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t.v. commerials about prescription drugs ...is it just me?

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Posted 11/17/2008 3:08 PM (GMT 0)
I was just wondering how many of you would risk breaking your leg to get to the remote when these prescription drug commercials come on the television?  I have noticed many of you, like me, suffer from health anxiety issues and are also sensitive to drugs.(I was once carried off an airplane by two strangers after taking a half tablet of Dramamine).  My husband and I watched Two and a half Men, House, then Boston Legal the other night and I counted 9 commercials for drugs and another three for attorney's suggesting lawsuits for drugs that killed people.  The one for Lyrica is laughable.  That woman looks like she is suffering from Fibro about as much as I look like Brittney Spears.  Do you notice they spend about twenty seconds on the benefits and two minutes on the side effects.  I would rather pee my pants than risk 'seizures, fainting, heart attack and vomiting. (Detrol?) It took me two months to try Lexapro and the first night I woke up rooting through my husband's underwear drawer, then headed off to the kitchen where I consumed a tube of Oreo's.

My son works in Drug research (on a new RA drug at the moment) and he truly believes these commerical do NOT help sales.  Before this new trend in commercials, a doc would give me a prescription and I would take it without that much apprehension even though the drug would come with an insert the size of War and Peace.

Is it me?

We have gotten six inches of snow since I hobbled out of bed this morning.  I guess I have nothing better to do than ask stupid questions. (House work?  I think not).

donna

Posted 11/17/2008 3:50 PM (GMT 0)
The advertisements are ridiculous.  The possible side effects are worse than the illness...except for Cialis!  LOL  I am still wondering why the couple ends up in side-by-side bathtubs and the end of each commercial.  Yeh, really realistic.  Bathtubs on the beach, on mountain tops, etc.!  shocked    I even wrote the company and asked and they never responded.  turn

 

I do not, I repeat, do not read the circulars before taking the meds.  I tend to develop whatever their side effects are...all of them!  smhair

 

Sherrine

Posted 11/17/2008 4:17 PM (GMT 0)
Donna the only commercial I notice is the one for lyrica and I don't like it. There is so much more to fibro than the pain and your right why don't they make the woman look like she is in pain instead of out having a good time. No wonder everyone keeps asking us why we don't take the med they advertise on TV that cures fibro. The general public is getting the wrong idea about fibro and lyrica.

 

I guess I do notice the one for cymbalta too and they do have someone that looks like she needs help.

 

Sherrine you made me take notice of the cialis commercial quite awhile ago if you remember. smilewinkgrin I would like to know why they are in two bath tubs too.

 

Donna, I have had many reactions to meds and I have a phobia about taking new meds. I start off with a tiny bit to see if I'm going to have a reaction and work my way up to a full dose or if I have a reaction quit.

 

Oh goody we are having snow flurries in central Illinois that makes my day, NOT. I am curious to see how Krissy will react to snow. It's coming down pretty good so I think I will put a jacket on her and take her out for a minute.

 

luv and hugs

Marlee

 

Posted 11/17/2008 4:47 PM (GMT 0)

The Cialis commerical?  The couple in separate tubs are having sex through osmosis...or virtual sex...or they both meditate and have an out of body sexual experience. "If you have an erection lasting for more than four hours, go blind,  or exhibit stroke symptoms, call your doctor."  Duh!  Ya think?

donna

Posted 11/17/2008 8:01 PM (GMT 0)

Can you imagine if you walked into Burger King and the following was posted above the menu:  Caution: eating here may cause the following:

*high cholestral and hardening of the arteries

*Hepititis B

*Salmanella

*Mad cow disease

*an allergic reaction to MSG and nitrates that may require jump starting your heart and a tracheotomy

*a shriveled tongue and roof of mouth from the 4 days worth of salt we put in one buger

*Hypertension

*choking on what appears to be a big hunk of gristle but is really a toenail

*Electrocution from faulty wiring in the restroom hand dryer

Would you eat there?  These prescription ads and all their warnings are just the beginning!

donna

Posted 11/17/2008 8:24 PM (GMT 0)
LOL. . .ROFL. . . :) Oh, my God!!! Tears are running and I am snorting :) Thank you so much for the humor. . . oh, my :)

I feel the same way too, but you ladies and your descriptions is so funny :) LOL
Posted 11/17/2008 8:44 PM (GMT 0)
Is cialis the one where the guy has the stupid grin on his face all the time???

 

Donna, you forgot to warn people who eat at Burger King that food may be hot or cold if you have sensitive teeth. tongue

 

luv and hugs

Marlee

Posted 11/17/2008 8:52 PM (GMT 0)
The guy with the stupid grin was in their first Cialis commercial.  His wife had a stupid grin on her face too.  They were probably thrilled that they were the new owners of two claw-foot tubs!  turn

 

Sherrine

Posted 11/17/2008 9:06 PM (GMT 0)

I thought the guy with the stupid grin on his face was that Enzyte commercial.  "A  supplement for natural enhancement for the special part of a male's body.'  His name is Bob and what a go getter he is after taking this drug for only a week!

Maybe I'm wrong.  I get my male enhancement, erectile disfunction drugs all mixed up.  I say take them all at once and see what happens!  Maybe after getting their eye sight back, their pace maker regulated and the use of the right side of their body back...'Just hold me' won't sound so bad!

donna

Posted 11/17/2008 9:30 PM (GMT 0)
They are banned here in Australia.
Posted 11/17/2008 9:55 PM (GMT 0)

OMG I am laughing so hard right now...TY so much because I was having a horrible day...snowling like mad here today and I work as a tire sales person...so yeah im just a little tired.  But this made my day.

I don't look at the inserts in meds either...if I did I would never take them.  I made the mistake of looking at the Lyrica one.  I read the whole blamed thing...the trials and all...wish I had not of done that LOL

Thanks again for the humor!!!!

Missy

Posted 11/17/2008 10:58 PM (GMT 0)

The commercials are pretty goofy. I think my most favorite commercial right now is the baby that is doing the stock trading and he's talking to the camera when his cell phone rings and he says, "hey girl, can I hit you back later" OMG it is so funny to me!

I actually do read the inserts that come with medication. I always keep in mind that they are POSSIBLE side effects. This is helpful if you actually have a side effect. You will have an easier time tracking down what is causing the trouble or at least COULD be causing the trouble.

I was just thinking how I wish I was somewhere that I could sit at the window and watch it snow. It sounds so beautiful! Have a good evening! 

Posted 11/17/2008 11:54 PM (GMT 0)
Oh my goodness, this thread is hilarious. I'm laughing so hard I think I'll pop my stitches! 

 

I want to smack the person who put that Lyrica commercial together. "Oh, I'm so sore. Rubbing my arms while talking about Lyrica will make it all better."  What the?????  Did they even know what Fibromyalgia is before shooting that?! 

 

I love the Burger King posting, Donna. You're funny!! tongue

Posted 11/18/2008 4:29 AM (GMT 0)

That ad for Lyrica?  They should beat that woman with a rubber mallet for about ten minutes, stick her arms in a beehive, THEN shoot the commerical.

donna

Posted 11/18/2008 5:38 AM (GMT 0)

Oh my, Donna you are too much! Thanks for the laughs!

I don't pay attention to the commercials anymore & I also throw away the med inserts without reading. It scared me too much when I did look at them before, so I've found it is easier to start a new drug if I ignore the warnings.

My sister and I had this same talk about the Lyrica commercials on a road trip not long ago. We were laughing so hard, I almost had to pull over. (she also has Fibro as well as RA). Our conversation sounded alot like Donna's comments.

I am still hoping my dh will understand or believe in Fibro and then stupid commercials like these come out and I'm right back where I started. It seems like everyone thinks I can take one pill and be back to my old self. Wrong!!!

Posted 11/18/2008 10:49 AM (GMT 0)
It's amazing how many people will say to me (as a result of the commercial), have you tried...uh..what's the one that they advertise on TV?

And, I patiently say, it's Lyrica and yes I did try it about a year ago and while it might work for some people, it didn't work for me.

My favorite commercials out right now are the Ocean Spray cranberry ads with the two guys standing in the cranberry bogs in their waders.
Right now there's a series of them geard towards Thanksgiving dinner, of course. They never fail to make me laugh!
Posted 11/18/2008 1:47 PM (GMT 0)

The commercial that makes me chuckle is the one for Enzyte.(male enhancement supplement)  Do you think it would make my boobs bigger?

The most irritating...I have two.  The one is for somekind of period pad.  The woman is prancing around in white pants like she is trying out for the Olympic gymnastic team.  Like this 'sliver' of what looks like no more than rolled up tissue paper will relieve the  pain that feels like someone is poking around in your uterus with an ice pick.  Or prevent your head from spinning off its axis...At the end, after she has finsihed doing her bunny hop, they say 'Have a Happy Period.  Are they totally serious??  Plus, I NEVER wore white pants until I had a hysterectomy.  In order for me to have had a 'Happy Period' they would have had to soak the pad in Oxycotin.

My next most irritating?  Have you ever been relaxing in a chair....just dozing off when you hear at a million decibels...." BILLY MAYS HERE, FOR OXYCLEAN!!!"  Even my dog who is half deaf jumps off the couch and heads for the hills when she hears his voice.

Donna

Posted 11/18/2008 1:57 PM (GMT 0)
Terrie, I love those stock trading commercials with the baby.  My favorite is the one where he rents a clown and is scared of it.  Clowns have freaked me out since I was a kid! smilewinkgrin

 

I always read the side effects, precautions, and warnings that come with medications.  I learned that I needed to do this the hard way:  I had a doctor prescribe a drug that contained a medication I'm allergic to (you couldn't tell by the name of the drug), and I've had more than one doctor prescribe a medication for one condition that was potentially dangerous for another condition that I have (and yes, they knew about those other conditions).  I have to research everything (then, of course, I probably do get psychosomatic side effects). mad

 

The Lyrica commercials make me crazy.  Have you noticed in the latest one that when she is talking about Fibromyalgia the lighting is all dark and gloomy?  When she starts talking about Lyrica, the sun comes out, and everything is sparkling.  I wish it had done that for me.  Of course, maybe if my husband and I put some bathtubs in our backyard and went out there at sunset..... devil

Posted 11/18/2008 2:12 PM (GMT 0)
I hate that oxyclean commercial too. That guy can't talk, he yells. He is the most irritating guy since Wilfred Godfrey. I don't know how they can sell the product since everybody either turns the mute on or leaves the room.

Hugs to all, Karen

Oh yes, the enzyte commercial, listen to all the little puns in the commercial.  A sack ful of joy.  etc....

Posted 11/18/2008 2:45 PM (GMT 0)
LOLOLOL!! this is such an hysterical thread!
The drug companies are required by law to list all the side-effects, but who the heck would ever want to try these drugs after hearing all the possible side-effects?? Back when my IBS was flaring, there was a drug that came out for it, and it sounded great.........but then, very quickly, they listed stuff like, "nausea, vomiting, uncontrollable explosive diarrhea".......yeah, I want that!! hahaha
I love the commercial of a little baby talking about his stock portfolio, but then throws up. Its hysterical.
Saturday Night Live has done spoofs on the Viagra-type drugs, and its pretty funny.
Oh.....one of the most disgusting commercials I've seen is one for something like Preparation-H..........everybody in the commercial is leaning over, spreading their legs, or doing other gross things. The only thing missing was a big arrow pointing to their rectums.
I just can't believe how "far" commercials have come since I was younger. They were never allowed to even talk about periods, let alone show the pad and show women in white pants, spreading their legs. Unbelievable!!
Posted 11/18/2008 2:59 PM (GMT 0)
Have you seen the one where the woman (Mother Nature) shows up to the girl's (in white pants, I believe) vacation to deliver her a "little gift" all wrapped up with a pretty bow! Of course she has PLENTY of coverage, as evidenced in the clear vinyl bag she is carrying off of the plane. Yeah, I always used to carry around my "products" in a clear carry on bag for all the world to see!

The baby stockbroker is pretty funny... Also the baby in the new Huggie's commercial that has a pee stream like a pressure hose, that sprays it all over the room while the dude changes his diaper! Oh yeah, good times!
Posted 11/18/2008 3:01 PM (GMT 0)
I don't read any of the inserts for meds, because I literally don't have the attention span needed to unfold that little booklet, let alone read any of it, and then try to UNDERSTAND any of it, lol!
When those drug commercials come up, our family likes to try to make up our own additional little side effects, so they are pretty funny to watch. And, I, too, have oftened wondered if the people that make those commercials have any clue as to what those ailments look or feel like to actual patients. I think anyone advertising that stuff should be forced to take those meds for a while first. Then maybe the side effects would start off the commercial instead of run as a fast dialogue or run in tiny, little letters at the bottom of the screen at the end of the commercial. Here's my take:

The beginning of the commercial fades onto the screen, and a picture of a pill sitting next to a glass of water shows while a voice booms into your living room: "What if you were told that this little pill can cause nausea, vomiting, stomach pains, explosive diarrhea, excessive flatulance, hair loss, yellowed fingernails and toenails, loose teeth, a back hump, shriveled testicles, and horns on your forehead? What if you were then told that this little pill can control the symptoms of depression? If you feel the benefit outweighs the risks, then ask your doctor about new Scruwitall, and see if it can help you. Because nothing hurts more than depression. Not even the hump." Lol!!!
Posted 11/18/2008 3:22 PM (GMT 0)

Oh Shannon and all, you are SO right.  I would be off this useless Lexapro and Valium and at least try out Lyrica if the side effects didn't include 'seizures, vomitting and fainting'.  I invision myself flopping around in a K-Mart parking lot foaming at the mouth while some stranger tries to prevent me from swallowing my tongue with his cell phone.  The initial side effects for Lexapro were bad enough.  I don't want to take that ride again!

donna

Posted 11/18/2008 3:31 PM (GMT 0)

I just had to get up this morning & check out this post again! I'm glad I did! I got some more laughs from the new comments & I even feel a bit better. Maybe my day will go better!

Donna - are you sure you're not my cousin from Pennsylvania? You sound just like her!

You guys will have me back to watching commercials now! I don't watch much t.v. but when I do I usually ignore them. Now, I'll be watching just to see the humor in them. Thanks again for the laughs everyone!

Hugs!

Margie

Posted 11/18/2008 4:56 PM (GMT 0)

OMG..this has nothing to do with commericals but on a similar note. My husband bought me a chocolate chip cookie from the little store at the end of the street...On the back where the ingredients are it says: "cellophane packaging not for consumption".  Oh really?  I had planned to toss the cookie in the garbage and eat the wrapper.  What a bummer!

(some kid probably ate the wrapper once and sued the crap out of the company for not posting a warning.  My hair dryer has a warning on it..."Do not use in the shower."  I guess in retrospect, the cookie warning isn't that bad.)

donna

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