Thread: Is There a Doctor in the House? Views on Medicine

No, seriously. I know, I am the one with all the light and fluffy threads and try to stay away from the political and controversial ones. And I have heard that health is like a big Russian taboo topic so it has taken me a while to get the courage to post this thread.

I have two “thoughts” in this one thread…

The first thought being…

I know we have a great and varied bunch of people on this forum, lawyers, professors, techies, artists and so forth and I am wondering if we have anyone from the medical profession; specifically, "neurology." If yes, please send me a PM.

The second thought being…

Once again, here is a case of if I don't have people from the actual places letting me know what it is really like in their area of the world and their views, it is harder for me to learn and be better educated. So, I am requesting your help educate me, yet again.

I would like to know people’s thoughts in general about their views of the U.S. medical system vs. their own medical system. I know that other areas of the world have different views, approaches and advancements in the field of medicine. This is in part due to the U.S.'s turtle like FDA, culture of thinking a pill can cure anything and a great advertising campaign by the pharmaceutical companies.

I also understand that some medications that are over-the-counter in say the, UK, are prescription only here in the U.S. and I have “heard” that some medications here in the U.S., I would not even be allowed to bring into Russia.

So, anyone dare to speak up on this taboo topic? And please if you do, try to play nice in the sandbox.

In order to discuss the American Medical system one should try it at least once. Fortunately, I don't have such an experience.

I know many preparations are indeed forbidden in Russia, prozac for example.
And more, I've read and heard many things about the corruption in the U.S. pharmacology when corporations bribe officials in order to approve some new preparations for public use. Or about cases when they falsify the test results.
It's business, after all, and big money are involved.

Originally Posted by Ramil

In order to discuss the American Medical system one should try it at least once. Fortunately, I don't have such an experience.

Excellent point and glad to know that you have not needed our services.

I have had services in El Salvador twice and surprisingly, I found their doctors, staff, and facilities at the "private hospitals" to be VERY good. People laugh at me when I tell them about the wonderful care I received there and how little the total cost was including a private hospital room!!! They also wonder why I go back there if I keep getting ill when I visit.

Originally Posted by Ramil

I know many preparations are indeed forbidden in Russia, prozac for example.
And more, I've read and heard many things about the corruption in the U.S. pharmacology when corporations bribe officials in order to approve some new preparations for public use. Or about cases when they falsify the test results.
It's business, after all, and big money are involved.

Prozac... interesting... Do you all just drink your troubles away? Or is it that wonderful Russian chocolate? (edit here.. by daughter... you all aren't allowed to have Prozac because then... you might actually smile )

Big money .. Yes!

We just received our annual list of "preferred medications" from our insurance company. This is a listing of medications which if we use them, we will pay less than if we use a different medication. Example: If you need medication to lower your cholesterol, you will pay only $15.00 if your doctor prescribes you the drug Crestor. However, if your doctor prescribes you Vytorin, you have to pay $25 or $50. If there is a generic available for the "preferred" drug you need, you only pay $5.00; however, if you don't want the generic, you have to pay the full cost of the drug over the cost of the generic price. Even if it is proven that the generic formula does not work as well for you.

This list of preferred drugs changes ALL the time too. So if you are on a medication that you take say, every month... one month you go in to get your refill and SURPRISE, it is not your normal $15.00, it is now $50.00 for the same medication WITHOUT any notice.

So, the insurance companies and the pharmaceutical companies work together in an effort to maintain costs and with the best interest of the patient in mind, of course! Yeah, right.

I was hoping that when China, Russia and India "came online" with development etc. we would see advances in medical research but now I'm not optimistic...big pharma=evil; they don't cure they just treat symptoms and suck up profits. I guess it's human nature, people would rather kill each other in wars than cure illness.

Originally Posted by sperk

big pharma=evil; they don't cure they just treat symptoms and suck up profits. I guess it's human nature, people would rather kill each other in wars than cure illness.

+1 Absolutely agreed! When I see a big advertising of the drug, that cause addictive, on the side of a passing bus with the image of happy family on it, I want to do something really nasty with the guys who makes profit from it.

Originally Posted by Basil77

+1 Absolutely agreed! When I see a big advertising of the drug, that cause addictive, on the side of a passing bus with the image of happy family on it, I want to do something really nasty with the guys who makes profit from it.

Just for the record ... neither of my girls have done ANY jobs for ANY medications over-the-counter or otherwise. So, you should not be seeing their photos on the side of a bus or in a glossy magazine ad with those happy families.

They have done some for the Center for Disease Control though (full disclosure here ).

So next question... Since medications are more difficult to get in Russia, what are the courses of treatment for things that most Americans would "just" get a pill for?

Example: A couple of years ago, hubby was playing soccer (or as you call it "football" ) and dislocated his elbow. He wanted the ambulance guys to just pop it back in but they refused and took him to the Emergency Room, where they gave him sedatives and then popped it back in. When they went to x-ray it to make certain it was in place correctly, they promptly popped it right back out of place again! Now they could not give him any more pain medication and had to have two big guys put his arm back together the way he wanted it done in the first place. YET...they sent him home with a bottle full of pain medication. Way too much for him.

How would have been handled in your area?


Second question/example: How is someone who is in chronic pain treated in your area if these types of medications are not allowed?


Sperk... I too had been hoping that as other countries "opened" with the U.S. that a sharing of ideas would happen and new break throughs would emerge... Even Americans might change their views to the traditional philosophy of treating symptoms and not finding the cause or looking for "non-traditional" cures to causes. Yet, IMHO, all I see is "Here, take this pill and you will feel better."

Rockzmom, I wonder what do you think about this article:
http://www.thedoctorwithin.com/doors/Do ... eption.php

Originally Posted by Ramil

Rockzmom, I wonder what do you think about this article:
http://www.thedoctorwithin.com/doors/Do ... eption.php

Please remember Ramil.... you asked
(for those who are not native English speakers, please accept my apologizes for this wall of English text)

As I have been in the entertainment "business" by proxy, I have seen what really happens behind the scenes; yet, this article gave me even more pause for thought. It mentions things that I had not thought about previously. It also confirms for me a number of things which I believe and I have even posted (I think twice) one of my favorite movies clips from "Network" about how people do just in fact need to turn OFF their TVs and start to think for themselves.

Well... all cards on the table here... I DO have a very odd view of the world. On one hand, I am a very trusting person of "people" say... people here on MR or someone else I meet. Until you give me a reason NOT to trust you, I will usually trust you. On the other hand, most anything I watch, read, or hear, I DON'T trust unless I can try to verify it.

This explains why I ask the sort of questions I do here on this site. I want independent verification. I want to know from someone who lives there, breathes there, and has experienced it firsthand. If you notice the questions I ask about the movies or for my book, they are personality traits and what are places really like type questions. I could of course Google things, but then would I really get the full experience and understanding? I don't believe so. I would much rather let everyone on this forum know that my education is lacking and I need some help understanding something. So, please be kind and explain how life is with you or why someone would do this behavior or the history of your country or religion... whatever. Yes, it is embarrassing as all for me most times to post my questions; however, I want to learn firsthand and not from some "mystery" person who posted on Google. And in exchange, will do my best to answer you honestly and not condescendingly. True, you all are "strangers" as well; however, it "feels" different when "you" give direct answers and provide me with with maps and stories and you all contradict each other (like siblings)... it makes it much more personal and therefore I believe "you" to be telling me the truth when "you" respond to me. Of course, you could be lying.

Ramil, I believe being afraid is the BIGGER problem

Originally Posted by Franklin D. Roosevelt

Only Thing We Have to Fear Is Fear Itself

We as a society are afraid to ask. We are afraid to show what it is that we do not know because it will let others know we are not as smart or as educated as them. Therefore, we will not "fit in" or "belong" or we might be ridiculed. So, we blindly go along with the herd and will accept what others tell us without trying to verify anything because we don't want to appear stupid. The whole "Emperor’s New Clothes" effect.

Circling back to Medicine now....
I believe a number of medical "cures" may have already been discovered and lost so to speak because of big business. As I mentioned previously, I was ill in El Salvador. The first time, I could not get to a hospital for a couple of days as it was just too far away. The locals gave me boiled tree bark and other things to drink (I really have no clue what and didn't even bother to ask as I was so out of it). I know most Americans would never even consider trying these, holistic, natural or alternative medicines (whatever you want to call them). I just knew that I needed help and they were certain that what they were making me drink would help me or even cure me until I could get to a hospital.

IMHO, I believe too many Americans feel that underdeveloped or non-superpower countries don't have the answers to our medical problems when in fact, they probably do. Their ancestors had cures that sometimes were just bogus; yet, other times were right on the mark (aspirin, chewing on coca leaves for altitude sickness...) And "we" the "smart" ones, well... we are just not listening.


Now a question for you (and others)...

I am not certain if you saw the program that Campbell Brown did for CNN called the Broken Government Series and one of the parts was "Campaign Killers." It ran in Nov of 2007.

I have never been able to find a copy of the compete series online; however, I have found two pieces of it on YouTube that I MADE my girls watch before the elections last year. What do you make of them and how they show that you can control poll numbers and spin ads for political gain and such?? It is the much the same as with medicine, no?

[video:avo0nc0c]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DDHqqfH-Lg[/video:avo0nc0c]

[video:avo0nc0c]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zirvb4Bp6XQ[/video:avo0nc0c]