Doctors: please read this

[pops]

I can think of no source of medical information that doctors trust more than the National Institute of Health. Here is an article from the NIH that discusses adverse events on statins that is extremely relevant to what is discussed in this forum. If you are a doctor, please read the following link from the NIH. This is extremely important information. Thank you.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2849981/?tool=pmcentrez

[David Staup]

Pops

It has been my observation that this site and forum has been "removed from exposure"?

google statin side effects and this site does not come up until page 7 or 8.

all of the new members for the last 7 or 8 months have been zero posters with "questionable" specifics...have you noticed that NO new members have posted asking for help?

new members add up to 15 to 20 and then they are removed, we've been at 1520 or so plus or minus 10 for the last 10 months.....IMO it started when the new moderator started.....


with the above in mind I hope this is not the only place you posted your plea!

[spaceadmin]

David:
We have no control over what search engines display on their results pages. The reality is that common search terms are far more competitive than when this site began.
In the early days this was the only site that covered adverse effects of statins. Now there are thousands.
Most of the site traffic today comes from links from other sites and from social media sites and posts and other sources. Search engine traffic is less important than it once was.

Regarding new members, every day there are multiple spam accounts created ( mostly by robots ) on this forum. Every few days these pending accounts are purged which is why you see new members added and then disappearing.

With regard to people not asking questions, with almost 12,000 posts on this forum, several hundred articles on the main site, the books plus all of the other sites out there, information is easily found these days. Registering to ask a question is rarely needed it seems. Times have changed.

Not sure where you got the idea that a new moderator started. There has only ever been one moderator since day one.

Although the number of users posting on this forum is way down compared to five years ago, the archived posts are still read by tens of thousands of users worldwide each month.

Regards,
admin

[pops]

Admin and David,
Considering how much money pharmaceutical companies make from statins it's easy to become ... shall we say, suspicious ... when posts disappear or seem to appear less. This is especially true now that some doctors are prescribing statins to virtually everybody over 50.

However, I want to believe that doctors mean well, and that the doctors who prescribed the statins that harmed the posters in this forum did so with the utmost of altruistic intent. Since doctors themselves are taking these drugs at high rates, I would presume this to be true.

I can understand David's concern. Hopefully our medical system lacks personnel who would deliberately harm, and hopefully our society lacks industry that would censor forums and the like for any purpose at all.

Let us be optimistic if at all possible, since pessimism has as many negative side effects as the drugs discussed here.

Thank you for your posts, and have a great day!
pOps
(definitely not a "bot")

[David Staup]

Admin

I stand by my statement!
You have been singularly uneffective, slow, and totally blind to the needs of this group.....were it up to me you would be joining the ranks of the unemployed...as I stated shortly after you started here.
I am aware of the bots...am a moderator myself, of a somewhat larger group...big deal

[pops]

Ah David, I'm so sorry to hear you speak that way. I'm of the opinion that above all else, civility should be practiced at all times.

I hope you have a better day.

pOps

[spaceadmin]

David:
Not sure why you are so angry but I'll respond to your comments, not to embarrass you, but so that others reading this thread don't end up misinformed as well.

I started this forum on August 18, 2005. You joined on November 28, 2007 ( I approved your account ).
There has only ever been one moderator in the existence of the forum.
I strongly considered closing the forum a few years back ( times change and I felt it may have outlived its usefulness ) but due to the high volume of traffic and on the assumption that others were deriving some benefit from the content I have kept it alive at my own expense.

As for making me unemployed, do you honestly believe that this is a paid position? Seriously?
I maintain this forum as best I can for what amounts to a volunteer job. Sorry I fail to meet your expectations. That is disappointing. Fortunately there have been thousands of messages of thanks and support over the years to provide some balance.

You have made some excellent contributions over the years and belong in a select group of posters on this forum. Some are sadly no longer with us but for new readers they should search the postings of David Staup, Ray Holder, Biologist, Brian C, sos_group_owner, lars999, pops, adec, Allen1, Cat Mom 2, harley2ride, and many others. Lots of good information and links.

Regards,
admin

[cjbrooksjc]

I think there is only so much information we can glean from a site such as this. Once we know what the problems and remedial actions are relative to Statin side effects, we only find repetitive links and questions posted; soon we become less frequent visitors. Unless and until a permanent remedy is found for this very hurtful condition and posted on the forum, I don't expect an influx of new or contributory visitors, only those searching for answers - which they can find aplenty without becoming forum members -.

From my own limited perspective, I have never had a post expunged, and I don't really understand the original complaint. I feel this site is a Godsend for those in pain and offers some hope for symptom abatement if not a cure outright.

I will continue to recommend the forum to those who post queries about Statin damage elsewhere. Aside from the "maul..." whatever, vegetarian posts, I find the information still to be helpful and hopeful.

Best,

Brooks

[lars999]

Brooks,

I agree with your perspective about utility of this site currently. I am just this month returning to data collection and analysis re my personal situation. Specifically, I have returned to what I started some time ago in a thread "MITOCHONDRIA" (http://www.spacedoc.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=1827). I will likely add a lot more to that thread in coming months.

Right now I am deep into self-inflicted mental torture with all those data, publications, developments, etc. in gene sequencing, mitochondrial diseases, labs that are open to public, etc., etc. --- I highly recommend it for those so inclined .....

More to point, I now need informations that can only come from Gene Sequencing and Analysis, not only re damage from Lipitor but other adverse events, such as oxidative damage to mitochondrial functions and their effects on aging. Happily, progress is rapid in this area for "mitochondrial diseases" and in reducing costs for data collection and analysis.

Where this leads, where it ends up, what I gain, etc. is all some where out there in future.

Regards,
Lars

[cjbrooksjc]

Lars: Best of luck in your quest. If only medical science were as persevrant.

Brooks