In the U.S., big pharmacuetical ( Big Pharma) companies make huge amounts of profit with prescription drugs. But just because drugs are FDA approved does not mean it’s safe for you. Especially the side effects that could do more harm then good.

Last December, the FDA require that epileptic drugs used by millions of patients to control epileptic seizures must carry warnings about heightened risks of suicide. Anti-seizure drugs are used for a variety of illnesses besides epilepsy. These include migraines, nerve-pain disorders, and psychiatric diseases such as bipolar disorder. The warnings include 21 medications, including GlaxoSmithKline’s Lamictal, Johnson & Johnson’s Topamax and Pfizer’s Lyrica.

Red or blue pills?  Certain colors may effect how you feel about taking them too. Photo from Getty Images via AOL.

John Kopchinski, a former Pfizer sales representative won a lawsuit against his employer today.  A summary from  Reuters News on September 3, 2009; “Kopchinski, appalled by Pfizer’s tactics in selling the pain drug Bextra, filed a “qui tam” lawsuit in 2003, sparking federal and state probes that led to Wednesday’s agreement by the company to pay $2.3 billion in civil and criminal penalties and plead guilty to a felony charge for promoting Bextra and 12 other drugs for unapproved uses and doses.”

Kopchinski was awarded $51.5 million as a result of his lawsuit. The amount is probably just a drop in the Big Pharma bucket. Pfizer’s sales was $44.2 billion last year. According to pharmaceutical research firm IMS Health, seizure drugs were the fifth bestselling class of drugs in the U.S. last year, with sales over $10 billion. And in the U.S., half of Americans take antidepressant drugs.

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Every time I hear about “creating wealth”, I always think of those late night infomercials. Or those weekend seminars that try to lure people into false expectations while taking them for a ride.

But these tips I found from a Canadian motivational speaker, T. Harv Eker, is pretty basic and makes sense. I’ve been living with these same principles for some time, before I even heard about them. I think it’s made me a much calmer and more understanding person.

Tips for Creative Wealth

-Stop being a victim. Stop blaming, rationalizing, stop complaining.

-Stop resenting rich and successful people. Admire and model them.

-Play the money game to win. Stop playing to survive. Go out there to create massive earnings and wealth.

-Think both: I can be rich and spiritual, rich and generous, rich and kind.

-Act in spite of fear. If you’re afraid, that’s good. It means you’re pushing out of your comfort zone.

-Be bigger then your problems. Most people are smaller than their problems. Don’t just try to avoid or get rid of them. Be bigger than them.

-You obviously have to manage your money well. Rich people manage their money well, poor people manage poorly.

Lately I’ve been really interested in making my own soaps. The process sounds simple, but the steps have to be taken with due consideration. As some of the ingredients used (such as lye) can be dangerous. So the next best thing for me now is to just buy the handmade stuff.

PACIFICA Hawaiian Ruby Guava Bar Soap

The company I really like is Pacifica. They first started out with lovely soy candles. And now they have soaps for about $7. The company is based in Portland, Oregon. They are also a great company that stands behind their products. Fine ingredients and care for Mother Earth. My favorite soap is the “Hawaiin Ruby guava”. The smell bring up stories of my mother’s childhood of growing up in a guava orchard in Asia.

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Beauty Center - PACIFICA Hawaiian Ruby Guava Bar Soap $6.99