Customer Reviews

Worst Pills, Best Pills: A Consumer's Guide to Avoiding Drug-Induced Death or Illness

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

While this book come across as a bit alarmist, it is a welcome alternative to other books on drugs, which are compilations of information provided by drug companies. The most useful feature of this book is the alternative treatments for each drug. These alternative treatments are much lower risk than the drugs they potentially replace.

I have consulted the several editions of this book published since the 80's. The reviews are objective and easy to read. The informed patient should know what side-effects to watch for, what to discuss with the doctor, and when to just simply say NO to a prescription drug and ask for something else. We wouldn't think of taking a drug without researching it. Just what do you expect the pharmaceutical pamphlets to say? And the FDA relies on reports from the pharmaceuticals. It is the most comprehensive, user-friendly drug book I've ever read---and I have bought and read a few.

A very useful guide to avoiding adverse drug interaction, especially for one who is taking multiple medications. Even my doctor did not warn of the danger of taking Ultracet and Celebrex together.

This book is so helpful. I recommend this book to everybody. It's very informative when it comes to medication.

Totally unbiased -- it's a reference we can trust and recommend to our friends!

Unfortunately, Sidney Wolfe and the whole "Worst Pills" business enterprise is riding on the reputation of Public Citizen as a champion for consumers, but has failed to live up to it with this guide. In some cases, warnings are included regarding various drugs that are not based on scientific reports, but rather, are based on the marketing literature and information from the pharmaceutical companies themselves -- hardly an unbiased, consumer-oriented source of information. Consider as one example the book's "Do Not Use" warning regarding the prescription drug, Armour Thyroid. Rather than offering any research to support this severe recommendation (because there ISN'T any research), the "guide" instead quotes the AMA and the American Thyroid Association, two groups that greatly enjoy the largesse of the thyroid drug makers who want to put Armour -- a far less expensive drug -- out of business. If this is the sort of "unbiased information" you want about the drugs you take, you might as well go ahead and just read the pharmaceutical company pamphlets. If millions of thyroid patients taking Armour Thyroid were to follow the advice in "Worst Pills," the only thing that ends up for the worse is our health. I definitely do NOT recommend this book in any way. -- Mary J. Shomon, Thyroid Patient Advocate and Author

It's impossible to count the number of times I have consulted this fine reference for myself, family and friends.
Buy it - it has the potential to save you grief, hospital visits, or even your life. Doctors simply make too many prescription errors today, especially for people who take multiple drugs. The only downside is that some brand new medications on the market aren't included; but then, the book advises that you not use a drug until it's been out for 7 years as problems are usually apparent during that amount of time. By that time, there's probably a new edition of Worst Pills, Best Pills published or close to being released.

THIS IS MY SECOND COPY OF BEST --WORST PILLS.IT IS HELPFUL TO ANALIZE IF A MEDICINE IS COMPATABLE,OR IF A PERSON MAY BE ALLERGIC TO THE MEDICINE.THIS IS A VERY COMPLETE,WELL WRITTEN COMPILATION OF FACTS AND HELPFUL HINTS.
EVERY HOUSEHOLD SHOULD HAVE A COPY AND------THE PRICE IS RIGHT. THIS BOOK WAS BOUGHT @ AMAZON.COM

This hefty book by a leading consumer group actually advises which pills to take and which to avoid, while at the same time suggesting non-drug treatments, such as ways to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. It provides critical information about adverse drug reactions, dangerous interactions, and drug-induced diseases, and pays particular attention to the elderly, who suffer more side effects and may need to take lower doses or avoid certain medications altogether. The book also warns about the dangers of withdrawing from certain drugs, though it could say more about this important topic.

Anyone taking medications needs access to this book. With drug companies pushing new drugs, both to doctors and the public (through advertizing) each person needs to be better informed. This book advises that new drugs not be taken for seven years after their introduction, to allow for adverse side effects to become evident. Witness the arthritus drug Viox, which was pulled from the market within a few years of introduction.

This book also list serious interactions between over-the-counter remedies and prescription drugs, some of which can be fatal.

A supplement to this book is probably in the works, as many of the drugs I see currently advertized are not in this book.

Forewarned is forearmed.