| Have you ever taken prescribed medication? Have | | | | to go check it out. |
| you ever wondered..."is there another way for me to | | | | Due to the nature of the condition, I did not want to |
| get well or regulate my condition without these | | | | wait and considered the condition serious. Therefore, |
| prescribed drugs?" Doctors and pharmaceutical | | | | I was not able to see my normal doctor but I saw a |
| companies have a "special" relationship. In fact, | | | | doctor in his office. Once again, I arrived and the |
| doctors are the targeted customers of | | | | assistant checked my blood pressure levels (which |
| pharmaceutical companies. The average person | | | | were slightly high of course). I then waited to see |
| probably never gives the doctor/pharmaceutical | | | | the doctor. Once she entered the room, she viewed |
| company relationship a second thought. However, it's | | | | a chart and asked me what my issue was. I |
| important to all of us who take prescribed meds to | | | | explained the shortness of breath and she quickly |
| understand whether they absolutely have to take | | | | said.."I think it's due to your blood pressure peaking at |
| medication or if there are other options available (but | | | | certain times. Since you have been fighting high blood |
| they were prescribed meds as a result of their | | | | pressure for years, I think we need to try medication |
| doctor's relationship with a pharmaceutical company). | | | | and see if you have any shortness of breath issues |
| Pharmaceutical companies are at the forefront of this | | | | going forward." Initially, I thought nothing of it and |
| article due to the known and unknown practices that | | | | said "no problem." I then asked if I would have to |
| they follow in order to get doctors to prescribe their | | | | medicate for the rest of my life. The response was |
| drugs. The pharmaceutical business is a highly | | | | "yes, typically once you have to start blood pressure |
| competitive one. There are drugs that will "cure or | | | | meds, you have to continue to take them for life." I |
| curb" just about any ailment a person may have. Due | | | | then went home and started the medication. I also |
| to the competitive nature of the business, some | | | | when to the local store and bought a blood pressure |
| pharmaceutical sales reps/companies routinely apply | | | | kit so that I could begin testing myself a couple times |
| tactics that are unscrupulous. Pharmaceutical reps are | | | | a day. |
| termed "detail men". They are considered "detail | | | | Finally, I got on-line and started researching high blood |
| men" because one of their tasks is to "detail" the | | | | pressure. I was surprised to learn how little I knew |
| targeted drug for the doctors who they are courting. | | | | about the condition and what could be done to help. |
| The most important job for a detail man is to | | | | It was all about food intake for me! Most of the |
| persuade doctors to prescribe their (the | | | | foods that I enjoy have high sodium levels. Being |
| pharmaceutical company's) drugs. Tactics include | | | | single and on the go, I frequently ate meals that |
| leaving samples with doctors to give away to | | | | come straight from the freezer and that I could |
| patients, lunches for doctors and staff and trinkets | | | | throw in the microwave. Unfortunately, I was |
| for office staff to give away to friends and family. | | | | unaware of the preservatives used to store the |
| Pharmaceutical drug reps are salesmen. | | | | foods and the effect they have on our bodies. I also |
| When you consider whether a pharmaceutical sales | | | | learned (and I am ashamed to say this) for the first |
| rep (detail man) has the patient's best interest in | | | | time, what nutritional values on the back of foods |
| mind, you should ask yourself...does a car salesman | | | | meant. The percentages on the nutritional values are |
| have the purchaser's best interest in mind? | | | | the percentage per day that the specific food will |
| Undoubtedly, there are car salesmen who truly care | | | | contribute to your diet. This means that the turkey |
| about their customer and would tell them "like it is" | | | | tenderloins that have a daily sodium nutritional value |
| when discussing competitor's pros and cons. | | | | of 33 percent would make up one third of my days |
| However, I'm sure that you'd agree that most car | | | | sodium intake. One tenderloin would many times not |
| salesmen would do or say just about anything to | | | | be enough so I'd go for two (working out 4 times a |
| make the car sale. Detail men are in the same | | | | week can drive a guys appetite up). So that would |
| category. Certainly there are detail men that simply | | | | be 66 percent in one meal. Additionally, lets throw in |
| do their jobs the right way and provide the details of | | | | some green beans and be healthy...oh, add salt to |
| drugs to doctors. Unfortunately though, these reps | | | | those bland beans. Finally, maybe some |
| are at a disadvantage due to the fact that others do | | | | potatoes...MORE salt please! |
| their best to stand out. How can you compete with | | | | You probably get the picture; I could almost ingest |
| the next company's rep if they are providing lunch, | | | | my max sodium intake for a day in just one meal! It's |
| trinkets and YES kickbacks to doctors? | | | | a wonder that my blood pressure was not even |
| In another article, I shared an experience of my own. | | | | higher! Upon being informed, I began to alter my |
| For the sake of this article, I will share again. For | | | | eating habits. I quickly learned that the things I loved |
| about a five-year period, I would go see the doctor | | | | to eat were typically high in sodium. I also learned |
| for common cold or flu symptoms or just an annual | | | | that foods that are high in potassium or magnesium |
| check up. Each time (at least one time per year) the | | | | would offset sodium. So, after about a week of |
| first step to my doctor visit was to check blood | | | | taking meds and a changed diet, my blood pressure |
| pressure levels. I was told every time for | | | | was normal! After two weeks, I decided to stop |
| approximately five years: your blood pressure is | | | | taking the medication to determine how much was |
| "slightly high. The blood pressure is not completely | | | | diet and how much was medication. I was thrilled to |
| out of control but we need to keep an eye on it and | | | | see that my blood pressure remained normal. All it |
| take action if it gets worse." Unfortunately, I | | | | took was the knowledge of what to put into my |
| suffered from shortness of breath after many years | | | | body or better yet, what not to put in. Again, I must |
| but I noticed it only when climbing just one flight of | | | | say that I do not always eat healthy. I love a good |
| stairs. Now, I am one who keeps a strict workout | | | | burger! However, I know that I must incorporate high |
| regimen and at the time I worked cardio for 30 | | | | potassium foods to my diet to offset the sodium. I |
| minutes at least 4 times weekly. I figured that | | | | eat avocadoes like they are apples (minus the peel). |
| (walking not running) one flight of stairs in my home | | | | Also, orange juice and bananas are high in potassium |
| should be a piece of cake. However, when I noted | | | | (careful, orange juice and bananas are high in sugar |
| the shortness of breath on a couple occasions, I | | | | as well). You would think that in a five-year period, |
| became concerned. I experienced the shortness off | | | | my doctor would discuss diet with me? Something to |
| breath on two or three occasions before I decided | | | | think about eh? |