I had my left knee replaced 2 years ago and was put on Percocet and Oxycontin. I had been on Lortabs for about 8 years already. I was hooked on them but went cold turkey when my Medicare supplement hit it's doughnut hole and it was costing me $500 per month. My right knee is worse than the other one was but I started taking over the counter pain relievers such as Tylenol. I had just as much relief as with the high priced prescriptions. I wondered about it and searched the internut. I found one place where double blind tests were run 28 times and the acetominophen, ibuprophen, aspirin, and naproxen were more effective in about 22 cases and the prescriptions were rated as equal in the othe 6. One site advised to print the results and take it to your Dr. If the Dr. still wanted you to take the prescriptions, sue for malpractice. I doubt that was a serious statement. A couple of months ago I searched Glucosamine-Chondroitin with MSM and found one called Osteo Bi-flex recommended. I started taking them and now both knees feel much less pain. I believe I will be able to live the rest of my life without having my right knee replaced as good as it feels. As to another post; to save money I started eating a lot of Ramen Noodles. I was having daily migraines and started taking Topamax, then Depakote. I read up on monosodium glutamate, quit eating the noodles, and haven't had a migraine since. Now, at 67, the only prescription I take is Lisinopril for high blood pressure although I don't know if I need it. But my Dr. said since I've started, and they aren't too high priced, to take them the rest of my life being safe, rather than sorry.

Expect a new memory drug on the market from big the big drug makers soon. They fund these studies in order to discredit it so people will pay large amounts of money for their illegal, killer drug.

The fact that it was federally funded is a big clue. I would love to know how many of our leaders have dollars invested in the medical/insurance market.

That is a very true statement Sparky.

It has been proven to assist with micro absorption of nutrients in cell walls. But these anti-supplement studies are always questionable at best. The multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical industry does not like anyone tinkering with their bottom line. They will do anything to keep those bloated CEO salaries as high as possible. Jenny McCarthy cured her son of autism by withdrawing him from pharmaceuticals, hfcs, and industrial food additives. The medical establishment did not want her to do that as they a lifetime of drugs and therapy scheduled for him. She robbed them of precious salaries they would have made from a star's son. This is the general scheme of Western medicine. The notion is not to heal. Its to keep us wanting and needing continued treatment and drugs. That is the real crisis in medical care. They no long teach new doctors how to heal a patient. They teach medical maintenance. Its where we only stay healthy by maintaining levels of drugs and therapy. They want to keep us healthy enough not to die but not healthy enough to not need them. The more they can see us, the better for them, not us!