Posted by Storm on September 7, 2001, at 20:11:01
In reply to Re: Taking drugs that are not approved by the FDA?, posted by JohnL on September 7, 2001, at 18:24:04
I don't know that it is a problem in actual drugs, but there is a problem with energy pill and stuff that aren't fda approved. many of the energy, arthritis, and other pills are made with ground up cow brains. no joke, I learned this at college yesterday. that is something major to check for, as mad cow disease is becoming a problem in the countries from where the pills are coming from. just thought I'd mention that.
> Dittos to everything Adamie said.
>
> Furthermore, how many drugs has the FDA approved which they later had to ban because people were dying? It has happened more often than we like to admit. Just because it isn't FDA approved doesn't mean anything, except that the company didn't have the money to go through the FDA process (millions of dollars). Also, just because a drug is FDA approved doesn't mean anything. Unexpected things happen later on that didn't happen in clinical trials. People die. Then the drug is banned.
>
> In my book, the FDA is an institution that should not be viewed as a bible. They do the best they can, but it is made of people, and people always make mistakes.
>
> What if Adrafinil does end up causing cancer or something later on? Well, since it has been around for several decades already, I think we would have heard of that by now.
>
> One known risk is possible liver problems. That's why liver/blood tests are a good idea twice a year just to monitor the situation. In a year and a half of taking Adrafinil myself, my blood tests keep coming back normal. In a way I'm glad, because it's nice to know the drug isn't doing me any liver harm, but on the other it's not so nice because those darn blood tests are expensive! :-)
>
> As with all things in life, it comes down to a decision based on potential benefit versus potential risk. For those of us who have found Adrafinil to be a life saving drug, the benefits far outweight the risks.
> John
>
> > > Im talking here about Adrafinil which a number of people here take and advocate. I looked at the web pages on it. Its not approved in the USA right?!
> > >
> > > Is anyone concerned about the risks of taking a drug that is not approved by the FDA? Sure it sounds like a cool and good drug and its approved in France and Europe but how much long term study has been done on it? What if they find out in a few years that it causes some type of cancer or something?
> > >
> > > Thanks.
> >
> >
> > the drug is very cheap, has very little marketing value, and it just costs a lot of money to go through the FDA aproval process. the company is therefor not bothering with it. america is not the only source of medication.
poster:Storm
thread:78192
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010907/msgs/78214.html