August 28th, 2008
The first adverts appeared in 1981 but, in 1983, the association imposed a moratorium to research the effect of the adverts on the public. In 1985, the moratorium was lifted because of fears that it was interfering with freedom of speech. Now adverts are permitted so long as they provide a “true” and “balanced” view of the product and its effectiveness. FDA monitors all the advertisements and don’t allow any immoral. Interestingly, some pharmaceutical companies now spend more on direct-to-consumer advertising than doctor advertising. Their view is that consumers can affect doctor behaviour.
In the area of erectile dysfunction, the advertising for cialis runs through a number of different forms. Like any prescription medication, it is aimed at relieving the symptoms of a medical condition. The wording proclaims, “It works!” as if that explains all the benefits of the medication.
These simple things are always wrong interpreted because of the problem’s importance. This tends to be the core appeal. If erectile dysfunction is the problem, cialis helps you to function normally again. The medication is packaged as a means of emotional security. Trust the pills to get you back to normal. People are praised because they cared about themselves and the effect their condition was having on their partners. By introducing others as victims, guilt at not getting themedication is increased - cialis is life-enhancement for both partners.It is uncommon to find the price of the medication mentioned, or any information about whether it is available on health insurance plans.
In the case of cialis, it is interesting to note that the FDA has never queried any of the adverts whereas there has been litigation alleging misleading advertising for competing medications. Add to this the fact that the word-of-mouth advertising for cialis has been and remains very strong, and it is easy to understand why this medication has taken so big a slice of the market so quickly.
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August 22nd, 2008
It’s always very difficult to me to write articles about ED. So I recommend one good book about it. This is a fascinating historical survey of cultural attitudes towards ED through the ages. It starts with the Perseus and Caesar and slowly works its way up to modern times. To some extent, it retreads the same ground as the History of Sexuality by Michel Foucault (in three volumes) but without the same depth of philosophical postmodernism to inform it. Some readers may prefer McLaren because he is more descriptive than analytical.
This area is very important for men because of their psychology. If this fails, men are told that there is some shameful defect in their masculinity. Most respond by casting around to find someone else to blame. The conventional response is that women have failed to excite them. So, for example, the mythology of witches in Europe and the early American settlements was based, in part, on the proposition that spells can rob men of their virility.
This simplistic view of gender, distinguishing purely between the functioning male and female, ignores all the shades of sexuality that may manifest in bisexuality, homosexuality, transgender behaviour, etc. By defining maleness by a single criterion of physical performance, it marginalises all the other factors of affection, love and commitment which may affect sexual desire. Worse, it overlooks all the treatable physical conditions that may cause impotence.
As McLaren takes us through history, we see every excuse for failure come into and pass out of fashion. More distressingly, we are told of all the treatments sold by the medical profession over the centuries, many of which are extraordinary by modern standards. Now instead of all the guesswork of the past, we are offered the “truth”. This is erectile dysfunction - a plumbing problem that can be solved by taking cialis. Look around and you will see the hard sell of adverts (pun intended) for these pills. Yet, the implication of these adverts is no more true than Freudian notions that performance weakens when childhood memories interfere with adult lives. Although cialis does effectively restore erectile function, it is a “magic” fig leaf to cover the lack of understanding about the real causes of the problem.
This site is a briliant example of the good quality sites online. Having read it, it would not be unfair to conclude that our attitudes today are little different to those that defined men in Ancient Rome and Greece. The only difference, I suppose, is that rather than having to eat something disgusting or soak your penis in something potentially dangerous, we can now simply take cialis while reading the last few pages of the book and then be ready to enjoy sexual activity for the rest of the night without having to work about philosophical niceties.
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August 19th, 2008
There are two main classes of medications used to erase pain: the narcotics and the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The use of the word “narcotic” has been hijacked. It originally referred to drugs derived from plants that would stupefy or knock you out. Now it is linked to the drugs derived from the opium plant which is recognized as having a good painkilling effect, i.e. it numbs the senses. In the legal sense, it refers to more or less any prohibited drug that has an addictive effect. NSAIDs painkillers are not addictive and are particularly effective to treat pain caused by inflammation.
To understand how the opiates and derivatives work, consider the problem from practical point of view. People who are unconscious feel no pain. So the more strong the pain, the greater the need to produce unconsciousness. For less severe pain, you need to block the pain signals and prevent them from reaching the brain. There may still be an active source of pain in the body, but the drug prevents us from becoming aware of it. It is rather the way you distract someone by changing the subject. If pain was the original subject, you produce a different sensation that takes your mind off it. But therein lies the rub (as Hamlet did not quite say). Quite often, the distracting sensation is so pleasant that people prefer to stay in that sensation much longer than they really need.
This should emphasize the seriousness of any decision to take pain medication. Physical and psychological dependence is a major danger if you take most of the opiates. It is a less serious problem if you take ultram or the NSAIDs, because they are not addictive. However, the advice of a doctor who knows your medical history is always a good idea to make you sure. Some people still do react adversely to medications.
Ultram does not “cure” the source of the pain. All it does is to change the way you “feel” it. That leaves the doctor with the job of curing whatever the problem is causing the pain, assuming it can be cured. Some illnesses and diseases cannot be cured and cause you chronic pain, i.e. the pain will last over and over. In such cases, the knee-jerk reaction is to take more ultram for longer periods of time.
This may not be such a good idea. The more you take, the more likely it is that you will face one or more of the side effects. Secondly, your body builds up a tolerance for the medication so you are continually forced to increase the dose to get the same painkilling effect. This drives up the cost both physically and in cash terms. So the decisions about how much ultram to take and over what period of time are always a balancing act. You need to weigh up the benefits against the risks.
This causes the management of pain to be a great problem. Your family and friends can help keep you positive. Your financial situation may be strong. The management of your pain is something only you can do. Talking to doctors can give you guidance and advice but, at the end of the day, you are the one who should stay in control, making the decisions about what is best for you. If you must up the strength of the medication to one of the opiates, you will have to deal with the risk of addiction.
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