"It's teeny!": the World of Healthcare

[elle]

On 1/24/2019 at 8:49 PM, mmecorday said:

Trintellix will help you sort your dirty laundry and make understanding your complicated washer and dryer a breeze! I had no idea depression makes you dress like Rachel Green recovering from a hangover. And I have been battling depression for years!

https://www.ispot.tv/ad/IAU2/trintellix-dirty-laundry

They need to add to their list of side effects the inability to peel a banana.

 I despise this commercial, but always snicker at her fumbling with the banana.  It seems like a blooper slipped into the commercial.

[Woopwoopkitty]

I don’t know who comes up with the drug names, but there’s apparently extra credit for using the lesser common letters.  Xeljanz, Ozempic, Farxiga, Xarelto, Myrbetriq, etc.  it’s like there’s a pharmaceutical version of a Scrabble where they’re trying to get a double letter score for the Z or X and then a triple word score.

[cynicat]

6 hours ago, Woopwoopkitty said:

I don’t know who comes up with the drug names, but there’s apparently extra credit for using the lesser common letters.  Xeljanz, Ozempic, Farxiga, Xarelto, Myrbetriq, etc.  it’s like there’s a pharmaceutical version of a Scrabble where they’re trying to get a double letter score for the Z or X and then a triple word score.

That's pretty much the case.  The FDA won't let companies use names that are actual words or sound like a claim.  With all the new products being submitted, finding a name is getting harder and harder.  It truly is like a game of scrabble.  That's why they're now down to using x, q and z.

[Haleth]

I've heard there's a real science behind choosing names.  Certain letter sounds are more appealing than others to the human ear.  I don't recall what the best sounds were though.

[mmecorday]

What brain trust came up with the name Latuda?

[partofme]

10 hours ago, Woopwoopkitty said:

I don’t know who comes up with the drug names, but there’s apparently extra credit for using the lesser common letters.  Xeljanz, Ozempic, Farxiga, Xarelto, Myrbetriq, etc.  it’s like there’s a pharmaceutical version of a Scrabble where they’re trying to get a double letter score for the Z or X and then a triple word score.

I love the word Xeljanz because of the x, j and z.  I also like the music in the commercial.

[Woopwoopkitty]

And who came up with Jardiance? It sounds like giardia which leads to a lot of diarrhea.

and Rexulti sounds like retching.

and Latuda sounds like you have a ‘tude. 

And Otezla is too much like Ozempic.

but at the end of the day, I don’t know what most of these drugs are for and I guess in this case their failure to make that impression doesn’t matter.  Normally I’d say if I don’t remember your product it’s a marketing failure, but I suppose not in this case. If I had any of the issues they are needed for, I’d remember.

[Tom Holmberg]

12 hours ago, Woopwoopkitty said:

And who came up with Jardiance?

I like all the medicines whose chemical name ends with -ab.  Why -ab? 

[cynicat]

58 minutes ago, Tom Holmberg said:

I like all the medicines whose chemical name ends with -ab.  Why -ab? 

the 'ab' signifies that they are monoclonal antibodies.  'mab'

[Tom Holmberg]

1 hour ago, cynicat said:

the 'ab' signifies that they are monoclonal antibodies.  'mab'

Thanks! 

[bigskygirl]

The one commercial where the grandfather has COPD. How many kids want to have a birthday party with a three little pigs theme.

[mmecorday]

That kid has a weird-ass accent too.

[LoneHaranguer]

15 hours ago, bigskygirl said:

The one commercial where the grandfather has COPD. How many kids want to have a birthday party with a three little pigs theme.

Was it their idea? Should the kids be concerned that they're outfitted as pigs, and their grandfather is being a wolf?

[OpalNightstream]

The ad for plaque psoriasis is gross seeing people’s skin flakes left all over the place 🤮

[crazycatlady58]

2 hours ago, OpalNightstream said:

The ad for plaque psoriasis is gross seeing people’s skin flakes left all over the place 🤮

Yes, I have it and I don't like it either but there is not much I can do about it .

[BigBingerBro]

On 3/21/2019 at 3:49 PM, OpalNightstream said:

The ad for plaque psoriasis is gross seeing people’s skin flakes left all over the place 🤮

I've suffered from psoriasis that bad many years ago before getting treatment and when I first saw those ads that show the flaking plaques, I felt soooo triggered.   When I had it that bad, I did everything I could to keep it covered and not flaking in public.

[Jamoche]

21 hours ago, BigBingerBro said:

I've suffered from psoriasis that bad many years ago before getting treatment and when I first saw those ads that show the flaking plaques, I felt soooo triggered.   When I had it that bad, I did everything I could to keep it covered and not flaking in public.

There was one where the guy was reaching over a salad bar with his bare and obviously flaky arm, and another customer gave him the stink eye, put down her salad plate, and left. And the ad was pitching it as "people are so mean to psoriasis sufferers".

Sorry. I'm with the lady here.

[KillingAdam]

On 3/23/2019 at 11:15 PM, forumfish said:

Re: drug names -- I cannot believe the commercial I heard this week. Former baseball player Frank "The Big Hurt" Thomas was advertising a testosterone booster called Nugenix. How did that name get greenlighted, sounding so similar to Eugenics?

I guarantee you that if you go up to 100 people on the street and ask then what the word eugenics means/refers to you are gonna get a LOT of blank stares and a lot of answers that aren't even in the same galaxy as the actual definition. I'd say you'd be REALLY lucky if more than 10 people got it right.

And Nugenix has been around for over a decade, interestingly they seem to have shifted their message; back when every other add during the NFL/PGA was for Cialis/Viagra Nugenix messaging was much more, how can I say this....."dong centered." "Nugenix gives you a more powerful performance in the bedroom."

[Jamoche]

"I've got a vision number."

Just one? You've got two eyes.

"But I'm not just a number."

There are a lot of situations where someone might think of you as "a number". Nobody is ever going to think of you as your "vision number". Not even your eye doctor.

[Tom Holmberg]

18 hours ago, Jamoche said:

Nobody is ever going to think of you as your "vision number". Not even your eye doctor.

I think of them as "number two."

[Tom Holmberg]

Juvederm, temporarily get rid of your wrinkles, but complications include injection-site redness, swelling, pain, tenderness, firmness, lumps/bumps, bruising, discoloration, and itching; while rare, other complications can be serious and may be permanent. These complications, which have been reported for facial injections, can include vision abnormalities, blindness, stroke, temporary scabs, or permanent scarring. As with all skin injection procedures, there is a risk of infection.

Seems worth it.

Edited April 9, 2019 by Tom Holmberg

[bigskygirl]

I think the side effects are worse than the medical condition it is suppose to treat. I tried five different medications for a certain medical condition, and the side effects were not fun at all (eye issues, made my thyroid medication less effective, headaches, could not sleep, etc. etc.) One medication made me so tired after the first time I took it I ended up wanting to take a nap every two hours. Finally told my primary care provider I am not going to try another medication, and I was told I had chemicals in my brain making me more sensitive to certain meds. *joy joy*

[Woopwoopkitty]

Emgality?

its just letter salad at this point.  Random strings of consonants with vowels strategically placed to make it almost pronounceable.

[Tom Holmberg]

13 hours ago, Woopwoopkitty said:

Emgality?

Similar to the old SNL medicine in the child-proof bottle, Triopenin?

[mmecorday]

I hate everything about this Latuda commercial, especially the way the husband is looking at the wife during the consultation with the "doctor," like he's saying, "Ya gettin' this, hun?"

[biakbiak]

I am assuming this is a mandate from the FDA but the fact that all the ads include “don’t take [insert drug name] if your allergic to [aforementioned drug],” irritates me so much,  no shit! So annoying!  

Edited May 29, 2019 by biakbiak

[Jynnan tonnix]

6 hours ago, biakbiak said:

I am assuming this is a mandate from the FDA but the fact that all the ads include “don’t take [insert drug name] if your allergic to [aforementioned drug],” no shit! So annoying!  

Yup, especially given that you will most likely not know you are allergic to the drug until you actually take it!

[Bort]

If you know what's in it, you might know if you're allergic beforehand, not that they tell you what's in it during the commercial. For instance, I'm allergic to sulfa drugs, so a simple Google search tells me that the often-seen commercial for Celebrex is wasted on me, since I'm allergic to that. They're all wasted on me, since I don't need any of the crap they're pushing, but it's just an example.

[Jynnan tonnix]

5 hours ago, kariyaki said:

If you know what's in it, you might know if you're allergic beforehand, not that they tell you what's in it during the commercial. For instance, I'm allergic to sulfa drugs, so a simple Google search tells me that the often-seen commercial for Celebrex is wasted on me, since I'm allergic to that. They're all wasted on me, since I don't need any of the crap they're pushing, but it's just an example.

Which is why I said "most likely". I know that most people are aware of sensitivities to certain classes of drugs, but it seems that those would be a fairly small proportion compared to those who are prescribed an entirely new drug for a newly diagnosed condition. I've never had reactions to anything, nor have I ever had prescription drugs outside of the occasional antibiotic, but having recently been diagnosed with diabetes, high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol (yes, I put off going to the doctor for way too long), I have a bunch of new things to take. Thankfully I have not had a reaction to any of those either. I also had a malignant polyp removed from my colon, so have upcoming surgery, etc.  for that, which will probably test  my tolerance to who knows what else...

[InDueTime]

This reminds me of those God-awful Summer's Eve ads a few years ago.

I've seen it twice; and that was two times too many. What's next, a dick trumpet?

Edited August 14, 2019 by InDueTime
Grammar

[Jynnan tonnix]

On 8/13/2019 at 9:00 PM, InDueTime said:

This reminds me of those God-awful Summer's Eve ads a few years ago.

I've seen it twice; and that was two times too many. What's next, a dick trumpet?

I've never seen this before, but it totally gave me the giggles! I can't believe it was a legitimate commercial! Then again, I watch very little TV, so rarely see much of what commercials seem to have become.

[mmecorday]

Just remember: if you are not taking Humira to help control the symptoms of your ulcerative colitis or Crohn's, you are inconveniencing others with your bathroom disease. Just look how upset the Dollar Tree Mandy Moore and her family are when her boyfriend can't get himself together long enough for a brunch that includes a house tour!

https://www.ispot.tv/ad/dtvM/humira-keep-us-apart

[Silver Raven]

I had to laugh at the Xarelto ad that talks about "may cause blood clots, which can lead to paralysis, the inability to move."  Gee, thanks for explaining that to me, Xarelto, I never heard of paralysis before.

[TVMovieBuff]

The ads for the Alzheimer's drugs make me crazy. They show in one, the old lady with Alzheimer's putting on socks with sandals. Her daughter watches, smiling gently and indulgently. 

In another, it shows a dad/grandad with Alzheimer's walking to the ice cream shop with his daughter and granddaughter, the old man looking spaced out. He keeps looking around like it's all so new. His daughter keeps on going forehead to forehead with him, while he continues to look floaty. 

Don't think I am being hard hearted. I know what it is like being around someone with Alzheimer's, and it isn't cute.

[Scout Finch]

On 4/9/2019 at 7:21 AM, bigskygirl said:

I think the side effects are worse than the medical condition it is suppose to treat. I tried five different medications for a certain medical condition, and the side effects were not fun at all (eye issues, made my thyroid medication less effective, headaches, could not sleep, etc. etc.) One medication made me so tired after the first time I took it I ended up wanting to take a nap every two hours. Finally told my primary care provider I am not going to try another medication, and I was told I had chemicals in my brain making me more sensitive to certain meds. *joy joy*

I'm one of those rare people who can only recall a couple of times that I had obvious side effects from a medication and had to stop taking it. Don't know if it's a good or bad thing that I can apparently take any drug! Vicodin also has the opposite effect where instead of making me sleepy it makes me more awake and alert. It was the same for my dad.

After hearing people like my 73-year-old aunt who has had chronic insomnia her life and has allegedly "tried everything!" but can't deal with the side effects she apparently gets from every single one, my feeling is that one needs to weigh the side effects--not talking serious ones just ones like my aunt complaining that one gave her non-migraine headaches--in contrast to how much worse what you're taking it for is.

I've become particularly sensitive to ads for things such as mesothelioma and Parkinson's medication because I've lost one of my closest friends to the former and my mom two months ago to the latter. My pissed-off response is, "Well, it's a little late now!"

On a lighter note, I can't help but think that some of the side effects of Chantix--mood changes including irritability, hostility, and depression--are just the result of wanting a damn cigarette already!

Edited November 28, 2019 by Scout Finch

[Prevailing Wind]

On 11/28/2019 at 1:49 PM, Scout Finch said:

On a lighter note, I can't help but think that some of the side effects of Chantix--mood changes including irritability, hostility, and depression--are just the result of wanting a damn cigarette already!

I knew a woman who had pretty much turned her life around and things were going great for her. She decided it was time to quit smoking, got on Chantix and blew her brains out in her car, so pardon me for not seeing a lighter note. (But I *do* get your point.)

I had a doc tell me once that if pain meds put you to sleep, you're over-medicated. When you take the proper dosage, it manages your pain, any more medication & the next effect to happen is to fall asleep. But I am definitely one of those who is extremely sensitive to "May Cause Drowsiness" - just about everything puts me to sleep.

[Colleenna]

On 11/28/2019 at 1:49 PM, Scout Finch said:

Vicodin also has the opposite effect where instead of making me sleepy it makes me more awake and alert. It was the same for my dad.

I had a roommate who had "opposite" reaction to Valium. Instead of relaxing her and making her sleepy, it had her bouncing off the walls, talking 100 mph.

[QuinnInND]

On 11/29/2019 at 5:26 PM, Prevailing Wind said:

I am definitely one of those who is extremely sensitive to "May Cause Drowsiness" - just about everything puts me to sleep.

I'm the same way. I read "may cause drowsiness" as "Don't make any plans". I took a T3 once.. Tylenol with codeine. One. I was asleep within 5 minutes and I slept for 15 hours. 

[TVMovieBuff]

I had side effects, without the good effects, from one pill. I have glaucoma and there is a pill that is supposed to reduce your eye pressure. A side effect is it perverts your sense of taste. 

I took it 2 separate periods of time, a couple of years apart. It made food taste like something you scraped off your shoe. And it didn't lower my eye pressure. 

I would absolutely have kept taking it, even with the affected taste, if it had reduced my eye pressure. Eyesight is more important to me. 

[Silver Raven]

Why does this Trintellix ad have a non-specifically accented announcer?

https://www.ispot.tv/ad/Z5eu/trintellix-time-for-a-change

[Prevailing Wind]

I just got an e-mail newsletter from my Congressman. He says, in part, "HEALTHCARE ENROLLMENT EXTENDED: Due to glitches with its website, healthcare.gov has now extended the open enrollment period from Dec. 15 to Dec. 18 for people signing up for health care coverage through the Affordable Care Act exchanges"

So we'll be seeing more open enrollment commercials through Wednesday.

36 minutes ago, Silver Raven said:

Why does this Trintellix ad have a non-specifically accented announcer?

https://www.ispot.tv/ad/Z5eu/trintellix-time-for-a-change

It does sound odd - like someone's been working a little too hard with a voice coach to mimic someone with depression and failing the exercise.

[Silver Raven]

The woman in the Piqray ad says, "I didn't choose metastatic breast cancer.  Not this exact type." Does that mean she picked some other kind of metastatic breast cancer?

 

[mmecorday]

The ad for Sublocade is so depressing. It's a drug that helps fight opioid addiction, but my gawd, the side effects. "Seek medical help is you feel very hot, very sleepy or confused." Heck, that's me every day and I'm not on that drug and I don't take opioids. I'm just menopausal!

[Colleenna]

On 2/4/2020 at 12:46 PM, mmecorday said:

The ad for Sublocade is so depressing. It's a drug that helps fight opioid addiction, but my gawd, the side effects. "Seek medical help is you feel very hot, very sleepy or confused." Heck, that's me every day and I'm not on that drug and I don't take opioids. I'm just menopausal!

That's  me every day too. And I'm  not on that drug and can't  take  opioids  at all. I'm  just fricking  old. 

[Blkcatmommy]

There are too many commercials that make me insane to mention but the one that makes me nuts is the Latuda commercial where the lady ends it with saying she likes what she sees shouldn’t it be she likes how she’s feeling? It just doesn’t make any sense to me that she likes what she sees

[Scout Finch]

Just started seeing ads for Skyrizi which treats plaque psoriasis (moderate to severe, of course!). I think it sounds like the name of a DJ. "Dude, Skrillex AND Skyrizi are going to be at the rave party in Miami!"

[Maverick]

It's another one that sounds like a planet from Star Trek. 

[mmecorday]

I hate everything about that Skyrizi commercial except that woman's sleeveless blue dress.

That autotuned "Let's make love with Rebel" in the Match.com commercials makes me stabby.

[BigBingerBro]

I detest the Skyrizi commercial with a passion as it seems to be on every 2 minutes, but they definitely did their homework.  It would be an absolute dream for someone with plaque psoriasis to wear a dress like that.  

[smittykins]

I find it odd that the Linzess ad keeps referring to “belly pain” rather than “abdominal pain,” as if they were addressing a child.