Medication list longer than your arm syndrome

Twenty or thirty pills! I thought I was taking a lot with Levothyroxin, Zocor, and Omeprazole plus vitamins. Now I have a new blood pressure med called Amlodipine which I'm afraid to start because it has so many scary side effects.
 
Della said:
Twenty or thirty pills! I thought I was taking a lot with Levothyroxin, Zocor, and Omeprazole plus vitamins. Now I have a new blood pressure med called Amlodipine which I'm afraid to start because it has so many scary side effects.
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I take 5mg of amlodipine daily.

It caused a slight lightheaded reaction for the first couple of days and then things were fine.
 

I've got many on my list that fills a full page of 8 x 11 paper single-spaced. My doctors here say they would rather give more pills but keep them at a lower dose as the higher doses have problems. Blood pressure has 5 different ones.

Every 4 years or so they also change them so my body doesn't accumulate to them. So far they are keeping me alive. 😇
 
Think the biggest issue with the elderly is the prescribing by weight - giving adult scribes. Taking the lowest possible dose and med combos is often the way to go. My MIL was admitted to the hospital and I knew what did it to her - her dentist had prescribed a
powerful antibiotic and it threw her over the top with the other meds she was on (which was way too many).

Dentists want to keep their malpractice rates low so its best to tell them - just 500 mg of plain penicillin or whatever when you need to take an antibiotic.

After 60 days, MIL was out of the hospital with that "medical misadventure" as they call it...drug combo interaction issue. Of course during the stay they had prescribed more meds and she was miserable.
 
My former PCP believed in low-dose inexpensive generic med combos with long track records.

My new PCP is more into the modern high-priced med of the month miracle drugs.

I currently take thirteen different oral medications and supplements plus two injectable diabetes medications.

Sometimes I think that it would be wise to stop all of them for a few weeks in order to establish a fresh baseline and start building a new treatment plan.
 
Liberty said:
Think the biggest issue with the elderly is the prescribing by weight - giving adult scribes. Taking the lowest possible dose and med combos is often the way to go. My MIL was admitted to the hospital and I knew what did it to her - her dentist had prescribed a
powerful antibiotic and it threw her over the top with the other meds she was on (which was way too many).

Dentists want to keep their malpractice rates low so its best to tell them - just 500 mg of plain penicillin or whatever when you need to take an antibiotic.

After 60 days, MIL was out of the hospital with that "medical misadventure" as they call it...drug combo interaction issue. Of course during the stay they had prescribed more meds and she was miserable.
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My dentist here, always asks for my new printed copy of my meds list. That way she knows what I'm taking & will not prescribe anything that will interfere with her treatments. If she has to give me something she will call my P.C. Dr. to get advice on what to give me.
 
Della said:
Twenty or thirty pills! I thought I was taking a lot with Levothyroxin, Zocor, and Omeprazole plus vitamins. Now I have a new blood pressure med called Amlodipine which I'm afraid to start because it has so many scary side effects.
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I take that pill and have had great success with it. I take 2 kinds of blood pressure pills each day with no problems.
 
I take no pills except for vitamins and minerals. I have a bottle of glimipiride (for Diabetes) on hand in case my blood sugar spikes (it lowers the blood sugar) — which it almost never does, due to my diet. I'm not a huge fan of medicines.
 
hollydolly said:
he said sometimes he finds people on up to 50 pills a day....
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That is sad. Anyone taking a fist full of meds everyday can't think straight.


I was given a low dose blood pressure pill some years back. I decided to stop taking it because nothing changed ... I figured it was a waste of money.
And another doctor thought I should take a thyroid med., .. but after six months or so, all the pill did was make me hungry and gain weight.
So I stopped that one also, and felt better almost immediately.
I was given the warning .... "once you start taking these meds, you cannot stop" ... well, I did, and I'm still here.

I do take daily vitamins, and a few other eye and stomach issue supplements though as needed.
 
Many medications have side effects that the patient finds unpleasant, but which diminish over time as the body acclimates to it. Too many people expect immediate and dramatic results with no side effects from just a few doses, or they are running back to the doctor saying that the meds don’t work, or are making them sick. The success of a treatment can rest on how willing a patient is to ride the medication pony, and stay on that horse until you get to know each other… 💊
 
Far too many people are "overprescribed" on drugs, IMO. Drugs are ok to treat a given condition, temporarily, but lifestyle,, and diet changes, etc., probably do more to improve a persons health, in the long term, than taking a handful of drugs every day.

Plus, there are any number of doctors who get a nice kickback from the drug companies for writing an excessive amount of prescriptions.
 
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The most I've taken is 5 prescription medications. Currently 4.

I quit taking tons of supplements years ago. Now I take one multivitamin and vitamin D. My oncologist tested me for various vitamins and minerals and everything was fine.

I have read about people who are on many prescription medications. There is a program at our pharmacies at which the pharmacist will check to see if all are needed, or if any interact adversely with other(s). The problem arises when many doctors prescribe many different meds. Or even when a person uses more than one pharmacy (which does happen). Since I don't take many meds, I've already checked them out myself.
 
hollydolly said:
A very real if tongue in cheek title from Dr Dhand ..regarding elderly who are prescribed wayyyy too many meds...

4 minute watch that might be of use to you or someone you know..

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Great post, Hollydolly! I will always look for homeopathic treatments before I go on additional prescription medications.

I always consult with my doctor about alternatives. He recently recommended Red Yeast Rice vs. statins for high cholesterol. I will try them first.
 
He is absolutely correct.
I have 2 elderly friends whose doctors keep adding drugs. They are suffering terribly & when they see their doctors about dangerous side effects, they get more drugs.
 
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