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I have met many, many people in my medical career that try to further anti-traditional medicine rhetoric, in different sectors of the general public. I do realize how much criticism the Medical community receives, and how warranted some of them actually are. Medicine is after all, a scientific based community that furthers itself by evidence, peer review, continuous revisions and self criticism.

I also realize the long range of conspiracy theories regarding Pharmaceutical companies, how they supposedly are hindering, and effectively preventing the lack of possible cures to various devastating illnesses that plague Humanity, such as cancer and HIV/AIDs. While I don’t share most of these views, this article I set to write is not about that mostly.

Inhalers cause addiction in Asthmatics:

One of the biggest obstacles we face while treating asthmatic children, is the unfounded worry held by the parents concerning the child developing some sort of an addiction to the inhalers. It is this unshakable image of the nerdy kid that grows up pumping his lungs with that Spray device every 5 seconds. First, let me say that the most common active ingredients used in inhalers, short, long acting B-agonists and inhaled corticosteroids, are not incriminated by any evidence-based study I have seen, to have any addictive effects.

All modern inhalers have not been found to cause any form of physical addiction. [1] Furthermore, some very small number of cases was ever found to have caused real “Psychological” dependence. Most commonly, if a Patient uses more short acting inhalers, it is due to the fact that his disease severity is increasing. Thus they are advised to visit their doctor when they increase their use of Inhalers, due to the fact that they actually need regimen modification.

So why is this Killer myth? I have seen parents that have either completely avoided or actively encouraged their kids not to use their inhalers due to those unfounded fears. They might very well kill their children by doing so.

Corticosteroids, the son of the devil:

Yes, the almighty cortisone, a drug that is generally frowned upon by patients when they hear that they are about to receive any of that dreadful chemical. There are many forms of corticosteroids, and most of the side effects generally attributed to them do not fall in their category:

1. Short term Corticosteroid use: Most of the side effects do not occur in the short term. Suppression of the adrenals is not profound before 5 days, so “high doses” of corticosteroids for emergency use are not a super disaster. Other side effects need far longer usage time to have a possibility of occurring. [2]

2. Inhalational Corticosteroids have negligible systemic effects, unlike their oral peers. The reason is mainly due to the fact that they are delivered directly to the target system without the need for a blood carrier, thus do not really attain any high level concentrations in the blood so as to cause major systemic side-effects. Some effects are recognized, but they are far less common and less problematic than what is thought generally.

Of course steroids do have their side effects, especially if used orally for long periods of time, but you have to know exactly what type of steroids you are receiving and for how long, before you can be offered an assessment of how “dangerous” they may be. Always weigh advantages vs. disadvantages, and make your final decision, based on your physicians’ advice

Why they might be killer myths? People coming to the ER outright reject steroids, or might refuse to take long term inhalers, based on some nonsensical myths, where they associate long term steroidal side effects with all sorts of other steroid modalities, which can lead to their demise.

The Gang that spreads HIV by needle pricking:

The Urban legend that never gets old to scare the masses. A “Gang” goes around, placing “HIV contaminated” needles on public chairs and benches, in cinemas and restaurants, to deliberately spread HIV. Even worse, some are said to jump on young kids to prick them.

While the “Gang” story might be true (even though I have not seen anything credible, except for some alleged rape cases), HIV cannot be spread that way:

1. HIV does not survive for a long time. In fact, it becomes “non-viable” in a few hours, and very ineffective in few minutes outside the human body. [3]

2. The chance of getting HIV infection through a needle prick is about 0.3%. Meaning for every 1000 needle prick cases, only 3 may be infected. Mostly, this occurs to health professionals in medical institutions.

It is important to note, that is a totally different issue from IV drug abusers and contaminated blood recipients.

Well this one is not really a killer, but it supposedly is.

Anti-Retroviral drugs cause AIDS:

This is the most dangerous myth of all. It claims that Anti-Retroviral Medications that can alleviate AIDS symptoms effectively are the ones that cause it. It is all due to the fact that Pharmaceutical companies want to keep you ill to keep sapping your pockets.
I cannot stress how ridiculous and dangerous that argument is. But to refute those claims we can cite the following:

1. Cases of Full blown AIDS symptoms have been clearly described prior to licensing of most AIDS medications, such as AZT in 1987.

2. Most Anti-retroviral drugs are not started in the course of the infection of HIV, until HIV actually causes an AIDS defining condition, is full blown AIDS or the patient is suffering from dangerously low CD-4 count. Meaning, the treatment starts after the symptoms set in, not before. [4]

3. Many people lack access to HIV medications, and yet develop the very same symptoms. [5]

So please, stop these ridiculous ideas, because patients may actually be naive enough and get convinced, thus refuse all treatment eventually leading to their quick demise.

Alcohol is great for your heart!

Studies have suggested that alcohol in moderate amounts may raise HDL (Protective lipids / “fat”) . But like everything else, a lot can be very harmful. Heavy drinking, particularly over time, can damage the heart and lead to high blood pressure, alcoholic cardiomyopathy, (enlarged and weakened heart), congestive heart failure, and stroke. Heavy drinking puts more fat into the circulation in your body, raising your triglyceride level. There are plenty of ways to reduce risk of heart disease. This excuse for alcohol should not be one of them.

In addition, it is important to mention what “a lot” is. It can vary from male to female, where in women alcohol can have twice the effect it has on males, due to metabolic concerns. Some suggest that more than 3 “drinks” a day can start to harm your heart. [6]

Point is, don’t drink till you drop… just to “protect” your heart.

Finally, I would like to say, don’t listen to me blindly. Don’t listen to any rumors or hearsay regarding medicine. Even more importantly, don’t help spread them. Always consult your physician and try to trust his judgment. If you feel skeptical, get a second or a third opinion. I am certain your physician will encourage you to do so.

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