I have always been skeptical to prescription drugs and knew that they often cause much more harm than good, which is what drew me to this book in the first place. After reading this book I will do my research before introducing any drug into my body over-the-counter or prescription.

Critser writes about the beginning of direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising of pharmies on television and how it was once frowned upon. Now with pressure from big companies like ELI LILLY and Plaxo doctors are being urged to write prescriptions for drugs that have had next to no real testing, and are often advertised before they have received approval by the FDA. We, as a population, are willingly allowing ourselves, and even more importantly, OUR CHILDREN, to be the guinea pigs of ‘modern medicine’.

The stories about adolescents and anti-depressants are truly startling. Children with no history of suicidal tendencies have ended their own lives without leaving so much as a note after being put on well known drugs such as Zoloft and Prozac. Indication that they were quite suddenly, and fatally compelled to end it all.

On less pressing fronts are OTC medicine that people don’t even think about, such as antacid medication. Supposedly you should take this to prevent acid reflux which is in actuality a rare medical phenomenon. When most people should eat a couple tums or ::gasp:: change their diet! they instead pop these antacid pills which actually more times than not reduce the acid in your stomach to dangerously LOW levels. Your stomach does need some acid in order to function properly.

This read is very, very informative. Do you own research and find out what is right for you. That is the moral, every human body is different and when you introduce the same chemical into 100 different people it isn’t impossible to have 100 different effects. So many factors can take a place in how a drug will react with you; genes, diet, setting, lifestyle, other drugs, ect ect.

Please take this book as a warning to the very pressing issue of over medication. Don’t forfeit your life or well being for some promise of the perfect cure. It is truly amazing how much a good diet, some choice vitamins, exercise, and a good mood will go for fixing what ails you. We, as a culture, need to step back to basics and start trying to fix what is causing our symptoms instead of trying to mask them with meds. The body can do amazing things when it isn’t in a drugged up haze and I’m not talking about getting high.