Suzy Cohen, anti-medicine pharmacist, pro-herbal

[ethyl]

Has anyone heard of this lady? Or any patients complaining about their meds and citing her articles?
http://dearpharmacist.com/

While bashing a lot of medications, she seems to really tout any herbal that has any shred of evidence for working.

[Sparda29]

Originally Posted by ethyl

Has anyone heard of this lady? Or any patients complaining about their meds and citing her articles?
http://dearpharmacist.com/

While bashing a lot of medications, she seems to really tout any herbal that has any shred of evidence for working.

Sounds like she'd get along really well with one of my aunts who loves these homeopathic medicines and is anti-vaccination.

[Ackj]

Originally Posted by Testimonials Section

Thank you for your help and good advice!!!!…I trust you more than any doctor I have ever been to….all they ever did was to write a prescription, many of which caused me worse suffering….I am still dealing with drug side effects even though I have been drug free for years….Thank you again for your honest and informed information, and your willingness to speak out!!!!

Side effects continuing for years after cessation of therapy? The herbal products you're taking instead could NOT be the culprit.

[evilolive]

http://dearpharmacist.com/?p=695

her sources are just god awful. look at what she cites:

Apparently, our friends across the pond aren’t buying the swine flu propaganda. A survey published in the British Medical Journal http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1...ubmed_RVDocSum

concluded that almost half of all health care workers would refuse the swine flu vaccine because of fears regarding side effects and doubts about efficacy. In a United Kingdom poll, almost one third of nurses surveyed are saying no to the needle too. If the very people who are supposed to be injecting the vaccine refuse it, how safe do you feel getting it?

And one final thought, if you’ve already been exposed to the virus, getting a vaccine may be dangerous. The problem is that you may not even realize you’ve had exposure because you may not have had any symptoms., or maybe you just had a scratchy throat or mild cold symptoms. Because the virus is everywhere now, I’m certain that millions of us have been exposed and if this is the case, then your body will have already formed antibodies to the virus so a vaccination will have no effect on you, and may even be more harmful. The plot thickens because there isn’t a reasonable way to test and see if you’ve been exposed or not, but there is a fascinating article that I want to share with you on this subject. It is written by Health Ranger Mike Adams which you can access by clicking here. The title is “Why Millions of Americans Don’t Need a Swine Flu Vaccine.”

http://www.naturalnews.com/027037_sw..._vaccines.html

She's a pharmacist who fearmongers. She happened to neglect the other side of the argument of what happens to the people who die from swine flu - the younger, healthier people like us. Most respected pharmacist in america? Not by fellow pharmacists.

[MyTalon4U2NV]

oh gosh, i hate to bash on this lady but gosh...

theres not enough credible research that goes into herbals that justify their safety...

no one knows their adverse effects their interactions and so on.

bogus if you ask me

[IrishHammer]

Originally Posted by Ackj

Side effects continuing for years after cessation of therapy? The herbal products you're taking instead could NOT be the culprit.

No, can't be. After all, herbal products are just supplements, not drugs. Everybody knows drugs are the devil. Well-educated, intellectual people with a strong background in medicine like Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy said so!

[Ackj]

Originally Posted by IrishHammer

No, can't be. After all, herbal products are just supplements, not drugs. Everybody knows drugs are the devil. Well-educated, intellectual people with a strong background in medicine like Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy said so!

Just calm down and take your foxglove.

[Jack555]

Originally Posted by evilolive

http://dearpharmacist.com/?p=695

her sources are just god awful. look at what she cites:

Apparently, our friends across the pond aren’t buying the swine flu propaganda. A survey published in the British Medical Journal http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1...ubmed_RVDocSum

concluded that almost half of all health care workers would refuse the swine flu vaccine because of fears regarding side effects and doubts about efficacy. In a United Kingdom poll, almost one third of nurses surveyed are saying no to the needle too. If the very people who are supposed to be injecting the vaccine refuse it, how safe do you feel getting it?

And one final thought, if you’ve already been exposed to the virus, getting a vaccine may be dangerous. The problem is that you may not even realize you’ve had exposure because you may not have had any symptoms., or maybe you just had a scratchy throat or mild cold symptoms. Because the virus is everywhere now, I’m certain that millions of us have been exposed and if this is the case, then your body will have already formed antibodies to the virus so a vaccination will have no effect on you, and may even be more harmful. The plot thickens because there isn’t a reasonable way to test and see if you’ve been exposed or not, but there is a fascinating article that I want to share with you on this subject. It is written by Health Ranger Mike Adams which you can access by clicking here. The title is “Why Millions of Americans Don’t Need a Swine Flu Vaccine.”

http://www.naturalnews.com/027037_sw..._vaccines.html

She's a pharmacist who fearmongers. She happened to neglect the other side of the argument of what happens to the people who die from swine flu - the younger, healthier people like us. Most respected pharmacist in america? Not by fellow pharmacists.

LOL she fearmongers? I would call the president and mainstream media telliing us 3000x a day we need to take the vaccine fearmongering. She is just a little voice with her own opinion saying the government is wrong.

Opposing viewpoints are always good.

Since you are such the expert on the swine flu vaccine I would be very interested in seeing scientific studies proving its effectiveness. Can you supply me with some? (I am serious, I would like to see them.) You have such a strong opinion you must personally know that the vaccine is effective and where this has been proven (and that there will be no long term negative effects).

[Praziquantel86]

Originally Posted by Jack555

LOL she fearmongers? I would call the president and mainstream media telliing us 3000x a day we need to take the vaccine fearmongering. She is just a little voice with her own opinion saying the government is wrong.

Opposing viewpoints are always good.

Since you are such the expert on the swine flu vaccine I would be very interested in seeing scientific studies proving its effectiveness. Can you supply me with some? (I am serious, I would like to see them.) You have such a strong opinion you must personally know that the vaccine is effective and where this has been proven (and that there will be no long term negative effects).

New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet, JAMA, CMAJ and many others all have studies proving the efficacy of influenza vaccine. The process to make the novel H1N1 strain is no different. So take a look there, and pull your head out of your ass.

[fenderbiz]

Opposing viewpoints are always good.

...not when they oppose scientific fact.

[Quiksilver]

Originally Posted by Jack555

LOL she fearmongers? I would call the president and mainstream media telliing us 3000x a day we need to take the vaccine fearmongering. She is just a little voice with her own opinion saying the government is wrong.

Opposing viewpoints are always good.

Since you are such the expert on the swine flu vaccine I would be very interested in seeing scientific studies proving its effectiveness. Can you supply me with some? (I am serious, I would like to see them.) You have such a strong opinion you must personally know that the vaccine is effective and where this has been proven (and that there will be no long term negative effects).

You really arent defending her... are you?

[Jack555]

Originally Posted by Quiksilver

You really arent defending her... are you?

I think western medicine is 90% of the picture but that other methods have their place. I am not overly familiar with that women herself but know several people who believe that natural remedies made from plants can effectively cure some medical issues.


I don't think that we should just disregard everything that isn't western medicine as false.

[evilolive]

Originally Posted by Jack555

I think western medicine is 90% of the picture but that other methods have their place. I am not overly familiar with that women herself but know several people who believe that natural remedies made from plants can effectively cure some medical issues.


I don't think that we should just disregard everything that isn't western medicine as false.

I don't disregard CAM modalities - in fact, I support them in many patients who have failed typical interventions. I think you may be too eager with your conclusion that all of us are blinded by the core philosophy of EBM. We understand enough about EBM to realize that there are many things in nature that can be beneficial, but we don't have standardized evidence to control for and produce them. I believe there are a lot of things about non-western medicine that will be immensely beneficial in the future, but the fact that we can NOW categorically reduce the risk of flu infection and save a lot of peoples' lives through herd immunity is a pretty darn amazing phenomenon. If anything, that's utilizing nature more than taking herbs to prevent and/or treat infection.

[evilolive]

Originally Posted by Jack555

LOL she fearmongers? I would call the president and mainstream media telliing us 3000x a day we need to take the vaccine fearmongering. She is just a little voice with her own opinion saying the government is wrong.

Opposing viewpoints are always good.

Since you are such the expert on the swine flu vaccine I would be very interested in seeing scientific studies proving its effectiveness. Can you supply me with some? (I am serious, I would like to see them.) You have such a strong opinion you must personally know that the vaccine is effective and where this has been proven (and that there will be no long term negative effects).

Well you are a P1. Do a literature search on vaccines and zillions of controlled trials out there. Do you notice we don't have smallpox anymore? A couple of conspiracy theorists talking about the dangers of polio vaccines and we embarrassingly still haven't eradicated that virus. Being an effective voice requires implemention of reason. This woman may be a pharmacist and may be intelligent, but it's clear that she's gaining trust of others through ignoble means. Her logic is flawed in its multiple forms and appeals to Emotional Based Medicine. Just because 1/3 of nurses in Britain according to her citation don't get the vaccine themselves, what does that really mean? Also, there's a new wave of flu cases in britain. Over 100 people died:

The UK Health Protection Agency reported a continued increase in pandemic
influenza cases, with an estimated 78,000 new cases Oct. 19-25, up from an
estimated 53,000 during the previous week. An increase was seen in all age
groups, but school-aged children and young adults continued to be most
affected. Consultation rates for ILI increased across the UK and are now
above the winter baseline thresholds in England, Scotland and Northern
Ireland. Approximately 1,200 patients were newly hospitalized over the past
week, compared to almost 900 the week before. As of Oct. 28, more than 750
patients were hospitalized in England, including 157 in intensive care.
Officials have confirmed 135 deaths across the UK - England (97), Scotland
(23), Northern Ireland (8) and Wales (7). Vaccinations against pandemic
(H1N1) 2009 influenza began Oct. 21 in certain hospitals, with the vaccine
available to general practices Oct. 26. Priority groups will receive the
vaccine first, including pregnant women, frontline health care workers,
people with chronic conditions and close contacts of people with compromised
immune systems.

As of Oct. 30; European countries have reported pandemic-related deaths:
Belgium (7); Bulgaria (2); Czech Republic (1); Finland (1); France (17);
Germany (3); Greece (3); Hungary (4); Iceland (1); Ireland (10); Italy (4);
Luxembourg (1); Malta (5); Moldova (1); the Netherlands (6); Norway (13);
Portugal (4); Russia (5); Serbia (1); Spain (54); Sweden (2); and the UK
(137).

Sure you can say there may be mysterious side effects behind the flu vaccine that may affect 1 in a million people, but imagine how many people would have died/been infected if we didn't vaccinate anyone at all?
Still bogus? hmm?

[Maxpwer222]

It is a flu vaccine. The H1N1 variant is no more dangerous than the one we have been getting for years. One could argue that homeopathic medicines cause more complications than a flu vaccine.



I am going to assume that Jack555 is just some dumb troll to be honest

[ForcedEntry]

+ YouTube Video

[Quiksilver]

Originally Posted by Jack555

I think western medicine is 90% of the picture but that other methods have their place. I am not overly familiar with that women herself but know several people who believe that natural remedies made from plants can effectively cure some medical issues.


I don't think that we should just disregard everything that isn't western medicine as false.

You are still early in your career but there are many many drugs that have been derived from plant sources, and they still are being derived by natural compounds. The difference between taking ground up opium and making it a capsule vs using morphine IR tablets is all that other stuff thats in there. Can you imagine how difficult it is to predict the side effects in the first example compared to the second? Or how much active ingredient from 1 to the other? Or how about drug drug interactions.

Many people don't think about those things, they think that only the active ingredient exerts an effect on the body, when in fact any or all of the compounds and components could potentially interact somewhere.

[drugdoc]

Originally Posted by ethyl

Has anyone heard of this lady? Or any patients complaining about their meds and citing her articles?
http://dearpharmacist.com/

While bashing a lot of medications, she seems to really tout any herbal that has any shred of evidence for working.

What exactly is the University of Florida teaching their students?

[ethyl]

Originally Posted by drugdoc

What exactly is the University of Florida teaching their students?

note the smiley at the end of the original post. :P

Taught enough to see the most blatant bs disguised by a trustworthy profession.

Too bad I didn't think of this earlier... could have sold my integrity and done this too. Would have sold some books and retired before 30.

[eeyore spice]

Originally Posted by Quiksilver

Many people don't think about those things, they think that only the active ingredient exerts an effect on the body, when in fact any or all of the compounds and components could potentially interact somewhere.

I think that's part of the point of using herbs, e.g., the difference between Marinol and marijuana. THC isn't the be-all and end-all of its effects. (So I hear.... )

But that's not a reason to eat a leaf instead of swallowing a tab, that's a reason to investigate a plant further.

[TXPharmDStudent]

This reminds me of the lady who fled authorities because a court ordered that she couldn't refuse chemotherapy to her son dying of cancer. She thought that natural remedies could stop the cancer from spreading...


Some people never cease to amaze me.

[Jack555]

Originally Posted by Maxpwer222

It is a flu vaccine. The H1N1 variant is no more dangerous than the one we have been getting for years. One could argue that homeopathic medicines cause more complications than a flu vaccine.



I am going to assume that Jack555 is just some dumb troll to be honest

H1N1 vaccine is NOT a normal flu vaccine. It contains squalene and some other unique adjuvants if I am not mistaken. They may be harmless but to say it is no different then a normal vaccine is incorrect.

[Jack555]

Originally Posted by fenderbiz

...not when they oppose scientific fact.

I disagree. If it truly is a scientific fact it can only make its argument stronger. Even "scientific fact" should be doubted and tested.


I'm not saying everyone is going to drop dead by taking the vaccine. However for me based on the fact the vaccine hasn't been tested very much and some of the other issues with it I'm not convinced to get it. My chances of dying from the current strain of swine flu with or without the vaccine is .000000000000000001% Maybe my view will change as I progress through school.

[All4MyDaughter]

Originally Posted by Jack555

H1N1 vaccine is NOT a normal flu vaccine. It contains squalene and some other unique adjuvants if I am not mistaken. They may be harmless but to say it is no different then a normal vaccine is incorrect.

Do you have a source? It's my understanding that is is produced using pretty much the same specifications as the seasonal influenza vaccine.

[Jack555]

Originally Posted by All4MyDaughter

Do you have a source? It's my understanding that is is produced using pretty much the same specifications as the seasonal influenza vaccine.

Some of the ingredients are listed here.

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/13516797...ne-Ingredients

I just did a google search. If you don't trust the source you can google other sources. The vaccine contains squalene among other things.



Here is a little bit from an article about squalene
"
Will There Be Immune Adjuvants in Swine Flu Vaccines?
The U.S. government has contracts with several drug companies to develop and produce swine flu vaccines. At least two of those companies, Novartis and GlaxoSmithKline, are using an adjuvant in their H1N1 vaccines.
The adjuvant? Squalene.
According to Meryl Nass, M.D., an authority on the anthrax vaccine,
“A novel feature of the two H1N1 vaccines being developed by companies Novartis and GlaxoSmithKline is the addition of squalene-containing adjuvants to boost immunogenicity and dramatically reduce the amount of viral antigen needed. This translates to much faster production of desired vaccine quantities.”[v]
Novartis’s proprietary squalene adjuvant for their H1N1 vaccine is MF59. Glaxo’s is ASO3. MF59 has yet to be approved by the FDA for use in any U.S. vaccine, despite its history of use in other countries.
Per Dr. Nass, there are only three vaccines in existence using an approved squalene adjuvant. None of the three are approved for use in the U.S.
What Squalene Does to Rats
Oil-based vaccination adjuvants like squalene have been proved to generate concentrated, unremitting immune responses over long periods of time.[vi]
A 2000 study published in the American Journal of Pathology demonstrated a single injection of the adjuvant squalene into rats triggered “chronic, immune-mediated joint-specific inflammation,” also known as rheumatoid arthritis.[vii]
The researchers concluded the study raised questions about the role of adjuvants in chronic inflammatory diseases.
What Squalene Does to Humans
Your immune system recognizes squalene as an oil molecule native to your body. It is found throughout your nervous system and brain. In fact, you can consume squalene in olive oil and not only will your immune system recognize it, you will also reap the benefits of its antioxidant properties.
The difference between “good” and “bad” squalene is the route by which it enters your body. Injection is an abnormal route of entry which incites your immune system to attack all the squalene in your body, not just the vaccine adjuvant.
Your immune system will attempt to destroy the molecule wherever it finds it, including in places where it occurs naturally, and where it is vital to the health of your nervous system.[viii]
Gulf War veterans with Gulf War Syndrome (GWS) received anthrax vaccines which contained squalene.[ix] MF59 (the Novartis squalene adjuvant) was an unapproved ingredient in experimental anthrax vaccines and has since been linked to the devastating autoimmune diseases suffered by countless Gulf War vets.[x]
The Department of Defense made every attempt to deny that squalene was indeed an added contaminant in the anthrax vaccine administered to Persian Gulf war military personnel – deployed and non-deployed – as well as participants in the more recent Anthrax Vaccine Immunization Program (AVIP).
However, the FDA discovered the presence of squalene in certain lots of AVIP product. A test was developed to detect anti-squalene antibodies in GWS patients, and a clear link was established between the contaminated product and all the GWS sufferers who had been injected with the vaccine containing squalene.
A study conducted at Tulane Medical School and published in the February 2000 issue of Experimental Molecular Pathology included these stunning statistics:
“ … the substantial majority (95%) of overtly ill deployed GWS patients had antibodies to squalene. All (100%) GWS patients immunized for service in Desert Shield/Desert Storm who did not deploy, but had the same signs and symptoms as those who did deploy, had antibodies to squalene.
In contrast, none (0%) of the deployed Persian Gulf veterans not showing signs and symptoms of GWS have antibodies to squalene. Neither patients with idiopathic autoimmune disease nor healthy controls had detectable serum antibodies to squalene. The majority of symptomatic GWS patients had serum antibodies to squalene.”[xi]
According to Dr. Viera Scheibner, Ph.D., a former principle research scientist for the government of Australia:
“… this adjuvant [squalene] contributed to the cascade of reactions called "Gulf War Syndrome," documented in the soldiers involved in the Gulf War.
The symptoms they developed included arthritis, fibromyalgia, lymphadenopathy, rashes, photosensitive rashes, malar rashes, chronic fatigue, chronic headaches, abnormal body hair loss, non-healing skin lesions, aphthous ulcers, dizziness, weakness, memory loss, seizures, mood changes, neuropsychiatric problems, anti-thyroid effects, anaemia, elevated ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate), systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), Raynaud’s phenomenon, Sjorgren’s syndrome, chronic diarrhoea, night sweats and low-grade fevers.”[xii]
Post Vaccination Follow-Up Might as Well Be Non-Existent
There is virtually no science to support the safety of vaccine injections on your long-term health or the health of your children. Follow-up studies last on average about two weeks, and look only for glaring injuries and illnesses.
Autoimmune disorders like those seen in Gulf War Syndrome frequently take years to diagnose due to the vagueness of early symptoms. Complaints like headaches, fatigue and chronic aches and pains are symptoms of many different illnesses and diseases."
source- http://articles.mercola.com/sites/ar...t-Exposed.aspx

I'm not saying any of these claims can be substantiated but there is enough opposition to the vaccine that I will not be getting it.

I think it is interesting to note that the german chancellor and army are getting adjuvant free vaccines and that Obama as well as his children are not planning on getting it. In addition the government has granted the vaccine companies immunity from prosecution if the vaccine turns out to be unsafe. We all know the vaccine didn't have the regular tests performed either because they rushed it to market. Obviously there must be some concern with the vaccines safety.
Its not about conspiracy, its about an inadequately tested vaccine that is not the same as the normal flu vaccine.

[type b pharmD]

the us vaccine does not contain squalene. if you have read any credible news sources in the past few months you would realize that.

[Jack555]

Originally Posted by type b pharmD

the us vaccine does not contain squalene. if you have read any credible news sources in the past few months you would realize that.

Thats interesting that we are getting the one without squalene... I hadn't heard that. It doesn't negate the fact that the vaccine was rushed to market and some of the other potential problems but thats very good to know.

Do you have any sources you recommend?

[powertoold]

What kind of source is that? lol?

Also, would someone mind providing some good sources for flu vaccine efficacy? The Cochrane collaboration says that there's no good evidence to show that flu vaccines are effective for healthy adults:

http://www.mrw.interscience.wiley.co...269/frame.html

Here's their compilation for flu vaccines:

http://www.cochrane.org/influenza/reviews.html

[type b pharmD]

Originally Posted by Jack555

Thats interesting that we are getting the one without squalene... I hadn't heard that. It doesn't negate the fact that the vaccine was rushed to market and some of the other potential problems but thats very good to know.

Do you have any sources you recommend?

I usually like the NYT, reuters, WP and la times

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/22/health/22vacc.html

http://www.mcall.com/health/swineflu...,1054295.story

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...dE-WAD9BGT8VO0

No adjuvants in us vaccines

Im not making any other arguments here, so dont flame me. Im just saying , adjuvants such as squalene have been disallowed for the H1N1 distribution in the us. Obviously the vaccine still hasnt been tested. And the efficacy of flu vaccines (statistically) is a different bag of worms than the general proven theory of vaccination. I wonder if it might be hard to track flu vaccine success purely due to having constantly mutating strains?

I'm not getting the seasonal flu, i dont like putting any more mercury in my body than i have to (and highly unlikely to catch seasonal flu) but I will be getting h1n1 because really anything that has been proven to boost immunity against a disease that I'm highly likely to contract and could suck hard is something im gonna take advantage of.

[evilolive]

Originally Posted by Jack555

I disagree. If it truly is a scientific fact it can only make its argument stronger. Even "scientific fact" should be doubted and tested.

I'm not saying everyone is going to drop dead by taking the vaccine. However for me based on the fact the vaccine hasn't been tested very much and some of the other issues with it I'm not convinced to get it. My chances of dying from the current strain of swine flu with or without the vaccine is .000000000000000001% Maybe my view will change as I progress through school.

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/13516797...ne-Ingredients
Googling things like these are often a really bad idea. Did you pay attention to the source? Package inserts are often a good idea of where to start.

Your chances of dying may be slim, but your chances of getting H1N1 are the highest of all demographics. Compared to most flus, this one would probably have the best chance at killing you if you had the right number of conditions.

http://www.nature.com/news/2009/0911...tml?s=news_rss

I don't think this physician is necessarily a deep skeptic about swine flu, but she's a minority when staking an opinion on numbers needed to treat. If you read her analyses of the various vaccines, she asks a lot of questions that are impossible to answer and are quite frankly, unreasonable.

http://anthraxvaccine.blogspot.com/

[FarscapeGirl]

Good sources:
PubMed
eFacts
Micromedex
Medical textbooks

Google... not so much. Especially when you aren't able to validate the site, know the education of the authors, know who the authors are, etc.

Sheesh. Don't get the swine flu vaccine if you're that uneducated about it. Saves more for the rest of us. Just realize if you don't get the flu, you're being protected by those of your associates that do get it. And stay away from people high at risk: pregnant women, young children, and people with health problems.