Capitol Hill Blue Forums Science and Technology Health, Medicine & the healing Sciences Zicam vs Lipitor

It's not that cut and dried, not all black and white - and there is some responsibility on the consumer when information is available.

Years ago I went to a doctor with a nail fungus. He offered me a choice - a drug which might damage my liver, or just living with the damn nail. I chose to keep my liver, thank you very much (and then, years later, found tea tree oil to treat the fungus.)

Also years ago, I went to a doctor with a debilitating illness. He offered me a drug that would give me a nearly-normal lifespan, the trade being the destruction of my thyroid, or a much shorter life. This time, I tossed the thyroid overboard and after about 10 years, began taking thyroid replacements.

In both cases the doctor offered me a solution, explained the downside, and gave me an alternative. Maybe I've just been lucky in my selection of doctors (which, in turn, was pretty much driven by the doctors listed with my employer's insurance plan.)