# Have you ever asked your doctor about a drug you first saw on a TV commercial? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 18, 2014, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-asked-your-doctor-about-a-drug-you-first-saw-on-a-tv-commercial/698851 "2014-09-18T18:29:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-asked-your-doctor-about-a-drug-you-first-saw-on-a-tv-commercial/698851/21 "2014-09-25T14:28:07Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > So you avoid needed medication because…? _why_? Because I’d rather take a chance on not getting addicted to something I don’t need. I absolutely hate the drug pushing mentality of modern medicine. I didn’t take any pain killers when I broke my wrist. I survived. A friend with the same attitude had major cancer surgery and was hooked up to a morphine drip. When the hospital realized he wasn’t using it at all, they sent in a psychiatrist to talk to him! He explained he’d rather withstand the pain than take the risk of becoming a morphine addict! ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-asked-your-doctor-about-a-drug-you-first-saw-on-a-tv-commercial/698851/22 "2014-09-25T16:27:29Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > So you avoid needed medication because…? _why_? As **Annie** said, she has an “addiction prone” personality so she is (I am assuming) more likely than average to abuse drugs, even drugs prescribed legitimately. In her case, limiting medications to those that are _absolutely_ necessary makes sense. For such a person doctors really do need to consider alternatives to medication whenever possible. You have to define “needed”. Needed in what sense? To preserve life? Mitigate pain? Treat conditions that are annoying but not life-threatening? She elected not to take painkillers when she broke her wrist. That is a legitimate choice and hers to make. Some people would say they “need” painkillers for that, apparently she has alternate ways for coping with pain (which may include toughing it out) and, in light of addictive tendencies, her choice might have been better both medically and psychologically _for her_. Maybe I have some empathy for people reluctant to take prescription medications because I have a life-long condition that many doctors push medications for - medications that can, over the long term, cause everything from fungal infections to cataracts to diabetes. If you’re only taking the drug(s) for a couple weeks every few years that’s one thing, but if you’re looking at _life-long, daily use_ you’re virtually guaranteeing those side effects at some point. The alternatives can be inconvenient and require some work on the part of the affected person, but I prefer that, and living with fewer drugs in my system, to needing cataract surgery and insulin. Now, if **Annie** was talking about refusing, say, chemotherapy for cancer that would be a different matter but that’s not the vibe I’m getting from her. > [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > A friend with the same attitude had major cancer surgery and was hooked up to a morphine drip. When the hospital realized he wasn’t using it at all, they sent in a psychiatrist to talk to him! He explained he’d rather withstand the pain than take the risk of becoming a morphine addict! To be fair - having the mental fortitude to withstand that sort of pain IS unusual and looking into the patient a little deeper is hardly unreasonable in my opinion. Also, there is a distinct difference between _morphine dependence_ and _morphine addiction_. If you’re _dependent_ you’re not seeking a high and you’ll probably be much more tolerant of withdrawal symptoms, even to the point of being willing to go cold turkey, with no further desire to seek the drug. Addiction is a different kettle of fish. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-asked-your-doctor-about-a-drug-you-first-saw-on-a-tv-commercial/698851/23 "2014-09-25T18:33:16Z")
Yes I have. Since I’ve tried a ton of different things for my IBS as well as various skin issues, I’ve a couple times asked about new ones that I’ve seen advertised. Sometimes my Doc has said that one wouldn’t be appropriate, and a couple times said sure let’s give that one a try. At least once my doc hadn’t heard about the one asked about so said they’d look into it and we could talk about it next visit. But I’ve always done some of my own research so I wasn’t being a complete idiot and asking about one that was for something I don’t even have. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-asked-your-doctor-about-a-drug-you-first-saw-on-a-tv-commercial/698851/24 "2014-09-25T18:57:28Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > I answered “moron” because as a neat side-effect of our system in the UK is that we don’t have prescription medicines advertised on TV, so I’m not really in a position to ask. How is “no” not the correct answer, in that case? ---
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-asked-your-doctor-about-a-drug-you-first-saw-on-a-tv-commercial/698851/25 "2014-09-25T19:35:34Z")
I can’t afford any medicine that advertises. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-asked-your-doctor-about-a-drug-you-first-saw-on-a-tv-commercial/698851/26 "2014-09-26T15:14:04Z")
Well said **Broomstick**. And thanks. I know from personal experience that if someone who has it in for you tells a cop that they think you might maybe be suicidal, you will be locked up and given drugs. The only information they will give you about them is “That’s not drugs. That’s medication.” They will not given you the very long listen of side effects, including lifelong addiction and making you suicidal. And people wonder why I am so anti-drugs. All drugs, including prescription “medication.” ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-asked-your-doctor-about-a-drug-you-first-saw-on-a-tv-commercial/698851/27 "2014-09-26T15:56:31Z")
> [@qubed](#): > > My dad is a primary care doctor. I asked him if patients actually ask him about drugs they had seen on a commercial. He said all the time. I have asked and heard the same thing from doctors who are not my dad. The whole notion seems odd to me. My mom was decidedly not a fan of “Ask your doctor is Zubritol is right for you.” Her responses when it came around on the TV were ummm colorful. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-asked-your-doctor-about-a-drug-you-first-saw-on-a-tv-commercial/698851.md?page=1)