Drug ads found more helpful than doctors

Re “Wake Up: You May Not Need a Pill to Sleep,” Aug. 8

I used to agree with the critics of consumer-directed pharmaceutical marketing. That changed last year, when I endured six months of chronic insomnia brought on by the discomfort of an undiagnosed tumor. My entourage of Kaiser doctors churned out prescriptions for potent tranquilizers, painkillers, antidepressants and many other drugs with significant side effects. Ambien was never mentioned because it is not on their formulary. I had seen the ads for Ambien and became one of those insistent patients who eventually got the prescription, even though I had to foot the bill. Ambien was a magic bullet that allowed me to function again until the underlying cause of my problem was eventually found. I would never have had access to this medication if I had relied on the experience and wisdom of my physicians.

ALICE BECKER

Riverside