As we get older we are less likely to throw things away. This was a great problem with my mother, if she couldn’t use something well maybe someone else could.

I remember going into her medicine chest to get an aspirin and all of these bottles fell out, scary isn’t it?

Upon looking at her medications, I found that some were outdated others written by different doctors, they were also purchased at different pharmacies.

I had to convince her to let me toss the outdated medications, we also called the doctors and pharmacies to see if she was putting herself in harms way.

If you see more then one doctor you should always supply them with a complete list of your medications. The list needs to include vitamins as well as herbs, because they may react to other prescriptions, always use the same pharmacy.

When you are dealing with the elderly they usually have heart disease, high blood pressure or diabetes. We need to check their medications often to see that they are not outdated or going to react to each other, this could be life threatening.

So what is the risk of a medication interaction? It all depends on how many medications you take. Two medications have a 5% potential of an adverse drug reaction, five medications have a 50% chance, and eight medications gives almost a 100% chance that something will go wrong. But who takes eight medications? As it turns out, plenty of people do; many of them are elderly and have a variety of medical illnesses. A couple of blood pressure medications, another couple for diabetes, one for gout, an aspirin a day; then add an antibiotic, and the potential for problems is there. It just needs to be recognized.

We need to remember that our bodies are a breeding ground for drug interactions.

You will find more information by clicking here Medicine Chest.

Post from: Blisstree

Your Medicine Chest

I am curious if number one it worked for you? Number two… any side effects or issues with it? I have seen a lot, and I mean a lot, of patients lately having anxiety and severe panic attacks, heart palpitations and that isn’t even the tip of the iceberg. The dreams that people tell tales of…

My father used this and it cut his cravings for the cigs down. He did complain of the nightmares and vivid dreams but not much else.  He has yet to give up the ol’ cancer sticks. I know that the Chantix works for many people but I have to wonder about a drug so new. What will we learn about it over the next few years? Do you think there will be a recall and a big fat pull off the shelves? Fill me in on your experience.

Post from: Blisstree

Has Chantix Done You Wrong?

A new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine has shown that heart patients who stopped taking these three drugs are three times more likely to die during the next year than patients who followed their prescribed regimen. One out of eight heart-attack patients, who were more likely to be older, single, and less educated, quit taking their meds within a month. Two of the main reasons patients don’t take their medication properly are:

• Cost
• Lack of explanation from their doctors

Even President Bill Clinton was a non-compliant heart patient:

Former President Clinton — a younger, married and well-educated patient — was prescribed a statin for high cholesterol when he left office. But he stopped taking it at some point. At age 58, he had to have quadruple bypass surgery because of severely clogged arteries that doctors said put him in danger of a heart attack.

When you get a new prescription from your doctor, make sure you understand what it’s for and what will happen if you miss a dose or more. Here are some questions to ask your doctor.

The Mercury News, October 2, 2006

Post from: Blisstree

Heart Attack Patients Need Their Medication