the source info (see the PDF above) says they *ruled out* illegal drug use from the study, in their information gathering.

I take oxy for pain due to MS, so MS pain can be serious enough to warrant it too.

I'm really shocked that beta-interferon is on the list. We haven't seen any screaming headlines about that or any research looking into it. Isn't the company that produces it a publicly traded company? I'd have thought there would have been some kind of investor headline if nothing health-wise if it was a leading cause of death due to med-use.

Thanks for posting this. I found it really interesting.

Edited to add: I just read the full report. Surprising that it's also listed as a major cause of disability or other adverse event. If neurologists are the ones reporting, they would not be doing so if it was just MS progression that was happening and not some different kind of disability or adverse event.

I'll have to check to see if the FDA database says what exactly has been reported.

Again thanks!

I went through the FDA database. The adverse events are all over the place, from the typical flu like reactions to cancers, embolisms, seizures, MI's.

It's hard to say why the people reporting it thought they were related to the beta interferon use though.

Very interesting.

thanks for the links!

thanks so much for the post. i asked my avonex nurse-guy about safety yesterday and he didn't mention this "top-ten" list yesterday. obviously, the wrong person to ask! i had my first full dose of avonex and did get chills, bad headache achiness, etc. but feeling much better today...except for thinking about the long-term potential side-effects...

he did mention an injector device will be coming out soon and that a pill version should also be out...

i am feeling like the research says go on the meds...but i really hate meds and the potential side effects totally suck!

the nurse guy said i seemed "detached" but what i wanted to say is i just don't like you and big drug co's...(thought i was out of the anger stage of this disease....??) i hope you all have better reps!

I think this is an interesting article too . . .

http://www.chiropracticresearch.org/NEWSDrugEffects.htm




You ask some good questions in your postings, wannabe.

I guess the idea is to see if there are patterns emerging, that cause room for concern. Those patterns probably don't prove anything beyond a reasonable doubt, but they can start the ball rolling to initiate further research.

Many of us are willing to take our chances though, and would probably even fight to leave our "options" available to us, if they threatened to take any of them away. Unfortunately, we just don't have a lot of entirely safe choices for meds yet, for the disease process and/or symptoms.

Once we do have safer and more effective options, no doubt a lot of ugly truths will surface.

Cherie

what i wonder is how many of the deaths were from an allergic reaction or abuse.. and realistically all those Rx painkillers have i high level of abuse..

id take that list with a grain of salt though.. the #s are over a 7yr period.. and with no data on the cause of death (overdose,allergic,ect..) IMHO it just seems pointless to worry about it..