Is the pharmaceutical treatment of chronic diseases redundant?
It seems to me that no matter the drug, it will always act as an external pressure on the homeostatic systems of the body, and thereby create a long term imbalance which seems to inevitably lead to development of further issues.
Also, I cannot help but get the feeling that the current criteria for developing and approving drugs is woefully insufficient.
For instance, clozapine, a very commonly prescribed antipsychotic, does achieve its described purpose of reducing the severity of mood disorders. However, it achieves this by what appears to be an overall reduction in human function, much like anaesthetic. Doesn't this defeat the point? I work with people who take clozapine regularly, and the most obvious conclusion is that they become "zombies", and become very dull, unresponsive and otherwise suppressed in cognitive function. I also found after some reading that clozapine interferes with metabolic processes and sexual function. Clozapine is just one example though, there are many more.
I can understand the use of drugs to treat acute conditions such as blood pressure following a stroke, or a asthma inhaler to prevent an asthma attack. However, time and time again I fail to see the long term use of drugs create more benefit than damage.
Or is this just my dunning kreuger retard take?
It seems to me that no matter the drug, it will always act as an external pressure on the homeostatic systems of the body, and thereby create a long term imbalance which seems to inevitably lead to development of further issues.
Also, I cannot help but get the feeling that the current criteria for developing and approving drugs is woefully insufficient.
For instance, clozapine, a very commonly prescribed antipsychotic, does achieve its described purpose of reducing the severity of mood disorders. However, it achieves this by what appears to be an overall reduction in human function, much like anaesthetic. Doesn't this defeat the point? I work with people who take clozapine regularly, and the most obvious conclusion is that they become "zombies", and become very dull, unresponsive and otherwise suppressed in cognitive function. I also found after some reading that clozapine interferes with metabolic processes and sexual function. Clozapine is just one example though, there are many more.
I can understand the use of drugs to treat acute conditions such as blood pressure following a stroke, or a asthma inhaler to prevent an asthma attack. However, time and time again I fail to see the long term use of drugs create more benefit than damage.
Or is this just my dunning kreuger retard take?
