Henry Waxman Schooled On Restless Leg Syndrome (VIDEO)

As you may have heard, California Rep. Henry Waxman was released recently from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, having been admitted after fainting in his L.A. office. Waxman is on the mend, and we're glad he's doing okay. Sadly, the news is not so good for one of Waxman's health care reform talking points, which expired quietly on the air on C-SPAN's Washington Journal.

Seeking to make a point about pharmaceutical companies and how their relentless advertising places all sorts of free-range diagnoses into viewers' heads, Waxman attempted to use his own experience in the hospital, and a joke about "restless leg syndrome." Waxman was of the mind that he was talking about a pretend-disease. That did not go well!"

WAXMAN: Somebody said, "Why is your knee jerking?" And I thought I was making a joke, and I said, "Well, I have restless leg syndrome." Now, I don't think there is such a thing as restless leg syndrome. I'll probably hear from all those people who have it. But I thought that restless leg syndrome was a disease that was created by a drug company that wanted to sell a drug for the disease they had created. And I was making a joke. Well, when I got out of the hospital, I looked at my record, it said, "He claims to have restless leg syndrome." Well, I don't know if there is such a thing or not. I don't have it. But a lot of people start thinking they have medical problems because they've seen too many of these commercials. I don't think that's doing the public a lot of good. It's certainly making the drug companies richer, but it's not doing a lot of good for the public.

HOST: Let's hear from Scott on the Independent line, from Greenbackville, Virginia.

SCOTT: Uh, yes. Representative Waxman, good morning. As someone who does have restless leg syndrome...

WAXMAN: [Laughter]

SCOTT: ...I can tell you that it does exist.

WAXMAN: It does exist.

SCOTT: Oh, absolutely. It's a terrible thing. I had achieved that through a back injury.

Story continues below

[WATCH]

SCHOOLED! Though it's worth pointing out that none of this changes how annoying those pharmaceutical commercials are, with their trippy cartoons and packs of wizened old men celebrating their boners in song and that one for Yaz that HuffPost Comedy Editor Alex Leo hates because of the terrible, awkward set up to a strained conversation about side-effects.

[WATCH]

Waxman's restless leg syndrome talking point died peacefully, and was probably survived by a bunch of talking points on the over-prescription of selective seratonin reuptake inhibitors.

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Comments

[Justice Wainwright]

In America, there is a disease for every pain, cramp, itch or mood.

Blessed be those who dare to approach me when my itchy eyebrow syndrome flares up.

The itch is horrible... just horrible. The only thing that helps is 400 dollar a month pills.

There is nothing suspicious about drug companies charging millions for pills that cure diseases that they have convinced people they have..
Nothing at all.

[frantaylor]

It's too bad there's no cure for ignorance.

[b1rd67]

You mean like school or something?

[hather]

Regardless of whether the condition does or does not exist, the problem is that for every person who might have it, there are ten who think they have do because they saw an add. They now know how to perfectly describe the symptoms to their doctor. He believes that the patient really does have it and prescribes the "appropriate" prescription.

The drug company now sells ten tens more than necessary and increases their profits substantially. No wonder the drug companies spend as much on advertising as they do on R&D.

But also remember that those ads help pay for all those wonderful shows you watch on Fox, CNN etc. You think the media wants that fat cash cow do be slimmed as might happen under health care reform?

[ClareP]

What about holding doctors responsible for doing their jobs and doing the proper testing and diagnosis before prescribing? The existence of a commercial doesn't mean that a patient can get a prescription- at least, it shouldn't. Why don't people complain that drugs are given out without proper diagnosis instead of denying that the disease exists? It makes no sense.

[Cockacola]

Amen to that....at my age, 52, my sons (doctors) are vainly trying to find something that I am ailing from........so I have neck pain, shoulder pain, and knee pain...I call it arthritis and wear warm clothing, take an occasional pain killer.

They of course predict I am going to be dead...soon. Because I don't listen to them, and am not constantly visiting a doctor to find out that what I thought was a busted fuse ought really to be a major engine overhaul.

But since no one in my family (both sides0 kicked the bucket before 85, I don't plan to feed on painkillers and unnecessary drugs to survive .

Oh, and we are all hale and hearty right until the final minutes.

[lmvd3]

I've had RLS for decades, and was diagnosed and treated for it at least a decade before the commercials. I haven't been convinced by any pharma companies about anything. I AM however, extremely relieved that my terrible disorder has a name and an effective treatment so I can live a normal life. Unfortunately for you, Justice Wainwright, sometimes there is no fixing ignorance.

[dynwitch]

At first I thought the headline read:

"Restless Man Schooled on Waxed Leg Syndrome."

[camsol]

My spouse has restless leg syndrome and has had it since we met in college. It prevents you from getting a good night's sleep because of the sensations it causes. It is not a "made up disease" but a real condition.

[Artamentous]

Why was he schooled? His observation seems pretty sound. I mean how many people do watch those ads and believe they have the condition? Unfortunately for Waxman he ran into someone who did have the example he was using. LOL

[PDXTransplant]

Open mouth insert restless foot there Waxman...

[PresidentRobertBooth]

What species is Waxman?

[PalaceOfWisdom]

In the picture here I'm convinced he's a bat. He seems like a good public servant, but what an unfortunate appearance.

[force fed up]

As someone who has RLS, my father, my sister and I all suffer from it and can attest that it is a very real thing... although, I think suffering is a bad word for it as its more annoying to the point of frustration than anything.

[Forester]

Maybe you are just nervous?

[force fed up]

nervousness doesn't make me want to go out and run around the block at 3am in the morning because my leg won't stay still long enough to sleep. You have no idea the annoyance.

[Tperl]

I never liked Waxman. Especially since he gave us meager Sen. Sherrod Brown instead of the war hero Paul Hackett. Waxman who is from CA was meddling in Ohio politics.

[revhatchell]

meh, that was some schooling.

[LiberalDemIda]

I'm not a doctor so I wouldn't know if restless leg syndrome really exists and is not caused by our poor food quality, stressful employment situation because we're told to work beyond our limits for little pay and zero job security with no benefits or paid vacation, but that said, he makes a valid point about the overuse of prescription drugs in this country.

I get a root canal done and my dentist immediately prescribes friggin codeine! Oh heck no. Over the counter Tylenol was more than enough and I only needed to use it twice in one day, so I get where Rep Waxman is coming from.

[force fed up]

RLS exists, its a genetic thing, it is passed along to your children. My sister and I both inherited it from my father. It has nothing to do with side effects from prescription drugs.

[PollyTics]

Before you post about a syndrome, disease or ailment; perhaps it might be good practice to do a search before you seemingly mock or diagnose it. http://www.rls.org/Page.aspx?pid=471

[psbintl]

You need to read a little bit more before you post on a subject, which you obviously know nothing about.

[Forester]

Can RLS activists go on protest marches, or are they more like a protest hops?

[Chernynkaya]

One of the weirdest parts of the commercial for restless leg syndrome is the list of possible side-effects: See your doctor if you develop a sudden urge to gamble. I'm not making this up- Hilarious! You'd have to be suffering from some really serious restless legs to trade that for compulsive gambling.

[BlueZoo]

We also took note of that "side effect" and laughed at it. It's absolutely ridiculous!

[force fed up]

I saw that commercial and was awestruck. Having RLS I can truly say I'd rather deal with RLS then the side effects of that drug any day.

[SusanStoHelit]

When you haven't slept for a week - compulsive gambling starts to look OK.

[CaptainObvious]

LOL - "sudden urge to gamble". Is that because, they don't have a lot of confidence that it will work, or is it because the side effects may well end up being worse than the original symptoms?

[Chernynkaya]

I don't know, but that side effect warning made me try to figure out what possible neural connection there could be between RLS and gambling. All I could imagine was that, if the medication failed, one's legs would walk them to the nearest casino against their will.

[cdub1991]

The side effect is listed because, of the people reporting any possibly drug related side effects, this one passed a percentage threshold. If they are including it in the commercial, it's because it has been reported enough by patients that they are legally bound to report it in their packaging and advertising.

[ThinkCreeps]

Sure it exists, but do most of its victims need an expensive and ongoing drug regime? If you lost your insurance coverage, would your first cash buy at the pharmacy be your medication for restless leg syndrome?

[MizLiz]

If you had suffered from this nasty condition for 50 years, believe me, you would NOT let your prescription of Mirapex run out. No way.

[force fed up]

No we don't. In fact most RLS suffers can use Aspirin to contain an attack. I prefer greener roads myself. ; )

[Chernynkaya]

Thanks for the tip. :)))

[b1rd67]

But that will always remain illegal until some huge multi-national corporation figures out how to patent it and corner the market.... no progress over profit, that's the capitalist motto!

[lmvd3]

Aspirin? You do not have RLS.

[emily00011]

i take 2 hour walks everyday to combat it. It still kicks in some evenings though. i suffer because i prefer not to take medicines, the cost is irrelevant (national healthcare ftw!)

[b1rd67]

This argument and most of the post's here are missing the point. I have no doubt that RLS exists and causes suffering. Nor is the debae about whether or not it requires an "expensive ongoing drug regime." The real debate is whether patients should be guided through these decisions by a licensed, credible doctor or by an infomercial.

[lmvd3]

YES! If my insurance coverage lapsed, I would still have to have the treatment or I would only sleep about two hours at a time. Lack of REM sleep wreaks havoc on the mind and body within days. Imagine what it can do over decades. It's an awful existence.

[sense oar sheep]

representative waxman's point is well taken.