News Clip 1994: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vF_8NQAAKvA (Antibiotics Cause Asthma). First publication to warn of dangers of asthma & diabetes linked to medicinal drugs.

Music: Peter Northcote wins 'MusicOz' Best Instrumentalist Award and launches his latest CD. Songs can be downloaded from itunes.

24 Nov 2007: www.telegraph.co.uk Dr Graeme Laver, the Australian scientist, who receives royalties for Relenza but not for Tamiflu, said he had never been impressed with the power of his own vaccine.

"It is better than nothing and I wouldn't want to advise people not to take it," he said. "But you can't rely on it doing any good."...

Meanwhile, the US Food and Drug Administration recommended that the packaging of the drugs carry warnings about psychiatric problems.

In documents prepared for a meeting to review both drugs next week, FDA staff have recommended that Tamiflu's label warn of the possibility of "serious injuries, including death, in adult and paediatric patients" brought on by delirium or self-injury.

It recommends that the label mentions "reports of hallucinations, delirium and abnormal behaviour".

ASTHMA: Thorax 62, 2007. Asthma trends in children internationally show 'decreases in prevalence in English speaking countries and Western Europe and increases in prevalence in regions where prevalence was previously low'. In my opinion, this would be expected as industrialised countries wake up to the detrimental effects of antibiotic use (eg. MRSA). Whilst the drug companies rapidly forge ahead with marketing strategies in developing countries with emerging economies. 

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Tons of drugs are routinely used in the animal farming industry. Then there is additional exposure from pharmaceuticals from over-the-counter drugs as well as by prescription. Although often a simple change in diet or lifestyle could probably render them unnecessary. However, in critical situations, I would be the first to recommend pharmaceuticals over alternative therapies. Sometimes this may require prolonged courses of drugs. For any condition I would always advocate a diagnosis using orthodox medicine first. People who diagnose or treat themselves solely using media articles or by analogy with their friend's symptoms, place themselves at risk.

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