Why is Avandia still on the market?

43% increase of heart attacks and it is still on the market? How can the FDA allow this? You help one thing and cause another. I don’t understand this. Good Morning America did a short story about the complications cropping up monthly for patients and was voted 23 - 1 to keep it as a med. Go figure. J

Avandia does seem to be effective in reducing blood sugar levels. I do think we need to balance the risk of heart attacks against the benefit we get from the medication. Unfortunately as you note, decisions about this balance are made by a bunch of old white guys, smoking cigars, making deals in a back room, ‘voting’ in order to make a decision. I think these sorts of decisions should be made transparently, for all to see and be made using the best evidence available.

Hi Judith, There is also this discussion going on in the forum: GlaxoSmithKline challenges NY Times article on Avandia report

Good question. My GP put me on it and I believe I took it for about two years, but when my GP gave up and sent me to my Endo the first thing he did was to get me off of the drug because it was causing edema in my legs.

That’s why I feel we should be able to see specialists from the start and not have to stay with GP’s. I was just put on Reglan for stomach disorder from Metformin and just saw an ad by an attorney’s office suing if you have been given this drug the last six months. Is there anything safe these days or does it cure one thing and hurt more than what it was originally for? I am so confused.

hi thank you i love it so moch