With the recent death of Michael Jackson, and last yearâ??s death of Heath Ledger, both due to prescription drugs, more and more patients are examining their pill bottles and wondering what their future holds. Physicians are so quick to write prescriptions for anti-depressants, painkillers, sleeping pills and tranquilizers. Do we really need these toxic chemicals in our bodies? And what happens if we combine medications like sleeping pills and painkillers? Are we playing Russian roulette with pills?

The most commonly used painkiller in the US is acetaminophen (brand name Tylenol). This is easily available over the counter. Acetaminophen is also in sleep aids (for instance, Tylenol-PM), and in strong prescription narcotic painkillers such as Vicodin and Percocet. Recent studies have found that acetaminophen is the leading cause of liver damage and probably is responsible for 1600 cases of acute liver failure that occur each year. The drug is thought to be safe at the recommended dose but because it is in so many different kinds of medication, people often end up taking double or even triple doses if they are using different painkillers or sleep aids. An FDA advisory panel urged the FDA to ban Percocet and Vicodin and other prescription drugs that contain acetaminophen. Due to the amount of money made by pharmaceutical companies by the sales of narcotic medications, and the fact they spend about $150 million per year lobbying our government officials, it will be a long time before any real changes take place. :angelsmiley:
BigSur Reviewed by BigSur on . MMJ: Safer than Prescription Drugs With the recent death of Michael Jackson, and last yearâ??s death of Heath Ledger, both due to prescription drugs, more and more patients are examining their pill bottles and wondering what their future holds. Physicians are so quick to write prescriptions for anti-depressants, painkillers, sleeping pills and tranquilizers. Do we really need these toxic chemicals in our bodies? And what happens if we combine medications like sleeping pills and painkillers? Are we playing Russian roulette Rating: 5