Site that rates medications

[spinn]

A friend has a very hard time getting to sleep. I found a site that allows patients to rate various medications.

They put her on Paxil. the rating were:

Condition Members Success
Depression
4055
54%
Anxiety
2142
57%
Panic Attacks
805
58%
Post-Traumatic Stress D...
486
48%
Obsessive Compulsive Di...
456
57%

in other words about 55% thought it helped.

I recommended a different medication with these results:

Members Success
Narcolepsy
109
82%
Fibromyalgia
6
100%
Insomnia
5
100%
Bipolar Disorder
1
100%
Depression
1
100%


ie 82% successful for narcolepsy, 100% effective for everything else.

I wont name the second drug as you all will call me a drug addict; again.

the site is Online Support Groups and Forums at DailyStrength

generally the more often a drug is prescribed; the worse the rating. If a dr on tv recommends it, chances are the side effects are horrendous, you are risking your life by even taking it.

I would hope those on the board here with positive results rate their meds on that site.

 

[RPHMark]

Seems strange that the same drug would have high ratings for both narcolepsy and insomnia. This sounds like one of the legalize pot gurus.

 

[spinn]

Mark I am confused by that. If one does not sleep wont they be tired the next day and possibly fall aslep?

Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder that causes excessive sleepiness and
frequent daytime sleep attacks. The most common symptoms of
narcolepsy are

 

[EasyEJL]

I can't imagine what sort of wacky doctor would put someone on paxil for insomnia. Has your friend tried ambien?

 

[spinn]

I can't imagine what sort of wacky doctor would put someone on paxil for insomnia. Has your friend tried ambien?

the advantage of ambien is that when you wreck your car, you wont remember it http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=1927026&page=1

yes she has tried it.

 

[RPHMark]

True narcoplepsy occurs almost like a seizure, and is not always or even usually associated with how much sleep a person gets a night. If you are sleepy during the day because you did not sleep much/well then you should be sleepy. I would guess that some of the same people are claiming insomnia and narcolepsy resulting from that, but that is not my understanding of what narcolepsy really is.

 

[spinn]

thanks Mark, but again these results are important because they are actual patients reporting what has happened to them; not theoretical about what is expected to happen.

I think if more people rate their meds on that or similar sites the better off we will all be.