If there is one economic area that pays, it is that of the pharmaceutical industry. With the production of new drugs, pharmaceutical marketing and lobbying, it is complicated to know if the treatments that are prescribed for us are really safe for our health.
In view of the side effects and benefits / risks of drugs, many of the treatments we receive are harmful or even life-threatening. So, to help you see more clearly, here are 4 drugs dangerous to your health.
Flu shots
Each year, it is recommended to get vaccinated against influenza, especially for the elderly. However, viral strains of this disease are changing year by year. As a result, the influenza vaccine is not always adapted to the influenza virus, especially since the manufacture of the vaccine is started about six months before the onset of the epidemic. In addition, it affects and weakens the immune system because vaccination damages the principle of immunization.
Indeed, in case of vaccination, the pathway of entry (through the skin) is different from that of a naturally occurring disease, that is to say by the mouth or the nasal cavity. Thus, the vaccine bypasses the immune functions of the skin, tonsils, mucous membranes, etc. because foreign bodies are directly injected into the blood stream.
In addition, the body does not have time to produce additional antibodies that can fight against the disease because the infection passes directly into the blood, without prior preparation of the body and its immune cells. Thus, the injection of a vaccine by this non-natural route can use up to 70% of the resources of the immune system instead of 3 to 4% in a natural disease according to Cynthia Cournoyer, author of What about immunizations?
Anticoagulants
Anticoagulant drugs are particularly used in the treatment of phlebitis and pulmonary embolism as well as in the prevention of cerebrovascular accidents (stroke). Their goal is to thin the blood to prevent the formation of blood clots. However, this fluidification of the blood, when it is excessive, can be at the origin of fatal hemorrhages.
In addition, the use of this type of drug would promote the development of immuno-allergic reactions including renal failure, abnormal blood formulation, difficulty breathing and fever. But that's not all, some foods are banned in combination with an anticoagulant drug because they further increase the risk of bleeding or on the contrary decrease the activity of the anticoagulant, which causes an increased risk of phlebitis. Note that among these contraindicated foods, there is tomato, spinach, peas, potato, because of their high vitamin K.
The rotavirus vaccine
Rotavirus is a virus that can cause severe gastroenteritis, especially in infants and young children. Thus, to prevent the appearance of this infection, a vaccine has been put in place. However, the latter has more or less serious effects including: diarrhea, gas, skin irritation, abdominal pain, blood in the stool. In addition, it can cause intestinal obstruction, an allergic reaction but also intussusception. The latter is a rare disease whose risk of occurrence increases following a vaccination against rotavirus. It is characterized by the introduction of a portion of intestine into another segment of intestine and is illustrated by high fever, abdominal pain, blood in the stool and bloating.
Intussusception must be treated early because if the diagnosis is delayed, the outcome is sometimes fatal as demonstrated by the death of two babies, in 2012 and 2014, who had been vaccinated against rotavirus. But for what reason does this vaccine increase the risk of developing intussusception? This appears to be due to the stimulation of the immune system caused by the product of the oral vaccine, which increases the volume of the glands of the intestine.
Benzodiazepines
Used in the treatment of anxiety, stress, sleep disorders, epilepsy or alcohol withdrawal, benzodiazepines are molecules that act on the central nervous system and are used for their anxiolytic, soothing effects. hypnotics and anticonvulsants. These medications are prescribed for short periods of time in view of their harmful side effects including: drowsiness, memory loss, lack of concentration, balance and heart rhythm disorders, nausea and headache. In addition, if taken in the long term, they can cause addiction and memory problems, or even dementia because they act directly on the nervous system.
On the other hand, if they are stopped suddenly, they can cause anxiety, tremors, agitation, convulsions, apoplexy, paranoia, hallucinations and delirium. Not to mention the overdose given the tolerance felt with regard to benzodiazepines and serious accidents (car accidents, falls) that occur under the influence of this type of drugs.