During the NC/Oregon game, a commercial for opioid induced constipation aired,

[strongermessage]

obviously big pharma has provided more resources into treating the symptoms of a problem that they created than into, I don't know maybe finding a cure for cancer.

[greymattermom]

1. Yeah, but you have to admit

that guy is a good actor. One unnamed Pharma company that used to support my research gave up all all neurological conditions. They are companies, in it only for the money. Type 2 diabetes is where the money is now.

[Hortensis]

11. Too pretty. They shouldn't have hired a young George Clooney

type to "confess" his constipation problem so charmingly.

Sorry to hear it about your funding. Don't know your part of the field, of course, but I'm thinking of the full-out attack we should be making on dementia--destroyer of what it is to be a person often years before the rest of the body goes, or even balance problems--the one issue that finally forced my aunt out of her own apartment and into a care home at 97.

At least there's something positive in the "money is now" in type 2. Huge epidemic, before even considering all the related complications, blindness, kidney failure and dialysis, amputations. The problem that'll probably kill me, after I end up on a respirator, is too rare to get Pharma's interest, and this administration will sabotage the Obama admin-supported multipronged attack on a huge body of somewhat-related disorders that have autoimmune factors in common.

[TheDebbieDee]

13. I read an article recently that shows the link between

high blood sugar levels and dementia: http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/771077/diabetes-dementia-alzheimer-s-disease-high-blood-sugar

When I Googled just now, I found several other articles about this link written as early as 2013...

[Hortensis]

14. Seeing what it's done to a young neighbor in his 30s

in just a decade, so many bodily systems breaking down, it'd almost be surprising if it didn't affect brains also.

I wasn't especially pleased, but that doesn't matter, to learn there could be connections between schizophrenia and autoimmune reactions. Advances in understanding are blasting previous notions of how the body works.

This is from a new article on likely huge cuts NIH funding in Newsweek,

The National Institutes of Health has long been a treasure of undetermined worth. The largest funder of life science research in the world, the NIH spends about $30 billion annually on academic research. Scientists use NIH grants to unravel genomes, map the deep interiors of cells and forage for novel solutions for problematic diseases. ...

"However, the average time between the initial funding for proposed research and commercial licensing of a laboratory discovery was 10 to 15 years. “We’ve become spoiled, thinking that things go from idea to prototype to product in a month or a few years,” says Azoulay. “That is not the right time scale to think about how medical progress happens.”

The NIH identifies and funds critically needed new research that would/will not happen without. At least not in the U.S. When the NIH budget is probably about to be devastated once again, dreadfully, sickeningly, at least thank goodness for all the research that will be able to continue in other nations, and where it can, here.
http://www.newsweek.com/nih-research-budget-577417

[Warpy]

2. It can be a horrible problem for people with cancer

and people with chronic pain who require opiates to function. Not everyone who takes opiates is an addict.

It is weird to see it advertised on TV, I've seen that commercial.

[Dustlawyer]

12. I recognize that they are selling a lot more of this drug due to the opiod epidemic,

but things like this can help the people you mention. These same people have to go through a lot of crap to get and fill their prescriptions thanks to all of the pill doctors creating addicts. It is a sorry business all around.

[Initech]

3. Some things should not be advertised on TV.

I do not want to see commercials about people's bowel movements while I'm eating dinner. Same goes for 100% of big pharmas advertising.

[Grammy23]

5. The Squatty Potty with the unicorn that poops

Rainbow colored ice cream into a cone comes to mind. WORST.ADVERTISEMENT.EVER!! And if you think I am making that up, think again.

[Initech]

8. The Charmin bears are pretty terrible.

I seriously creeped out when I see cartoon bears gloating about how clean their underwear is. And then their slogan is "Enjoy the go!".

[OldHippieChick]

18. Right up there w/ the spray

you use in the toilet bowl before you do your business so there is no smell. OMG!

[stillsoleft]

4. Should a guy on opiads be on a construction site

[Grammy23]

6. When I was on opioid pain killers after knee replacement surgery

I was warned not to drive because if you get caught or have a problem (accident or ticket) you could be charged with DUI. I couldn't drive anyhow due to the nature of the surgery and only drove much later after I was off of that type of pain medication, but I know of some people who have driven very soon after surgery....without thinking about the drugs they may be taking for pain. 😳

[nolabear]

7. That's always my question. It's a vicious circle.

Injury-opioids-constipation-nail gun to the face-more opioids...

[stillsoleft]

15. Ha

[Docreed2003]

9. "Elvis Presley Syndrome"....that's what killed "The King"

Seriously though, it's a real issue, especiallly with chronic opiate users.

[roamer65]

10. Hopefully PZM21 pans out in clinical trials.

Its very selective binding eliminates almost all of the opioid side effects, but provides a pain kill similar to morphine. Tests in mice have been very promising.

I'll need in the future for my arthritis.

[nolabels]

16. Treating any part of your body as a second class citizen will lead to problems

Optimizing conditions for your digestive tract will pay dividends. Embracing pain when comes as much as possible helps me to understand things that are important. When I get the option I try to live without a pain masking agent, it helps put things in perspective, the idea of 'no pain no gain' works.

Big Pharma wants everybody on as many products as they can sell.

[CanSocDem]

20. Well said. (eom)

[rainbow4321]

17. Hospital systems play a huge role in the abuse

Having worked in healthcare for 25+ years I can say that my field should take their fair share of the blame.

Because of something called HCAHP. HCAHP is the rating system that is used by hospitals that rate patient satisfaction.
Get enough people who are in your hospital that give bad satisfaction scores because the nurses/doctors didn't feed into the patients' opioid addiction when they are in the hospital and hospital administration officials get upset.
They blame the bedside nurses for not giving the ordered opioids even if the nurse is using sound nursing judgement in dispensing those drugs.
Like patients who set their cell phone alarms to go off and wake themselves up so they can get that next dose. Or the ones who can hardly keep their eyes open and are slurring their words when asking for the next dose. Yet they rank their pain 10/10.
When hospitals get a bad HCAHP score it is reflected in public stat reports and can even effect how much money they are paid by the government in funding/payments.
I was in orientation one time and one of the administration speakers started talking about pain management. She said one of the main reason they monitor the overall timeliness of handing out the opioids is HCAHP. She chuckled and said "well, I'm kidding..kind of...". We knew she was not.

I can't tell you how many times I have seen patients go into respiratory distress or end up in the ICU all because the opioid doses given have caught up with their body/liver/kidneys after getting them round the clock day after day after day, 24/7. But, hey, keep them "happy" and they will give give a good HCAHP score!!

[Vinca]

19. If millions of people have a condition, big pharma is there to milk it.

Opioid-induced dry eyes?? Opioid-induced eczema?? Opioid-induced halitosis?? The opportunities are endless. And be sure to find a good-looking white guy to pitch it in the ads.