people that come in and insist they have whatever disorder and need the medication just because of the commercial they saw.

While it seems like many of us here on Fluther don’t want to be medicated unless absolutely necessary, there is a totally different picture I see when I’m at work. There are a lot of people that call in requesting specific medications.

When shouting,“the sky is falling”, many run to shelter. IE the medical establishment.

As the “rules” change, more objects seem to fall from the sky.

No, but as detection methods advance, and medication is improved, more and more people find relief for conditions that the medical profession didn’t even have a name for.

I have had restless leg syndrome most of my life. My former husband used to kick me in bed, because he thought it was a bad habit, like chewing your finger nails. Now some people say it was invented by the pharmaceutical companies, but I know different.

What I know is there are a lot of kids on psych meds and I mean a LOT and IMO many who are only because their parents are shitty parents who would rather medicate their kids than parent their kids with love and discipline. I also know there are many of my friends who are on meds they could not need to be on had they simply made better lifestyle choices and prefer to solve their problems with pills instead.
<<Steps down off his soapbox>>

@Cruiser -I couldn’t agree with you more.

One thing, though, is that many of us that are on meds, need them to survive. Such as Lamictal (for my seziures), my Seroquel (to sleep), and my Actos (for Metabolic Syndrome.) I most definitetly do need these to survive. I would not be on anything if I didn’t have to be, and I know many other people have to also. I agree with you, @cruiser, that much of the medicine perscribed today isn’t really needed, but for some of us it is.

Here is a question that I saw posed in the book Listening To Prozac. If a pill can be used to modify a person’s behavior so that it is more socially advantageous, does the original behavior become a disease? In other words, do diseases end up being created by the invention of medications that supposedly “cure” them?