Yes, yes and yes! And a big add to your important list is always self advocate. People think docs know everything and can be easily intimidated. I grew up with a dad doctor. He always stressed getting a second or third opinion and I learned to ask questions from him.
As a health care worker I would like to emphasize the importance of bringing that list of all medications, including supplements and herbals with you to EVERY visit. Please stop assuming that they “are in the system.” I look at your medication list every time I prescribe or recommend a medication, if we don’t have all the information we are at a disadvantage and you are at risk. Don’t get angry when I take the time to review your medication list.
Amen and amen. I keep a list of meds, supplements and another list of all past surgeries on my desktop. I make sure all my caregivers have that updated list. It changes frequently as my body and my needs change, and it's unfair to our caregivers to expect them to have all our meds memorized. That's impossible. It's also key to make sure that the list shows ALL your medications, including those that you have your medicine cabinet but do not currently use. I show them on my list as "as needed" so that my caregivers know that I'm not taking all of them all the time.
Good info! I’m not a big pill taker. I take one RX drug to manage a specific health condition that cannot be addressed with diet. I have never taken a supplement. The the only OTC I take is a rare ibuprofen. I get the occasional migraine which responds well to a cup of strong coffee. It’s the caffeine that does it which is the main ingredient in OTC headache pills.
And caffeine can have a role in kidney stone formation, as I found out. I love coffee….and had to shift to a decaffeinated. Dammit….Great that you have found your own answers, Evelina.
Great points Julia , Yet some of drs meds or natural supplements can do the same . Yet over the counter meds seem to go unchecked . Great post . Hugs and Peace to you
When in doubt over a new med, reduce the dosage. Don’t wait until your next appointment to get permission. Not only are there known drug interactions but unknown also. Let’s say that someone is taking seven prescriptions. There are 128 possible combinations of those, and even given known interactions X & Y, X & Z and Y & Z, it is possible that no one has thought to look at X, Y & Z in combination. Plus the dose prescribed may be the right dosage for most people, but not necessarily for you.
As an aside, choose a doctor with an eye toward his or her likely retirement age. I’m looking for someone new because mine just retired, and I’m looking for someone who will be around long enough to take me through to lights out.
I can’t thank you enough for this critically important article! I know it was written with an aging audience in mind - but all the advice applies to those with chronic illnesses as well.
I was given an antibiotic with a black box warning for people with my genetic condition - and now I’ve got an aneurysm and significant tendon damage. Might the aneurysm have happened anyways? Maybe. But at my young age and with low blood pressure it was more than likely the drug. I had been incorrectly diagnosed AND was unconscious in the ICU when it was given to me.
A few weeks later - during the same hospital stay - a nurse tried to give me a liver toxic dose of Tylenol. They had just given me a narcotic with Tylenol one hour prior. 650mg. The general safe dose is 1000mg every 4-6 hours and never to exceed 4000mg in a day. So imagine my surprise when she came in and ordered me to take 1000mg of Tylenol when I had just had it one hour prior.
I stood my ground and said the last thing I needed was liver complications to go with everything else - she became enraged and went to get the doctor to report me for “non compliance”. The doctor took her into the hallway and then came back in and applauded me for my knowledge and desire to safeguard my liver.
How many patients wouldn’t have known? Why didn’t the nurse know?
The reality is we have to be a second set of eyes for all drugs and supplements. Too many things can and do interact - and we are the experts in our bodies.
As Julia said - that’s not to say drugs don’t have a place. I’m on some that are literally saving my life. But there are many that are pushed unnecessarily or incorrectly.
Always do your research and have an advocate when you’re in the hospital and/or incapacitated.
Excellent essay. We are an overly medicated nation. Yes, I'm grateful for life saving drugs and vaccines and the good that they can do. But a lot of health is self-responsibility, and even when we are prescribed something to help pain or condition, it is up to us to research side effects. The word doctor means "educator." To that end we should all be asking more questions about the need for drugs and the potential side effects. Eat lots of vegetables. Lean protein if you're not vegan. Don't drink soda. Drink water instead. Stay away from sugar. Take care of yourself with diet and exercise to the best of your ability. At seventy-two this program has served me well for a long time and I'm hoping a long time more. Do I take prescription drugs? Yes, but I can't count them on one hand and have fingers left over. This country doesn't need to be as medicated as the advertising industry would have us believe.
“Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.” ~ Hippocrates.
Vegans unite!
Yes, yes and yes! And a big add to your important list is always self advocate. People think docs know everything and can be easily intimidated. I grew up with a dad doctor. He always stressed getting a second or third opinion and I learned to ask questions from him.
I'm 65 and the only thing I take is B12. Doctor prescribed.
Many of us don't get enough. Me too!
I feel lucky that at my age it's all they prescribe. My husband takes a handfull of prescriptions everyday.
As a health care worker I would like to emphasize the importance of bringing that list of all medications, including supplements and herbals with you to EVERY visit. Please stop assuming that they “are in the system.” I look at your medication list every time I prescribe or recommend a medication, if we don’t have all the information we are at a disadvantage and you are at risk. Don’t get angry when I take the time to review your medication list.
Amen and amen. I keep a list of meds, supplements and another list of all past surgeries on my desktop. I make sure all my caregivers have that updated list. It changes frequently as my body and my needs change, and it's unfair to our caregivers to expect them to have all our meds memorized. That's impossible. It's also key to make sure that the list shows ALL your medications, including those that you have your medicine cabinet but do not currently use. I show them on my list as "as needed" so that my caregivers know that I'm not taking all of them all the time.
I would add, in Canada at least, rather than seeking out a nutritionist, seek out a registered dietitian.
Good point, Jody.
Food for thought Julia. 😊 🙏
Good info! I’m not a big pill taker. I take one RX drug to manage a specific health condition that cannot be addressed with diet. I have never taken a supplement. The the only OTC I take is a rare ibuprofen. I get the occasional migraine which responds well to a cup of strong coffee. It’s the caffeine that does it which is the main ingredient in OTC headache pills.
And caffeine can have a role in kidney stone formation, as I found out. I love coffee….and had to shift to a decaffeinated. Dammit….Great that you have found your own answers, Evelina.
Great points Julia , Yet some of drs meds or natural supplements can do the same . Yet over the counter meds seem to go unchecked . Great post . Hugs and Peace to you
That's why we are tasked to do more research and know our bodies. So true, Mitch.
And Amen!
When in doubt over a new med, reduce the dosage. Don’t wait until your next appointment to get permission. Not only are there known drug interactions but unknown also. Let’s say that someone is taking seven prescriptions. There are 128 possible combinations of those, and even given known interactions X & Y, X & Z and Y & Z, it is possible that no one has thought to look at X, Y & Z in combination. Plus the dose prescribed may be the right dosage for most people, but not necessarily for you.
As an aside, choose a doctor with an eye toward his or her likely retirement age. I’m looking for someone new because mine just retired, and I’m looking for someone who will be around long enough to take me through to lights out.
I can’t thank you enough for this critically important article! I know it was written with an aging audience in mind - but all the advice applies to those with chronic illnesses as well.
I was given an antibiotic with a black box warning for people with my genetic condition - and now I’ve got an aneurysm and significant tendon damage. Might the aneurysm have happened anyways? Maybe. But at my young age and with low blood pressure it was more than likely the drug. I had been incorrectly diagnosed AND was unconscious in the ICU when it was given to me.
A few weeks later - during the same hospital stay - a nurse tried to give me a liver toxic dose of Tylenol. They had just given me a narcotic with Tylenol one hour prior. 650mg. The general safe dose is 1000mg every 4-6 hours and never to exceed 4000mg in a day. So imagine my surprise when she came in and ordered me to take 1000mg of Tylenol when I had just had it one hour prior.
I stood my ground and said the last thing I needed was liver complications to go with everything else - she became enraged and went to get the doctor to report me for “non compliance”. The doctor took her into the hallway and then came back in and applauded me for my knowledge and desire to safeguard my liver.
How many patients wouldn’t have known? Why didn’t the nurse know?
The reality is we have to be a second set of eyes for all drugs and supplements. Too many things can and do interact - and we are the experts in our bodies.
As Julia said - that’s not to say drugs don’t have a place. I’m on some that are literally saving my life. But there are many that are pushed unnecessarily or incorrectly.
Always do your research and have an advocate when you’re in the hospital and/or incapacitated.
Excellent essay. We are an overly medicated nation. Yes, I'm grateful for life saving drugs and vaccines and the good that they can do. But a lot of health is self-responsibility, and even when we are prescribed something to help pain or condition, it is up to us to research side effects. The word doctor means "educator." To that end we should all be asking more questions about the need for drugs and the potential side effects. Eat lots of vegetables. Lean protein if you're not vegan. Don't drink soda. Drink water instead. Stay away from sugar. Take care of yourself with diet and exercise to the best of your ability. At seventy-two this program has served me well for a long time and I'm hoping a long time more. Do I take prescription drugs? Yes, but I can't count them on one hand and have fingers left over. This country doesn't need to be as medicated as the advertising industry would have us believe.