Okay, maybe we should use an example that doesn't involve Walmart,
cannoli, and/or cooking show hosts. Consider:
A person suffers from a really bad case of athlete's foot. The cause
of athlete's foot is a fungal infection, typically ringworm; see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athlete%27s_foot
Now, this sufferer, in consultation with his/her/its (I say its because
it is an imaginary character, consequently, does not have to have
gender) physician decides, Zyprexa (generic: Olanzapine) would be
an excellent treatment for athlete's foot. The person is put on
Zyprexa and lo and behold! the athlete's foot condition resolves
itself. The person continues to take Zyprexa in the sincere belief
that it operates as a prophylaxis against athlete's foot.
Anyone familiar with Zyprexa will be wondering (a) how could
Zyprexa possibly be involved in the resolution of the athlete's foot
(for those who are not familiar with Zyprexa; see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zyprexa )
and (b) if an insurance company is involved, why did they pay for
this off-label use of Zyprexa? I mean, most knowledgeable people
would not think that an atypical antipsychotic would be effective
in the treatment of a fungal infection. Nonetheless, the sufferer
sincerely believes that the Zyprexa works even though there is no
valid research that shows that it cures ringworm.
Here's the important bit: the FDA will not send out its black
helicoptors in the dead of night to raid the suffer's home and
take away the zyprexa. They will not send the black helicoptors
to "rendition" the physician to an Eastern European "black site"
to learn why the physician decided that Zyprexa was an appropriate
treatment for athlete's foot. They will not send the black helicoptors
even if the physician treats other people with athlete's foot with
zyprexa. However, the FDA will send a notice to Eli Lilly company
if they have a one minute commercial during the Superbowl game
touting the effectivenessness of Zyprexa on national television
(i.e., engaging in false branding on an interstate basis).
Sidenote #1: One problem with off-label use of drugs is provided
in the Wikipedia entry on Zyprexa; quoting from the article:
|On January 15, 2009 Eli Lilly pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge
|of illegally marketing Zyprexa for off-label use, and agreed to pay
|$1.4 billion.[4] Although Lilly had evidence that it is not effective
|for dementia, Zyprexa was marketed for elderly Alzheimer's patients.[5]
|The drug carries an FDA warning that it increases the risk of death
|in older patients with dementia-related psychosis.[6]
Sidenote #2: Quoting from the Wikipedia entry on Zeprexa and
its off-label use:
|Case-reports, open-label, and small pilot studies suggest efficacy
|of olanzapine for the treatment of some anxiety spectrum disorders
|(e.g. generalized anxiety disorder,[13] panic disorder,[14]
|delusional parasitosis,[15] post-traumatic stress disorder);[16]
|however, olanzapine has not been rigorously evaluated in randomized,
|placebo-controlled trials for this use and is not FDA approved for
|these indications. Other common off-label uses of olanzapine include
|the treatment of eating disorders (e.g. anorexia nervosa) and as an
|adjunctive treatment for major depressive disorder without psychotic
|features. It has also been used for Tourette syndrome and stuttering.[17]
Sidenote #3: It is worthwhile to review the side-effects associated
with taking Zyprexa. It causes metabolic effects that produce
significant increases in weight and the onset of diabetes. Ironically,
athlete's foot and other foot disorders are associated with diabetes.
See:
http://diabetes.webmd.com/foot-problems
So, taking Zyprexa may lead to worse athlete's foot infections even
though one believes that the Zyprexa cures athlete's foot.
Sidenote #4: Cannoli is a male gendered word in plural form. This
would suggest that the singluar form would be "cannolo" where the
ending "o" implies maleness; see:
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cannoli
It would be inappropriate, therefore, to call one cannoli cannola,
where the ending "a" implies female gender (and which was used
by a Tipster in this thread). So, when at the Opera, remember:
when the male singer comes out, it is appropriate to yell out "Bravo"
but when a female comes out, one should yell out "Brava".
In summary, when dealing with illness, especially one's own, it is a
good idea to still engage in critical thrinking about the treatment of
one's condition and what evidence exists for treatments and the
quality of such evidence. Then again, if you find a placebo that works
for you and there are no other effective treatments, go with it.
I'd just suggest that one shouldn't take any additional medication for
the treatment of delusional disorders.
-Mike Palij
New York University
[email protected]
-----Original Message-----
On Wed, 09 Jan 2013 05:58:48 -0800, Joseph J. Horton wrote:
Actually on Alton's show fictitious Federal Agents show up with some
regularity. He frequently does things that go against the official safety
guidelines.
Even so called proven procedures have risks. All I am saying is that open
communication so people can make their own decisions is a good thing. People
who feel safer sticking with the FDA are free to do so.
-----Original Message-----
On Tuesday, January 08, 2013 9:21 PM, Paul Brandon wrote:
Alton Brown is less likely to kill people by recommending unproven
procedures.
False analogy!
On Jan 8, 2013, at 8:11 PM, Horton, Joseph J. wrote:
Hello Ken: I live in a small town and have a love-hate relationship with
Wal-Mart. I will try a different comparison. I would like my physician to
be
able to be a like the Food Network's Alton Brown. For those who are not
familiar with Mr. Brown, he believes that every device in his kitchen
should
be able to perform multiple tasks. He will do things like cut cakes with
saw
blades, or turn a military surplus footlocker into a meat smoker. Now the
people at the hardware store and the cooking supply store have products to
sell. Some of the people at the store will try to sell things that we do
not
need or could be harmful if misused. I am willing to let Alton talk with
the
people at the store about alternative uses for their products. Alton and I
may then consider how best to prepare dinner. If there is fraud involved,
I
want the people engaging in it prosecuted.
I do understand that the FDA will not be coming in their black helicopters
to
keep Alton from giving me a saw for cutting cakes. I do not want the black
helicopters showing up at the hardware store on the assumption that any
non-traditional use of saws should not be discussed between sales people
and
cooks.
---
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