# Medical practitioners of the Dope: Do people really ask for advertised prescription drugs? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 2, 2024, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-practitioners-of-the-dope-do-people-really-ask-for-advertised-prescription-drugs/996995 "2024-02-02T00:24:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2024, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-practitioners-of-the-dope-do-people-really-ask-for-advertised-prescription-drugs/996995/81 "2024-02-06T01:01:11Z")
I don’t know how anyone could live with nausea and diarrhea for 3mos. Or much longer. Even the mild symptoms seem bad. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2024, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-practitioners-of-the-dope-do-people-really-ask-for-advertised-prescription-drugs/996995/82 "2024-02-06T01:11:00Z")
It’s manageable. The nausea tends to come from overeating (a reflex for anyone made to clean their plate as a kid) generally. Take about half your usual portion and walk away and life is good. Diarrhea, well, yeah that’s a side effect alright. Missus had a convo with the insurance people just last week. The routine is, as it turns out: Insurance denies, typically calling it off-label to use it for weight instead of diabetes Patient has doc write a letter of medical necessity Insurance covers @LSLGuy – I apologize for my tone, it was a nit, the picking of which was of questionable necessity. Also, my previous interactions with you haven’t made me want to be evil, so I figure I was just being bitchy. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2024, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-practitioners-of-the-dope-do-people-really-ask-for-advertised-prescription-drugs/996995/83 "2024-02-06T01:34:13Z")
Remember, every thing that gets reported gets listed and sometimes they only last a short time. I’m pretty sure I would have stopped Trulicity if I had nausea and diarrhea for 3 months - but I never had any side effects other than nausea and that was only for a couple of days after each dose for the first four weeks or so. And sometimes the list doesn’t make sense - how could Ozempic cause both diarrhea and constipation? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2024, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-practitioners-of-the-dope-do-people-really-ask-for-advertised-prescription-drugs/996995/84 "2024-02-06T01:42:51Z")
I wonder how a diabetic taking Ozempic can manage the nausea and stuff with a regulated diet? That would mess me right up. I guess Type 2 diabetes is much more forgiving about eating. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2024, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-practitioners-of-the-dope-do-people-really-ask-for-advertised-prescription-drugs/996995/85 "2024-02-06T02:07:37Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > @LSLGuy – I apologize for my tone, it was a nit, the picking of which was of questionable necessity. Also, my previous interactions with you haven’t made me want to be evil, so I figure I was just being bitchy. Thanks, but not necessary. It’s a touchy topic and lots of people have frayed nerves about it. We’re good. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2024, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-practitioners-of-the-dope-do-people-really-ask-for-advertised-prescription-drugs/996995/86 "2024-02-06T02:58:32Z")
People who have had diabetes, of any type, for a long time can also get gastroparesis, which causes all kinds of GI havoc. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2024, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-practitioners-of-the-dope-do-people-really-ask-for-advertised-prescription-drugs/996995/87 "2024-02-06T02:58:59Z")
Don’t I know it. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2024, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-practitioners-of-the-dope-do-people-really-ask-for-advertised-prescription-drugs/996995/88 "2024-02-06T03:00:07Z")
Oh, man, you have that too? Sorry about that. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2024, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-practitioners-of-the-dope-do-people-really-ask-for-advertised-prescription-drugs/996995/89 "2024-02-06T03:02:35Z")
Had surgery last year to keep food from re-upping so often. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2024, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-practitioners-of-the-dope-do-people-really-ask-for-advertised-prescription-drugs/996995/90 "2024-02-06T17:04:26Z")
Look what popped up on my YouTube feed this morning: > **[Enhancement Drug - SNL](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IZrYeUX3MI%2F)** > > Threaten your doctor or ask your ketamine guy about Xentrex today.Subscribe to SNL: https://goo.gl/tUsXwMStream Current Full Episodes: http://www.nbc.com/sat... ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2024, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-practitioners-of-the-dope-do-people-really-ask-for-advertised-prescription-drugs/996995/91 "2024-02-06T17:20:31Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I don’t know how anyone could live with nausea and diarrhea for 3mos. Or much longer. > Even the mild symptoms seem bad. For me, it’s had the opposite effect. I’ve had Irritable Bowel Syndrome most of my life. I’m taking Ozempic for T2D and by slowing my gut it’s brought my IBS under significantly better control, my A1C from 7 to 5.5, and I’ve lost about 15 lbs on the lowest mainteance dose. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2024, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-practitioners-of-the-dope-do-people-really-ask-for-advertised-prescription-drugs/996995/92 "2024-02-06T17:59:04Z")
> [@bump](#): > > I think your doctor is a bit behind the times; obesity isn’t medically considered a failure of will anymore, but something rather more complex. That’s why stuff like Wegovy and Zepbound are so popular- they apparently affect your sensation of hunger, as well as slow your digestion, making you feel full longer and not have weird cravings. It’s not like fat people _choose_ to be fat- there’s a lot more to it than that in every respec Thanks to you and everyone else who have contributed to me questioning my biases in this matter, and doing so in a respectful and factual way. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2024, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-practitioners-of-the-dope-do-people-really-ask-for-advertised-prescription-drugs/996995/93 "2024-02-06T18:01:40Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > There is solid statistical evidence that the large majority of people who start on Ozempic for weight loss do then experience weight loss, but then stop the course of medication. _Why_ is the mystery. And not one I offered any opinion on, neither explicit nor implicit. If we are offering anecdotes, the one person I know willing to go into details about starting and stopping Ozempic stopped because of all of the puking. Her husband wasn’t puking but it made him feel like shit so he stopped. That would be enough to get me to stop. The shingles commercial is one I didn’t really notice until recently. It doesn’t mention the vaccine. It doesn’t mention the possible side effects. It just tells you to talk to your doctor about shingles. My doctor recommended the vaccine to me and I got it. Pretty much every listed side effect hit me. I was miserable for about 3 days. Good thing the commercial didn’t warn me. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2024, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-practitioners-of-the-dope-do-people-really-ask-for-advertised-prescription-drugs/996995/94 "2024-02-07T12:43:38Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > My doctor recommended the vaccine to me and I got it. Pretty much every listed side effect hit me. I was miserable for about 3 days. Good thing the commercial didn’t warn me. Ouch! I had a mild incidence of the disease about 4 years ago. A mildly itchy patch about 4" diameter that lasted a couple weeks then disappeared as mysteriously and abruptly as it came. Per my PCP I got the shots about 12 months later. Total nonevent. Clearly YMMV with this stuff. Sorry you got the bad end of that trade. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2024, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-practitioners-of-the-dope-do-people-really-ask-for-advertised-prescription-drugs/996995/95 "2024-02-09T04:05:59Z")
First dose hurt like hell and my arm hurt for three days. It was the second dose that kicked my ass. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2024, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-practitioners-of-the-dope-do-people-really-ask-for-advertised-prescription-drugs/996995/96 "2024-02-10T22:53:30Z")
What I’ve read is that there are a limited number of canneries/oil blenders/dog food plants/etc… and that it is absolutely true that Green Giant and Wal-Mart might be produced in the same facility by the same workers. But they’re done to price-points. Wal-Mart says “We want two million cases of green beans \*at no more than X per can.” and Green Giant makes that happen, however that goes down. Green Giant meanwhile has a higher price point because they’re charging more and have a reputation to uphold, so they’re getting the best looking and biggest green beans, while Wal-Mart is getting whatever else there is. In some industries, the supply is such that they can tailor it just-so - X per can is green beans of this size and shape, Y is this thinner, less straight grade, and so forth. Others have less variation, so the difference between brands is less. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2024, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-practitioners-of-the-dope-do-people-really-ask-for-advertised-prescription-drugs/996995/97 "2024-02-12T20:21:09Z")
Here’s a fresh blog post **[The GLP-1 Demolition Derby | Science | AAAS](https://www.science.org/content/blog-post/glp-1-demolition-derby)** on the situation with Ozempic and the many potential competitors in trials now. With some backstory and links to further discussions. The author is a well-respected medicinal chemist with his eyes on both the science and the business ends of drug development. All FYI, I don’t take any editorial position on this. ---
**Author:** ![Philliam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/philliam/32/3011_2.png) [@Philliam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philliam)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2024, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-practitioners-of-the-dope-do-people-really-ask-for-advertised-prescription-drugs/996995/98 "2024-02-22T22:54:02Z")
What about those new ED drugs: Coxaflopin and Dixadud? ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2024, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-practitioners-of-the-dope-do-people-really-ask-for-advertised-prescription-drugs/996995/99 "2024-02-23T01:07:38Z")
We would get faxed joke orders for those before we ever heard of Viagra LOL. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2024, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-practitioners-of-the-dope-do-people-really-ask-for-advertised-prescription-drugs/996995/100 "2024-02-23T16:29:21Z")
I’ve talked to my doctor about medication, but not because of an advertisement. What I will do is look up treatments online for what I think I have, because I know doctors don’t actually know every medication. The point is to get them to look into it, and then tell me what makes sense. I learned the hard way not to just go to a doctor unprepared, willing to do whatever they say. Doctors screw up like other humans, and sometimes it has very bad results. And doctors are not generally up on the latest research, and prescribed based more on experience than studies. That’s why pharmaceutical reps are actually such a lucrative job. They just get the doctor thinking about their drugs and get their data in front of them. There just isn’t enough time for doctors to know every new medicine and new treatment. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-practitioners-of-the-dope-do-people-really-ask-for-advertised-prescription-drugs/996995.md?page=4)