Prescription Alternatives

by Virginia Hopkins and Earl Mindell

Book Overview

"For those who need to know what doctors and pharmaceutical companies are doing to people's health . . . this belongs in the library of every home." -- Lendon H. Smith, M.D., author of Feed Your Body... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 087983790X
• ISBN13: 9780879837907
• Release Date: January 1998
• Publisher: Keats Publishing
• Length: 672 Pages
• Weight: 2.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.5" x 9.0" x 7.0"

Customer Reviews

Book

Arrived on time Interesting

alternative opinion

I found the book written in an easy to read non medical terminology. I have worked in critical care units and the ER for twenty years and have seen the effects of medications given like candy with no concern for interaction or side effects. Patients complaining of a sympton and docs giving another medication to counter act it. Many of us may be astuate consumers of medical advice but most are not...they just do what they are told and they never read the inserts for drugs...they have no idea what the side effects are and because we as a profession use medicalese language they have no idea what we are saying. I have never heard personally a doctor tell me or a patient the side effect of the drug he is prescribing. Consumers need big flashing warning signs to counter act the safety that the docs try and tell you that is there...it isn't....and this author is trying to do that. I have studied for years on this subject and I think this is a good book with lots of important information. I found it important enough that I have bought it for gifts for my friends who are not in the medical profession with the hope it will make them be informed consumers.

Good advice

If you buy into the idea that naturally occurring compounds have been around long enough for us to be tolerant of them, or created with DNA similar to our own and also well tolerated, this will be of great interest.

Prescription Alternatives, Second Edition

Purchasing Prescription Alternatives, Second Edition, by Earl L. Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D. and Virginia Hopkins, M.A., may just be the best investment you can make in your health. Drug companies spend more than a billion dollars each year on advertising. They sponsor talks in medical schools, providing free meals and medical supplies to students. They also fund most of the medical research going on today and keep doctors' offices supplied with "free" samples. Between drug companies and the pressures put doctors by HMO's, it's no wonder that most people who go to see a doctor walk away with a prescription to be filled. Sometimes those prescriptions are essential, particularly in the cases of sudden, acute illnesses. But often they do more harm than good. Mindell and Hopkins's goal is to "teach you how to be a knowledgeable and conservative drug user, who knows how to ask the right questions and get the necessary information to stay healthy." They explain that nearly one million people are "injured" by drugs every year, and "at least 11 million people are abusing prescription drugs." They caution that having FDA approval doesn't mean a drug is safe, reminding readers that "those FDA-approved drugs are killing at least 140,000 people a year, just in hospitals." The bulk of the book is a detailed listing of hundreds of drugs prescribed every day, including those for heart disease, digestive disorders, asthma and allergies, pain relief, diabetes, insomnia, prostate problems, osteoporosis, eye diseases, and herpes. They also include antibiotics, antifungals, and synthetic hormones. Mindell and Hopkins start with a description of the disease or ailment and its causes and effects on the body. They then explain how it could be prevented in the first place, making their book useful also for people who are currently healthy. Following that is a list of the drugs that can be prescribed, using both the brand names and generic names. An explanation of how each drug works in the body comes next, along with information on side effects. They then discuss all the interactions each drug has with other drugs, with nutritional supplements, and food. Lastly, they provide information on natural alternatives. "You absolutely cannot count on the FDA, the drug company, your physician or your pharmacist to keep you safe from dangerous drugs and their interactions," say Mindell and Hopkins. Prescription Alternatives will give readers all the information they need to make wise choices about which, if any, drug is best for them, as well as helping them avoid the adverse consequences that can result from simple human error in obtaining and using prescription drugs.

Prescription Alternatives

Earl Mindell and Virginia Hopkins have each written extensively about alternative health and nutrition. They teamed up for Prescription Alternatives, "a tool for easily and immediately accessing information about how the drugs you are taking affect your body, the steps you can take to counteract these imbalances and what alternative treatments are available." They start with a description of how we've become a nation of pill-poppers and present drug statistics, such as "140,000 Americans die each year" from adverse drug effects and that "at least 11 million people are abusing prescription drugs." They also explain the unrelenting pressures put on medical doctors by the drug companies, medical schools, and state medical boards. Mindell and Hopkins include lists of factors than can affect drug levels, and explain how to prevent common problems with prescription drug use. They offer hints on how to prepare for surgery and decrease your chances of having an adverse drug reaction while hospitalized. They also explain how to read the drug inserts that come with prescriptions and include a glossary of common medical terms. The bulk of the book is devoted to extensive details about the most-often prescribed drugs. They discuss a dozen kinds of diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, herpes, and osteoporosis. They list the drugs usually prescribed for each condition, then present detailed information about each drug, including what the drug is supposed to do, possible side effects, interactions with other drugs, interactions with foods, what imbalances in the body may result, and what nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, should be added to the diet while taking the drug. Each section concludes with natural alternatives to the drugs and tips for helping your body heal itself. They also explain how the body systems work and how lifestyle changes can help prevent many diseases. All their explanations are in easy-to-understand layman's terms. The authors say that "when you start taking any type of drug, you are heading down a long road full of potentially dangerous drug interactions and side effects." Prescription Alternatives is a scenic byway that will help readers avoid that long road.

BLUEPRINT FOR ENJOYING A LONG, ACTIVE, HIGH-QUALITY LIFE!

In this terrific reference, Dr. Mindell provides more than we are led to believe from the book's title: "Prescription Alternatives"! Aside from giving us well documented natural alternatives for prescription drugs, Dr. Mindell gives us the vital information: 1) to protect ourselves against prescription drug abuse, 2) to avoid becoming an adverse drug effects (ADE) victim; 3) to live a fuller, healthier life through his "Six Principles for Optimal Health"! This well researched book, with its extensive bibliography, is a MUST HAVE book for every family seriously seeking to achieve and maintain a high standard of health! In a word: ESSENTIAL!