The chances that everyone reading this is taking or has taken at least 1 over-the-counter (OTC) or prescription drug is pretty high.  We’re Americans, and taking a pill to soothe an ill is normal.

Could “normal” meds like Tylenol or Statins contribute to our weight issues ( ~70% overweight), our moods ( declining ), and our poor HEALTH?  Oh my gosh, yes.  Read on for some scary facts, because all these drugs aren’t good for us, no matter what the ads say.

– America spent $2.4 Trillion on Disease MAINTENANCE in 2007, but according to WHO, we rank #37 in Health Care IN THE DEVELOPED WORLD.  ( Who wants to maintain their diseases anyway?)  We spend more on health care than the next 10 countries studied COMBINED.

– In one study, Americans had the second highest rate of chronic disease in the seven developed countries examined.

– According to the CDC, there’s not ONE disease or condition, NOT ONE, that’s been decreasing or is going to decrease, in the US, in the next 3 decades.  So the drugs aren’t improving anyone’s health in the long run.

The MAJORITY of Americans use drugs for pain, disease, colds, stomach problems, infections, etc, etc.   *****In other words, we’re taking our medicine, we’re just not getting better.  We’re getting worse. *****  As a matter of fact, an article titled “Death by Medicine”, authored in two parts by Carolyn Dean, MD, ND, describes in excruciating detail how the American medical system has bumbled its way into becoming the leading cause of death and injury in the US, claiming the lives of nearly 784,000 people annually!

Hospital errors are responsible for part of that, but Pharmaceuticals represent much of that total.  Here’s the facts ( straight from the pharmacist’s RX side effect sheets ) on some of the most commonly used drugs in America, and their potential side effects.

******Side effects can have quiet and long escalations.  Don’t feel comfortable with your drugs just because an obvious side effect, like a big rash, didn’t pop up.*******

Tylenol/Acetaminophen:

* Long-term Tylenol use has been linked to brain damage, increased blood pressure and kidney failure; about 15 percent of the people on dialysis today are there as a result of the damage that Tylenol (and/or aspirin) did to their kidneys.

* Acetaminophen is the #1 cause of Acute Liver Failure in the US.  Google it.  Our liver is supposed to perform over 500 jobs a DAY.  Our weight is intimately tied to our liver. Our metabolism, our hormones, our cholesterol: liver liver liver liver.

NSAIDS, or Non-Steroidal-Anti-Inflammatory-Drugs ( Motrin, Advil,…)

* Each year, an estimated 107,000 patients are hospitalized for NSAID-related gastrointestinal complications.  This is because NSAID’s ruin stomach lining.  We need our stomach lining!

*All NSAIDs, including over-the-counter aspirin and ibuprofen, are associated with potentially serious side effects such as cardiovascular problems, GI bleeding, kidney problems, and hypertension.

* What about the Conventional Wisdom that an aspirin a day is good for preventing heart attacks?  Did you know that the FDA REVERSED that position?  Does your Doctor know? “FDA has concluded that the data do not support the use of aspirin as a preventive medication by people who have not had a heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular problems, a use that is called ‘primary prevention.’ In such people, the benefit has not been established but risks — such as dangerous bleeding into the brain or stomach — are still present.”

* Harvard Heath says the  NSAIDs, including the COX-2 drugs, tend to boost blood pressure.

* Between 1999 and 2010, DEATHS from prescription painkillers increased 400% for women and 265% for men.

What’s going on with painkillers, other than that they ruin your liver, kidneys, and brain?  They’re HIGHLY addictive. Most prescription pain killers work by binding to receptors in your brain to decrease the perception of pain. But they also create a temporary feeling of euphoria, followed by dysphoria, which can easily lead to addiction.  Addiction leads to accidental overdoses.

Let’s move on:  Acid Suppressors for heartburn, GERD, and reflux.  In 2012, Americans spent $5.1 BILLION on Nexium alone.  Thanks to an incredibly poor diet and way too much stress, most American’s don’t have ENOUGH stomach acid, causing the food to sit too long and ferment.  The acidic burp that explodes up the delicate esophagus hurts, badly. It’s also damaging.  Acid suppression might seem logical, but it’s not.  You want your food to digest faster, not slower; and that acid – which our stomach should naturally be loaded with – triggers all the rest of the steps of digestion.

Acid suppressors inhibit nutrient absorption, promote bacterial overgrowth, increase risk of infections, increase risk of bone fractures, and increase risks of certain cancers.  The FDA recommends taking acid suppressors for no longer than 8 – 12 weeks because of this.

Let’s move on to Statins.  As of today, 1 out of 4 Americans over the age of 45 is on a statin, primarily as a PREVENTATIVE measure against heart disease.  What a joke!  Statin’s increase the risk for Diabetes, Cataracts, Erectile Dysfunction, Memory Impairment, Muscle Fatigue, and *******Coronary artery and aortic calcification*******.  Wait a second, isn’t that Heart Disease???  Oh, and what’s the #1 reason Diabetics die?  Heart Disease.

Actual PREVENTATIVE measures against heart disease are eating Real Whole Foods, Exercising, Sleeping, and practicing Stress Management.  Zero side effects, plenty of benefits.

I’m closing with a link to an article from America’s Pharmacist, Suzy Cohen.  Someone took her to task for NOT recommending anti-depressants in a case of depression. Instead, Suzy had outlined a supplement program of Nutrients the body uses for correct thyroid function and neurotransmitter status.  ( Hypothyroid and/or insufficient GABA, dopamine, and serotonin are often the REASONS for depression).  Her response was perfect:  no Drug is going to provide the body with the vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats, or phytonutrients that it lacked that caused the problem in the first place.  She wraps up with the potential side effects from anti-depressants, and culminates with the FDA Black Box Warning that children and adolescents on anti-depressants have higher incidences of SUCIDE.

Let me finish with a oft repeated statement:  No one is sick because they’re deficient in a Drug.  You’re not inflamed because you’re low in Advil, you don’t have clogged arteries because you’re low in statins, you’re not depressed because you’re low on Prozac, and you don’t have stomach issues because you need more acid suppression.

Poor health is from a lack of nutrients.  BONUS:  Eat for your health, and if you need to lose weight, weight loss will be a side effect.  Focus on Real Whole Food:  plenty of vegetables, good meats and eggs, lots of healthy fats, some fruit, some nuts and seeds, and some dairy if you tolerate it.  Sleep, move, and deal with your stress.

One more tip:  there really are great supplements out there that contain the NUTRIENTS in concentrated form that your body can use to:  decrease plaque, decrease inflammation, fight bad bacteria and viruses, build neurotransmitters, build magnesium stores, fix your gut, stop headaches, increase energy, etc etc.  If you have questions, ask me, I LOVE this stuff, and I’ve spent a lot of time learning my supplements.  There’s no need to Poison your body in an effort to get well.