May
Who let the QUACKS LOOSE?
Posted by The *Angriest* Pharmacist as Disgusting, Doctors, Government, Me being a dick, Me hating others, Politics, Stupid People
I’ve done nothing but battle with crazy ass QUACKS this last two weeks. From the battle with SmartMoney.com to my letters to the editor, I’ve been a busy little bee!
Pharmagirl10 brought this crap to my attention: One Doctor’s Quest to Cut Unneeded Treatments (Behold These Six Common Medical Procedures That Do No Patient Any Good)
What happened to responsible journalism? What happened to not scaring the shit out of uneducated, not-all-of-them-are-fucking-doctor Americans? You simply CANNOT tell patients this kind of stuff and expect them to not go jumping off a cliff. There is no such thing as a grain of salt. If it’s on ABC news, it’s fact. The average American is naive and actually believes in responsible journalism. They believe that articles like this have been meticulously disseminated and combed over for errors.
They do not differentiate shitty, poorly written OpEd from high end fact giving expose. They are in the paper or on the website, they are each of the same high caliber —– Except this fucking garbage. Let’s see what Dr. Nortin Hadler, professor of medicine and microbiology/immunology at UNC, thinks is unnecessary:
1. Oral Hypoglycemic Drugs (Because they do not spare one from heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, skin ulcers, or anything else you might care about, including death before your time)
- So, should I stop my cholesterol medicine because my knee hurts? While I understand the correlation between diabetes and all of the things you list, your logic is flawed and irrational. Oral hypoglycemics were created to keep blood sugar lower and therefore prevent morbidities related to hyperglycemia, such as neuropathy, PROGRESSION of CKD, retinopathy, and basically everything else you speak of. While Dr. Hadler believes that they don’t DIRECTLY do those things, the American Diabetes Association DIRECTLY DISAGREES. The STANDARD OF CARE contradicts your retarded dribble [The PDF is info on ALL approved Diabetes Drugs]. The rest of the ADA Guidelines proving you WRONG are here: http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/32/Supplement_1
2. If you think coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) or angioplasty with or without stents can save your life or improve your angina, think again.
- This one is humorous because, again, the logic is completely FLAWED! This statement is the equivalent of me saying to a person with one lung, “Don’t use Albuterol thinking it’s going to make it easier to breathe after exercise — IT WONT!” — CABG is WAY down the line for the treatment of fucking ANGINA. CABG and angio are treatments following STEMI (ST-Elevated Mycardial Infarctions — HEART ATTACKS) which is different than angina. Angina treatment algorithm: Nitrates (ASA or Plavix to reduce risk) —> LA Nitrate –> Calcium Channel Blockers –> Beta Blockers –> Change to different CCB –> Ranexa (Ranolazine) –> THEN CONSIDER Angio.
- This guy is just a stupid dick.
3. No one should submit to a screening test unless it’s accurate, the disease is important, and we can treat the disease. Tests that fail: MAMMOGRAPHY, PROSTATE SPECIFIC ANTIGEN (PSA), HbA1c, and CHOLESTEROL.
- This guy is going to get himself shot by at least one major health organization. Now he’s going to fuck with Susan G. Komen? Right after Mother’s Day? Sorry guy…while it’s not perfect, mammographies save lives. The problem is that women don’t get them soon enough, often enough, and they are subject to MASSIVE amounts of OPERATOR ERROR due to LACK of experience. PSA is one that has gotten a bad rap. The issues with it is that levels can elevate if a man has prostatis, and they increase we age regardless. So, we really don’t have set guidelines on at what age they become erroneous and what level we need to biopsy at. General consensus right now is that we biopsy over 4 after retesting 30 days later. Nonetheless, simple, cheap blood test that has some NEGATIVE PREDICTIVE VALUE. Meaning, if your PSA is really low, you don’t have prostate cancer. If it’s through the roof, you MAY have prostate issues or it may just be high due to other causes. A1c? See those Diabetes guidelines linked above. Everything diabetes is centered around that value. He’s an idiot for questioning it. Finally, we have cholesterol. I have no idea what his beef is with either LDL, HDL, TG, or Total Cholesterol. They are accurate tests so long as the patient has been fasting. The disease is important as cholesterol can break of and plug veins all over the body, and we can easily treat high cholesterol. It’s quackery I tell ya!
4. The argument that arthroscopic surgery for your knee will do something good for you in the short or long term is an example of the power of belief over science.
- This statement is an example of a retarded blanket statement which is misguided. I’m sure that he is referring to something specific. Because, I myself had several TORN TENDONS/LIGAMENTS in my fucking knee. I couldn’t walk as my bones had no intact ligaments holding them together. I had arthroscopic knee surgery where they were sewn back together and after many months and lots of rehab, I could walk (and play basketball) once again! To say that my surgery did nothing for me in the short or long term is absolutely wrong — I cannot fathom how one could even begin to believe that I could merely ice my knee, rub some dirt on it, and I’d be fine in a few days after some Ibuprofen.
5. Anyone who thinks that any form of surgery can benefit isolated low back pain has been fooled.
- Another very broad statement that I’m sure can be burned. Any orthopedic or back surgeons reading today? I cannot speak here as I have no knowledge in this area. I once again think he’s probably full of shit, but I have no basis here — other than the previous 4 examples where he has proven himself insane.
6. Any well woman who thinks treating a low bone mineral density will result in anything meaningful for them has been sold another old wives’ tale. Since this is so, bone mineral density screening of well women is foolish.
- If this were the case, there would be about 10 drugs not currently approved by the FDA. Granted, the bisphosphonates have pulled the wool over the eye of many doctors — THEY DO NOT BUILD BONE! They merely reduce the resorption of bone. They keep us where we are. Only the injection called Forteo can rebuild bone. It’s only indicated for use for 2 years, but it is PROVEN to rebuild bone and strengthen weakened bone — especially in the lumbar spine. After 2 years, you switch to the bisphosphonates to keep you from losing those gains. The test, T/Z-Score is very straightforward. I think it is best to do a full body scan rather than scan the ankle — I’ve read studies calling that into question for accuracy. But the drugs? They cannot be argued. The numbers prove that compression fractures as well as breaks upon falling are reduced after bone is rebuilt and maintained.
He makes a few other political claims about the stimulus bill and “comparative effectiveness trials” — I’m sure he’s talking about something he knows little about….
My work here is done…
All of these make me laugh..but #2 makes me a bit pissed. I as born with 2 congenital heart defects an I had balloon angioplasty when I was 15…not only did it save my life, but it allowed me to play sports better because I no longer got severe chest pains from my aortic valve not opening properly..if I had never had the surgery they also never would have discovered my aneurysm nor would they have figures out that I was born with a uni cusp aortic valve which is rare and requires more specific care and immediate replacement..which I ultimately got at the ripe age of 17. So yeah..I guess I’m one if those who got there angioplasty for no reason *sigh* oh well.
Super Burn! Thanks for sharing and adding more validity to our side (the side that merely says this guy is a fucking idgit).
I had a microdiscectomy performed almost a year ago, before my “low back surgery” I was living with chronic back pain that prevented me from doing many things, one of which was running, it just flat out hurt to run/jog. Insurance finally paid for a MRI (2 years later) showed I had 1 herniated disc for sure, one other possible, but the disc that was herniated was so bad it actually was falling apart and constantly pushing on my nerve, had leg numbness and everything. After surgery finally a year later, able to start running again, still have back spasms, but am able to get out of bed pain free every morning. So this guy is full of shit, sorry # 5 complete and utter BS, along with the other 5 as well.
your retarded dribble…did you actually write that?
Was it really necessary to use the word retarded? I’m giving you the
benefit of the doubt here but certainly you know that the word retarded used as slang is extremely hurtful to people living with
special needs. Before I had a child with a disability, I pretty much was like you. I don’t know if I used the word but I certainly didn’t flinch when I heard it. What’s the big deal, right? It is a huge deal to people who have cognitive challenges. They get what you are saying and they understand that you are mocking them, even if it’s
unintentional.
Anyway, thank you for hearing me out.
I hate it when people take political correctness to the next level. There is no reason to get all up in arms over words. Allowing words to offend you and bother you is absolutely fucking RETARDED. If the words bothers you, it owns you.
Just because I use the word retarded does NOT mean that I an anti-people with handicaps. It does not mean that I wish to make fun of them, put them down, or anything else you wish to spin on it. Nor does it mean that I would call someone with a mental deficiency a retard to their face.
Get the fuck over it – get the fuck over yourself.
Here’s the best response:
http://www.theangrypharmacist.com/archives/2008/04/political_correctness_terminol.html
Having an annual screening mammogram saved my life. My mammos done in 2006 were normal. In 2007, my mammos showed invasive ductal carcinoma. At age 43, my breasts were so dense that the mass could not be palpated. After surgery, chemo, radiation and still taking tamoxifen, I am cancer FREE x2 years! Ladies, get your mammos. Gents, please encourage your ladies!
Mammo’s are a waste? You want to say that to my *Breast Cancer-Survivor* face????
Oh yeah. Guess that little test did absolutely no good for me at all- except to SAVE MY LIFE!!!
In other words “Dr” Hadler- BITE ME!
Wow, who ever this “doctor” is, is a really idiot. I can see how it is going to save the healthcare system money, they don’t pay for the treatment and your dead and in the ground much sooner, so less time they have to pay.
Once again another Ivory Tower Academician trying to give an opinion on something they have no recent experience or knowledge of (He graduated Med School in 1968, he was probably a big fan of thalidomide). Maybe if this douchebag was a Chief of Medicine at the UNC Hospital his opinion would be worth a bit more than the renal elimination product of last night’s beer that it is. Looking at his on-line CV it also appears that he is one of those repsonsible for a great deal of the worker’s comp. fraudulent claims as he has spent 25 years figuring out how dead beats can get money from taxpayers instead of going to work like the rest of us, because they tripped over something 9 years ago. When I worked retail the amount of obviously BS worker’s comp claims was mind-boggling. He isn’t in favor of back surgery because that way he can continue getting people hooked on Hill billy heroin instead, treating the symptom instead of fixing the problem.
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