Lexapro

[Triskeliongirl]

I've avoid chiming in here, but at this point I can't help it. I don't work in big pharma, and I know nothing about marketing. What I do know about is biochemistry, pharmacology and neuroscience. I have a PhD in biochemistry and I teach and run a research lab at a major research university.

The goal of developing better therapeutics is always to make drugs that will do what we want them to without side effects. I don't believe for a minute that big pharma markets drugs with side effects in order to sell more drugs. I agree with the earlier comments that the human body is so complicated, that it is extremely difficult to develop a drug that just effects what we want it to without any side effects. It's because our bodies use common pathways/mechanisms, etc. to carry out many different functions, that to specially inhibit only one of those functions and not any others is nearly impossible.

With that being said, I also think big pharma over markets pharmacological interventions, as an observer seeing all the commercials we are inundated with on TV. But we all have a choice, and whether we do or don't choose pharmacological interventions depends on the problem. I am hypothyroid and would not for a minute consider doing anything other than taking thyroid meds. But, I am also hypoinsulinemic, and find that as long as I don't challenge my body with too much carbohydrate, exercise, and maintain a normal body weight, that I can avoid taking insulin, so I do that.