Q. My husband took Lamisil to treat toenail fungus. The drug worked, but was ultimately responsible for his death.
The fine print for this prescription drug noted that it might cause neutropenia. For my husband, it did. This led to MDS (myelodysplastic syndrome), which was followed thereafter by AML (acute myeloid leukemia) and his subsequent death.
He had suffered with periodic flare-ups of toenail fungus and athlete’s foot for most of his life. Neither of these conditions were life threatening. The Lamisil was!
Tell your readers that even though the possibly serious side effects mentioned by drug companies may affect only 1 percent of users, they could be in that 1 percent. Have them ask themselves if it is worth that chance!
A. We are so sorry to hear of your husband’s tragic death. Doctors don’t always mention unusual but potentially life-threatening reactions.
In rare cases Lamisil may trigger serious blood disorders such as neutropenia, a lack of white blood cells. This drug can also damage the liver and there have been deaths associated with this problem. This is a high price to pay to cure toenail fungus. Patients must always be informed of common side effects and also of symptoms that may be associated with rare but deadly adverse reactions.
Q. I have just read that it may soon be impossible to buy drugs from Canada. Certain medications my husband and I take, such as Lipitor, have already become hard to import because U.S. manufacturers have restricted supplies.
A friend recommended another mail order source, a Web site in New Zealand. It requires no prescriptions, and prices on some drugs still available in Canada are cheaper, even with shipping included. We only buy what our doctor has prescribed. The drugs come in what appear to be manufacturers’ blister packs. I am wondering, though, if this pharmacy is legitimate. Is there any way to tell whether these drugs could be counterfeit?
A. You have mentioned several red flags in your description. We are suspicious of online pharmacies that do not require a doctor’s prescription for prescription drugs. Legitimate Canadian online pharmacies always require a prescription.
When we went to the site you named, we were unable to confirm that it is a licensed pharmacy, or even that it is actually located in New Zealand. There is no obvious way to distinguish counterfeit from genuine drugs without chemical analysis.
We are sending you our Guide to Saving Money on Drugs for information about legitimate Canadian online pharmacies and other strategies to reduce high prescription drug bills. Anyone who would like a copy, please send $2 in check or money order with a long (no. 10) stamped (60 cents), self-addressed envelope: Graedons’ People’s Pharmacy, No. CA-99, P. O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027.
Q. I am desperate for a sleeping pill I can take for more than a few days at a time. My doctor only prescribes a week’s worth of Ambien each month because he says it is only for short-term use.
My insomnia is always a problem. I’ve heard of a new medicine that can be taken longer. Please tell me what it is.
A. The FDA recently approved the first sleeping pill for long-term use. Lunesta can be prescribed for up to six months. It won’t be cheap, though. Predictions are that each pill will run more than $4.
