Posted on 08/03/2009 8:38:35 PM PDT by neverdem
I have become much more aware of the side effects of medications, supplements, and things like MSG since my daughter was diagnosed with a seizure disorder.
I can envision Nancy and Obama getting their hands on healthcare, and it scares the crap out of me.
I know they will push things like generics and say that generics are the same as the other medication. I know that is not the case for both anti-seizure medication and for thyroid medication. For anti-seizure medication, even the coloring and other stuff they put in the generics (not the main medicine) can cause problems for epileptics. There’s been a lot of articles about it recently in the epilepsy foundation.
For thyroid medication, the level of the medication is not as consistent as it is for a brand name.
I know I’ll survive the whole socialized medicine thing, but I am truly worried about my daughter. She has seizures, a brain injury, a heart arrhythmia. I worry that they will council her about end of life transition (whatever they call it). I worry that the number of places to get EEGs and MRIs will decline. I worry about wait times (it already took us 6 weeks to schedule an EEG).
I’m going off topic, but anytime we start any thread on healthcare it starts me worrying about it.
Generics can range in potency to the reference drug .8 to 1.20 from the original. If you find a generic that works well for you ask your pharmacist what generic company produced that particular med and ask for that brand of generic each time you fill your script.
This is a bit more complicated. The effect was observed in two similar drugs, cromolyn sodium (brand name NasalCrom, 5.2mg per dose intranasal), and ketotifen fumarate (brand name Zaditor, 0.345 mg ketotifen fumarate equivalent to 0.25 mg ketotifen, eye drops.)
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/45912/title/Allergy_meds_slim_down_obese_mice
However, poor absorption in the GI tract by NasalCrom, and the tiny amount of ketotifen in the Zaditor eye drops created a similar problem. That is, they were both designed to reduce *local* mast cell degranulation, but they don’t have enough strength to affect the extensive number of mast cell clusters in the rest of the body.
This was overcome in mice by directly injecting the drugs (at higher doses), into the fat tissues where the majority of mast cells reside.
Alaway eye drops made by Bausch & Lomb contain ketotifen. They help my itchy eyes, but I haven’t noticed any difference in my weight. Maybe I should drink them instead..... just kidding.
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