Liver' alone
I often wonder: Is the FDA out to get you, are they just totally politically motivated, or do they just not have a spine? Or all three?
For those of you who don't know: Ketek is an antibiotic intended for sinusitis, bronchitis, and pneumonia patients and now is believed to cause serious liver damage and even death. Well, after a lot of controversy about this potentially deadly drug, the FDA ordered the drug's manufacturer to put stronger warnings on the label.
Well, whoop-de-doo.
The fact is that putting a stronger warning on a drug just doesn't stop doctors from prescribing it. And this is a drug that needs to be stopped. Period.
So far there have been at least 12 reported cases of liver failure (four of them fatal). One of those cases required a liver transplant. There've been at least 23 other cases of liver injury. All of them associated with Ketek. And those are just the ones that we know about. It's estimated that unreported cases of adverse drug effects outnumber the reported cases 10 to 20 times over.
In some cases, the problems started after just a few doses of Ketek.
But instead of ripping this drug off the market -- like they should -- the FDA has told the company to warn doctors that they should keep a close eye on their patients and watch for any problems or symptoms of liver injury.
Here's the problem with that logic: it still leaves patients at risk. A very unnecessary risk if you ask me. And there's no solid proof that it works any better than any other drug out there.
When it comes to the conditions that Ketek is meant for treating, there are a lot of safer options out there. If your doctor tries to put you on this dangerous, useless drug, ask him to suggest something else first. For more in-depth information about Ketek, check out the upcoming October issue of America's Country Doctor.
