0:00:03 > 0:00:04Get your pills. Honest Pharmacy.
0:00:04 > 0:00:07We are selling pills with side effects guaranteed.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11'My name is Chris van Tulleken.'
0:00:11 > 0:00:13Gastric bleeding, sir?
0:00:13 > 0:00:16'I'm a doctor looking for answers to a crisis in medicine
0:00:16 > 0:00:18'that threatens us all.'
0:00:18 > 0:00:22It can erode your stomach lining and then you bleed from your
0:00:22 > 0:00:25stomach, and it kills a certain number of people every year.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31Every year, doctors hand out over a billion prescriptions.
0:00:31 > 0:00:35We're just prescribing more and more and more pills.
0:00:35 > 0:00:36Aaaah.
0:00:36 > 0:00:41'That's 15 courses of medicine for every man, woman and child.'
0:00:41 > 0:00:43You've got a headache, you take paracetamol.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45You've got a backache, you take co-codamol.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47That is an overdose.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50Drugs do save lives, but this growing binge
0:00:50 > 0:00:51on medicines is dangerous.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56How could this ever be good for a human being?
0:00:56 > 0:00:58'Millions of people suffer from side effects.'
0:00:58 > 0:01:01I was waking up depressed.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04And thousands die every year.
0:01:04 > 0:01:09Overuse of medication is one of the most serious problems that we face.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12'I believe there's another way.'
0:01:12 > 0:01:17Today is the last day that you are going to take these drugs.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19OK.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22I'm going to take over part of a doctor's surgery
0:01:22 > 0:01:26where I'll replace the drugs by treating patients without pills.
0:01:27 > 0:01:28From chronic pain...
0:01:28 > 0:01:32Oh. ..to depression.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34But with worried doctors...
0:01:34 > 0:01:37Stopping things can potentially be downright dangerous.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41..and patients who want the drugs I'm trying to stop.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43Most of those pills do not work at all.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45But they're painkillers.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48Persuading Britain to go cold turkey could be the hardest thing
0:01:48 > 0:01:50I've ever done.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52Intensely depressed about...
0:01:52 > 0:01:54about how to make a change.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08Ah, my pills. Thank you. OK.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11'I've been a doctor for 14 years,
0:02:11 > 0:02:15'and I'm increasingly alarmed by the steep rise in prescription rates.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18'They've rocketed by over 50%.'
0:02:18 > 0:02:21So I've ordered bags of pills
0:02:21 > 0:02:25and I'm going to try and work out how many of these things does a
0:02:25 > 0:02:27typical person take in a lifetime.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32'As babies, we're given essential vaccines and more than likely
0:02:32 > 0:02:34'several doses of antibiotics.'
0:02:35 > 0:02:39And then the only other thing that a well nought-to-ten-year-old
0:02:39 > 0:02:43is going to take, really, is drugs that reduce fever.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46That's about 400 pills in there.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49That's the number of doses of drugs a well,
0:02:49 > 0:02:52normal child gets in the first ten years of its life.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55'All good. But by the time we hit our teens,
0:02:55 > 0:02:59'it becomes utterly normal to pop pills on a regular basis.'
0:02:59 > 0:03:011,500 painkillers.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05'From oral contraceptives to antibiotics.'
0:03:05 > 0:03:08That's around about 4,000 pills or doses,
0:03:08 > 0:03:11so there's the second decade of your life.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13'Things ramp up towards middle age.'
0:03:13 > 0:03:16So, 20 to 50 - what drugs might we take?
0:03:16 > 0:03:19'And at some point it certainly wouldn't be unusual
0:03:19 > 0:03:21'to hit a bout of depression.'
0:03:21 > 0:03:24In Blackpool, one in five people
0:03:24 > 0:03:27gets an antidepressant prescription.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29That's a staggering number.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37'As you reach 50, you might be taking 1,000 pills a year.'
0:03:38 > 0:03:41This is what we take from 20 to 50.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44'But things really get going when we hit our 60s,
0:03:44 > 0:03:47'with a tsunami of drugs designed to prolong life.'
0:03:48 > 0:03:51Just two pills a day to manage that blood pressure.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54'In the course of a lifetime,
0:03:54 > 0:03:58'a healthy person could easily consume up to 100,000 pills.'
0:04:00 > 0:04:04I mean, this is just a staggering amount of drugs.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09It's important to say that some of these drugs do good -
0:04:09 > 0:04:12they save lives, they make you feel better.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15But they can all do harm, all of them.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20That harm comes in the form of side effects, from headaches
0:04:20 > 0:04:22'to stomach bleeds.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24'In many cases, they can be worse than the condition
0:04:24 > 0:04:27'they're supposed to treat.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30'I believe we should be turning to new research that suggests that many
0:04:30 > 0:04:33'common illnesses are best treated without drugs.'
0:04:34 > 0:04:38I want to be clear, this is not some personal crusade against all
0:04:38 > 0:04:43medicines. There are drugs that benefit and save countless lives.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45But...
0:04:45 > 0:04:49modern medicine has got to a point where we treat millions of people in
0:04:49 > 0:04:54this country with drugs that the science says don't work very well,
0:04:54 > 0:04:56for many people they don't work at all,
0:04:56 > 0:04:58and they do massive amounts of harm.
0:04:58 > 0:04:59They kill people.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07'I'm going to work where more than half of the NHS drugs budget is spent -
0:05:07 > 0:05:11'a GP surgery - but instead of handing out drugs,
0:05:11 > 0:05:13'I'm going to take them away.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17'I've found a nearby clinic that's willing to let me test my theory.'
0:05:18 > 0:05:20Churchill Health Care, Pat speaking. Can I help?
0:05:20 > 0:05:23Churchill Medical Centre is in Chingford, Northeast London.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26Mrs Collins. Going to pop this in your ear.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29The doctors here agree that over-prescription
0:05:29 > 0:05:31is a serious national problem,
0:05:31 > 0:05:33and they're keen to see what I can do about it,
0:05:33 > 0:05:36but they aren't all convinced that I'll find answers
0:05:36 > 0:05:39by taking patients off their drugs.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42I guess the worst case scenario would be somebody died.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47The notion that Chris is going to come in and just completely take
0:05:47 > 0:05:50people off drugs and then happily manage them without these things,
0:05:50 > 0:05:52I think, is ludicrous.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55It would be lovely to see if he could do it.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58I don't think it's going to be a walk in the park.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01This is great. It's great, I'm here.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05First day at work.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07New school.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11Right.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16Hi. 'The staff have gathered to hear my plans.'
0:06:16 > 0:06:20Thank you very much for making the time to see us today.
0:06:20 > 0:06:26So, I guess what I want to do is set up a clinic within this practice
0:06:26 > 0:06:31where I will attempt, with guidance and advice,
0:06:31 > 0:06:33to stop people's prescriptions.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35It's quite a risky idea.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40What is your instinct about this as a problem,
0:06:40 > 0:06:43as a thing that needs addressing?
0:06:43 > 0:06:44Are you optimistic?
0:06:47 > 0:06:50Everyone's very poker-faced, I have to say.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52THEY LAUGH
0:06:54 > 0:06:55So the principle behind it, you know,
0:06:55 > 0:06:58I don't think you're going to have anyone in the practice
0:06:58 > 0:07:00that turns round and says, "No, I think that's a bad idea."
0:07:00 > 0:07:03Oh, great. A bit of me was thinking some of you might
0:07:03 > 0:07:04just think I'm mad.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08I mean I've read all... I didn't say we didn't think that.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13Great.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15It's going to take a while to convince them
0:07:15 > 0:07:17that I know what I'm doing.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19So, I'm not a GP.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22Being a GP is a highly skilled medical specialism, really,
0:07:22 > 0:07:26and I can't just turn up and do it unsupervised,
0:07:26 > 0:07:29so I've been given a mentor, called Kam, who I'm about to meet,
0:07:29 > 0:07:32and it's a bit like going back to medical school, so...
0:07:34 > 0:07:37Dr Kam Seehra is one of the practice partners.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39Kam. Hi. Hi.
0:07:39 > 0:07:40I'm Chris. Kam.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44How you doing? Thanks very much for looking after me, in advance.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47What do you think of my plan?
0:07:47 > 0:07:49I would love for you to find some alternatives that are safe,
0:07:50 > 0:07:51I would love for you to find some alternatives that are safe,
0:07:51 > 0:07:53that are viable and that we can carry through,
0:07:53 > 0:07:55but I am quite sceptical.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57I think it's worth a go.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59I guess that's where I'm left.
0:08:00 > 0:08:01Is she in any pain?
0:08:03 > 0:08:09This is a busy practice with 14,000 patients and 15 full-time doctors.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11I need the drugs? Yeah.
0:08:11 > 0:08:16Last year they handed out nearly 200,000 prescriptions.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18I'm hoping to help them cut the amount of drugs
0:08:18 > 0:08:22they give out and make changes that could be taken up
0:08:22 > 0:08:23across the country.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27So, we only have ten minutes per patient and in that time, you know,
0:08:27 > 0:08:29we're trying to address their...
0:08:29 > 0:08:31the concerns that they've come in with,
0:08:31 > 0:08:33so it's quite a lot to be able to manage in ten minutes.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38Kam has suggested I start by watching him treat patients
0:08:38 > 0:08:40so I can see the problem for myself.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45Hi. Hi, come on in. How can we help?
0:08:45 > 0:08:46I think I've got gout.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49It's really painful.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53'Gout is a type of arthritis that causes attacks of severe joint pain.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59'The medication used to treat it can cause ulcers and, in extreme cases,
0:08:59 > 0:09:00'stomach bleeds.'
0:09:00 > 0:09:04So, we'll give you some naproxen, which is twice a day,
0:09:04 > 0:09:06which makes it easier for you when you're working.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09Yeah. And we'll give you one stomach protection tablet.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11All right? Lovely. Thanks very much.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13Thank you. Take care. Cheers, thanks.
0:09:13 > 0:09:18Do you think you could have avoided giving him those two pills?
0:09:18 > 0:09:24Well, he's a builder, he's on his feet all day doing heavy lifting.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26I think he needed those tablets.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28It's pretty hard to argue with that. Absolutely.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30And those drugs were dispensed in just about the most
0:09:30 > 0:09:32responsible way I can imagine.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36Come on. I'm Chris. How's it going? Good.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38Have a seat. Right, how can we help?
0:09:38 > 0:09:40I need the dizzy pills again.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43I can't wake up in the morning properly, because it makes me sick.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45How often are you vomiting? Every time I'm dizzy.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47Let's have a look at your good one first.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50'In just ten minutes, Kam must examine the patient,
0:09:50 > 0:09:52'find out what's wrong,
0:09:52 > 0:09:55'decide the treatment to give and discuss it with them.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57'All before the next patient arrives.'
0:10:00 > 0:10:02That's for a couple of months, OK?
0:10:02 > 0:10:04Hopefully it should improve.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06Thanks a lot. See you later, man. See you. Have a good day.
0:10:06 > 0:10:11So, do you think that giving him drugs was the right thing to do?
0:10:11 > 0:10:16I mean, he's vomiting on a weekly basis and that's not going to be
0:10:16 > 0:10:17healthy, so this, for me,
0:10:17 > 0:10:20something that's going to actually make him feel better,
0:10:20 > 0:10:22is an easy medicine to be giving.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24'As the day passes, I notice a pattern.'
0:10:26 > 0:10:29For now, we will give you some treatment,
0:10:29 > 0:10:31some antibiotics to treat this.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34So, more drugs, Kam. Yeah, more drugs.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36If we don't treat him, he could die.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38We're trying to nip it in the bud, really.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40I've got a serious ear pain.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42So, we're going to give you a spray.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44Steroids and antibiotics.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55Every single person walked out of here with a prescription, virtually.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58Is that right? When you're there in front of someone,
0:10:58 > 0:11:02you can cite all the evidence you like,
0:11:02 > 0:11:05they're still there and they're still in pain, for example.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09You still have to manage that and it's very difficult to say,
0:11:09 > 0:11:12"Well, the evidence suggests that we don't treat you for this,
0:11:12 > 0:11:14"and so we're not going to give you...
0:11:14 > 0:11:16"You're going to carry on in pain."
0:11:16 > 0:11:19No-one could deny that he is a superb doctor,
0:11:19 > 0:11:25and yet he saw 40 patients and he dealt out 39 prescriptions.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28When you look at each one of those decisions,
0:11:28 > 0:11:32it feels like, "Well, yeah, that's OK, I'd do the same thing."
0:11:32 > 0:11:34But when you look at that big picture of everyone
0:11:34 > 0:11:38who comes in walks out with drugs, that can't be a good thing.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44'I can't quite put my finger on what's going wrong.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48'To find out, I'm meeting one of Britain's most senior doctors.'
0:11:49 > 0:11:52Hi, Muir. How are you? Good.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55Well, it's very nice to see you.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59'So, Muir Gray used to be Chief Knowledge Officer for the NHS.'
0:11:59 > 0:12:04Overuse of medication is one of the most serious problems
0:12:04 > 0:12:07that we face in health care in every developed country.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10How have we got to a point where
0:12:10 > 0:12:14we have too much medicine?
0:12:14 > 0:12:15How has it all happened?
0:12:15 > 0:12:18We've got these 40,000 doctors sitting in a room
0:12:18 > 0:12:22with ten minutes to get closure.
0:12:22 > 0:12:27We've got patients who we've led to believe that the solution
0:12:27 > 0:12:32is a prescription and we've got nothing else to offer them.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36So, surprise, surprise, how do we finish off the consultation?
0:12:36 > 0:12:39The pressure's terrific to finish the consultation
0:12:39 > 0:12:42with a prescription, and therefore we need a revolution.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44We need to change the way we think
0:12:44 > 0:12:46and we need to change the way we do things.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00Morning. Good morning. Morning, Morag.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03'I'm going to start my revolution by helping patients
0:13:03 > 0:13:05'who've become victims of the system.'
0:13:06 > 0:13:09She's room three. Next-door to Doctor Simmons' room.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12The surgery soon finds someone that they hope I can help.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18Wendy? Chris van Tulleken. Don't worry at all, it's fine.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20Have a seat there. Thank you.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22I've got a major problem with my shoulder.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25It just feels like my whole shoulder and my arm,
0:13:25 > 0:13:27just feels like pins and needles in my hand.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30I can't pick anything up, I can't grip. It hurts.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33'Wendy's been taking painkillers for the past 20 years
0:13:33 > 0:13:36'to deal with chronic pain in her shoulder and back.'
0:13:36 > 0:13:38It's sort of here, the pain.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41'Despite physiotherapy and referrals to specialists,
0:13:41 > 0:13:44'her doctors still can't figure out what's wrong.'
0:13:44 > 0:13:46OK.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49'She's now being prescribed increasingly powerful drugs.'
0:13:49 > 0:13:51What helps? Does anything help it?
0:13:53 > 0:13:55Diazepam. It's a highly addictive...
0:13:55 > 0:13:58I really begged for them and they wouldn't give them to me.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01It's quite dangerous, yeah. I was like, "Please give me more."
0:14:01 > 0:14:04The problem is you have to take more and more and more and more...
0:14:04 > 0:14:06Really? ..to get that same effect.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10Right, OK. And it becomes extremely toxic, and when you stop taking it,
0:14:10 > 0:14:12it's really dangerous.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15Right. 'Consuming these drugs long-term
0:14:15 > 0:14:17'could be causing Wendy real harm.'
0:14:17 > 0:14:19Thank you so much. It was very nice to see you.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21OK, we'll be in touch. All right, thanks. Cheers, bye. Bye.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23'I want to help her find another way.'
0:14:26 > 0:14:29Prescriptions for painkillers have shot up
0:14:29 > 0:14:31by nearly 50% in the last decade.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35They are now some of Britain's most commonly used drugs.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40Wendy is the normal.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43She's taking stuff that's mainly over the counter,
0:14:43 > 0:14:46it's available to all of us and it's the stuff we all take a huge amount
0:14:46 > 0:14:49of, but for the most part it doesn't work very well.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56'A recent review of research into over-the-counter painkillers
0:14:56 > 0:14:59'found many only work about half the time.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01'I wonder if the painkillers are really working for Wendy?
0:15:01 > 0:15:03'To find out more,
0:15:03 > 0:15:06'I'm abandoning the usual ten-minute appointment and making
0:15:06 > 0:15:08'an old-fashioned home visit.'
0:15:10 > 0:15:15DOG YAPS Beware of the dog.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20DOG GROWLS Oh, hello. Who are you?
0:15:20 > 0:15:23Jasper. Hi, Jasper. Hi, I'm Chris.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26Thank you for having me. That's OK, you're welcome.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28And who are these guys? This is Jasper and Boo.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30Boo. Hi, Boo.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34'Wendy lives with her husband Alan and her daughter Jade.'
0:15:34 > 0:15:37I feel like I want to go straight to your drugs cabinet. OK.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39Let's not do that, let's have a cup of tea.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42Let's have a cup of tea first.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45You've been off and on painkillers for 20 years...
0:15:45 > 0:15:47Yeah. ..for this... Yeah, yeah.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50The last two years, nearly every day, I've been taking painkillers.
0:15:50 > 0:15:51But it's never really gone.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54Are you in a worse state now than you were 20 years ago?
0:15:54 > 0:15:56I'm definitely worse now than I was.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58Definitely. Right.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01So, talk about the drugs. Where are the drugs?
0:16:01 > 0:16:04OK, so I've got my tablets in here, if you want to see them.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07Well, get it all out, come on. This is the cupboard of shame.
0:16:07 > 0:16:08Co-codamol.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14'Wendy takes a daily cocktail of three different painkillers.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17'Paracetamol, ibuprofen and codeine.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20'They're supposed to work by interfering with pain messages
0:16:20 > 0:16:22'sent to the brain.'
0:16:23 > 0:16:27Can we lay it out? Do you mind if I pop out, for the whole day,
0:16:27 > 0:16:29pop out the pills that you would have?
0:16:29 > 0:16:31Yes. OK.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37'Taking a cocktail of painkillers like Wendy does every day
0:16:37 > 0:16:39'can produce more of an effect.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43'But in cases where they don't work,
0:16:43 > 0:16:46'patients can end up taking bigger and bigger doses.'
0:16:46 > 0:16:48Now we've laid it out, what do you think of that?
0:16:48 > 0:16:49I know...I did think to myself,
0:16:49 > 0:16:52especially in the morning when I take that one as well,
0:16:52 > 0:16:56and I was thinking, "Oh, my God, this is a lot of pills I'm taking."
0:16:56 > 0:16:59When you do take all of them,
0:16:59 > 0:17:02cos you're having a bad day,
0:17:02 > 0:17:05does all the pain go away, are you completely better?
0:17:05 > 0:17:08No. Basically, it sort of eases off
0:17:08 > 0:17:10and then I know it's four hours later and I have to
0:17:10 > 0:17:12start and take them again.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15OK. I'm surprised at the amount of drugs you're taking.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17I didn't know you were taking that many daily.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19That's only when I've got a really bad back.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21But then I've never seen you without a bad back.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23You've never walked through that door and said,
0:17:23 > 0:17:26"I've just had some drugs, my back feels better."
0:17:26 > 0:17:29Every time you come through that door it's, "My back's really bad."
0:17:29 > 0:17:31I know, because I need to take some more drugs.
0:17:31 > 0:17:32Well, you've just had some, probably.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34No, I take them every four hours, I don't...
0:17:34 > 0:17:38Exactly. You told me, "Don't worry about four hours, three hours..."
0:17:38 > 0:17:41I didn't know you was taking that amount, though. I didn't realise...
0:17:41 > 0:17:43I thought you was taking one pill a day or something...
0:17:43 > 0:17:46I must admit, to be honest, I was taking three of them.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48Oh, my Lord, really? Sorry, I thought you meant
0:17:48 > 0:17:51you were actually only taking them three times a day.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53What you mean is you were taking three, four times a day?
0:17:53 > 0:17:56Yeah. That is an overdose.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59'I'm worried about Wendy's excessive drug use,
0:17:59 > 0:18:02'and I want her to understand the dangers.'
0:18:02 > 0:18:04So, ibuprofen can damage your kidneys.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06Right. Especially at the dosages you're having it.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09OK. The paracetamol could damage your liver.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11So, if you hurt your liver, we can't do anything.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13You either get a transplant or you die.
0:18:13 > 0:18:19Right. So, the number one cause of acute liver injury in this country
0:18:19 > 0:18:21is paracetamol overdose.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23OK. The other thing I think I would really like to try
0:18:23 > 0:18:26and do to you is prove to you that the drugs don't work.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28They're painkillers.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30So they must work, they get rid of the pain.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33You're in as much pain, I believe, with them or without them.
0:18:33 > 0:18:38No, I'm in more pain without them. That's got to be a mental thing.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40Are you saying that I'm mental? No, I think that's what you're
0:18:40 > 0:18:43telling yourself... It's in your head. ..cos every four hours,
0:18:43 > 0:18:45you need those drugs. No, it's not in my head.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47The pain is real, I'm telling you. No, no, no. No.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49I don't dispute for one minute the pain is real,
0:18:49 > 0:18:52all I'm disputing - I don't think the painkillers
0:18:52 > 0:18:54are giving you as much relief
0:18:54 > 0:18:56as what you're saying or thinking they are.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58OK, Dr Alan(!) No, I'm just saying.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01Would you be willing to let me just take away all the drugs?
0:19:01 > 0:19:04If I can have another solution and get rid of the pain,
0:19:04 > 0:19:07then I'll be happy to do that.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10When was the last time you went and saw a physio
0:19:10 > 0:19:13and did some exercises to help your shoulder?
0:19:13 > 0:19:17I normally do, like, sort of a few stretches and whatever,
0:19:17 > 0:19:19and then you just forget about it and get on with the day.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22On an honest note, how many times have you come to this house
0:19:22 > 0:19:25and seen Mum doing any exercises for her back?
0:19:25 > 0:19:27I don't know. You don't. I do them in the bedroom.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29You'll go along in the car and you'll do...
0:19:29 > 0:19:31"I just need to do these exercises."
0:19:31 > 0:19:34She'll be in the car and she'll go... Yeah, she does that.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37The truth is, Wendy, you'd rather go and pop a pill
0:19:37 > 0:19:40than doing them exercises. No, no, when you're not here...
0:19:40 > 0:19:42This morning, how many...
0:19:42 > 0:19:44Did you do exercises for your bad shoulder?
0:19:44 > 0:19:46No, I... Yesterday, did you do exercise...?
0:19:46 > 0:19:47No, I must admit...
0:19:49 > 0:19:50No.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55See you, bye. Bye, Jasper. DOG BARKS
0:19:58 > 0:20:01She's done bugger all other than take pills, that's what I think.
0:20:01 > 0:20:02She's done nothing.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07She's spent a huge amount on people poking and prodding and making that
0:20:07 > 0:20:12pain worse and she needs to do some graft, some exercise.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15And the other thing is - those painkillers don't work.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19I thought, "Oh, maybe they do." Those painkillers do not work.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21'I just need to think of a clever way to convince her
0:20:21 > 0:20:23'to stop taking them.'
0:20:26 > 0:20:29'Wendy's pill habit is one part of a bigger problem.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33'In my day job, I'm an infection doctor and a scientist,
0:20:33 > 0:20:35'and I'm now facing the most terrifying consequence
0:20:35 > 0:20:39'of our pill-popping culture - antibiotic resistance.'
0:20:39 > 0:20:43By overusing antibiotics, we generate antibiotic resistance,
0:20:43 > 0:20:47which spells the end for life as we know it on this planet.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49That's a doomsday scenario.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54'They're vital for treating and preventing bacterial infections.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58'Without them, many medical procedures simply won't be possible.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03'But we've prescribed them so much that the bacteria they should kill'
0:21:03 > 0:21:05'have evolved to resist them.'
0:21:05 > 0:21:06People don't quite get this.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08If we run out of antibiotics,
0:21:08 > 0:21:13it's not that we can no longer treat your, you know, infected finger.
0:21:13 > 0:21:18It's that we can't do any more bone surgery, we can't treat cancer,
0:21:18 > 0:21:21we can't run a hospital, you can't have an intensive care unit,
0:21:21 > 0:21:23you can't do anything.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28'Drug-resistant infections are becoming increasingly common
0:21:28 > 0:21:29'in hospitals.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32'Unless we cut antibiotic use and slow the spread
0:21:32 > 0:21:36'of these new superbugs, it's estimated they'll kill
0:21:36 > 0:21:38'ten million people a year by 2050.'
0:21:43 > 0:21:46I'm calling from Churchill Medical Centre.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49One of our patients has written to us, sorry.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51Catherine, are you...? Are you in a meeting?
0:21:51 > 0:21:54Yeah. Free sandwiches here in two minutes.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59Do you want to come to the...? I'll come in a couple of minutes,
0:21:59 > 0:22:01if that's all right? Fine.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04'I've discovered this practice has one of the highest antibiotic
0:22:04 > 0:22:07'prescription rates in the area.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09'I've asked for a meeting to discuss what we can do about it.'
0:22:11 > 0:22:16I guess this is the first time I've spoken to them,
0:22:16 > 0:22:20and I feel like I am going to fairly bluntly criticise them.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23And that's really uncomfortable,
0:22:23 > 0:22:26but I guess I do have the authority that I am an infection doctor.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31Phil, have a seat, grab a sandwich.
0:22:35 > 0:22:37So, of the 45 practices,
0:22:37 > 0:22:41you are the ninth biggest prescriber in the local area.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44I guess that begs the question - why?
0:22:44 > 0:22:48I don't think we've got anybody who is very cavalier
0:22:48 > 0:22:49with their prescribing.
0:22:49 > 0:22:54I'd say 99.9% of the time they are appropriate prescriptions.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58I do come from a position where I think we do, in general,
0:22:58 > 0:22:59overuse antibiotics.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02We probably underreport side effects,
0:23:02 > 0:23:05and resistance is such an enormous problem
0:23:05 > 0:23:07that we should take every step we can.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11It's all very nice sitting at the front and saying,
0:23:11 > 0:23:12"You give too many antibiotics."
0:23:12 > 0:23:15I challenge you to come and sit with me in surgery,
0:23:15 > 0:23:18see the patients and see what you can do, and, yeah,
0:23:18 > 0:23:21try and resist. Fine. Great.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23I mean, how hard can it be?
0:23:30 > 0:23:33'This morning I'm taking Kam up on his challenge.'
0:23:38 > 0:23:41'Nine out of ten GPs feel pressurised
0:23:41 > 0:23:43'to prescribe antibiotics.'
0:23:43 > 0:23:45'I want to see if I'll be able to resist.'
0:23:53 > 0:23:57Today's my first day as a GP,
0:23:57 > 0:24:02and it's very nerve-racking, because, of course, I'm not a GP.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05'Today I'll be the doctor in charge and Kam will be in the room
0:24:05 > 0:24:07'in case I need help.'
0:24:07 > 0:24:09I think coming in with his own agenda,
0:24:09 > 0:24:13what he will really find difficult is patients have their own agenda
0:24:13 > 0:24:18and when those clash, then that doesn't lead to a good outcome.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21You ready? No. Of course I'm not ready.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24Am I ready? I'm not ready at all.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27You've done clinics. I know, I don't know why...
0:24:27 > 0:24:29This is not a big deal, I can see a patient.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31Right, here we go. OK.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34Why is my mouth dry and my palms sweaty?
0:24:34 > 0:24:36OK, Nick Kearns, right. Have we called him?
0:24:37 > 0:24:39Nick Kearns.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42What's up today? Why have you come to see me?
0:24:42 > 0:24:45Well, I've had a sore throat and generally felt pretty rough
0:24:45 > 0:24:46for about a week.
0:24:46 > 0:24:51What do you feel you would like out of today's consultation?
0:24:51 > 0:24:55Antibiotics to just completely eradicate it. Get rid of it.
0:24:55 > 0:24:56OK.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02'Antibiotics only work with bacterial infections,
0:25:02 > 0:25:05'but they can be given unnecessarily to patients
0:25:05 > 0:25:06'suffering from viral infections.'
0:25:06 > 0:25:08It is a bit red.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10But there's no pus there.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13'This patient appears to have a virus
0:25:13 > 0:25:16'which should clear up by itself.'
0:25:16 > 0:25:18I mean, I think you are just going to get better,
0:25:18 > 0:25:21this is going to be self-limiting, and in your case antibiotics
0:25:21 > 0:25:23might cause more problems than they'll solve. Yeah.
0:25:23 > 0:25:24Is that all right with you?
0:25:24 > 0:25:27Yeah, if you think I'm going to get better on my own.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30Great. OK. Very nice to see you.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32And you, yeah. Thanks a lot.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34It's my first success and I'm feeling quite smug.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37You know, that was a fairly simple case,
0:25:37 > 0:25:40someone came in with a sore throat and he was very amenable.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42I'm sure the next one is not as easy.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45Carla? What's up?
0:25:45 > 0:25:49OK, well, basically I've had an ongoing problem with my toe.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51'It's going to need re-operation.'
0:25:53 > 0:25:55So, what would you do? Give a course of antibiotics?
0:25:55 > 0:25:58What would you do? Well... OK.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00Does it need antibiotics?
0:26:00 > 0:26:02'Even with many bacterial infections,
0:26:02 > 0:26:05'patients get better over time without drugs.'
0:26:07 > 0:26:10Well, I guess I would wonder if this is actually going to go away
0:26:10 > 0:26:12with antibiotics, bearing in mind we've got a lot of pus there,
0:26:12 > 0:26:14would I put a hole in there and see if it will drain out.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17Last time, I believe, I had a course of antibiotics
0:26:17 > 0:26:18which helped really a lot.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21I start my placement as a student nurse in a couple of weeks.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23Fine. There's no way you're going to be able to make that,
0:26:23 > 0:26:25so we'll prescribe some antibiotics.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27'Perhaps I should have held out,
0:26:27 > 0:26:31'but the antibiotics may prevent serious complications.'
0:26:32 > 0:26:36Say ah. Aaaaah. She usually gets better with antibiotics.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43'And when this mum wants antibiotics to help her child recover
0:26:43 > 0:26:45'in time for exams...'
0:26:45 > 0:26:47So, I'm very happy to give you antibiotics
0:26:47 > 0:26:48in this particular instance.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53Are you happy to hold her while I just have a look? Yeah.
0:26:53 > 0:26:58'Some bacterial infections can kill if not treated.'
0:26:58 > 0:27:00Oh!
0:27:00 > 0:27:03'And without a test to be certain it's not bacterial,'
0:27:03 > 0:27:06'I prescribe antibiotics just to be safe.'
0:27:06 > 0:27:09So, we'll give you some eardrops that have an antibiotic in them.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11There is your prescription. Thank you.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14The waiting. I'm literally talking to myself with it,
0:27:14 > 0:27:16you know what I mean? Really bad.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20'It's the end of the day and I come across a patient
0:27:20 > 0:27:23'that I'm reasonably confident doesn't need a prescription.'
0:27:23 > 0:27:25There are risks with antibiotics.
0:27:25 > 0:27:27No, as I say, I do need them.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29OK. That's the way I look at it.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33But to just walk out with nothing, I wouldn't feel safe.
0:27:33 > 0:27:34That's what I'm trying to say.
0:27:36 > 0:27:4197% of patients in the UK who ask for antibiotics are prescribed them.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45Unless you're certain the infection's not bacterial,
0:27:45 > 0:27:47it's the safest thing to do.
0:27:47 > 0:27:51Thank you very much for your time. All right. Thank you.
0:27:53 > 0:27:57I did not want to give him... Yeah. ..a course of antibiotics.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00OK. And I gave him a course of antibiotics.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02And I definitely would have stepped in if you had said no.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05Someone with so many other medical problems,
0:28:05 > 0:28:08I would really be keen not to let them get any worse.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11Yeah? So, that's what we're really...
0:28:11 > 0:28:13You know, that type of patient
0:28:13 > 0:28:16is what you're really trying to deal with.
0:28:16 > 0:28:17'It's been a difficult day.'
0:28:21 > 0:28:22I feel...
0:28:28 > 0:28:32I'm kind of all at once in awe of what has to be done in a day -
0:28:32 > 0:28:35and Kam, bear in mind, is still in there doing his stuff -
0:28:35 > 0:28:38and intensely depressed about...
0:28:39 > 0:28:40..about how to make a change.
0:28:49 > 0:28:53'This drug problem can't be solved by just saying no.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56'I'm going to have to think of a different approach.'
0:29:03 > 0:29:07Is that the only thing you're needing? Can you do 3:30?
0:29:07 > 0:29:10Can I have a prescription for a lady...
0:29:12 > 0:29:14I've found another patient.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17Sarah isn't registered at this practice,
0:29:17 > 0:29:19but she's heard about my work here and wants my help
0:29:19 > 0:29:20to come off her meds.
0:29:20 > 0:29:23Sarah. Come on in.
0:29:23 > 0:29:27'She's 24 and she's one of over five million people in this country
0:29:27 > 0:29:29'who take antidepressants.'
0:29:29 > 0:29:32There you go. Thank you very much.
0:29:32 > 0:29:37I've always just felt very low and very depressed and...very uptight.
0:29:37 > 0:29:39And then when I got to 16, I went to the doctors
0:29:39 > 0:29:42and I got myself diagnosed with depression and I got put
0:29:42 > 0:29:46on medication from that age to try and kind of level myself out.
0:29:46 > 0:29:49Why do you want to stop your pills?
0:29:49 > 0:29:53I feel like they mask everything,
0:29:53 > 0:29:56but they're not getting to any root of any problem,
0:29:56 > 0:29:58they're not really resolving anything long-term.
0:29:58 > 0:30:00OK. What happens when you try to stop them?
0:30:00 > 0:30:02I have really, really bad downs.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05OK. And I don't really see any other way of
0:30:05 > 0:30:08stopping the downs apart from going back on the antidepressants.
0:30:08 > 0:30:09It's thought that antidepressants
0:30:09 > 0:30:13alter levels of brain chemicals known as neurotransmitters,
0:30:13 > 0:30:15which can influence mood.
0:30:15 > 0:30:18Have you ever read this? Probably. OK.
0:30:18 > 0:30:23Very common side effects - headache, trembling, dizziness, palpitations,
0:30:23 > 0:30:25nausea, dry mouth, constipation...
0:30:25 > 0:30:28'They are powerful drugs and in ideal circumstances,
0:30:28 > 0:30:30'would only be used short-term.'
0:30:30 > 0:30:34They perk you up, they get you through the crisis, the grief,
0:30:34 > 0:30:37and then you can come off them and rebuild your life.
0:30:37 > 0:30:39That is not the way they're being used with you.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41You've been on antidepressants now for eight years.
0:30:42 > 0:30:44It's not normal. It's not right.
0:30:44 > 0:30:46Well, it is normal, it's completely normal. Yeah, but...
0:30:46 > 0:30:48You're like so many other people in Britain,
0:30:48 > 0:30:50but I don't think there's any evidence
0:30:50 > 0:30:52that these drugs are making you better.
0:30:52 > 0:30:53No, I don't either.
0:30:53 > 0:30:58'These drugs can help people, but between 2005 and 2012,
0:30:58 > 0:31:01'the number of young people prescribed them
0:31:01 > 0:31:02'went up by over 50%.'
0:31:02 > 0:31:06There is something about giving antidepressants to a 16-year-old
0:31:06 > 0:31:09that makes me uneasy.
0:31:09 > 0:31:11Not that it should never be done...
0:31:13 > 0:31:15..but talking to Sarah, it feels like, you know,
0:31:15 > 0:31:18at 16 you're developing, you're learning skills
0:31:18 > 0:31:22to cope with problems and this was a time in her life
0:31:22 > 0:31:24where she could have been learning that,
0:31:24 > 0:31:29and instead she was put into what she describes as a chemical fog.
0:31:35 > 0:31:37'I'm on my way to see Sarah at home,
0:31:37 > 0:31:40'to find out how I can help her come off the drugs.'
0:31:44 > 0:31:47Hi. How are you? Yeah, not bad.
0:31:47 > 0:31:51How's it going? Yeah, good. Come in. Come in, it's all right.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54I guess one of the reasons to come round is...
0:31:56 > 0:31:59..is there are all kinds of clues that you get about someone
0:31:59 > 0:32:04from nosing around their house that you can never get,
0:32:04 > 0:32:08no matter how long we sit in a doctor's surgery for. Yeah.
0:32:08 > 0:32:10If there's anything you're really ashamed of,
0:32:10 > 0:32:12that is the thing I most want to see. No.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16Go for it, go for it. You lead. You're in charge, Evie. Come on.
0:32:16 > 0:32:18Yeah, we're coming up the stairs with you, come on.
0:32:18 > 0:32:23Pull the curtains, Evie. Let's do that. Yeah.
0:32:25 > 0:32:27You know, it's... It's sort of...
0:32:30 > 0:32:34It's diagnostic of low mood, having a room like this,
0:32:34 > 0:32:36and if you didn't have a low mood,
0:32:36 > 0:32:39then living like this gives you a low mood, cos it's so stressful.
0:32:39 > 0:32:40Yeah.
0:32:42 > 0:32:46A lot of the clutter belongs to her dead brother, Ben.
0:32:46 > 0:32:48Both Ben and her father suffered from depression.
0:32:48 > 0:32:51They died within a few years of each other.
0:32:51 > 0:32:53My dad was an accidental suicide.
0:32:53 > 0:32:54OK. And with my brother...
0:32:54 > 0:33:00He was... He got highly addicted to drugs and passed away last year.
0:33:02 > 0:33:04Everywhere I look, I see signs
0:33:04 > 0:33:06of a woman who's put her life on hold...
0:33:07 > 0:33:09..apart from Evie's room.
0:33:10 > 0:33:12When she was first born,
0:33:12 > 0:33:14and when I found out I was pregnant with her,
0:33:14 > 0:33:17that's when I started to feel, like, "Actually, yeah, I can do this,
0:33:17 > 0:33:19"because I need to do this.
0:33:19 > 0:33:23"I've got somebody that needs me to be strong."
0:33:23 > 0:33:26You're going to be the centre of everything, are you?
0:33:26 > 0:33:30Sarah doesn't want Evie to see her taking antidepressants
0:33:30 > 0:33:32or live with a mum who's depressed.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37'And I really want to help her find a way out.'
0:33:37 > 0:33:40OK, so what about stuff you used to do, like sport?
0:33:41 > 0:33:44Hobbies? I used to love going swimming.
0:33:46 > 0:33:48I used to be a good runner.
0:33:48 > 0:33:52Yeah, I've kind of really given up on hobbies over the past few years.
0:33:52 > 0:33:54When was the last time you went swimming?
0:33:54 > 0:33:56Uh... A few weeks back, for her.
0:33:56 > 0:33:59When was the last time you did a bunch of lengths?
0:33:59 > 0:34:02Years. When was the last time you went out for a run?
0:34:02 > 0:34:03Years.
0:34:09 > 0:34:14Sarah, I think, is someone who is tough, resilient,
0:34:14 > 0:34:18used to love things that are physical, is really social,
0:34:18 > 0:34:22so I think a treatment for her is going to encompass all those things.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25It's going to be challenging, it's going to be outdoors,
0:34:25 > 0:34:26it's going to be physical,
0:34:26 > 0:34:28and she's going to do it with some other people.
0:34:30 > 0:34:34If this works, I'm hoping she can give up her antidepressants.
0:34:38 > 0:34:40'I'm back in Chingford.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43'I've come up with a way to try to convince Wendy
0:34:43 > 0:34:45'to stop taking her painkillers.'
0:34:47 > 0:34:50We've arrived at Wendy's and I've got a little test which,
0:34:50 > 0:34:53as far as I'm aware, no-one's ever really done before,
0:34:53 > 0:34:56to find out if any of Wendy's painkillers are working.
0:34:56 > 0:34:59Maybe they work brilliantly well, maybe I'm totally wrong,
0:34:59 > 0:35:01but I've got a way of finding out.
0:35:01 > 0:35:04I don't know if Wendy's going to agree, but it's worth a go.
0:35:04 > 0:35:06Let's see.
0:35:06 > 0:35:08DOG BARKS Jasper.
0:35:08 > 0:35:10Hi, Alan. Hello.
0:35:10 > 0:35:14Very nice to see you. Hello. Hiya. Nice to see you. How are you?
0:35:14 > 0:35:16Yeah, good.
0:35:18 > 0:35:22OK, I'll be honest - from everything that you've spoken to me about,
0:35:22 > 0:35:26from all your stories, I don't think your painkillers are working,
0:35:26 > 0:35:29so I want to do a test to find out if they are working.
0:35:29 > 0:35:31OK.
0:35:31 > 0:35:35'I've worked out this test with the help of Wendy's doctors.'
0:35:35 > 0:35:37These are your pills...
0:35:37 > 0:35:39Right. ..for the next two weeks.
0:35:39 > 0:35:41OK. Which ones are which?
0:35:41 > 0:35:47So, in that blue tablet is a single codeine pill of 15mg, OK?
0:35:47 > 0:35:50In each of those red tablets is half a gram of paracetamol.
0:35:50 > 0:35:52Right, OK. OK.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55There is a twist with these tablets that I've laid out. OK.
0:35:55 > 0:35:59Some of these tablets don't contain any medicine.
0:35:59 > 0:36:02Right. And you don't know...
0:36:02 > 0:36:05OK. ..which ones are real and which ones aren't real.
0:36:05 > 0:36:06OK. OK?
0:36:06 > 0:36:08But I will know, cos I'll be in pain.
0:36:08 > 0:36:12Well, we'll see, won't we? That's the point.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15And I'm going to get you to keep a pain chart.
0:36:15 > 0:36:19OK? OK. 'Wendy will use this to record her pain levels
0:36:19 > 0:36:21'over the next fortnight.
0:36:21 > 0:36:24'I want to see if she notices the days when she's taking tablets
0:36:24 > 0:36:26'without any drugs.'
0:36:26 > 0:36:30But the only way of knowing if these painkillers work for you
0:36:30 > 0:36:33is to do this. OK. OK?
0:36:33 > 0:36:35That's fine. Are you happy to do this?
0:36:35 > 0:36:37Yeah. So, the main thing I need to do now
0:36:37 > 0:36:39is take away all your other painkillers.
0:36:39 > 0:36:41What about if I have a headache?
0:36:41 > 0:36:43If you get a headache, best treatment - big glass of water.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45Yes. OK? OK.
0:36:45 > 0:36:47Sock drawer.
0:36:47 > 0:36:51To make sure she doesn't take more than the prescribed dose,
0:36:51 > 0:36:53all the painkillers in the house must go.
0:36:53 > 0:36:55Not sure what they are.
0:36:55 > 0:36:56Oh, look.
0:36:58 > 0:36:59It's been a bit interesting.
0:37:02 > 0:37:04I'm sure there's a load of codeine in them things,
0:37:04 > 0:37:05so I'll be fine.
0:37:17 > 0:37:19Is this it? No. There's some more coming.
0:37:19 > 0:37:21There's still upstairs yet.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24OK, this is from the upstairs.
0:37:24 > 0:37:26Are you sure they're all...? These are all out of your drawer.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29No, I think some of them might be my anti-dizziness ones.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32Whatever they are, they are all out of your...
0:37:32 > 0:37:34They're my Sudafeds.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40And remember, this is what you want to do, yeah?
0:37:40 > 0:37:43Yeah. Yeah. If the pills are... Just give us 14 days.
0:37:43 > 0:37:47Bye, everyone. Bye. See ya. Jasper! Bye, Jasper. Thank you.
0:37:47 > 0:37:49Bye, see you.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52Toxic side effects in a bag.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55Not in a patient. Very pleased.
0:37:58 > 0:38:00Found them everywhere.
0:38:00 > 0:38:04Found them in the bathroom cabinet, in your make-up thing.
0:38:04 > 0:38:06You've got pills everywhere.
0:38:06 > 0:38:07I mean, I never knew you were such a pill freak.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10You don't need them. We're going to prove that.
0:38:18 > 0:38:20'I'm off to Portsmouth.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23'I've heard about new research being done there
0:38:23 > 0:38:27'that might help Sarah come off her pills, but it's extreme.'
0:38:28 > 0:38:30This is the one thing I'm doing with a patient
0:38:30 > 0:38:32where I think my colleagues who are psychiatrists
0:38:32 > 0:38:34will turn around and go,
0:38:34 > 0:38:36"What are you doing? You're a lunatic.
0:38:36 > 0:38:38"This is barbaric."
0:38:38 > 0:38:41I want to take her swimming in water so cold
0:38:41 > 0:38:43that it could kill you from shock.
0:38:43 > 0:38:44This is a thing I do.
0:38:44 > 0:38:49When I do it, especially when I'm a bit low, my God, it's a pep-up.
0:38:49 > 0:38:52But... So then, when I looked into the science more
0:38:52 > 0:38:57and I called a mate who supervises this activity regularly, he said,
0:38:57 > 0:38:59"No, there's some evidence, there's some evidence it helps
0:38:59 > 0:39:01"with anxiety, depression."
0:39:01 > 0:39:04So that nailed it.
0:39:04 > 0:39:05Before I try this on Sarah,
0:39:05 > 0:39:08I'm going to visit my colleague to learn a bit more.
0:39:08 > 0:39:10I'm here to see Mike Tipton.
0:39:11 > 0:39:13How are you doing? Very nice to see you.
0:39:13 > 0:39:15Good to see you, Chris.
0:39:15 > 0:39:17'Professor Mike Tipton is a world expert on the effects
0:39:17 > 0:39:20'of cold water on the human body.
0:39:20 > 0:39:24'He's going to demonstrate why it might be helpful for Sarah.'
0:39:24 > 0:39:25Essentially what we're going to do
0:39:25 > 0:39:27is demonstrate a cold shock response -
0:39:27 > 0:39:29the most dangerous of all responses
0:39:29 > 0:39:31associated with immersion in cold water.
0:39:31 > 0:39:33If you go through, get changed,
0:39:33 > 0:39:35and then we'll get you wired up and ready to go.
0:39:41 > 0:39:45You just need to push yourself back with your feet there -
0:39:45 > 0:39:49Three, two, one, down.
0:39:49 > 0:39:53'Mike's team have discovered that our bodies respond to cold water
0:39:53 > 0:39:55'in a similar way to an anxiety attack.'
0:39:57 > 0:40:00Well done. That's good. Good effort.
0:40:02 > 0:40:03OK, just stick with it.
0:40:03 > 0:40:06That's very good. CHRIS GASPS AND SHUDDERS
0:40:06 > 0:40:10'As the skin cools down rapidly, the body enters a state of shock,
0:40:10 > 0:40:12'flooding the blood with stress hormones.'
0:40:12 > 0:40:17There's a sense of severe panic when you first go in.
0:40:17 > 0:40:19I thought I was prepared.
0:40:19 > 0:40:20It's a big stress response -
0:40:20 > 0:40:23one of the biggest stresses you can put the body under.
0:40:24 > 0:40:27You can see why we called it the cold shock response -
0:40:27 > 0:40:28it's a shocking response in terms of...
0:40:28 > 0:40:32It's deeply shocking. Yeah. I'm shocked.
0:40:33 > 0:40:36'This chemical surge can leave swimmers feeling euphoric
0:40:36 > 0:40:37'once it's passed.'
0:40:40 > 0:40:41It is exhilarating.
0:40:41 > 0:40:45You're now experiencing what every open-water, wild swimmer says,
0:40:45 > 0:40:46"It's just great," because it's...
0:40:46 > 0:40:50That skin stimulation releases adrenaline
0:40:50 > 0:40:53and all your stress hormones shoot up,
0:40:53 > 0:40:56and it is kind of exhilarating... it is kind of exhilarating.
0:40:56 > 0:40:59Hiya. You all right?
0:40:59 > 0:41:03'But there is another potential benefit for Sarah.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06'The evidence shows that repeated exposure to cold water
0:41:06 > 0:41:10'conditions the body to deal with the stress response.
0:41:10 > 0:41:14'I'm hoping that this conditioning will help her respond better to the
0:41:14 > 0:41:18'stresses in her life associated with her anxiety and depression.'
0:41:18 > 0:41:20We're going to go to a lake, a man-made lake,
0:41:20 > 0:41:24and just give wild swimming a bit of a go.
0:41:24 > 0:41:27Sounds good to me. You happy about that?
0:41:27 > 0:41:29I'm excited but scared, but...
0:41:31 > 0:41:33I know it's going to help, so...
0:41:33 > 0:41:35I trust you.
0:41:35 > 0:41:38I'm still very nervous now.
0:41:38 > 0:41:39I'm slightly nervous about it as well.
0:41:41 > 0:41:45'If this works, I think she'll be ready to start coming off her pills,
0:41:45 > 0:41:47'but it will be a challenge.'
0:41:47 > 0:41:49Here we are. Wow.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52It's really, really picturesque, isn't it?
0:41:52 > 0:41:55The lake is cold and winter has only just ended.
0:41:55 > 0:41:57Sounds good. What do you think? Are you up for this?
0:41:57 > 0:41:59I'm up for this. Great, OK. I'm ready. Let's go.
0:42:05 > 0:42:09'I've asked Mark and Heather, cold-water swimmers,
0:42:09 > 0:42:10'to come and support Sarah.'
0:42:17 > 0:42:19Shall we go in up to our shoulders?
0:42:19 > 0:42:21No, not yet, just sort your breathing out first.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25Look at you. We'll do to the...
0:42:27 > 0:42:29OK? Lead me in.
0:42:36 > 0:42:38That's all you've got to do, breathe in...
0:42:38 > 0:42:40CHRIS GASPS Well done.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45That's excellent. You all right? How you doing?
0:42:47 > 0:42:48Let's go for a swim.
0:42:57 > 0:42:59I'm nearly there.
0:43:00 > 0:43:02Sarah, how are you doing? I'm brilliant. How's this?
0:43:02 > 0:43:05Amazing. I thought we were just going to do one length.
0:43:05 > 0:43:08No. Carry on.
0:43:10 > 0:43:13Oh! You all right?
0:43:15 > 0:43:19THEY LAUGH 'The therapy seems to be working.'
0:43:19 > 0:43:22How do you feel, Sarah? On top of the world.
0:43:22 > 0:43:24Yeah? And why do you feel on top of the world?
0:43:24 > 0:43:28I've done what I came out to do and I did it well.
0:43:28 > 0:43:30I'm blown away, completely.
0:43:30 > 0:43:33Mind blown. It's brilliant.
0:43:35 > 0:43:37Good. Feel amazing.
0:43:37 > 0:43:39Still cold, but...
0:43:39 > 0:43:41As well as the euphoric boost,
0:43:41 > 0:43:44swimming regularly will give Sarah exercise,
0:43:44 > 0:43:46which is recommended as an alternative treatment
0:43:46 > 0:43:48for depression by the NHS.
0:43:49 > 0:43:53Fantastic. Let's get some cocoa.
0:43:58 > 0:44:01It's still a bit odd to me that we did four lengths in there.
0:44:01 > 0:44:04Yeah. And if I saw someone jump in now, I'd think, "You're crazy."
0:44:04 > 0:44:06"Oh, they need to be rescued!"
0:44:06 > 0:44:09Yeah. But no, it was great.
0:44:13 > 0:44:16So, over the next four weeks, I'm going to say,
0:44:16 > 0:44:19I want you to go swimming six times, OK?
0:44:19 > 0:44:21OK. So, not massive.
0:44:21 > 0:44:26And the final things, I want you to start tapering your antidepressants.
0:44:26 > 0:44:28You've made an appointment to see your GP to do that.
0:44:28 > 0:44:30Yeah. I've got an appointment on Thursday. Fine.
0:44:30 > 0:44:33I'll keep doing it and keep doing it.
0:44:33 > 0:44:37Good. All right.
0:44:37 > 0:44:38Let's go home.
0:44:40 > 0:44:42'I think Sarah's now ready to be slowly weaned off
0:44:42 > 0:44:44'her antidepressants.'
0:44:45 > 0:44:48'She's beginning to see that there are other ways
0:44:48 > 0:44:50'to treat medical problems than just pills.
0:44:52 > 0:44:55'I wonder if that message will get through to Wendy.'
0:44:58 > 0:45:01And I must say, all my family had a headache the whole weekend
0:45:01 > 0:45:03and they were like, "There was no pills to take."
0:45:03 > 0:45:05They were like, "We've got no pills, we've got no pills."
0:45:05 > 0:45:07And I was like, "Have a glass of water."
0:45:09 > 0:45:12This is where I think there was nothing in them.
0:45:12 > 0:45:15Wendy's committed herself to the experiment I devised to see
0:45:15 > 0:45:18if her painkillers are really working.
0:45:18 > 0:45:20Last night, about 80%, I took the pills.
0:45:20 > 0:45:23Today I took some pills and, I must say,
0:45:23 > 0:45:25I don't feel any pain at the moment.
0:45:25 > 0:45:28She spent two weeks marking a chart I've given her
0:45:28 > 0:45:31to record her pain levels.
0:45:31 > 0:45:33I woke up this morning about 80%.
0:45:33 > 0:45:35My neck is screaming, so I don't think
0:45:35 > 0:45:37there was anything in them tablets.
0:45:37 > 0:45:40Thank you. I'm sure the tablets I just took in the evening
0:45:40 > 0:45:42were placebos, because it's gone up a little bit.
0:45:44 > 0:45:48It's day 15, the last day of the trial.
0:45:48 > 0:45:50I'm really worried that when Dr Chris comes round
0:45:50 > 0:45:55he's going to say I'm just taking them for the sake of taking them.
0:45:56 > 0:45:58Hopefully that won't be the case.
0:46:02 > 0:46:05'If this proves Wendy's drugs aren't working,
0:46:05 > 0:46:08'it means she's been wasting her time and money on them
0:46:08 > 0:46:10'for the past 20 years.'
0:46:11 > 0:46:13Hello. Who is that? The pizza man?
0:46:13 > 0:46:15How are you doing? It's very nice to see you.
0:46:15 > 0:46:18I don't normally kiss patients but, OK, you can have a kiss tonight.
0:46:18 > 0:46:20Are you going to join all the dots tonight?
0:46:20 > 0:46:23We're going to join the dots, all will be revealed.
0:46:23 > 0:46:27I've, cautiously, optimistically brought a bottle of wine.
0:46:27 > 0:46:29It's very nice to see you. Cheers.
0:46:29 > 0:46:32So, um, I guess what I want to know is -
0:46:32 > 0:46:36how has it been going the last few days?
0:46:36 > 0:46:38Good. Um...
0:46:38 > 0:46:41I've not been in a lot of pain.
0:46:41 > 0:46:44Have you got your pill box? Yeah.
0:46:47 > 0:46:49You've written a little note here, what does it say?
0:46:49 > 0:46:52Like, there's nothing in them ones. But the rest of them you thought
0:46:52 > 0:46:55there probably was something in them? Yeah. Can I draw the graph?
0:46:55 > 0:46:57It's going to be all over the place.
0:46:57 > 0:46:59'Before I tell Wendy what's in the pills,
0:46:59 > 0:47:02'I want to fill in her pain chart.
0:47:02 > 0:47:04'The higher the dot, the more pain she's in.'
0:47:06 > 0:47:08It's not easy to join these dots, Wendy,
0:47:08 > 0:47:11cos your pain is really variable. Yeah, it is.
0:47:14 > 0:47:17So, why don't we draw on this what we've done with your pills?
0:47:17 > 0:47:19This should be interesting.
0:47:19 > 0:47:22So, the red is your paracetamol.
0:47:22 > 0:47:24OK. OK? And that went like this.
0:47:26 > 0:47:30We reduced Wendy's dose of paracetamol over the first week,
0:47:30 > 0:47:34so she's had no paracetamol at all for ten days.
0:47:35 > 0:47:38Oh, my God. I've had no paracetamol.
0:47:38 > 0:47:43Since day five. It's been ten days since you had a single gram of
0:47:43 > 0:47:46paracetamol. Your pain was quite low on that day, wasn't it,
0:47:46 > 0:47:47on day five?
0:47:47 > 0:47:49Here's what we've done with your codeine.
0:47:49 > 0:47:52OK, you were at 100% of codeine...
0:47:53 > 0:47:57We kept Wendy at her full dose of codeine for the first week and then
0:47:57 > 0:47:59reduced it gradually,
0:47:59 > 0:48:03so she's had no codeine at all for the last five days.
0:48:03 > 0:48:06Today, I've had no paracetamol or codeine?
0:48:06 > 0:48:07No. None since Friday.
0:48:07 > 0:48:09And yesterday you didn't have any,
0:48:09 > 0:48:11and the day before that you didn't have any.
0:48:11 > 0:48:15You last had a painkiller on Monday morning, you had one codeine.
0:48:15 > 0:48:17You are joking.
0:48:18 > 0:48:21That was it, that was the last painkiller you had,
0:48:21 > 0:48:24so the pills that you have been wolfing...
0:48:26 > 0:48:28..the pills that... Oh, my God.
0:48:28 > 0:48:30You've had nothing. I've had nothing.
0:48:30 > 0:48:34I think what I was really genuinely terrified about is
0:48:34 > 0:48:37I would see your pain down here, getting worse
0:48:37 > 0:48:39and worse and worse and worse,
0:48:39 > 0:48:43and there is no way I can see that on that graph. No.
0:48:43 > 0:48:48Give me a hug, I'm so happy. I'm so happy.
0:48:48 > 0:48:49It's a perfect demonstration for Wendy
0:48:49 > 0:48:52that drugs aren't treating her pain.
0:48:52 > 0:48:55The road to salvation with that shoulder
0:48:55 > 0:48:58will be in exercising it and strengthening it.
0:48:59 > 0:49:02Well, I'm never buying any paracetamol again,
0:49:02 > 0:49:05so the kids can go swing for it.
0:49:06 > 0:49:08Glass of water.
0:49:10 > 0:49:12Thank you. Thank you for doing that.
0:49:12 > 0:49:14You've totally...
0:49:14 > 0:49:16Have a good weekend. Bye, Jasper. DOG BARKS
0:49:16 > 0:49:19Bye. So, it's good, but the battle is only half-won,
0:49:19 > 0:49:24because Wendy does have a habit and I don't think it would take all that
0:49:24 > 0:49:26much before she went, "You know what?
0:49:26 > 0:49:28"Maybe I'll go back and try those naproxen or those Nurofen
0:49:28 > 0:49:30"or I might go back to the tramadol."
0:49:30 > 0:49:32She'd have another go.
0:49:32 > 0:49:34So I have to prove to her, fairly quickly,
0:49:34 > 0:49:39that exercise and strength-building is going to fix her pain.
0:49:45 > 0:49:47Wendy's attitude to her medications
0:49:47 > 0:49:51changed when I proved to her that they weren't working.
0:49:51 > 0:49:53He'd need to come in himself to register.
0:49:53 > 0:49:58And that's given me an idea that may help cut antibiotic prescriptions
0:49:58 > 0:50:00at the surgery.
0:50:00 > 0:50:03After all, I failed to show how it can be done
0:50:03 > 0:50:05by taking a clinic myself.
0:50:05 > 0:50:08In general practice, it's really hard to tell the difference
0:50:08 > 0:50:10between a bacterial infection and a viral infection.
0:50:10 > 0:50:12Viral infections don't need antibiotics,
0:50:12 > 0:50:13but bacterial infections,
0:50:13 > 0:50:16if you miss them and you don't prescribe antibiotics,
0:50:16 > 0:50:19patients can die, doctors can get sued, it's really bad news.
0:50:21 > 0:50:24'And the other difficulty I had was persuading patients
0:50:24 > 0:50:26'that they didn't need them.
0:50:26 > 0:50:30'Today, I've brought along something to solve both these problems.'
0:50:31 > 0:50:35So, this brings the hospital laboratory
0:50:35 > 0:50:38to the GP's bedside, the patient's bedside.
0:50:38 > 0:50:39'This machine will help me decide
0:50:39 > 0:50:43'if they have a bacterial infection or not.' Come in.
0:50:43 > 0:50:47'I'm hoping it will help cut the surgery's prescription rates today.'
0:50:47 > 0:50:49Hi. You think you need antibiotics?
0:50:49 > 0:50:52Yes. OK. Because I've always been told that viruses
0:50:52 > 0:50:55should take nine days in and out of your body.
0:50:55 > 0:51:00'This machine works by measuring inflammation markers in the blood.
0:51:00 > 0:51:02'A result of very 20 means the infection
0:51:02 > 0:51:05'is more likely to be bacterial.'
0:51:05 > 0:51:08CRP of 65.
0:51:08 > 0:51:12I think you might be getting some antibiotics. SHE LAUGHS
0:51:12 > 0:51:15'Well, not an ideal start, but at least she needs them.'
0:51:17 > 0:51:19Hi. Do you want to come in?
0:51:19 > 0:51:21That's quite a gang. Did you want antibiotics?
0:51:21 > 0:51:23Yes, of course. OK.
0:51:23 > 0:51:29This is a test to see how bad your chest infection is. Yeah.
0:51:29 > 0:51:31As well as reassuring worried patients
0:51:31 > 0:51:33they're getting the right care,
0:51:33 > 0:51:35it will also give doctors peace of mind.
0:51:35 > 0:51:36CRP less than five.
0:51:36 > 0:51:39Uh-huh. I would say, on the basis of this result,
0:51:39 > 0:51:41you will only be harmed by antibiotics.
0:51:41 > 0:51:45That's one course of needless antibiotics avoided.
0:51:45 > 0:51:48Because what you have to do now is wait.
0:51:48 > 0:51:50OK? So, you're just going to get better slowly.
0:51:50 > 0:51:52But none of my patients will leave empty-handed.
0:51:52 > 0:51:55You can have a book, a DVD, honey, lemon.
0:51:55 > 0:51:57That's your prescription.
0:52:00 > 0:52:02Thank you very much. Don't eat all that honey at once.
0:52:02 > 0:52:03Thanks.
0:52:03 > 0:52:05What's your name?
0:52:05 > 0:52:08Jake? How old are you? 12.
0:52:11 > 0:52:13All right, I am going to give you a prescription today,
0:52:13 > 0:52:15you're going to get a lemon.
0:52:15 > 0:52:17You're going to get some honey.
0:52:17 > 0:52:20And there you go - a James Bond film.
0:52:20 > 0:52:25James Bond...one times per day.
0:52:25 > 0:52:27Take three days off training.
0:52:27 > 0:52:30There's your prescription without antibiotics.
0:52:30 > 0:52:33Of the 22 antibiotic prescriptions written out that day,
0:52:33 > 0:52:39my machine and I managed to stop two, a reduction of nearly 10%.
0:52:40 > 0:52:42If we did that every day of the year,
0:52:42 > 0:52:43if we did that across the country,
0:52:43 > 0:52:46that is a massive reduction in the number of antibiotics.
0:52:46 > 0:52:49So, I guess it's not for me to say the practice should take this up,
0:52:49 > 0:52:51but I think...
0:52:51 > 0:52:53I think there is room for this.
0:52:57 > 0:52:59'I've arranged a meeting with the partners
0:52:59 > 0:53:01'to see if they're interested in the machine.'
0:53:04 > 0:53:08The machine is somewhere about between ?700 and ?800.
0:53:08 > 0:53:11It's ?4.50 a test.
0:53:11 > 0:53:13Is this a thing that you think
0:53:13 > 0:53:15you'd be interested in?
0:53:15 > 0:53:19First of all - there's the cost of the machine and who's paying for it.
0:53:19 > 0:53:23There's then also the cost of someone either to run the machine
0:53:23 > 0:53:27or the cost of our time doing those tests.
0:53:27 > 0:53:30We're never going to be in the position where, at our fingertips,
0:53:30 > 0:53:32we have every test that we may wish to have.
0:53:33 > 0:53:36'The problem here is the doctors simply don't have
0:53:36 > 0:53:40'the time or money to run even simple tests like this.'
0:53:42 > 0:53:48If I'm going to make any changes here, it has to be...seamless.
0:53:48 > 0:53:52It has to be things that do not take any time.
0:53:52 > 0:53:55And it seems trivial, like, "Oh, it's global catastrophe,
0:53:55 > 0:53:58"you can do your bit," and they're like, "We're already doing our bit,
0:53:58 > 0:54:01"we already prescribe carefully, and, you know, like hell
0:54:01 > 0:54:04"we're going to use your machine and run even later than we already are."
0:54:18 > 0:54:21Wendy doing her exercises in very limited space
0:54:21 > 0:54:24in the bedroom.
0:54:24 > 0:54:28It's taken a while to convince Wendy to give up her painkillers.
0:54:28 > 0:54:32She's now trying a programme of exercises to strengthen her back,
0:54:32 > 0:54:34to see if it will help with the pain.
0:54:43 > 0:54:47When I last saw Wendy, I threw away all her drugs that I'd confiscated,
0:54:48 > 0:54:50so I hope she hasn't had a wobble.
0:54:53 > 0:54:55None of you people are Wendy. Where's Wendy?
0:54:55 > 0:54:56There she is. Hi, Wendy. Come on in.
0:54:56 > 0:54:58Nice to see you again.
0:54:58 > 0:55:00How's the back?
0:55:00 > 0:55:01It is better.
0:55:02 > 0:55:04I'm not in...
0:55:04 > 0:55:06I'm not in pain like I was before.
0:55:06 > 0:55:09So, that is what no-one's ever told you
0:55:09 > 0:55:12is that exercise is a painkiller, for almost everything,
0:55:12 > 0:55:16whether you've got knee pain or hip pain or back pain or neck pain,
0:55:16 > 0:55:18even if you've got a headache, exercise is a painkiller.
0:55:18 > 0:55:23For me to not take any drugs, I can't actually believe it myself.
0:55:23 > 0:55:26I don't even take them for a headache now.
0:55:26 > 0:55:28I don't take anything at all.
0:55:28 > 0:55:32I feel like I am leaving you in quite a good state.
0:55:32 > 0:55:35OK, well, it's our last consultation, have a hug.
0:55:35 > 0:55:36Oh, my God. Thank you so much. Aww.
0:55:36 > 0:55:38No, no, no, you've totally inspired me,
0:55:38 > 0:55:41you've totally inspired me. I really appreciate everything you've done.
0:55:41 > 0:55:44You have literally done the hard work.
0:55:44 > 0:55:47Thank you so much. Cheers, Wendy. Bye.
0:55:50 > 0:55:54It's been an interesting journey.
0:55:54 > 0:55:55I'm really, really happy.
0:55:55 > 0:55:59I don't take any drugs at all.
0:55:59 > 0:56:01I'm exercising every other night.
0:56:03 > 0:56:04And I think I'm going to get better.
0:56:06 > 0:56:09I think, for 20 years, Wendy took drugs
0:56:09 > 0:56:13that totally distracted her and everyone else from
0:56:13 > 0:56:16finding the actual cause of the pain.
0:56:16 > 0:56:20What an amazing place we've got to with healing and medicine
0:56:20 > 0:56:25that we just go, "Take these...take these pills"?!
0:56:25 > 0:56:29Wendy is the clearest example of the madness
0:56:29 > 0:56:31of the way we do medicine.
0:56:35 > 0:56:38I'm beginning to make sense of the madness.
0:56:38 > 0:56:41Wendy's now off her drugs and I'm hoping Sarah
0:56:41 > 0:56:44will soon start coming off the antidepressants.
0:56:44 > 0:56:48I'm more convinced than ever that drug-free treatments
0:56:48 > 0:56:51can work better than the pills.
0:56:51 > 0:56:54Next, I'm going to supersize my experiment
0:56:54 > 0:56:57to take as many patients as possible off drugs.
0:56:59 > 0:57:02Keep up, everyone. Come on.
0:57:02 > 0:57:04I try to get a group of patients at risk of a heart attack
0:57:04 > 0:57:07off their medication.
0:57:07 > 0:57:08This is a disaster.
0:57:10 > 0:57:11It is.
0:57:11 > 0:57:13I take on the pharmaceutical industry...
0:57:13 > 0:57:16This is a multi, multi-billion dollar industry.
0:57:16 > 0:57:18I don't know how we combat this.
0:57:18 > 0:57:23..and I discover just how hard it is to treat people without drugs.
0:57:23 > 0:57:27You need to make these swims like doctor's appointments.