America has become a nation of pill poppers.
Some 66% of American adults now take at least one drug daily. That’s up from 51% just 15 years earlier.[1] [2]
The inside of many medicine cabinets in the U.S. looks like a pharmacy. About 13% of Americans are on five or more prescription drugs.[3]
Big Pharma spends millions every year on advertising and marketing. Its message is simple: Prescription medications are the way to good health.
But there are two important points you’ll never see in a drug ad:
- Americans are injured or killed by dangerous prescription drugs every day. Between 2004 and 2010, major drug companies paid out $7 billion in fines, penalties, and lawsuits. But, for them, it’s the cost of doing business. It’s just a drop in the bucket compared to their soaring profits, which now top more than $1 trillion a year.[4]
- There are safe alternatives to many drugs. Natural supplements are often just as effective as prescription medications—but without dangerous side effects.
5 Safe, Natural Health Solutions
Here are top five of the biggest-selling prescription medications, along with safe, effective alternatives:
1.) Vicodin (hydrocodone/acetaminophen)
This opioid painkiller has become a scourge. It is highly addictive, which is one reason why it was the number one selling drug in the U.S. for several years. Every day, over 1,000 Americans are treated in emergency rooms for prescription opioid overdoses.[5] [6]
Whether you suffer from back issues, arthritis, migraines, or any other type of common pain, there are natural solutions that can bring you relief. Dr. Isaac Eliaz covered them in detail in a Health Watch article.
2.) Synthroid (levothyroxine)
This drug is a synthetic version of the thyroid hormone T4. If you take it, you’ve been diagnosed with an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism).
Two supplements can improve the condition. They are vitamin D3 and fish oil. Take 2,000 IUs of vitamin D3 and 2 grams of fish oil daily.
Even with this nutritional support, many people with thyroid deficiency will need replacement hormones. But there are better choices than Synthroid. It contains T4 hormone, which your body then converts to T3, the other vital thyroid hormone. But some people have trouble with this conversion.
Many patients respond better to a drug called Thyrolar. It provides both T3 and T4 hormones. Another good option is Armour Thyroid. It’s a natural version (it comes from animal sources) that also has both T3 and T4.[7]
3.) Delasone, Sterapred (prednisone)
This corticosteroid is a powerful anti-inflammatory. It treats the symptoms of arthritis, colitis, asthma, and many other autoimmune conditions. But it rarely addresses the root causes of illnesses.
Prednisone is linked to serious side effects. One of the most concerning is mood disorders. It can cause depression, anxiety, insomnia, and mood swings. Long-term use is linked to osteoporosis, weight gain, and extreme fatigue.
One of the best natural anti-inflammatory substances is curcumin. It’s a compound in the spice turmeric that has long been used in natural medicine. Take a 400-600 mg supplement once a day.
4.) Prinivil, Zestril (lisinopril)
Lisinopril is an ACE inhibitor. It treats high blood pressure. One of the most common side effects is chronic cough. It can be so severe that patients can’t sleep.
But the most troubling and serious side effect is angioedema. It’s rapid swelling of the face, throat, tongue, and airways. It can be fatal.[8]
A safer alternative is hibiscus tea. It works through a similar chemical pathway as lisinopri. In a 2015 study it was tested head-to-head against lisinopril and found just as effective.[9]
You can find hibiscus tea in health food stores and online. Drink 20 ounces a day.[10]
5.) Amoxil (amoxicillin)
This is a penicillin antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections. The problem is that doctors often prescribe antibiotics even when they don’t know for sure if a patient has a bacterial disease.
This overuse has led to the rise of deadly antibiotic-resistant superbugs. Many of them are now virtually untreatable.
Amoxicillin and other antibiotics also kill the “good” bacteria in your gut that aid digestion and many other crucial biological processes.
We told you about five foods and supplements that naturally fight bacterial illness. They get rid of infections without damaging your beneficial gut microbes.
Editor’s Note: Did you know that prescription drugs are now the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S.? Some 128,000 Americans die from their effects every year. (This number doesn’t even include overdose deaths.) Pharmaceuticals now kill more people than breast cancer, prostate cancer, homicide, and suicide combined.
Discover how to protect yourself with Independent Healing’s exclusive Prescription Drug Survival Guide. It tells you how to navigate the medication minefield. To get your copy, go HERE.
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[1] https://hpi.georgetown.edu/rxdrugs/
[2] https://www.institutefornaturalhealing.com/issues/ih_september2016.html
[3] https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/drug-use-therapeutic.htm
[4] https://www.drugwatch.com/dangerous-drugs.php
[5] http://drugs.healthgrove.com/stories/5221/25-most-prescribed-drugs-in-the-u-s#25-Hydrocodone-Acetaminophen
[6] https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/data/overdose.html
[7] https://www.drugs.com/pro/armour-thyroid.html
[8] https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/03/05/blood-pressure-pill-proved-deadly/
[9] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26600645
[10] https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2016/09/05/how-to-lower-blood-pressure-with-hibiscus-tea/