Amen to that Elizabeth!!!

I just said to DH last night, "I'm so sick of hearing about bodily functions!" Good grief now there's a 'pre-poop room spray...........'

What little TV we watch is usually on MeTV, so the oldies. Which of course are directed at .. the oldies. I'm a long way from needing Elizabeth's list (I hope!), but what I wouldn't pay to see a Charmin commercial!

What, you don't NEED return-of-premium life insurance? Of course you do!

Just be sure your heart is healthy enough for sex.

Oh brush. They run that one a lot!!!

And there are all the "lawyer" commercials! Disgusting!

Can't stand 'em, Scott. And I think I have memorized the 'Call xxx-xxx-xxxx' numbers for all the lawyers I've heard them so much. Not that I would call ANY of them if I had a wreck.

I said the same thing to my DH last night too! It is BEYOND ridiculous! Prerecording on the DVR helps, but sometimes I get caught off guard and can't reach for the remote fast enough. Mind boggling, absolutely mind boggling!

ETA: There is one that my doctor offered to precribe to me a while back and I said no...give me something else, after seeing that stupid commercial (and it's side effects) on TV a bizzillion times I'd rather not!

When I was out on FMLA, I watched Perry Mason while eating breakfast every day on MeTV. Catheters, scooters, Cancer Treatment Centers of America, knee braces, you name it. One day I was so happy because the featured commercial was Shirley Temple digitally remastered DVD's. And I can't stand Shirley Temple!

I stopped watching any daytime TV, and several of the evening shows because I absolutely HATE those commercials. If all of us "asked our Doctor" the doctors would have no time to treat patients.

I have two friends that are chemists....retired from Merck. They believe that once the government allowed pharmaceuticals to advertise on T.V., the costs of medications skyrocketed. Something for the government to think about when trying to lower the cost of prescription drugs.

Elizabeth. I could only hope!

OK, brush brought it up so I'm going there... could get fairly crude, BUT doesn't anyone REALLY want an erection lasting more than NINETY minutes... really??

I do have to say a few positive things about the deluge of pharma commercials. A few years ago, doctor decided the "numbers" weren't what he want to see and switched cholesterol med to Crestor. At that time, didn't have prescription plan. When I went to pharmacy and was told it was around $350... well, figured that was what was gonna kill me, cuz I surely wasn't spending that kind of $$ even if I could. THEN I started paying attention to those blurbs at the end... if you can't afford your medication, AZ might be able to help. I went right to their web site, printed out a form, needed minimal income documentation, doctor faxed in prescription and I ended up with 2 YEARS of that med for FREE!

After unfortunate, unpleasant, unplanned hospital stay back in October, cardio wanted to put me on blood thinners. When I said I didn't want "sticker shock" at the pharmacy, he wrote down 2 different ones that he said are equally as good for me to check out prices on. All 3 are all over the TV now. WITH insurance, one would have been 40% of about $350/month and other 2 around $40/month. All three sorta poo pooed a similar med that has been around for quite a while. When I asked about that, was told... nothing "wrong" with "W"... just takes a little time to make sure dosage is correct. I have had on-going "dates" for finger-stick blood tests for a medication that now costs $4/month or $10/3 months.

If I hear one more Pneumococcal pneumonia one more time, i think I'll scream.

Don't forget walk-in tubs. I saw one last night that comes with a heated seat. Spiffy!

I love it when they list possible side effects. To me they are worse than the ailment they are advertising treatment for.

I agree about the side effects. Every time I have to listen to one of those commercials it only reinforces my belief that the drugs are more dangerous than whatever they are purporting to cure!! I would rather see commercials for cigarettes again than any drug commercials. I remember when they banned the cigarette commercials so I know it can be done. And if banning them resulted in cheaper drugs for the people that need them, so much the better.

KLS, actually they say an erection lasting more than 4 hours needs medical attention. So then go to the ER and sit for another 4 hours to make the erection go down.

Also, about those walk in tubs. Here's my issue. Yes, they have a turbo drain motor that will drain the tub in 2 minutes. But HOW long does it take to fill??? And you can't climb in after it's full. You have to sit in there and wait how long for the water to get to a high level?

Amen to everything said so far! I love my fast forward button! Most of them try to quickly mention death squeezed in there hoping you don't hear it.

Here's the thing about those tubs you walk into, you better be ready to freeze to death. You have to be nekkid, climb in lock the door, now start the water to fill it up all while sitting there in the breeze. Finally get the warm water in and enjoying it. OK now the water is cooling off. But I have to wait again now soaking wet while all the water drains out before you can open the stupid door and get out and grab a towel. No thanks.

I saw a brand new one at the habitat restore store on long ago and was checking it out. It takes a lot of space to install.

I do stop the fast forward to watch the Barkley dogs Subaru commercials though. They are worth it.

Edit hahaha we were writing about the tub at the same time!

A shower and chair are much more convenient, lol.

I wonder if that walk in tub requires 2 hot water heaters. I know with the large spa tubs that 1 hot water heater isn't enough.

I HATE prescription medicine commercials. We love to record everything on the DVR so we can fast forward through them. If we have to watch it live, then we mute too. When it is mute we make up silly dialog to go with the commercial. The more absurd the better. If anyone heard us, they would think we were crazy. The only commercials I watch are dog ones, especially Dachshund.

Too funny when their disclaimers say "Do not take "XXX" if you are allergic to "XXX". Duh!

Ask your doctor if choosing a medication based on a television commercial is right for you.

FOUR hours!?! Now that's different!?!

I remember as a kid when I was home sick from school for the day, seeing the commercial for schools for medical assistant, front office etc etc.

But if you get the spiffy tub with the heated seat, you can have toasty buns while you wait for the tub to fill. If you don't get electrocuted.

I like the ones that say "tell your doctor if you have emphysema, cancer, high blood pressure or warts." I'm thinking if I had those conditions, my doctor might already know.

I just had a great idea! After an hour of MASH on MeTV, it occurred to me that we should have a bingo board! Whoever can find the most ads wins!

Love lurking here. You people have a great sense of humor. As we say in the south You'll are a piece of work.

ravencajun, they don't mention death. It's a "fatal event". Now that doesn't sound too bad, does it?

Yes I guess they think people understand all the other medical jargon they spew but nono don't say death say fatal event they won't know!

I never watch live TV. I DVR the shows I like and fast forward through the commercials. Read the news online and can then pick and choose the headlines I care to read about. So much less blah blah blah. I like it!

The worst part is watching the symptomatic people. People grimacing in pain due to headaches (which will make you have one). our sneezing, coughing and generally making you feel nauseous.

Remember those Hoveround (electric scooter) commercials? The oldster motoring on their scooter down the sidewalk while grandchildren bike alongside? The traveling oldster astride their scooter at the edge of the Grand Canyon? Those commercials were EVERYWHERE some years ago.

So much so that my elderly father figured he needed a Hoveround especially since the commercials said Medicare would pay for it! He had Parkinson's and was in his 80s but the reason he wanted one was so he could ride it around his one acre lot and haul gardening tools all around. He even planned to tow a child's wagon behind his "free" Hoveround to carry the tools and fertilizer.

He contacted Hoveround and was sent paperwork for his doctor to complete. Doctor was livid. He said Warren you're going to physical therapy multiple times per week to keep you walking! If you're going to give up and ride everywhere first of all I don't believe you're at that point nor do I think Hoveround is something I would ever recommend. There are much better made brands. Dad never got a Hoveround.

But boy did that Hoveround company have Dad's number. Phone call after phone call and even when Dad's caregivers picked up the phone to tell them not to continue calling, Hoveround would hang up and call later hoping to get Dad to answer. Dad's caregivers would tell us Hoveround would keep Dad on the phone for two hours!

Hoveround is still out there. They have a website. I haven't seen a Hoveround commercial in years though.

Kessala

The motorized vehicles got into trouble bilking Medicare. I suspect those people moved on to selling walk-in tubs and stairway elevator systems -- probably also Medicare funded.

Will any of you please call or email your elected officials and tell them to make New Zealand the ONLY country to permit advertising of prescription meds? You have to KNOW you are paying for this expensive air time every time you buy X medication.

You could get cheaper meds and stop hearing, "Ask your doctor." Two birds with one stone.

kessala, when my father was still alive the Hoveround people got his phone number and
address. The calls were endless and junk in the mail almost daily. He kept
telling the no I kept telling them no and to please take his name and address
off their mailing list but it never stopped until I told them I was going to
call the state attorney general and report them for elder abuse. That worked I had
to use that same tactic on some vitamin company that kept charging his credit
card for 8.99 a month.

Devil's advocate here: my Dad had a motorized wheelchair, due to complete immobility. It did allow him to stay in his own house until he died, and combined with an elevator (a real one, not a lift), he was able to do most everything for himself. I think it was a Hoveround, but I don't remember for certain.

I still wouldn't need to see commercials for it!

aok, a Hoveround is not a motorized wheelchair. It is a scooter. Two different things under Medicare.

Kessala

I have a scooter and regular wheelchairs. I love my scooter for when we go shopping. The ones at the store are usually dead or about worthless. I would not have bought one from a TV commercial and I paid for all of mine myself no help.

So many people try to take advantage of the elderly. After mother in law passed away we had her mail forwarded from the Oklahoma house to our house. OMG we could not believe how many letters she gets begging for money for one thing or another. And apparently she had been giving money to a lot of them. They go straight in the trash. It is just shameful.

I've noticed that the drug ads are now on shows that must have an older demographic of watchers. Last night on NCIS, it was one drug commercial after another. Same is true for Blue Bloods. They must be shows the over 60 crowd likes, and they assume that we all have high cholesterol, high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes.

Kessala, you made me test my memory and look. You'd think I'd remember, as long as I stared at that stupid chair.

It was indeed a Hoveround, they do make power wheelchairs. I don't think this is what the ads on TV show, though. Probably the scooters.

I'm glad your dad's Hoveround was such a comfort to him. Unlike my dad's idea of using it as a motorized gardening vehicle. Dad didn't NEED it, he simply WANTED it and since the commercials said Medicare would pay for it.....

It's sad to realize how weak an elderly mind becomes. Dad also had his mailbox stuffed full each day with charitable requests and the "gifts" he'd be sent because he donated. Ugh. They are like children with credit cards.

When his caregiver saw a $600 charge on his VISA statement from some pharmacy in India she brought it to our attention. Turns out Dad was buying his Parkinson's meds from this place in India but for the life of him couldn't remember if he'd ever received the medication. The family searched the house looking for this $600 shipment. Never found it. The charge was disputed. Finally Dad's bank cancelled his card after too many disputed purchases on Dad's account. They replaced the card with a new one and this one was kept hidden from Dad. He had to ask to use it and the caregiver or family member would help him place his orders or make legitimate donations. Then the card would "disappear" again.

Kessala

Many times I think Reverse Mortgages belong in the 'fleece 'em' category. The pitch about 'aging in place' is appealing, but many times people are resisting the very real need to *cut housing expenses* and *find more suitable housing*. They pay a lot of origination fees on these mortgages, then are out of that house in a year or two anyway.

"I'm from the mortgage company. I'm here to help you." LOL