Last night on Youtube watched an XFL game (between Seattle and St. Louis). The "feed" was seemingly ESPN perhaps or some other network. These had commercials in them.

I may have mentioned this a couple of years ago, but one was a pharmacuetical company selling a drug, or maybe more than one in different commercials. I have never ever understood these, or why medicine like this is advertised to the general public and not to just doctors.

One was for multiple sclerosis, a serious autoimmune disease. So here we have these people in the commercial smiling and happy, and the commerical presents this drug, and the commercial always ends with "Ask your doctor if (this drug) is right for you", for multiple sclerosis, again, a serious disease. Has anyone ever gone to the doctor and asked them if a drug they have seen on TV is right for them? Let's say I am sick with crazy symptoms, go to the doctor, and find out I have multiple sclerosis, am I really going to ask the doctor if some drug I happened to see in a commercial is what I need? Seriously? I am not a doctor, I have no idea what I need for the condition I have, this is up to the doctor. If a doctor diagnosed me with Multiple Sclorosis, I would be too freaked out and scared to think of the commercial I saw on TV.

I do know that doctors have pharmacuetical salesmen come to their offices to try to sell the latest thing. But why even then? Doctors are not Chemists/Pharmacists. I take it all drugs that go to market have to be approved by the FDA, so wouldnt the drug salesman sell their wares to pharmacies instead of doctors? Or to some bored dude watching XFL? I dont get the logic.

I like everyone else perhaps finds this whole routine unethical and criminal also, medicine shouldnt be a product sold for profit. There shouldnt be "generics" and "name brands" either, this isnt a choice between Walmart brand potato chips versus Ruffles. Please.

:wave:That Galexico is some good dope!:wave:

Of course we all know the side effects sometimes sound as bad as some of the conditions. And I find it sad there are now some drugs that are made to treat side effects, such as tics and twitches (tardive dyskinesia).

And many of the ads have a statement, similar to, "Be sure to tell your doctor if you have an infection." Huh? He or she is the doctor, I'm not; surely they would check for that.

Last night on Youtube watched an XFL game (between Seattle and St. Louis). The "feed" was seemingly ESPN perhaps or some other network. These had commercials in them.

One kind of needs drugs to watch the XFL….

I have never ever understood these, or why medicine like this is advertised to the general public and not to just doctors.

:

I believe it's fairly obvious? They are playing to the hypochondriac viewer, anticipating they might solicit a diagnosis from their doctor that turns into sales.

And I find it sad there are now some drugs that are made to treat side effects, such as tics and twitches (tardive dyskinesia).



Most people I know have facial quirks of some kind, I always thought (within reason) it was normal.

Unless one is a stone-faced Brit, that is.

Last night on Youtube watched an XFL game (between Seattle and St. Louis). The "feed" was seemingly ESPN perhaps or some other network. These had commercials in them.

I may have mentioned this a couple of years ago, but one was a pharmacuetical company selling a drug, or maybe more than one in different commercials. I have never ever understood these, or why medicine like this is advertised to the general public and not to just doctors.

One was for multiple sclerosis, a serious autoimmune disease. So here we have these people in the commercial smiling and happy, and the commerical presents this drug, and the commercial always ends with "Ask your doctor if (this drug) is right for you", for multiple sclerosis, again, a serious disease. Has anyone ever gone to the doctor and asked them if a drug they have seen on TV is right for them? Let's say I am sick with crazy symptoms, go to the doctor, and find out I have multiple sclerosis, am I really going to ask the doctor if some drug I happened to see in a commercial is what I need? Seriously? I am not a doctor, I have no idea what I need for the condition I have, this is up to the doctor. If a doctor diagnosed me with Multiple Sclorosis, I would be too freaked out and scared to think of the commercial I saw on TV.

I do know that doctors have pharmacuetical salesmen come to their offices to try to sell the latest thing. But why even then? Doctors are not Chemists/Pharmacists. I take it all drugs that go to market have to be approved by the FDA, so wouldnt the drug salesman sell their wares to pharmacies instead of doctors? Or to some bored dude watching XFL? I dont get the logic.

I like everyone else perhaps finds this whole routine unethical and criminal also, medicine shouldnt be a product sold for profit. There shouldnt be "generics" and "name brands" either, this isnt a choice between Walmart brand potato chips versus Ruffles. Please.

:wave:That Galexico is some good dope!:wave:


A long time ago (maybe 25-30 years), a doctor friend of mine told me that it cost drug companies at least $250 million to get a drug approved by the FDA. $250 million! I can't imagine what that number is now. If drug companies don't make that money back, they will cease to do research and invent new drugs. Like everything else, this is much more complicated than most people imagine it is.

That helps explain in large part the convention of new brand-name drugs not having competition from generic counterparts for the first few years -- they have patent protection. Big pharma, and FDA gone wild.

A long time ago (maybe 25-30 years), a doctor friend of mine told me that it cost drug companies at least $250 million to get a drug approved by the FDA. $250 million! I can't imagine what that number is now. If drug companies don't make that money back, they will cease to do research and invent new drugs. Like everything else, this is much more complicated than most people imagine it is.

This makes me wonder how drug companies made money before drugs were advertised.

Those types of ads used to be banned, and still are banned everywhere else.

This makes me wonder how drug companies made money before drugs were advertised.

Oh they made money, now they bleed with greedy money. The hardest drug I take is 1 ibuprofen every 6 hrs and working to get off it and on to an herbal pain med for arthritic issues I manage. Ibuprofen comes with plenty of side effects....

They made mega billions on this virus we are living thru.

Those types of ads used to be banned, and still are banned everywhere else.

I talked with a person I knew from the UK some yrs ago, she is very wholistic and said there no drug ads on UK tvs....if that still is I don't know. I lost track of her over the years.

I avoid watching commercials as much as I can because I can't stand modern advertising in general. However from my limited observation it seems those types of ads are even increasing.

Well when I watched TV most of my life and with passing years there are more and more ads for Everything, I used to mute the tv and close my eyes, now I watch no TV, had attempted to go back to watching the limited stuff I can get on my TV, and just No Interest.

I get so much of what I need on my radio airwaves...

I talked with a person I knew from the UK some yrs ago, she is very wholistic and said there no drug ads on UK tvs....if that still is I don't know. I lost track of her over the years.

That still is true. They are banned everywhere else.

It’s me again!

I think the crux of my question is why are drug companies marketing to us, instead of the medical establishment? The whole “Ask your doctor if “Gelxico” is right for you….” for whatever malady, no matter how serious it is. I mentioned one of the medicines had to do with multiple sclerosis, a seriously debilitating condition. If a doctor diagnosed me with that, is anyone going to say “I saw an advertisement for the medicine Gelxico and want to know if it is right for me!” That’s asinine. I am not a doctor, I have no idea what medicines I need.

I don’t hate the commercials more than any other, I just again, do not understand the logic.

It’s me again!

I think the crux of my question is why are drug companies marketing to us, instead of the medical establishment? The whole “Ask your doctor if “Gelxico” is right for you….” for whatever malady, no matter how serious it is. I mentioned one of the medicines had to do with multiple sclerosis, a seriously debilitating condition. If a doctor diagnosed me with that, is anyone going to say “I saw an advertisement for the medicine Gelxico and want to know if it is right for me!” That’s asinine. I am not a doctor, I have no idea what medicines I need.

I don’t hate the commercials more than any other, I just again, do not understand the logic.


They do that also, and always have. Drug salesmen go to doctor's offices and hospitals, trying to convince doctors that their drugs will help their patients and are better than competitors. Ever get free samples of drugs from your doctor? That's where they come from. See promotional items at your doctor's office? Posters, pens, pen holders, calendars, etc. Salesmen bring them.

It’s me again!

If a doctor diagnosed me with that, is anyone going to say “I saw an advertisement for the medicine Gelxico and want to know if it is right for me!” That’s asinine. I am not a doctor, I have no idea what medicines I need.

I don’t hate the commercials more than any other, I just again, do not understand the logic.

Turn it around for a moment, suppose your doctor diagnosed you with a particular disease, AND DID NOT prescribe the advertised medication.

Many folks are determined to be miserable, so for those who do not feel themselves to be 100% cured by their physician's course of treatment, the commercial for this competing product offer an alternative path.

So you got this patient claiming what the doctor has already done, has been ineffective, and if the patient is asking to be the guineapig for a new treatment path, the doctor might consider it.

So, I see it as the pharmaceutical companies trying to use the patients to "team up" on the doctors and get them to consider alternative therapy.

The last 3 words being the key...next time ask for a whopper, instead of a big mac.

I ask No Doctors for a drug, The one who knows my body the best is ME....no doctor etc...One can find so much info about what they believe they may have wrong and go from there. The Net is loaded with all kinds of suggestions. Where do you think today's doc go while you are sitting in front of them, their computers. That was no way the case back in the days of docs and t heir knowledge and no computers around...

One of my best doctors was a D.O. who was around long before any computers and he found help for me with a thyroid med he knew about and did NOT do labs etc and just started me out on the drug in 2002 and it lifted 10 yrs of depression. He Knew.....He worked PT into his early 90's, his patients loved loved loved this man....and so did I.

I encounter quite a few people who have convinced themselves that their doctor is not solving their problem. Bawling about perpetual misery despite their doctor's care, so an alternative course of treatment might make sense, for both doctor AND PATIENT?

Flip side of that, I can't remember ANY doctors responding to ANY of my specific requests with anything other than skepticism.

So it is challenging to anticipate a doctor who would respond favorably to a patient's self prognosis.

I recall once I had been to see no doctor in over 15 years, and picked up an infection. So I go to a doctor and ask for antibiotics, and they treated me like I was asking for heroin!

I know there is this whole thing about over-use of antibiotics and acquired resistence. But here I was, hadn't asked a doctot for squat in oveer a decade, and this one measly little request seemed to set off alarms like I was typhoid Mary.

One of the main reasons I hardly ever go see them, all they want to do is tell me to give up everything I like, and refuse to provide me with anything I ask for.

Still, specific to this thread, once the doctor has diagnosed the disease, think he has some exposure to patients requesting treatment methods approved for that purpose, especially if what he has tried has failed to deliver results...hence the commercials.

The last time I saw a family doctor was in 1997, when I got a severe poison ivy rash all over my upper body (pulled the ivy off of a tree, wearing short sleeves). Rx for that.

Since then, I did once go to an urgent care type place some years back when I contracted shingles on my face (diagnosed myself from online info), and got pills prescribed. That outbreak was triggered by being very upset with my brother.

So obviously I've been fortunate with my health. There are lots of mediocre doctors out there and I'm glad to have avoided them.

That must have been quite an upset with your brother to trigger shingles, do you even remember the upset?

Yes. He was vacationing with his family and had me watch his house, and I was doing some fix-it stuff there over a couple of weeks (as long as I was making the drives to pick up mail, etc.).

He didn't bother to put in writing for me exactly when they'd be returning. So I was alarmed when I later looked in his wife's datebook and found they'd be back in less than 1 day.

I was panicked as I'd started projects thinking I had several days to finish. He never fails to vent his anger at me, so I knew I was in for a tongue-lashing if he saw I'd removed rotted wood without yet replacing it, etc.

In all the years of going back and forth there several miles, sometimes as many as 2 dozen times when he was on a month-long trip, he never once offered to reimburse me for my gas money. Yet one time I owed him a measly $1.20 and he demanded that I "pay up." :(

The last time I saw a family doctor was in 1997, when I got a severe poison ivy rash all over my upper body (pulled the ivy off of a tree, wearing short sleeves). Rx for that.

Now I'm guessing you KNOW poison ivy. Be very careful with leaves of three!

oh that is interesting on the brother relationship, in my family I've lived about 3000 miles from both of mine (bro and sis) for well over 50 yrs and it's been just fine for all of us. Everyone has family stories...

Now I'm guessing you KNOW poison ivy. Be very careful with leaves of three!

I did know that it was poison ivy, but stupidly since it was Fall and the leaves had all fallen off, I thought the vines were not a threat. How wrong I was!

oh that is interesting on the brother relationship, in my family I've lived about 3000 miles from both of mine (bro and sis) for well over 50 yrs and it's been just fine for all of us. Everyone has family stories...

Back when his wife found the house and they moved there in 1995, I would've warned my brother that it was very unconventional -- meaning roof problems and other things. But they bought it before I'd had a chance to look and offer my opinion. And to this day they are having issues. I've never regarded them well at all, I just kept in mind when doing work there it was for my nieces (who've since moved out).

I did know that it was poison ivy, but stupidly since it was Fall and the leaves had all fallen off, I thought the vines were not a threat. How wrong I was!



Back when his wife found the house and they moved there in 1995, I would've warned my brother that it was very unconventional -- meaning roof problems and other things. But they bought it before I'd had a chance to look and offer my opinion. And to this day they are having issues. I've never regarded them well at all, I just kept in mind when doing work there it was for my nieces (who've since moved out).

Well just remind yourself it is their problems/issues, not yours. They have to figure it out..some suggestions here and there, but it's their final decision on everything. .. The control we have is over ourselves...