Supplements send 23,000 American's to the Emergency Room
Azexas
Posts: 4,334 Member
I believe that someone doesn't need to take supplements unless they are deficient in something and their doctor recommends it.
A new study came and the results are that over 23,000 Americans have been seen in the Emergency room due to side effects of misusing supplements from 2004 to 2014 and an estimated 2,154 of these end up hospitalized.
I found the article interesting and figured I would pass it along as some food for thought.
Article: http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/supplements-send-thousands-people-emergency-room-every-year-study-finds-n444681
Study from the New England Journal of Medicine: http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa1504267
A new study came and the results are that over 23,000 Americans have been seen in the Emergency room due to side effects of misusing supplements from 2004 to 2014 and an estimated 2,154 of these end up hospitalized.
An estimated 23,000 emergency department visits in the United States every year are attributed to adverse events related to dietary supplements. Such visits commonly involve cardiovascular manifestations from weight-loss or energy products among young adults and swallowing problems, often associated with micronutrients, among older adults.
I found the article interesting and figured I would pass it along as some food for thought.
Article: http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/supplements-send-thousands-people-emergency-room-every-year-study-finds-n444681
Study from the New England Journal of Medicine: http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa1504267
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Replies
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Considering how many people take supplements, that's a relatively low number. Half the U.S. population takes supplements, so 23,000 out of 250,000,000 isn't all that much.0
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And 700,000 for adverse reactions to medicines so I don't think that proves anything.0
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happened to a friend of mine, she read too many of the wrong articles online and concluded she had a potassium deficiency - overdid it with the supplements and ended up at the doctors.0
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Considering how many people take supplements, that's a relatively low number. Half the U.S. population takes supplements, so 23,000 out of 250,000,000 isn't all that much.
it may be a "low" number to some, but I see it as a number that can lowered if people chose only to supplement when they actually needed to.0 -
RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »And 700,000 for adverse reactions to medicines so I don't think that proves anything.
Adverse reactions don't always send someone to the hospital though. An adverse reaction could be a headache or a dry mouth.0 -
RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »And 700,000 for adverse reactions to medicines so I don't think that proves anything.
Adverse reactions don't always send someone to the hospital though. An adverse reaction could be a headache or a dry mouth.
That was ER visit stats, sorry I should have clarified that.
http://www.drug-injury.com/druginjurycom/2006/10/adverse_drug_ev.html0 -
RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »And 700,000 for adverse reactions to medicines so I don't think that proves anything.
Adverse reactions don't always send someone to the hospital though. An adverse reaction could be a headache or a dry mouth.
That was ER visit stats, sorry I should have clarified that.
http://www.drug-injury.com/druginjurycom/2006/10/adverse_drug_ev.html
MY only concern with your article is this:About 33% of the ER visits were the result of allergic reactions, while another third of the visits were attributable to unintentional overdoses; - See more at: http://www.drug-injury.com/druginjurycom/2006/10/adverse_drug_ev.html#sthash.8IAfmkeq.dpuf
An allergic reaction is not something that is always preventable and can't be predicted.
In any case, this thread is about supplements which are not regulated by the FDA not prescribed medications.0 -
RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »And 700,000 for adverse reactions to medicines so I don't think that proves anything.
I assume that this thread is meant for those looking for a quick fix-type supplement. Do you believe those looking for a magic pill should know the risks?0 -
diannethegeek wrote: »RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »And 700,000 for adverse reactions to medicines so I don't think that proves anything.
I assume that this thread is meant for those looking for a quick fix-type supplement. Do you believe those looking for a magic pill should know the risks?
Yes, that is what this thread is about.0 -
Considering how many people take supplements, that's a relatively low number. Half the U.S. population takes supplements, so 23,000 out of 250,000,000 isn't all that much.
it may be a "low" number to some, but I see it as a number that can lowered if people chose only to supplement when they actually needed to.
Okay, what's your proposed solution?0 -
Considering how many people take supplements, that's a relatively low number. Half the U.S. population takes supplements, so 23,000 out of 250,000,000 isn't all that much.
it may be a "low" number to some, but I see it as a number that can lowered if people chose only to supplement when they actually needed to.
Okay, what's your proposed solution?
Only take supplements when someone is actually deficient in something ( I mentioned this in the OP), education for people looking for quick fixes, and possible get some sort of regulatory body involved to ensure that that is listed as ingredients is actually in the supplement.The authorities said they had conducted tests on top-selling store brands of herbal supplements at four national retailers — GNC, Target, Walgreens and Walmart — and found that four out of five of the products did not contain any of the herbs on their labels. The tests showed that pills labeled medicinal herbs often contained little more than cheap fillers like powdered rice, asparagus and houseplants, and in some cases substances that could be dangerous to those with allergies.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/03/new-york-attorney-general-targets-supplements-at-major-retailers/0 -
This content has been removed.
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Considering how many people take supplements, that's a relatively low number. Half the U.S. population takes supplements, so 23,000 out of 250,000,000 isn't all that much.
it may be a "low" number to some, but I see it as a number that can lowered if people chose only to supplement when they actually needed to.
Okay, what's your proposed solution?
Only take supplements when someone is actually deficient in something ( I mentioned this in the OP), education for people looking for quick fixes, and possible get some sort of regulatory body involved to ensure that that is listed as ingredients is actually in the supplement.The authorities said they had conducted tests on top-selling store brands of herbal supplements at four national retailers — GNC, Target, Walgreens and Walmart — and found that four out of five of the products did not contain any of the herbs on their labels. The tests showed that pills labeled medicinal herbs often contained little more than cheap fillers like powdered rice, asparagus and houseplants, and in some cases substances that could be dangerous to those with allergies.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/03/new-york-attorney-general-targets-supplements-at-major-retailers/
Isn't that kinda illegal?0 -
stevencloser wrote: »Considering how many people take supplements, that's a relatively low number. Half the U.S. population takes supplements, so 23,000 out of 250,000,000 isn't all that much.
it may be a "low" number to some, but I see it as a number that can lowered if people chose only to supplement when they actually needed to.
Okay, what's your proposed solution?
Only take supplements when someone is actually deficient in something ( I mentioned this in the OP), education for people looking for quick fixes, and possible get some sort of regulatory body involved to ensure that that is listed as ingredients is actually in the supplement.The authorities said they had conducted tests on top-selling store brands of herbal supplements at four national retailers — GNC, Target, Walgreens and Walmart — and found that four out of five of the products did not contain any of the herbs on their labels. The tests showed that pills labeled medicinal herbs often contained little more than cheap fillers like powdered rice, asparagus and houseplants, and in some cases substances that could be dangerous to those with allergies.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/03/new-york-attorney-general-targets-supplements-at-major-retailers/
Isn't that kinda illegal?
The using fillers and not listed ingredients in the supplements? I'm pretty sure it is, but there isn't really a regulatory body overseeing supplements so the suppliers can kind of do as they see fit unfortunately.0 -
Considering how many people take supplements, that's a relatively low number. Half the U.S. population takes supplements, so 23,000 out of 250,000,000 isn't all that much.
it may be a "low" number to some, but I see it as a number that can lowered if people chose only to supplement when they actually needed to.
Okay, what's your proposed solution?
Only take supplements when someone is actually deficient in something ( I mentioned this in the OP), education for people looking for quick fixes, and possible get some sort of regulatory body involved to ensure that that is listed as ingredients is actually in the supplement.The authorities said they had conducted tests on top-selling store brands of herbal supplements at four national retailers — GNC, Target, Walgreens and Walmart — and found that four out of five of the products did not contain any of the herbs on their labels. The tests showed that pills labeled medicinal herbs often contained little more than cheap fillers like powdered rice, asparagus and houseplants, and in some cases substances that could be dangerous to those with allergies.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/03/new-york-attorney-general-targets-supplements-at-major-retailers/
So you only want people to be able to take Vit C ( and others) with a prescription?0 -
Considering how many people take supplements, that's a relatively low number. Half the U.S. population takes supplements, so 23,000 out of 250,000,000 isn't all that much.
it may be a "low" number to some, but I see it as a number that can lowered if people chose only to supplement when they actually needed to.
Okay, what's your proposed solution?
Only take supplements when someone is actually deficient in something ( I mentioned this in the OP), education for people looking for quick fixes, and possible get some sort of regulatory body involved to ensure that that is listed as ingredients is actually in the supplement.The authorities said they had conducted tests on top-selling store brands of herbal supplements at four national retailers — GNC, Target, Walgreens and Walmart — and found that four out of five of the products did not contain any of the herbs on their labels. The tests showed that pills labeled medicinal herbs often contained little more than cheap fillers like powdered rice, asparagus and houseplants, and in some cases substances that could be dangerous to those with allergies.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/03/new-york-attorney-general-targets-supplements-at-major-retailers/
I take supplements so I WON'T be deficient. Waiting until I have a deficiency of B12 (something I supplement) would be way too late -- the effects of B12 deficiency can be permanent and serious.0 -
Considering how many people take supplements, that's a relatively low number. Half the U.S. population takes supplements, so 23,000 out of 250,000,000 isn't all that much.
it may be a "low" number to some, but I see it as a number that can lowered if people chose only to supplement when they actually needed to.
Okay, what's your proposed solution?
Only take supplements when someone is actually deficient in something ( I mentioned this in the OP), education for people looking for quick fixes, and possible get some sort of regulatory body involved to ensure that that is listed as ingredients is actually in the supplement.The authorities said they had conducted tests on top-selling store brands of herbal supplements at four national retailers — GNC, Target, Walgreens and Walmart — and found that four out of five of the products did not contain any of the herbs on their labels. The tests showed that pills labeled medicinal herbs often contained little more than cheap fillers like powdered rice, asparagus and houseplants, and in some cases substances that could be dangerous to those with allergies.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/03/new-york-attorney-general-targets-supplements-at-major-retailers/
So you only want people to be able to take Vit C ( and others) with a prescription?
Did I say with a prescription? But its a waste of money to take Vitamin C if you already getting enough from your diet. You will be flushing your money down the toilet, literally considering it is a water soluble vitamin. If that's what you want to do, I'm not going to stop you.
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janejellyroll wrote: »Considering how many people take supplements, that's a relatively low number. Half the U.S. population takes supplements, so 23,000 out of 250,000,000 isn't all that much.
it may be a "low" number to some, but I see it as a number that can lowered if people chose only to supplement when they actually needed to.
Okay, what's your proposed solution?
Only take supplements when someone is actually deficient in something ( I mentioned this in the OP), education for people looking for quick fixes, and possible get some sort of regulatory body involved to ensure that that is listed as ingredients is actually in the supplement.The authorities said they had conducted tests on top-selling store brands of herbal supplements at four national retailers — GNC, Target, Walgreens and Walmart — and found that four out of five of the products did not contain any of the herbs on their labels. The tests showed that pills labeled medicinal herbs often contained little more than cheap fillers like powdered rice, asparagus and houseplants, and in some cases substances that could be dangerous to those with allergies.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/03/new-york-attorney-general-targets-supplements-at-major-retailers/
I take supplements so I WON'T be deficient. Waiting until I have a deficiency of B12 (something I supplement) would be way too late -- the effects of B12 deficiency can be permanent and serious.
If thats your plan then fine, but lets say hypothetically, someone is taking Vit D which is a fat soluble vitamin, and they are overdosing themselves because they don't need to take it. They can cause a buildup of calcium in your blood (hypercalcemia), which can cause poor appetite, nausea and vomiting. Weakness, frequent urination and kidney problems also may occur.
Now we have a situation where someone can cause kidney problems due to supplementing when they didn't have to.0 -
This content has been removed.
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Considering how many people take supplements, that's a relatively low number. Half the U.S. population takes supplements, so 23,000 out of 250,000,000 isn't all that much.
it may be a "low" number to some, but I see it as a number that can lowered if people chose only to supplement when they actually needed to.
Okay, what's your proposed solution?
Only take supplements when someone is actually deficient in something ( I mentioned this in the OP), education for people looking for quick fixes, and possible get some sort of regulatory body involved to ensure that that is listed as ingredients is actually in the supplement.The authorities said they had conducted tests on top-selling store brands of herbal supplements at four national retailers — GNC, Target, Walgreens and Walmart — and found that four out of five of the products did not contain any of the herbs on their labels. The tests showed that pills labeled medicinal herbs often contained little more than cheap fillers like powdered rice, asparagus and houseplants, and in some cases substances that could be dangerous to those with allergies.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/03/new-york-attorney-general-targets-supplements-at-major-retailers/
So you only want people to be able to take Vit C ( and others) with a prescription?
Did I say with a prescription? But its a waste of money to take Vitamin C if you already getting enough from your diet. You will be flushing your money down the toilet, literally considering it is a water soluble vitamin. If that's what you want to do, I'm not going to stop you.
How do you propose to go about educating people?
BTW, I'm all for the FDA being involved in supplements and ensuring that they are what is claimed to be within them.0 -
Considering how many people take supplements, that's a relatively low number. Half the U.S. population takes supplements, so 23,000 out of 250,000,000 isn't all that much.
it may be a "low" number to some, but I see it as a number that can lowered if people chose only to supplement when they actually needed to.
Okay, what's your proposed solution?
Only take supplements when someone is actually deficient in something ( I mentioned this in the OP), education for people looking for quick fixes, and possible get some sort of regulatory body involved to ensure that that is listed as ingredients is actually in the supplement.The authorities said they had conducted tests on top-selling store brands of herbal supplements at four national retailers — GNC, Target, Walgreens and Walmart — and found that four out of five of the products did not contain any of the herbs on their labels. The tests showed that pills labeled medicinal herbs often contained little more than cheap fillers like powdered rice, asparagus and houseplants, and in some cases substances that could be dangerous to those with allergies.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/03/new-york-attorney-general-targets-supplements-at-major-retailers/
So you only want people to be able to take Vit C ( and others) with a prescription?
Did I say with a prescription? But its a waste of money to take Vitamin C if you already getting enough from your diet. You will be flushing your money down the toilet, literally considering it is a water soluble vitamin. If that's what you want to do, I'm not going to stop you.
How do you propose to go about educating people?
BTW, I'm all for the FDA being involved in supplements and ensuring that they are what is claimed to be within them.
What about a campaign to make sure that people are aware of the risks here on the boards? It might look something like this thread.0 -
diannethegeek wrote: »Considering how many people take supplements, that's a relatively low number. Half the U.S. population takes supplements, so 23,000 out of 250,000,000 isn't all that much.
it may be a "low" number to some, but I see it as a number that can lowered if people chose only to supplement when they actually needed to.
Okay, what's your proposed solution?
Only take supplements when someone is actually deficient in something ( I mentioned this in the OP), education for people looking for quick fixes, and possible get some sort of regulatory body involved to ensure that that is listed as ingredients is actually in the supplement.The authorities said they had conducted tests on top-selling store brands of herbal supplements at four national retailers — GNC, Target, Walgreens and Walmart — and found that four out of five of the products did not contain any of the herbs on their labels. The tests showed that pills labeled medicinal herbs often contained little more than cheap fillers like powdered rice, asparagus and houseplants, and in some cases substances that could be dangerous to those with allergies.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/03/new-york-attorney-general-targets-supplements-at-major-retailers/
So you only want people to be able to take Vit C ( and others) with a prescription?
Did I say with a prescription? But its a waste of money to take Vitamin C if you already getting enough from your diet. You will be flushing your money down the toilet, literally considering it is a water soluble vitamin. If that's what you want to do, I'm not going to stop you.
How do you propose to go about educating people?
BTW, I'm all for the FDA being involved in supplements and ensuring that they are what is claimed to be within them.
What about a campaign to make sure that people are aware of the risks here on the boards? It might look something like this thread.
Agreed. And also can go hand in hand with using a regulatory body ensuring the safety of medications.0 -
I've taken them in the past for months on end and not noticed any changes nor felt any different. Perhaps I'm deficient in something, but how can I find out? I had a forty year health check recently and my tests were all okay, they told me to eat more fruit and vegetables based on the information I'd given them about my diet. Is it worth spending the money on a multivitamin? Or will I be wasting it? I'm undecided on the issue.0
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hamlet1222 wrote: »I've taken them in the past for months on end and not noticed any changes nor felt any different. Perhaps I'm deficient in something, but how can I find out? I had a forty year health check recently and my tests were all okay, they told me to eat more fruit and vegetables based on the information I'd given them about my diet. Is it worth spending the money on a multivitamin? Or will I be wasting it? I'm undecided on the issue.
It depends honestly on your diet. IF you are getting a wide variety of fruits, veggies and whole foods you may not be deficient in something. But if you aren't getting those different foods in you could very well be deficient in something. when you are making food, look at the labels and look at the micro nutrition portion to see what you are taking in.0 -
diannethegeek wrote: »Considering how many people take supplements, that's a relatively low number. Half the U.S. population takes supplements, so 23,000 out of 250,000,000 isn't all that much.
it may be a "low" number to some, but I see it as a number that can lowered if people chose only to supplement when they actually needed to.
Okay, what's your proposed solution?
Only take supplements when someone is actually deficient in something ( I mentioned this in the OP), education for people looking for quick fixes, and possible get some sort of regulatory body involved to ensure that that is listed as ingredients is actually in the supplement.The authorities said they had conducted tests on top-selling store brands of herbal supplements at four national retailers — GNC, Target, Walgreens and Walmart — and found that four out of five of the products did not contain any of the herbs on their labels. The tests showed that pills labeled medicinal herbs often contained little more than cheap fillers like powdered rice, asparagus and houseplants, and in some cases substances that could be dangerous to those with allergies.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/03/new-york-attorney-general-targets-supplements-at-major-retailers/
So you only want people to be able to take Vit C ( and others) with a prescription?
Did I say with a prescription? But its a waste of money to take Vitamin C if you already getting enough from your diet. You will be flushing your money down the toilet, literally considering it is a water soluble vitamin. If that's what you want to do, I'm not going to stop you.
How do you propose to go about educating people?
BTW, I'm all for the FDA being involved in supplements and ensuring that they are what is claimed to be within them.
What about a campaign to make sure that people are aware of the risks here on the boards? It might look something like this thread.
Agreed. And also can go hand in hand with using a regulatory body ensuring the safety of medications.
So you're talking about a grass roots awareness campaign? How many of the 2.5 million users do you think this will reach?0 -
diannethegeek wrote: »Considering how many people take supplements, that's a relatively low number. Half the U.S. population takes supplements, so 23,000 out of 250,000,000 isn't all that much.
it may be a "low" number to some, but I see it as a number that can lowered if people chose only to supplement when they actually needed to.
Okay, what's your proposed solution?
Only take supplements when someone is actually deficient in something ( I mentioned this in the OP), education for people looking for quick fixes, and possible get some sort of regulatory body involved to ensure that that is listed as ingredients is actually in the supplement.The authorities said they had conducted tests on top-selling store brands of herbal supplements at four national retailers — GNC, Target, Walgreens and Walmart — and found that four out of five of the products did not contain any of the herbs on their labels. The tests showed that pills labeled medicinal herbs often contained little more than cheap fillers like powdered rice, asparagus and houseplants, and in some cases substances that could be dangerous to those with allergies.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/03/new-york-attorney-general-targets-supplements-at-major-retailers/
So you only want people to be able to take Vit C ( and others) with a prescription?
Did I say with a prescription? But its a waste of money to take Vitamin C if you already getting enough from your diet. You will be flushing your money down the toilet, literally considering it is a water soluble vitamin. If that's what you want to do, I'm not going to stop you.
How do you propose to go about educating people?
BTW, I'm all for the FDA being involved in supplements and ensuring that they are what is claimed to be within them.
What about a campaign to make sure that people are aware of the risks here on the boards? It might look something like this thread.
Agreed. And also can go hand in hand with using a regulatory body ensuring the safety of medications.
So you're talking about a grass roots awareness campaign? How many of the 2.5 million users do you think this will reach?
Who knows. But people are starting to pay attention now that new research has started to come out and that's a good sign.0 -
@stevencloser, the trick with the American 1994 sidestep is that these supplements can go unregulated as long as they make no special claims.
@brower47 there are many more levels of regulation besides prescription. The manufacturer might be constrained on how they label their product, list the percentage active ingredient, and be fined if they lie.
Canada has gone the way of licensing "Natural Health Products"0 -
@stevencloser, the trick with the American 1994 sidestep is that these supplements can go unregulated as long as they make no special claims.
@brower47 there are many more levels of regulation besides prescription. The manufacturer might be constrained on how they label their product, list the percentage active ingredient, and be fined if they lie.
Canada has gone the way of licensing "Natural Health Products"
I believe most European countries require a prescription for supplements also.0 -
I would be curious, can someone with a better grasp of the science and statistics extrapolate from ER visits how many people had adverse reactions that weren't recorded because they weren't ER visits, but visits to a primary care doc?
(I know from people trying to extrapolate sports injuries that it gets confusing because some injuries go unreported if the individual goes to a private doctor and not an ER. For example, I tore my ACL at rugby practice several years ago, but I went to an orthopedist right away, so that doesn't get documented as a sports injury. But someone who tears their ACL playing pick-up basketball and goes to the ER on a Sunday afternoon does get marked as a sports injury.)0 -
The ER is hardly the place to document problems with suppliments as It could be energy drinks, synthetic drugs, caffeine all bunched together.. Just read the article ya "stimulants" makes sense but I bet the numbers in that article are VERY under estimated..0
This discussion has been closed.
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