From the Desk of Dr. Karl R.O.S. Johnson, DC.....

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Don’t you find it strange that a class of drugs that has questionable science and offers poor stated outcomes (prevention of heart disease in patient with just “high” cholesterol) would still be prescribed in such an amount that over a quarter of the US population over 45 is taking it? What drug class am I referring to? Statin drugs, the pharmaceutical industry’s leading money-maker, largely due to relentless advertising. The aim of statin drugs is to lower cholesterol by inhibiting the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase, which plays a central role in the production of cholesterol in the liver (which produces about 70 percent of total cholesterol in the body).

A recent study found the statin advertising might be driving high cholesterol over diagnosis and over-treatment.[1] If you think about it, the incidence of heart disease is not decreasing despite a large portion of the US population taking statins. A study from Sweden shows a similar lack of effectiveness. [2] What does that tell you about wisdom of continuing advocate the promotion of statin drug usage?

Unfortunately, due in part to the popularity of statin drugs, my office is seeing large number of people calling in to find help for peripheral neuropathy. [3], [4] One of the so-called side effects of statin drugs is the development of nerve and muscle damage. [5]

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In the first installment and second post of this three part blog describing how various classes of medications contribute to or are associated with memory loss, six commonly prescribed drugs were showcased:

1.  Cholesterol lowering drugs
2.  Anxiety medications
3.  Anti-depression medications
4.  Blood pressure drugs (beta blockers)
5. Sleep aids (non-benzodiazepine sedative hypnotics)
6. Incontinence drugs (anticholinergics)

In part three we explore antihistamines (first generation), narcotic pain killers, drugs for Parkinson's disease and anti-seizure drugs.

Please recall my position and they reason I am publishing this series. Be assured I am not against prescribed medications. Rather, I find it very important to take the stance of searching for underlying reasons for why a patient has a symptom and, if possible, provide a natural solution. Such interventions could include diet changes, lifestyle changes, specific supplementation and specialize brain-based therapies including neurofeedback.

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In the first installment of this three part series of how various classes of medications contribute to or are associated with memory loss, three commonly prescribed drugs were showcased:

1.  Cholesterol lowering drugs
2.  Anxiety medications
3.  Anti-depression medications

In part two now we explore blood pressure drugs, sleep aid drugs and drugs for incontinence.

To reiterate my position and they reason I am publishing this series you should know I am not against prescribed medications per se. Rather I find it very important to take the stance of searching for underlying reasons for why a patient has a symptom and, if possible, provide a natural solution. Such interventions could include diet changes, lifestyle changes, specific supplementation and specialize brain-based therapies including neurofeedback.

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Note: I do not hate drugs. I do not hate medical doctors. Because I’m a chiropractor, I hear that a lot, usually by someone trying to say I’m biased. I’m not. Just because I’m a chiropractic physician doesn’t mean I hate all medications. There are medications that are life savers and I thank God someone invented them. But as Eli Lilly (founder of one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies) once said, there is no such thing as a drug without a side effect. Just because I’m a chiropractic physician doesn’t mean I hate all medical doctors. Most medical doctors are dedicated people who only want to help their patients the best way they know how.

Unfortunately in today’s insurance-driven health care industry, they are often limited in what they can do, and pharmaceutical solutions are usually the easiest path to take. I do not take patients off prescription drugs, nor do I recommend they stop them. That is not my job, it is not within my scope of practice. If I feel a patient might be having an issue with a medication, I give them some information and ask them to discuss it with their medical doctor.

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Recently I Implemented a Breakthrough Knee Pain Progam In My Office That Has Helped Patients With Chronically Painful Knees Become Virtually Pain Free In As Little As Two Days.

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