A new report has found that, for the first time, Americans are more likely to die of an opioid overdose than a car accident. The increase is directly and significantly associated with marketing efforts of the pharmaceutical industry.
As the truth begins to surface, pharma execs are finally being put on trial for their contributions to one of our nation’s greatest health crises in a generation.
The Opioid Overdose Epidemic
More than 100 people die every day from an accidental opioid overdose, and 40% of those deaths are from prescription painkillers. But prescription opioid drugs are responsible for the vast majority of these deaths since most people become addicted to prescription drugs before transitioning to more illicit opioids like heroin and fentanyl.
Companies like Purdue Pharma, the creators of OxyContin, have been charged with misleading doctors regarding the dangers of these powerful painkillers, but that hasn’t stopped the industry from aggressively marketing highly addictive opioid drugs to doctors all over the country.
In 2011, NPR published an article about addiction to Oxycodone, one of the most common opioid prescriptions in the United States. Florida doctors prescribed 10 times more oxycodone than the rest of the country combined. Over the past 10 years, a West Virginia town with just over 3,000 residents has been flooded with opioid drugs – over 21 million, to be precise. That’s about 6,500 pills for each resident.
A 2014 survey by the Substance Abuse and Medical Health Services Administration found that there are over 4 million non medical painkiller users. In fact, over 10% of Americans had used an illicit drug within 30 days of the survey.
And those trends have only increased in recent years. In 2017, 47,600 people died from an accidental opioid overdose, almost double the numbers from 2010.
The problem has become so bad that Americans have a 1 in 96 chance of dying by accidental opioid overdose. Those are higher odds than deaths from car accidents, falls, gun assaults, drowning, or fires. Opioid overdose is now the number one cause of accidental death in the nation. Life expectancy has declined in recent years, due to a spike in preventable deaths, like overdosing.
This flood of addictive drugs over the past decade was dispersed not by shady drug dealers, but by licensed physicians who wrote prescriptions at an alarming rate. In 2017, there were more than 58 opioid prescriptions for every 100 Americans. And that’s almost 20% less than it was just a decade ago. From 2008 to 2012, doctors wrote more than 80 opioid prescriptions for every 100 Americans.
The pharmaceutical companies profiting from these drugs and the regulatory bodies responsible for them have utterly failed us. And after years of pumping prescription poison into every corner of the nation, the use of illicit drugs has skyrocketed. It is not an overreaction when I tell you that the opioid crisis is a national catastrophe. And like most catastrophes stemming from the pharmaceutical industry, it’s been fueled by greed.
The Role of Pharmaceutical Marketing
Pharmaceutical companies have long been accused of deceptive marketing tactics. They’ve spent billions of dollars on direct marketing to physicians. About 3 of every 4 doctors have financial ties to big pharma, receiving money, meals, consulting fees, and other gifts from drug reps. I reported a few months ago about an orthopedic surgeon who received nearly $2,000,000 from companies who manufacture hip and knee replacements.
There’s little doubt that the billions of dollars that pharmaceutical reps spend on physician marketing has a significant influence on doctor behavior.
These companies have also been accused over and over again of misleading doctors. Since the introduction of OxyContin, doctors have been repeatedly told that the drug is safe and effective, despite overwhelming scientific evidence that says otherwise.
But until now, there have been no studies that clearly show a connection between pharmaceutical marketing and the opioid epidemic.
That’s all changed.
In the study published in the JAMA Network Open this month, researchers found that marketing of opioid products to physicians was associated with increased opioid prescribing and elevated mortality from overdoses. Between 2013 and 2015, about 1 in 12 doctors received opioid-related marketing. For family physicians, roughly 20% received opioid marketing.
From August 2013 to December 2015, the study found that there were 434,754 payments totaling $39.7 million in opioid marketing. Those payments were made to 67,507 different physicians spread over 2208 U.S. counties. This is an average of 6.44 payments averaging $90.32 per physician.
Image courtesy of Boston Medical Center
What’s especially interesting is that the number of gifts affected opioid mortality more than the value of those gifts. In other words, every time a pharma rep interacted with a doctor about opioid drugs, the mortality rate from opioid overdose in that county went up. This direct marketing of opioids to physicians costs the pharmaceutical industry tens of millions of dollars each year and is directly and significantly associated with overdose mortality.
The researchers are very clear about the implications of the study:
The United States continues to vastly exceed the rest of the developed world in opioid prescribing, and many individuals with opioid use disorder are first introduced to opioids through a prescription. Our findings suggest that direct-to-physician opioid marketing may counter current national efforts to reduce the number of opioids prescribed and that policymakers might consider limits on these activities as part of a robust, evidence-based response to the opioid overdose epidemic in the United States.”
The authors acknowledge that the association could be interpreted in reverse. It’s possible that pharmaceutical reps have been targeting doctors who already prescribe more opioids, though this explanation seems less likely. Plus, the idea that sales reps for opioid products are targeting counties with elevated opioid overdose mortality is considerably more sinister than the original conclusion.
Manufacturers should care about the wellbeing of patients and do everything in their power to inform physicians of the addictive nature and severe danger of these drugs. But there’s too much money to be made. And that’s why pharmaceutical giants continue to pay tens of millions to doctors who prescribe their drugs. The more opioids a doctor prescribes, the more money he gets from the manufacturer. It’s not just morally corrupt; it’s criminal.
Legal Actions
Fortunately, we’re beginning to see a significant shift in the way U.S. regulators and courts treat pharmaceutical companies who practice fraudulent and unethical marketing practices. In 2007, Purdue Pharma saw three of its executives convicted of criminal misbranding. Purdue Frederick, a holding company for Purdue Pharma, pled guilty to felony charges for telling doctors that OxyContin was safer and would cause less abuse and addiction than other opioid drugs.
Yesterday, Reuters reported that John Kapoor, the founder and former chairman of Insys Therapeutics Inc., would face charges of conspiracy and bribery for a kickback scheme involving their powerful new opioid drug. Four more former executives will join Kapoor in going to trial for allegations that the company paid doctors to prescribe Subsys, an oral fentanyl spray intended only for treating severe pain in cancer patients.
More than 100 times stronger than morphine, fentanyl is a large contributor to the skyrocketing rates of opioid overdose in the United States. It’s important to remember that most people addicted to illicit opioids were first introduced through prescription pain killers. Those who use drugs like heroin or fentanyl most likely got their start using drugs like OxyContin and Percocet.
Insys’ former CEO and vice-president of sales have both pled guilty to carrying out the illegal scheme. As state’s witnesses, they say that they worked under Kapoor’s direction in order to boost sales of the powerful opioid drug. In addition to bribing doctors, the executives are also accused of defrauding insurers, by making them pay for drugs that were fraudulently prescribed.
There’s a lesson here, and it’s one that bears repeating loudly and often: Money runs the pharmaceutical industry. These drugs have become the leading accidental cause of death, and doctors continue to take money from drug reps, despite the body count climbing into the tens of thousands each year.
In an article covering the financial ties between doctors and pharmaceutical sales reps, we shared a way for you to know just how much influence big pharma has had on your doctor. Since 2013, federal law has required that payments to doctors by medical device and pharmaceutical companies be publicly reported. The database (which you can access here) has published over 11.5 million records between August 2013 and December 2017.
Politicians on both sides of the isle have begun to pay more attention to the pharmaceutical industry and their practices regarding opioid sales. In 2017, the president declared the opioid crisis to be a public health emergency. In October of last year, the Attorney General demanded that medical boards “be more aggressive” when it comes to investigating and punishing doctors who prescribe opioids frivolously.
These opioid drugs are a scourge on our nation. Be sure to talk to a holistic health practitioner about natural options to manage pain. There are many natural ways to manage pain, and they can be especially helpful for those dealing with side effects from conventional cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation. Doctors, like any of us, can be corrupted by money and gifts. Don’t let the pharmaceutical industry turn you into their next victim.
Before you fill that latest prescription, be sure you know who’s really pulling the strings.
Thanks for this report Ty! It is an eye-opener!
You are so welcome Dr. Jussi Eerikaninen!
Why isnt there also a class action lawsuit filed by the families (like ours) whom have lost children to this disgusting “criminal” epidemic????
That was a great article Ty, I learn so much from you and your team and I spread the message with all my friends and family.
I had a quick question off the topic, I saw your dvd and I wanted to know a trusted brand for Frankincense oil?
Thanks
Hi Alex,
We don’t have a specific brand that we recommend at this time. Best wishes!
Thank you for having the courage to speak out against the “evil giant”. May God keep you and your family safe. With utmost respect. Pat
This has been going on for years. After being put on Oxycontin and taking it for 7 years, a dtr.’s Dr. cut her off. She moved to heroin and later tried to ‘step down’ with Meth. This impacted her and our entire family. It’s been awful. She said American Doctors were creating drug addicts.
Not just in America. The vultures in white coats and their sponsors – BIG PHARMA, are killing people everywhere. It’s time that all pharmaceutical companies were investigated and preferably SHUT DOWN.
I HAVE to agree with you! How long will this continue? ? ? ? It is downright shameful that Big Pharma is allow the freedom to make ALL kinds of money on drugs that KILL! Pathetic! ! !
In my practice my main goal is to empower my clients about their health, their body and their mind. We as adults have to take responsibility for our own choices. the pharma a long time ago was different then it is now, but even though, we should still be the last word when it come to our body and health. Doctors are not God, far from it. In a sense we are as guilt as they are, perpetuating the cycle. As adults we know when things are not working, but some of us choose what they think is the easier way: like popping a bill. The truth is we need to start educating the children the sacredness of their body (the temple of their soul) and the most precious valuable thing in their life: their health. Without tis consciousness it is hard to expect major changes on both sides, no matter how much we try to teach them, or how much knowledge is available, if they do not value themselves it is a very slow and hard call. And meanwhile even with all these wonderful informations, as we all agree things are getter worst regarding the pharma industry. It is not them or us, it is we together elevating and evolving our conscious.
thank you for sharing you knowledge with us
All glories to Jesus Christ 🙏💕
Dearest Ty with family, there are many of your admirers who feel part of your wonderful family, at least I do. 💕💕💕
What have you learned about the Israel claim of curing cancer?
Our son,Michael, was diagnosed with bladder cancer(stage 2) about 4 months ago. We were told that the cancer is well into the muscle wall and needed to be treated first with Chemo and then
removal of the bladder and prostate and a possible reconstruction of the bladder. If the reconstruction was not possible, all they would be able to do is give him a device to wear the rest of his life. He has one more Chemo treatment and a month to recuperate before surgery. Is there any advice you can offer as to what other choices that would be better for him? Michael is 44 years old and is still a smoker. We have talked to him many times about the smoking issue. How can we make him understand about how dangerous this is?
Hi Judy,
We are so sorry to hear what your son is going through. The best advice we can give you is to consult with one of the doctors/experts that we interviewed in our Global Quest Series. Here is a link to get their information: https://thetruthaboutcancer.com/experts-info-sheet/
We will keep your family in our thoughts and prayers.
What about the concerns of Warfarin- the ingredient that used to be used in Rat/Mice killer?
Done final chemo now for Radiotherapy. Trying to keep healthy wit diet.a alkaline. 27 positive lymph nodes cut out of my breast cancer operation. Single dad with son to love and parent.
People need to take responsibility for their own actions. Just refuse the opioids, no matter what fancy name they call it. No one I know would knowing take an opioid. There are other options you just have to demand better care from the medical industry.
Wow. Do I agree with you. I have skin cancer , and my Dr is taking out not only the cancer liaisons but the pre cancer liaisons as well. Going to meet with him today and take back my life. I know I am 75 but they truly are no longer about what is best for you . Any suggestions? The opioid crisis is affecting all of us as soon it is addiction which is labeled a disease and society is picking up the tab.
1. Many people got their cancer cured by taking bitter Apricot seeds. But it does not work if your body is deficient of Zinc. Apricot seeds kill pain also.
2. BEC-5, (Derma cure) ointment cure skin cancer.But if you are alergic to Asprin it may not suit you
Never say never. I was put on opiods at age eight for chronic pain. After 29 years of opioid use, by God’s grace, I am now 9 1/2 years sober! I agree that we need to take responsibility for how our actions. At the same time, those who care for us need to do the same.
if someone is in pain it is not that easy to just refuse a pain killer. That is contributing to the problem. Blaming the patient is not the way-most people trust their doctor to prescribe responsibly.
I have been on insulin for 70 years. Without it I would have been dead long ago. However, the pharmaceutical industry has overwhelmed us with their continuing new products. GREED! It is simply pitiful. Insulin has gone up in price dramatically. Just watch the millions of dollars worth of advertisement they splash over our TV’s every hour after hour. I wonder if anyone really listens to how these new drugs can ravage a body. Now, I do take a HBP medication as well. Two drugs but no more. I don’t even trust flu shots so generously free at local drug stores. I haven’t taken an antibiotic for years. I want my body to fight on its own and it has done a pretty good job all these years, by the grace of God.
Go to YouTube and research the videos on Dr. Levy and what Vitamin C. The form I take is the newest Liposomal. Dr. Levy discusses what Dr. Kleener was able to do with Vitamin C over 85 years ago and was ignored by the Medical establishment. No money in finding natural products that can cure or control disease. The same with the cancer industry and make no mistake it is a large industry.
Check out this article. The price of insulin doubled from 2012 to 2016!
What ever happened to the old and gold medical ethic of DO NO Harm!!!
I don’t think they use that anymore. . . . . . . . .
It’s all beyond disgusting that so many lives are wrecked by this greed. Then the opioids end up in the public water supply! Please filter both your drinking and bathing waters as best you can (Brit’s does not cut it).
I also filter both. I started with bathwater a few years ago. I would itch after bathing. But no more. Filers it is. 😃
Big Pharma has been abusing the system years. “They pay Hospitals to give insist that their employees all get the flu vaccine. The bribe the CDC, the FDA, Doctors, clinics and hospitals. They pay a fortune in bribes. the sad thing is that people are dying and/or becoming chronically ill so they can be given more meds. When I read the obituaries at least 75% of the deaths are of people my age or younger.
People need to be aware of what doctors are doing big Pharma is evil,after loosing many young people I’ve known including my 28 year old nephew last April,and almost lost our Son as well,I’m fed up with all of it ! The truth about this has to be exposed ,Its more than heartbreaking 😥
I am 81 years old and only on one medication from the Dr. I have several physical problems but use alternative medications. I am healthier than most people 10 to 15 years younger. All you have to do is tell your dr. No when offered opiods or other meds. Go to your computer and see what is available. I am fortunate to have a PA and she knows I don’t want a lot of dangerous meds. They ‘have’ to offer them to you. Also check the risks of medicines offered. My pharmacist is good at telling me.
Thank You Ty Bollinger! God bless you and your family! I appreciate all the hard work you have done to raise awareness about the widespread corruption in the pharmaceutical industry. The opioid epidemic is just one piece of the jig-saw puzzle of different ways that they are harming people. I learned the hard way just how dangerous legal drugs can be when I had an adverse drug reaction (ADR) to the antibiotic Levaquin. The fluoroquinolones, or FQs, are from a class of drugs normally used for chemo. They don’t just prevent bacteria from reproducing, like traditional antibiotics. Instead, they attack the DNA of bacteria. Unfortunately, they also attack our DNA. The results can be HORRIFIC!
I urge everyone to google the word “floxed” and follow where it leads. You all need to know about this. Doctors have been handing FQs out like candy for decades and MASSIVE numbers of people have been sickened, maimed and murdered, the vast majority of whom were misdiagnosed with any of hundreds of wrong conditions. Fluoroquinolone toxicity is a global epidemic, the Thalidomide story of our era, times ten thousand, and it is just exploding into the media now.
I also urge Ty to do a TRUTH ABOUT ANTIBIOTICS series. There is plenty of quality information available and huge numbers of victims with horror stories that would make excellent video. The majority of victims have no idea why they are sick, though, and this would help huge numbers of them to figure it out.
Thanks again,
Mark A Girard
Fluoroquinolone Toxicity Advocate
Thanks for your comment and suggestion!
I have been taking an opioid for a decade now with no ill effects, no overdoses and no close calls. I have been at the same dosage for at least 8 years and have never, ever taken an illegal or illicit drug. I have a connective tissue disorder that makes my joints pull apart and my spine to collapse in on itself and have had many surgeries trying to hold me up. I agree that narcotics have been horribly over prescribed for many years. I also agree that the pharmaceutical industry and many doctors are not remotely interested in curing disease or getting anyone off of anything but we have to be cognizant of the fact that there are legitimate intractable pain sufferers that would not be able to get out of bed each day without the assistance of an opioid. The drug companies are only out to increase our dependence on them and their profit margins.
Last year, when I tried one of the new “abuse proof” opioids, the price before insurance was $999 per month!! Considering that the FDA and CDC (which are government entities and therefore politically driven by big pharma) are trying to strong arm these legitimate patients onto this “new” medication, who do you think is profiting from the “war on drugs” and, knowing that, who (if anyone were to look) do you think is driving (and slanting) the research you cite here and all this supposed research that lumps legal and illegal drugs into the same category and makes all users, no matter the circumstances, as villains.
The recent acquisition of Monsanto by Bayer simply illustrates how very little they and their competitors care about the health and well-being of this country and the world.
I am thankful for marijuana . I take medical marijuana. It does not have side effects
And it is not addictive. I still go through my pain doctor to manage all my other problems
Besides my pain. It’s natural and cheaper and I have no side effects. Some people
Grow there own.
What is an opioid?
Define and give examples please.
i stopped taking oxybutynin bec itmade medizzy. but I need somehing healthy for urine control
am elderly but in good health but for leg swelling and urine infection (I think). Suggestions? Thanks.
Thank you for speaking truth. Prayers for you and Charlene that you may continue to discover and uncover the TRUTH. God bless and keeep you. Psalm 91.
I recently changed my health insurance company ( saved about $40!) I had to go through several interviews about my health history…do you have …to you have this…etc.etc. have you had surgery or been admitted to the hospital in the last 2 yrs. etc. etc. to every question (and there were a lot) I answered NO. then I was asked and what medications do you take? The straw that broke the camel back!!! I told the lady not to assume that everyone is on medication I’m 80 and take no medications I take a lot of vitamins and am very careful about my diet…which is what drs. should be checking.
Keep up the good work Ty we need more people like you to inform us and fight for our health.
Something I learned from a nurse who got her dying husband off opiates: Marijuana tincture. She made me some when I wanted to get off opiates after knee replacements. More effective than opiates without “the stone” and not addictive. When I need pain relief, which is rarely, I use CBD edibles, such as “gummie bears”. No addiction, no “stone”.
In my profession, my main goal is to empower my clients to first and most take responsibility for their own health, their own body and their own mind. I know the pharma has not always been the criminals they are today, but still they are not God, far from it. And as adults we are in charge of ourselves and we have to take some responsibility here. People even knowing that they are doing wrong for their health, they sometimes if not most of the time don’t care, no matter how much we try to educate them, to show them the truth, as adults, they are the ones still in charge as it proves that they most of the time choose to continue on the wrong path. My own family is an example of these people that refuse to take responsibility for their own health. What more than ever needs to be changed is the way people see themselves and value their bodies (the temple of their souls) and their health. These concepts must be taught in school, at home, at a very young age, to empower them to understand how an amazing, sacred machine our body is and how precious (the most precious thing we have in life) our health is. Without these consciousness we are as guilt as the pharma industry, because without this knowledge we all let this happen. And it is getting worse by the seconds.
Ty Bollinger. I have been following your quest since 2014 when you did your first quest for the Truth. I was in a health wellness facility in Sedona Arizona. I was learning the Gerson program for treating cancer. Prostate in particular. One of the guest had pick-up your podcast and all of us were viewing you in her room. It is now 2019 and doing well. Cancer appears to be in check. I have spent my last time following Dr. Gerson, Dr. Schulzes and Mr. Ty Bollinger and your wonderful family. Thanks for all your hard work to bring us the truth! I am never going back, I am only going forward with the Truth. Love you guys. John Muller🙏🇱🇷🇱🇷
Hi John!
This is wonderful to hear! God bless you!
And thank you for sharing this with us. We love and appreciate you for sharing your support and for standing with us for so long. 🙂
Love and blessings always!
Opioid dependence is now common knowledge, but 7 years ago, my 80 year old Mom was given oxycontin pain relief after a car accident (and was already being treated with epidurals for lumbar spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, severe arthritis, and scoliosis). Sadly, her pain doctor, who was probably lied to by the pharmacy reps, continued her on the oxycontin after the incident. She never drank, smoked and was always a healthy eater. She has been wanting to taper off 20 mg oxycontin twice a day, but the doctors just say “stay on since you are doing OK with it”. The pharmacists say “ask you doctor’. We went to 3 pain doctors to try to get help and they are not interested. It’s dangerous to cut the extended release oxycontin to try to taper down.
Where is information on helping a person who wants to get off this drug available? How can she try the medical cannabis tincture (Pennsylvania) while trying to taper off this nasty dependence? I’d love to see real patients that have successfully tapered off oxycontin when they have chronic pain due to arthritis and back deformities (and over 80).
Hi Jean!
We’re so sorry to hear that your mother went through this. 🙁
Unfortunately, we are unable to give any kind of medical advice. The best advice we can give you is to consult with one of the doctors we interviewed in the Global series.
Please note that we are not able to select an expert for you.
We’ve created a page with the experts’ contact info as it was available to us.
Here’s the link to the actual webpage:
http://thetruthaboutcancer.com/experts-info-sheet/
We do have one more resource you may be interested in. During our Live Event 2017 series, Dr. Patrick Quillin suggested contacting The Institute of Functional Medicine to locate a practitioner in your area.
If you are interested, here is the link to search for a Functional Medicine Practitioner in your area: https://www.ifm.org/find-a-practitioner/
Please do feel free to reach out to any one of these doctors as they are more than competent in providing natural alternatives to conventional treatments. If we can do anything else to help please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.
Love and blessings to you and your mother!
I know of something that really would help…it is called Mitragyna aka Kratom…that kills pain makes you feel good and is a great help to come off Opiods….do some research on this herb from South America. Addiction is minimal…if you do not live on it. Great for anxiety too.
You use a marijuana rub Salve that is called papa and barkleys…sold at dispensaries but i make it at home with beeswax coconut oil and cannibis with some essential oils. Super easy and after 17 years on oxy 80 mg and fentanyl 75mgs i was able to stop in one month!!! Magnesium chelated with vitamin d 10000 units per day and silver hydrosol and pine hydrosol.kept us all well..healed and thriving.
Will the doctors at least switch your mother to non-extended release tablets? That way she could start slowly weaning off the Oxycontin. Look up Thorny Paw pain relief cream. It’s an all natural herbal cream that has no chemicals and works great.
We would honour the 400,000 American dead from addictive opioid’s , if we stopped playing Pharma’s word games and refused to refer to BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION of Doctors and Nurses as ‘Marketing’. Also Doctors, Nurses, and other Medical staff who do accept bribes should be prosecuted too. They can no longer claim to be the only source of all healing knowledge and at the same time claim to have been ‘Misled’ by Pharma……
For Ty and Charlene, in the book of Revelations chap. 18verse 23, the word sorcery is translated from the creek means pharmakeia. How interesting hey. What your option on this?
There have also been some major problems with some horse vaccines.
Everyone knows powerful painkillers are still opiate based and can be addictive if abused or used over extended periods beyond which they were intended. Can you really blame the manufacturers or the doctors if they prescribe powerful painkillers for extreme pain. Addiction of all types is on the up, alcoholism, antidepressants and recreational drug abuse. These are soaring as society is unravelling, and people are getting left behind industry and jobs, property prices, by social media and feel dissatisfied and disengaged. This is far too great and complex an issue than simply blaming ‘corrupt pharma’ you are beginning to sound like a broken record. I took tramadol for my post op pain after my colectomy in the UK but guess what? I stopped at the earliest opportunity and got back to life with my family. I didn’t wallow in self pity and keep taking them and make myself an addict. People don’t take responsibility for themselves any more always looking to blame someone else for their situation.
Adrian you seem to have swallowed the Pharma propaganda that they scurrilously employed in the early days of the opiod crisis. Namely that “it’s the patients fault”. There are emails that passed between the pharma execs showing how they discussed this ploy to prevent any attempts at stopping their money train. Lucky you Adrian if you got your life back, you had the strength and possibly support to do it. It would be nice to think everyone was a carbon copy of you. But what about the people not as lucky as you Adrian without a family to get ‘back to’? Or the multitude of other varying personal circumstances that you could never in all honesty compare yourself to! Withdrawal is hard……….the perfect product some pharma execs might say. Come back to the light Adrian……I proudly thank God for Ty and Charlene’s determined ‘broken record’ as you’ve labelled it. For me they are the ‘Voice in The Wilderness’ bringing not only stunning research but love, power and support to everyone.
How disgusting to hear these news about big pharma, if we don’t ward off these threats asap we might as well be in trouble! Great work Ty and Charlene! God bless
I agree they are so greedy it the same here in New Zealand the rich get richer and the poor get poorer
I appreciate you all so very much….still trying to get family members to listen !!
Anyway…in 2014 I had a knee replacement…I have very high pain tolerance and kept telling surgeon, hospital staff and who would listen…no one did…I was physically sick after each pain pill, that did not matter to staff, they just want to manage your pain so they can release you….had surgery on Monday, went home Wednesday with prescriptions for Oxycodone, Oxycotin, and Tylenol 3…..enough to kill a horse….I was afraid to get behind the pain, imagined pain!, so I took the drugs around the clock on schedule….on Friday after taking my morning pills I just didn’t feel right so I called the surgeons office for help and staff told me “no one here to help you, its Friday and office quiet..then tried to talk to a pharmacist for help, they would not talk to me probably for liability so I called the doctors office where I had my pre-op…they did not return my call until the end of the day…..I sat all day thinking I was going to die,never realizing I should be calling 911…..finally docs office nurse called me end of day…her response “oh honey, you are way over medicated !!! DO NOT TAKE ANOTHER PILL !!!” she probably was the one to save my life !!! I never took another pill and realized I didn’t need anything and probably did not need anything once I got home from hospital on Wednesday…..I am thanking God for my life and keeping me safe that day….am still very angry about no one listening to me….I do not trust anyone …..The surgeon, who I did trust at the time, blasted his staff for their response to me but he is still probably prescribing those drugs and not listening to patients…..when my sister had her knee replacement, I never left her side during her hospital stay and questioned EVERYTHING they gave her….they still brought pills she refused just the time before…still tried to get her to take pills that she did not need ….thank you for letting me vent….still cannot get over my experience and its been 4 years !!!! I still see bugs on the walls and mice run across the floor once in awhile, halucinations, but that is passing with time…..Please don’t ever stop what you are doing…..we love you !!!!!!
Related to this topic, just paid my respects to a long-time friend who passed away from complications following a heart attack. He experienced a strange muscular degeneration which got so bad he ended up intensive care in November completely immobilized. Doctors finally realized he was experiencing a “rare” side effect to Lipitor, the cholesterol drug, but obviously too late! Interestingly muscular problems are clearly stated as a side effect of Lipitor. Why would wouldn’t doctors connect this to him at earlier stage? And my understanding is that statins actually have little or no added benefit re preventing heart attacks, i.e. high cholesterol is a symptom, not the cause. Ps. Do these medical tragedies related to pharmaceutical get reported to authorities? I welcome comments
On the other side, there are people who suffer terribly pain from failed back surgeries who need these to even move. You should study the suicide rate of those being cut off from meds who can not bear the pain. The abusers have HURT the people who honestly need them to even move. Those who can not be treated surgically are suffering from the abusers of the meds which is unfair. There is another side of the story for the victims of wrecks, chronic pain, and failed surgeries the government and Drs are cutting off the meds as well as the pain centers for conditions noted by MRI’s and CT scans. I understand let’s delete abusers, but let’s NOT neglect those whom are suffering daily in pain. We euthanize dogs, but not people who can not stand or sit, barely make 20 steps without collapsing, leg giving without warning.
From a person who suffers DAILY in misery with spinal stenosis, sciatica impinging in discs, facet hypertrophy, degenerative discs, tremors, osteoarthritis, spondolythis, back pain that has turned from one leg sciatica to both since failed back surgery and cancer to boot.
Miss Sharon, please read “Run from the Cure”, watch Ronnie Smith on YouTube(great), my name is Lily, I am 65, diagnosed with cancerous tumor, only took RSO (Rick Simpson Oil), like he Tudors you, tumor broke down and dissipated, very good pain medicine, maintains your weight naturally, sleep wonderfully, non addicting, best wishes
Yes!!!
This has been obvious for decades Ty. Those of us who have worked in the medical field for a long time have been well aware of it. Yes, it is big pharma, but it is the training received by doctors in schools funded by big pharma. and the blind trust and elegance of the general public. It’s also not just opioids.
You have gotten the attention of the general public keep up the good work.
Ty,
Long Story Short, I was a healthy RN of 13 years when my doctor prescribed me the statin drug lipitor..no problem for 3.5 years until all hell broke loose. I fell deathly ill, hospitalized 28 days at UW Madison, I was akin to a 95 year old with end stage alzheimers disease. I was seen by dozens of med students, residents and attending neurologists each with his/her own theory of what was going on in my 34 year old brain. I was to transfer to a nursing home pending bed placement, when a visiting prof from Johns Hopkins was asked to evaluate me. He did and started me on a mitochondrial cocktail (essentially 12 vitamins amino acids and 1 key ingredient CoQ10. Fast forward 24 hours, I was beginning to be able to recognize my wife and my 2 year old son, I could verbalize the need to use the restroom (vs soiling myself like Id done for 3 weeks), I could walk with assist etc. and a few days later discharged home with a diagnosis Viral Encephalitis. Few weeks later my wife and I watched Good Morning America, where Diane Sawyer was interviewing Dr Beatrice Golomb (Principal Researcher UCSD Statin Effects Study) discussing the unknown, unpublished risks of these drugs, I enrolled in the study and was told at the conclusion that the holes (Apoptosis)seen in my brain via biopsy and the Mitochondrial DNA mutations seen under electron microscopy of my brain and muscle biopsies were a result of my taking the statin drug LIpitor. Since finding this out 15 years ago, I have poured my heart and soul into researching and eventually learning of the scam behing the Cholesterol Heart Disease theory which have served one purpose to ensure windfall profits to the drug industry while offering very minimal benefit to the patients bamboozled into taking them, I urge you to consider a Truth About Statins docuseries, I can lead you to many credible experts who are all trying to undo the lies behind this pharma “science”
Hi Chris!
Thank you so much for sharing this with us. We can’t imagine what a terrible experience and a rollercoaster of emotions this must have been for you and your family.
Regarding your idea of creating a Truth About Statins – this is fantastic. We’ll be sure to pass this along. Thank you for sharing.
Wishing you and your lovely family endless blessings, love, and good health always!
Ty, thanks for your hard work! Here’s a question I’ve never had answered!
How much fresh juice is a serving size that’s going to be beneficial to the body yet not too much where it is not assimilated or wasted? 8 oz? 16oz?
Hi Richard.
Thanks for reaching out to us about this!
Generally we would say that it varies by body size and type. Each body is different and depending on health and organ conditions the assimilation of fresh juice could vary.
We would suggest it’s best to reach out to a nutritionist for a more individualized answer on this.
Love and blessings to you and your family!
I’ve been a family nurse practitioner for 19 years and one of my greatest frustrations is that it has been so difficult to get state or federal agencies to take action to stop doctors who are irresponsibly prescribing narcotics.
About 10 years ago I was on a two-county committee comprised of medical providers, pharmacists, law enforcement, and a county district attorney, all coming together to try to stop one MD from over-prescribing narcotics. Eventually, the actions of our committee brought him to a stop.
Last year I reported an MD to the state for prescribing approximately 2,500 narcotics per day to a small rural community. The doctor eventually found out I reported him and he had me fired immediately.
As a nurse who works in the substance abuse clinics, I can heartily agree that parents is out of control (in every genre of medications, not just pain meds). HOWEVER, people are indeed in pain, and pain syndromes are skyrocketing… this is a whole other dilemma. Sooo, you cannot simply dismiss those who really do need pain medications; and write them off as drug addicts. I see the horribly judgemental attitudes toward these people. There are solutions…
Hi Michelle!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us.
We don’t intend to dismiss the fact that people are in need of pain relievers. We simply want to point out that before reaching the stage of needing such extreme pain relievers at high dosages people can be guided to making diet and lifestyle changes which are contributing to the worsening of their pain.
Often times people do become (understandably) addicted to the pain relievers they’re given as a “quick fix.” But there is so much more to learn about that our medical doctors don’t tell us. People aren’t even given the option of natural pain relievers or educated about the foods that can heal them from within. A patient is a human being whose health and life matters – their long term well being should be of highest priority.
We try to educate people the best we can so they can learn to question their doctors and pharmacists when they’re given a quick prognosis with medication that comes with a long list of side effects.
Hope this helps clarify our intention.
Thanks again for reaching out to us with your feelings on this. We appreciate you! 🙂