Editor’s note: The following is an opinion piece and may not necessarily reflect the views of PJ Media, Townhall Media, or Salem Communications.
This afternoon, I took a break to get a little shopping done. Okay, I was out of beer. Satisfied? My grocery list notwithstanding, I was on my way out of the store when a seemingly nice young man jumped up from behind a folding table laden with literature and said, “What Medicare plan are you on?”
Excuse me? I. Beg. Your. Pardon. He must have sensed what I was thinking because he began backtracking and congratulating me on staying employed. Whatever, son. But it is true, I’m getting old. The last time I was at the DMV, I wrote “blonde” in the box for hair color. The person behind the glass switched it to “grey” without so much as a “by your leave.” When I griped about it to Mrs. Brown, she laughed and said, “Your hair is grey.” When we travel, I need to make sure I have my hearing aids and the charger, not to mention the case for my bifocals. Then there are the medications. I have a pill holder full of supplements and metoprolol that looks like a gumball machine and sounds like a pair of maracas.
As you age, you develop greater awareness about what goes into your body. Well, you should, anyway. Actually, that is not a bad idea at any age. That does not include just what you eat and drink, but also your medications. As we learned during the pandemic, the mandated vaccines, while a blessing to some demographics, created nightmares for others.
What goes into the pills or other medications you take? Well, all too often, it is mandated by what has been “approved” by the Food and Drug Administration.
The FDA has long been on a quest to ban bioidentical hormone treatments, since it cannot maintain the grip that gives it absolute authority, and not coincidentally, benefit the manufacturers of the aforementioned “approved meds.”
Case in point:
Dr. Amy Myers is a physician who specializes in functional medicine, and Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) is circulating a petition on Change.org. In it, Myers notes that the Food and Drug Administration intends to take action against the manufacturers, importers, and distributors of animal-derived thyroid medications, also known as desiccated thyroid extract. Medical providers have 12 months to transition their patients off this naturally-derived therapy and on to synthetic thyroid hormone replacement medications that the FDA has approved. The petition seeks to have the FDA stick to its original timeline, which would give the manufacturers of the natural thyroid medication until 2029 to obtain official approval.
In her petition, Myers comments:
Patients suffering from hypothyroidism and other thyroid-related conditions often experience chronic fatigue, weight gain, depression, and other symptoms that significantly impair quality of life. While synthetic thyroid medications are available, they do not work equally well for all patients. For many, animal-derived thyroid medications, sometimes referred to as desiccated thyroid extract (DTE), provide effective relief when synthetics fall short.
A female acquaintance of mine was on this synthetic thyroid medication. It caused her to experience migraine-level headaches, and at one point, the side effects were so severe that she feared she was having a stroke and almost went to the emergency room. When she switched to the NP Thyroid medication, not only did she immediately benefit from the treatment, but the side effects disappeared. She cannot take the synthetic meds, but if the choice is left up to the FDA, she will have no other options. She can take the synthetics that make her sicker, or she can go through life with a thyroid imbalance. Or she could take another “FDA-approved” medication to mitigate the side effects. Her and, for that matter, your well-being is secondary, if not tertiary, to the industry. At this point, it may well not even be tertiary.
In the interest of full disclosure, I am on Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy. Some time ago, I reached the age at which testosterone levels begin to drop. Admittedly, it isn’t the worst medical condition one can have, but it began to have serious effects on my mood, my energy, and my overall quality of life. One provider prescribed synthetic testosterone injections. They worked for about two days as my testosterone level peaked, but then it inevitably began declining, leading to mood swings, a loss of energy, and a whole host of symptoms. When I switched to a locally compounded all-natural testosterone cream, the issue was solved. And the FDA has made it clear that it is interested in taking compounded creams for testosterone and estradiol off the market, as well. The FDA would prefer I inject myself with improved synthetics than allow me to opt for an organic alternative.
Exclusively for our VIPs: Lord of the Flies, American Style
Hormone imbalance may not be an issue for you. If that is the case, praise God and be thankful. But be advised: the Pharmaceutical Industrial Complex, powered by lobbyists who influence lawmakers, will never be content with throttling just one facet of the industry. Big Pharma loathes the idea of local providers and compounding pharmacies, because there is no money in such things. Something similar to this issue may one day affect you or someone you love. After all, there is more money to be made and more power to be had in treating sick people than in actually seeing them get better. There is more money to be made and more power to be had in forcing people to take synthetic medications than in allowing them to choose a natural alternative. The Pharmaceutical Industrial Complex may not come for you today or tomorrow, but someday, it might.
PJ Media is here to provide you with the news and views you won’t get from the legacy media. We are all too happy to oblige, and you can help by becoming a VIP member. To get started, click here and remember to use the promo code FIGHT for a 60% discount.
