Why don't pharmaceutical companies admit that extacy is a cure for the common cold?
447897
because its not a cure!!!\n\nits a lethal drug!!!
1293
Some people believe that echinacea strengthens the immune system, allowing it to fight the cold virus better.\n\nYour body has to do the work to fight off the cold.  There's no secret pill that will kill the viruses for you.
132385
well it is the destruction of life. did you know that adult humans have viable stem cells that would work just as well?\n\nin your nose, the olfactory dies whenrver you have a cold. stem cells rebuild it.
613311
I definitely prefer the eastern mentality towards healthcare: prevention and not treatment of the symptoms. I have not needed much healthcare, but have had acupuncture on several occasions, and it has definitely worked on me. Of course western medicine has also it's advantages and in emergency cases, medicines and invasive operation have saved many lives.  I only wish more emphasis were given on a healthy lifestyle, less stress, better eating habits, more excercise, to prevent many diseases from starting in the first place.  And I find it shameful of the Pharmaceutical Companies that they invent pills for every conceivable ill under the sun. This dependence on pills is just disastrous. Who knows what all these chemicals will do to our bodies in the long run.
1090964
They do have the cures.  Reason they aren't letting us have it is because then people would become well and then the medical industry would take a big hit on profits.  \n\nThere is more money in sick people, why make them better?
160246
It depends on which one you are refering too.  Some can be with a combination of meds and therepy.  Others though have no cure at all but can be controlled with medication.  And there are others that there is no treatment whatsoever that works for them.
622586
Of course! When people can't understand why constant intake of antibiotics is bad for your future health prospects and why there's no use in taking ampicillin to cure a cold, there's plenty of ignorance about science.  And people won't even take the time to know extremely simple stuff that would save their lives.  \n\nThen again, meh, less competition for my genes; read Dawkins.
159365
It usually masks the problem until your body fixes it.  Most over the counter cold/flu medicine are ineffective.\n\nMake sure you don't take things you don't need.  If you only have a cough...take only cough medicine...not the 'all-in-one' (Nyquil style).
609200
Good luck getting a pharmaceutical company to do anything close to charitable! They are in business for the PROFITS!
214162
You don't. It has to run its course. It's a virus, so no medications will really work to "cure" it. Maybe they'll someday invent something to kill viruses, but for now, you have to put up with it and try not to get sick in the first place. (I hope you feel better soon!)
149348
Patients are misinformed that antibiotics can cure a common cold virus.  When the doctor tries to correct this, the patient gets demanding believing that they know best.  Or the doctor is burnt out on their career and no longer cares.  This is a huge factor in bacteria, such as streptococcal (strep), building up a resistance and becoming harder to treat.  The another factor is that people do not follow the directions on their perscriptions.
272738
There is no cure to the common cold, but Vitamin C (oranges, grapefruit, etc.) helps a lot and you should drink a lot of fluids and rest.
34067
Nope. Colds are viral. Antibiotics do nothing to viruses. If you get a sinus infection or something like that along with the cold the antibiotics would cure the infection, but it wont help the cold. Take some things like vitamin C and echinacea to naturally boost your immune system and you may get over it quicker.
1024725
We are taught from the beggining that a pill can solve anything, they give us asprin for headaches, tylenol for fever, antibiotics for sicknesses.  Why would that type of conditioning not lead us to believe that drugs are the solution.
190182
There are cures out there right now -- sometimes it is surgical and sometimes it is medical.  I don't there will ever be a single cure for cancer -- it is a complex family of diseases. Some cancers hve very good five year survival rates.  Others do not.  Early detection is almost always key.\n\nWe also know that certain things cause cancer in humans.  Not everytime and not with every person.  But if you compare 1,000 cigarette smokers to 1,000 non-smokers (all other factors being equal) you will see a large difference in lung cancer rates.  That is not to say that all smokers get cancer -- but it is to say that if smoking goes down, so do lung cancer rates.  Radon is a similar factor.  Even viruses (certain STDs) are linked with an increased rate of reproductive cancers.  Sun exposure.  Certain foods.\n\nNone of that is secret.  The government suggests avoiding tobacco, eating a health diet, etc.  Early detection also helps a lot.  Breast cancer and prostate cancer especially benefit from early detection.  That is why the government suggest regular screening for these diseases (pab, mammogram, colonoscopy) at certain ages/intervals.\n\nThere is no question that pharma has a large financial stake in the current health care system.  That said, if a company did have the miracle drug they would produce it! \n\nWhy?  That company would have an almost invaluable asset -- one subject to intellectual property protections.  Set on a shelf that is worth nothing to the company.  On the market, it would probably make a company with only that product the most valuable pharma company in the world.\n\nOne has to only look at several recent examples to see how pharma benefits from introducig new drugs -- look at the Cox2 inhibitors.  Or new PPIs that are little different from what will soon enough be available as generic.  They spend buckets of money on R&D and advertising.  That only generates revenue when they have a product to sell.\n\nThe only way the conspiracy theory works is if there is some non-patentable treatment out there that pharma discovered long ago.  And I don't believe that for a second!  Cancer is too complicated for a single cure. And I can't imagine something that couldn't get some intellectual protection.  Information leaks.  These people have families who suffer from these same illnesses.\n\nIn terms of the FDA, federal law does prohibit marketing medicine that has not been proven safe and effective.  One can argue about where we are at in that balancing act.  But the idea is that I can't make my own variety of snake oil (mabe even one containing a carcinogen) and then claiming it cures cancer 100% of the time.\n\nIn terms of presidents, I think Grant died of cancer.\n\nLast point:  if such a product existed, it would likely save the government lots of money.  The federal governmant pays for medicare (including chemo drugs).  The state and federal governments split the costs of medicaid (low income).\n\nSo, this is really nothing more than an urban legend -- a cruel one that makes little sense to me.
720264
OTC drugs are the best for treating cold and cough. If you are on medication for nausea, u could as well take drugs for cold.
56217
Rest and plenty of fluids.  There is no cure for the common cold, yet, despite the many claims...\n\nChicken soup not so hot?\nIf people believed all the old wives' tales about catching and preventing colds and flu, they would stock their cupboards with chicken soup all winter and never step out into the cold. But the myths often have no place in scientific reality, so if you wonder whether you should starve a cold and feed a fever (or if you've got it the wrong way around), try this quiz (originally written by the American Lung Association).\n\nMyth: Spending time outside in cold weather can cause a cold or flu.\n\nFact: Exposure to cold weather does not bring on a cold or flu. It can, however, cause pneumonia, which can come about when someone already has the flu. This is the most serious complication of the flu and is more likely to occur in the elderly and people whose immune systems have been weakened by other medical conditions.\n\nMyth: It is possible to catch the flu from a flu shot.\n\nFact: The flu vaccine is made from an inactive virus, so it is impossible to get the flu from it. Some people may be sore where the vaccine is injected and may feel unwell for a couple of days with fever and muscle aches. Anyone who is acutely ill with fever or is allergic to egg or another component of the vaccine should not get the flu shot.\n\nMyth: An upset stomach is a symptom of the flu.\n\nFact: Stomach distress is rarely a symptom of the flu. Other viruses, bacteria and food poisoning are more common causes of nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.\n\nMyth: Large doses of vitamin C can prevent colds and cure them quickly.\n\nFact: This is not proven, although consuming the daily requirement of vitamin C is good for overall health.\n\nMyth: Herbal treatments such as echinacea and zinc will cure a cold quickly.\n\nFact: To date, there is no conclusive scientific evidence that either can cure or prevent a cold. The best way to avoid a cold is to avoid close contact with others who have it, wash hands frequently and avoid eye and nose rubbing.\n\nMyth: A bowl of chicken soup and hot toddies can help cure a cold.\n\nFact: Chicken soup has no power to cure a cold. However, hot liquids can soothe a scratchy throat or a cough. Hot toddies should also be avoided during a cold. Alcoholic beverages can increase the body's chance of dehydration, and therefore make symptoms worse.\n\nMyth: It is best to starve a cold and feed a fever.\n\nFact: Neither of these is a good remedy. When fighting a cold or fever, the body needs