Asthma meds are often times some of the least necessary drugs on the planet.
That may sound a little backwards, especially to our friends who can't go anywhere without an inhaler, but it's true. Not only can asthma be treated naturally, but the alternative -- prescription meds -- can do some pretty nasty things to you.
Recently, the FDA ordered new warnings on some common asthma drugs because these meds have been linked to a long list of neuropsychiatric problems, including agitation, aggression, anxiousness, dream abnormalities, hallucinations, depression, insomnia, irritability, restlessness, suicidal thinking and behavior, and tremors.
Earlier this year, the agency said there was no evidence of a link to suicidal thoughts among users of certain asthma drugs.
Looks like they were wrong.
The problem is that the FDA initially relied on data from the drug companies -- studies that didn't look at the possibility of these side effects.
Now, there is at least enough evidence to warrant a label change.
The thing to keep in mind here is how conservative the FDA is when it comes to drug warnings. The FDA almost always favors Big Pharma and usually resorts to warning labels only after enough foot-dragging to trace a path across the Great Plains.
So when the FDA ultimately does order one of these labels, you can bet the ranch that it's something worth being concerned about.
If you're on one of these meds, this is a great time to spend a few moments with your doc and go over your alternatives. Despite what Big Pharma wants you to believe, you have options.
Remember, asthma meds don't actually heal you. They only help suppress the symptoms while putting you at risk for nasty side effects. While the drugs might give you some short-term relief, the underlying condition sits untreated, even getting worse, secondary to rebound when the meds wear off.
That means any relief you feel won't last long. In the end, you'll still experience your asthma symptoms, possibly even worsening symptoms -- and a lighter wallet because of the money you're spending on those drugs.
The real way to treat asthma is to identify what's triggering your symptoms. In most cases, it's an allergy to something in you are eating. But most people never learn what it is, because most allergy testing is limited and cursory.
You see Dr. Mainstreet is taught that the allergen is out in the environment, so you need to take your medications in order to be able to go outside. But after over twenty years of practice, it finally occurred to me that if you eat something that you are allergic to, it would be at least a trillion times the dose of any environmentally contacted allergen. Sure enough, this proved to be true. But proper testing is required. Unfortunately, Dr. Mainstreet does not understand how to test in this manner.
I won't let my patients settle for that, and you shouldn't settle, either. Thorough testing almost always reveals that the true cause of your asthma is a food allergen. And that lets you to set your own terms for fighting asthma.
House Calls with Dr. William B. Ferril (housecalls@healthiernews.com)
That may sound a little backwards, especially to our friends who can't go anywhere without an inhaler, but it's true. Not only can asthma be treated naturally, but the alternative -- prescription meds -- can do some pretty nasty things to you.
Recently, the FDA ordered new warnings on some common asthma drugs because these meds have been linked to a long list of neuropsychiatric problems, including agitation, aggression, anxiousness, dream abnormalities, hallucinations, depression, insomnia, irritability, restlessness, suicidal thinking and behavior, and tremors.
Earlier this year, the agency said there was no evidence of a link to suicidal thoughts among users of certain asthma drugs.
Looks like they were wrong.
The problem is that the FDA initially relied on data from the drug companies -- studies that didn't look at the possibility of these side effects.
Now, there is at least enough evidence to warrant a label change.
The thing to keep in mind here is how conservative the FDA is when it comes to drug warnings. The FDA almost always favors Big Pharma and usually resorts to warning labels only after enough foot-dragging to trace a path across the Great Plains.
So when the FDA ultimately does order one of these labels, you can bet the ranch that it's something worth being concerned about.
If you're on one of these meds, this is a great time to spend a few moments with your doc and go over your alternatives. Despite what Big Pharma wants you to believe, you have options.
Remember, asthma meds don't actually heal you. They only help suppress the symptoms while putting you at risk for nasty side effects. While the drugs might give you some short-term relief, the underlying condition sits untreated, even getting worse, secondary to rebound when the meds wear off.
That means any relief you feel won't last long. In the end, you'll still experience your asthma symptoms, possibly even worsening symptoms -- and a lighter wallet because of the money you're spending on those drugs.
The real way to treat asthma is to identify what's triggering your symptoms. In most cases, it's an allergy to something in you are eating. But most people never learn what it is, because most allergy testing is limited and cursory.
You see Dr. Mainstreet is taught that the allergen is out in the environment, so you need to take your medications in order to be able to go outside. But after over twenty years of practice, it finally occurred to me that if you eat something that you are allergic to, it would be at least a trillion times the dose of any environmentally contacted allergen. Sure enough, this proved to be true. But proper testing is required. Unfortunately, Dr. Mainstreet does not understand how to test in this manner.
I won't let my patients settle for that, and you shouldn't settle, either. Thorough testing almost always reveals that the true cause of your asthma is a food allergen. And that lets you to set your own terms for fighting asthma.
House Calls with Dr. William B. Ferril (housecalls@healthiernews.com)
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