What Are America's Most Popular Drugs?

Last year 10 of the most popular medicines were generic – grim news for pharmaceutical companies that are always looking out for a blockbuster drug through patented brands that aren't eligible yet for generic compositions.

The top 10 include Vicodin, Zocor, Lisinopril, Synthroid, Norvasc, Prilosec, Zithromax, Glucophage, and hydrochlorothiazide, a high blood pressure medicine.

According to Forbes, there are only three branded medicines left on the top 25 list of best-sellers – Lipitor, Plavix, and Singulair. Even worse news for the drug companies was that overall volume of prescriptions sold last year increased at barely more than 1 percent. With so many drugs going off-patent, the new focus is on cancer drugs, which seem to get more expensive every time a new one is approved, Forbes said.

Sources:

  Forbes April 19, 2011

 Dr. Humiston’s Comments:

 It’s interesting that the majority of top drugs listed above have a direct link to the chiropractic profession.  I am personally saddened to report, we (Chiropractors) are not doing enough to share with the public that there’s a non-medicated way of helping people heal naturally without the use of drugs or surgery.

Question: Have you ever gotten a splinter?  You can opt to use as many pain killers, anti-inflammatories, etc. and at the end you’d still have the splinter.  There’s only two-ways to relieve the condition 1. Take the splinter out, or 2. Cut the finger off!  It’s truly a choice.

Chiropractic offers corrective protocols by use of reducing mechanical, chemical and emotional stressors.

Chiropractic care has proven to be extremely safe and effective at finding the cause of pain (and other organic conditions) and eliminating the cause (typically faulty spinal/joint alignment, frustrating nearby nerves and muscles).  Whereas, drugs merely mask symptoms and if ‘successful’ set a person up for more problems…comfortably numb.  Why? Because having a “pain signal” erased by medicine makes one more unconscious of the irritant and the need to remove it (remember the splinter analogy).

The second “Most Popular” listed (Simvastatin) is a cholesterol lowering drug (11^th most popular is Lipitor), which does exactly what it says, lower cholesterol.  The interested point is that our brain is made up of an important percentage of cholesterol. How does the drug know to reduce cholesterol in the problematic area(s)?

Here’s what a prominent researcher claims:

Yeon-Kyun Shin, a biophysics professor in the department of biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology, says the results of his study show that drugs that inhibit the liver from making cholesterol may also keep the brain from making cholesterol, which is vital to efficient brain function.

"If you deprive cholesterol from the brain, then you directly affect the machinery that triggers the release of neurotransmitters," said Shin. "Neurotransmitters affect the data-processing and memory functions. In other words -- how smart you are and how well you remember things."

What causes high cholesterol?

Top three include:

• The foods you eat.Eating too much saturatedfat, trans fat, and cholesterol can raise your cholesterol. Saturated fat and cholesterol are in foods that come from animals (such as meats, whole milk, egg yolks, butter, and cheese). Trans fats are in many packaged and snack foods, such as cookies, crackers, and chips.
• Being overweight.
• Being inactive.

Chiropractic helps millions feel/function better from the inside out.  Chiropractors encourage people to keep their nerve systems working well over a lifetime.  The spine is a terrible thing to waste and neglecting it is unfortunately an epidemic today.  Along with a better functioning nerve system through better spinal alignment, healthy fuel is required.  Water (clean) should be a liquid of choice and organic-local foods (if possible), too.

Call Humiston Family Chiropractic for more information at 828-694-0020.  Or, visit us on the web at www.humistonchiropractic.com. 

By the way have you ever wondered what a drug or combination of multiple types given to a healthy person would do to them?   E-mail me your response. You can contact Dr. Humiston directly at drhumiston@att.net.

All preceding information is FYI only and not to be substituted for medical advice. 

We advise you ask your medical physician any questions you have.