Is your doctor trustworthy?

This may seem like an odd question. However, amidst all the recent witch hunts over opiates another dark part of the Big Pharma underworld has come to light. That is, that pharmaceutical companies are paying your doctors to prescribe sponsored meds.

Seems shocking, I know. I have briefly discussed my disgust with a urogynocologist I was sent to and how horribly she treated me when neither of her big sponsored drugs helped my symptoms. However, she is but one crappy piece in a giant game.

http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/find-out-how-much-big-pharma-drug-companies-are-paying-your-doctor/

Above is a link to input your doctors name. Now some of the payments are mundane. A lunch or trinket like pens and magnets, but some are much more substantial.

Look for large sums given for endorsement speeches. That is where you begin to see the betrayal of your doctors integrity. Personally I can not trust a doctors judgement in treatment, if they are being "paid" by a specific pharmaceutical to push certain meds.

The medical community has declined greatly over the past 2 decades even as medical knowledge has increased.

I recently read an article about patient satisfaction should not factor into service rendered. I think they forget, they would not have jobs without patients.

I was particularly shocked by nurses comments on the post. Especially many of them making fun of patients and the pain levels we have. There are extremely effective pain meds that patients are denied because of government "DEA" interference.

I do not think asking for pain relief in a hospital setting is too much to ask. In fact perhaps the nurses and doctors should listen more to their patients instead of relying on chart numbers.

The decline of care and treatment is dismal.
We are treated like guinea pigs, worse even because we do not have animal rights activists proclaiming against our treatment.
In 2016 at least 111 deaths are related to Lyrica. The big opiate replacement drug.
450 deaths a year are ascribed to Tylenol. 50,000 acetominophen overdoses happen each year. Tylenol is toxic to your liver. Yet, it gets basically a safe pass. "Acetaminophen is the nation's leading cause of acute liver failure, according to data from an ongoing study funded by the National Institutes for Health. Analysis of national mortality files shows about 450 deaths occur each year from acetaminophen-associated overdoses; 100 of these are unintentional." Asch.org

Most people will simply say "any drug poses potential harm." This is true. However, the fact that certain death or injury causing drugs are still widely distributed without vivid warnings is unexcusable.

Especially when the same people advising use of otc or prescription drugs other than opiates are not forthcoming with the risk. In fact when exhibiting symptoms of Lyrica toxicity I was advised to continue usage. I quit taking it. It did not help my IC pain and in fact made it hurt worse.

We must demand our voice be heard. Heard by medical professionals. Heard by lawmakers. Heard by others suffering this horrific disease.