Are you taking too many prescription drugs? (9)
In my case I reckon I need to start taking medication I don't even have a Panadol in my home so if you visit me me and you suffer from headaches bring your own
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britishcolumbian: Medicinal melting pot
Last updated: 21 July 2014
Mixing medicines can be a recipe for disaster. It can be harmful and dangerous to take different types of medicines together, but many people are in the dark about how medicines interact with other pharmaceutical treatments, and which combinations should be avoided.
Adverse drug events account for more than 400,000 GP visits and 190,000 hospital admissions annually. These figures are conservative and don't necessarily include hospitalisations for injuries, such as car accidents or falls, that may have been a result of medication issues.
While it's hard to put a total dollar cost to the health system of medication-related problems, in 2008 hospital admissions alone were estimated at $660 million. Yet about half of these hospitalisations were likely avoidable.
Who is at risk?
The most commonly implicated drugs are cardiovascular medicines, anticoagulants, anti-inflammatories and chemotherapy medicines. People most likely to be affected are those who:
take five or more medications together
use 12 or more doses per day
have had significant recent changes to their treatment regimen
require ongoing monitoring of medication effects
have language difficulties, problems with dexterity, poor eyesight or dementia
attend several different doctors.
Many elderly people are at risk of adverse events from medicines, which can result in hospital admissions. Not only are they more likely to suffer adverse drug events, but their recovery is likely to be poorer.
Why so many drugs?
People these days are relying more heavily on medications than ever before, with the average number of daily drug doses per person more than doubling in the past 20 years. There are several reasons for this:
The trend to treat single conditions with several drugs.
Risk factors for disease are increasingly managed with medication.
Lifestyle-related conditions, which are on the increase (such as heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes), are more conveniently treated with medicines than with a better diet or more exercise.
We're living longer and acquiring more health conditions along the way that need treatment.
Prescription medicines, while helpful in treating or preventing relevant health conditions, often have side effects, and sometimes the side-effect costs outweigh the benefits of the drug. A classic example is benzodiazepines – prescribed to help people sleep, they also increase the risk of falls and broken bones in elderly people.
Polypharmacy
Polypharmacy is the term for people taking many medications – with an accepted clinical definition of "many" being five or more. It's estimated that up to 40% of Australians over 65 are on five or more medications, sometimes with dire consequences. If all drugs have a small chance of side effects, taking different medications combined increases the overall risk and introduces the additional danger of interactions between medicines.
One example is warfarin, a commonly prescribed anticoagulant that interacts with some anti-fungal pills and creams, anti-arrhythmic drugs, thyroid drugs and diuretics, among others, to increase the risk of bleeding. Over-the-counter medicines such as aspirin and herbal medicines such as St John’s wort can also interact with prescription medicines.
On the other hand, taking a few different medicines for some conditions can help reduce the dose of each, and therefore reduces the risk of side effects. And when treating infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis and HIV, multiple drugs can reduce the development of drug-resistant strains. However, drug combinations in these sorts of situations have usually been adequately tested.
Promotions
When prescribed appropriately, medicine is usually helpful for most people – but that's not always the case. When in doubt about the p
Last updated: 21 July 2014
Mixing medicines can be a recipe for disaster. It can be harmful and dangerous to take different types of medicines together, but many people are in the dark about how medicines interact with other pharmaceutical treatments, and which combinations should be avoided.
Adverse drug events account for more than 400,000 GP visits and 190,000 hospital admissions annually. These figures are conservative and don't necessarily include hospitalisations for injuries, such as car accidents or falls, that may have been a result of medication issues.
While it's hard to put a total dollar cost to the health system of medication-related problems, in 2008 hospital admissions alone were estimated at $660 million. Yet about half of these hospitalisations were likely avoidable.
Who is at risk?
The most commonly implicated drugs are cardiovascular medicines, anticoagulants, anti-inflammatories and chemotherapy medicines. People most likely to be affected are those who:
take five or more medications together
use 12 or more doses per day
have had significant recent changes to their treatment regimen
require ongoing monitoring of medication effects
have language difficulties, problems with dexterity, poor eyesight or dementia
attend several different doctors.
Many elderly people are at risk of adverse events from medicines, which can result in hospital admissions. Not only are they more likely to suffer adverse drug events, but their recovery is likely to be poorer.
Why so many drugs?
People these days are relying more heavily on medications than ever before, with the average number of daily drug doses per person more than doubling in the past 20 years. There are several reasons for this:
The trend to treat single conditions with several drugs.
Risk factors for disease are increasingly managed with medication.
Lifestyle-related conditions, which are on the increase (such as heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes), are more conveniently treated with medicines than with a better diet or more exercise.
We're living longer and acquiring more health conditions along the way that need treatment.
Prescription medicines, while helpful in treating or preventing relevant health conditions, often have side effects, and sometimes the side-effect costs outweigh the benefits of the drug. A classic example is benzodiazepines – prescribed to help people sleep, they also increase the risk of falls and broken bones in elderly people.
Polypharmacy
Polypharmacy is the term for people taking many medications – with an accepted clinical definition of "many" being five or more. It's estimated that up to 40% of Australians over 65 are on five or more medications, sometimes with dire consequences. If all drugs have a small chance of side effects, taking different medications combined increases the overall risk and introduces the additional danger of interactions between medicines.
One example is warfarin, a commonly prescribed anticoagulant that interacts with some anti-fungal pills and creams, anti-arrhythmic drugs, thyroid drugs and diuretics, among others, to increase the risk of bleeding. Over-the-counter medicines such as aspirin and herbal medicines such as St John’s wort can also interact with prescription medicines.
On the other hand, taking a few different medicines for some conditions can help reduce the dose of each, and therefore reduces the risk of side effects. And when treating infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis and HIV, multiple drugs can reduce the development of drug-resistant strains. However, drug combinations in these sorts of situations have usually been adequately tested.
Promotions
When prescribed appropriately, medicine is usually helpful for most people – but that's not always the case. When in doubt about the p
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In my case I reckon I need to start taking medication I don't even have a Panadol in my home so if you visit me me and you suffer from headaches bring your ownlaugh
Don't know what happened here,
Good for you Mercedes, there are not too many who can see this
Don't know what happened here,
Good for you Mercedes, there are not too many who can see this
------ This thread is Archived ------
Too many vitamines?
Nowadays, everything from bottled water to orange juice seems to have souped-up levels of vitamins and minerals in it. That may sound like a way to help cover your nutritional bases, especially if your diet is less than stellar. But routinely getting an overload of vitamins and minerals can hurt you.
Too much vitamin C or zinc could cause nausea, diarrhea, and stomach cramps. Too much selenium could lead to hair loss, gastrointestinal upset, fatigue, and mild nerve damage.
While most people aren't getting megadoses, if you eat a fortified cereal at breakfast, grab an energy bar between meals, have enriched pasta for dinner, and take a daily supplement, you could easily be over the recommended daily intake of a host of nutrients.
Here's what you need to know to avoid overdoing it.
Supplements: Check the Dose
Chances are, the unfortified foods you eat aren't a problem. "It's pretty hard to overdo it from food alone," says Johanna Dwyer, RD, a senior research scientist with the National Institutes of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements.
CONTINUE READING BELOW
Nowadays, everything from bottled water to orange juice seems to have souped-up levels of vitamins and minerals in it. That may sound like a way to help cover your nutritional bases, especially if your diet is less than stellar. But routinely getting an overload of vitamins and minerals can hurt you.
Too much vitamin C or zinc could cause nausea, diarrhea, and stomach cramps. Too much selenium could lead to hair loss, gastrointestinal upset, fatigue, and mild nerve damage.
While most people aren't getting megadoses, if you eat a fortified cereal at breakfast, grab an energy bar between meals, have enriched pasta for dinner, and take a daily supplement, you could easily be over the recommended daily intake of a host of nutrients.
Here's what you need to know to avoid overdoing it.
Supplements: Check the Dose
Chances are, the unfortified foods you eat aren't a problem. "It's pretty hard to overdo it from food alone," says Johanna Dwyer, RD, a senior research scientist with the National Institutes of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements.
CONTINUE READING BELOW
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Lol Mercedes, I meant to say that there are not many people who can SAY that they don't take any pills
Jenny
Jenny------ This thread is Archived ------
britishcolumbian: Lol Mercedes, I meant to say that there are not many people who can SAY that they don't take any pills
Jenny
Nah absolutely nothing in fact I don't get colds nor flu's so come to think of it I don't even have a medicine cabinet Jenny
I believe the best vitamins come from the food you consume I do believe I don't ever suffer colds not flu's because in the Winter I don't use any heating what so ever any where in my home walk out to the cold walk back into a warm home and so on it's obvious you're going to gain a chill which can off set something more.
Summer is a different story my two huge air con's pump day/night.
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I seldom use meds and have not a prescription for many years.
I have Syndol & Imodium which are current stock.
I also have Valoron (expired 1991) and Napamol (exp 2001)
I disposed of my polyvalent antivenom when it expired and did not bother to replace it.
I have Syndol & Imodium which are current stock.
I also have Valoron (expired 1991) and Napamol (exp 2001)
I disposed of my polyvalent antivenom when it expired and did not bother to replace it.
------ This thread is Archived ------
britishcolumbian: Lol Mercedes, I meant to say that there are not many people who can SAY that they don't take any pills
Jenny
agree drs.do over do it.Jenny
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Last updated: 21 July 2014
Mixing medicines can be a recipe for disaster. It can be harmful and dangerous to take different types of medicines together, but many people are in the dark about how medicines interact with other pharmaceutical treatments, and which combinations should be avoided.
Adverse drug events account for more than 400,000 GP visits and 190,000 hospital admissions annually. These figures are conservative and don't necessarily include hospitalisations for injuries, such as car accidents or falls, that may have been a result of medication issues.
While it's hard to put a total dollar cost to the health system of medication-related problems, in 2008 hospital admissions alone were estimated at $660 million. Yet about half of these hospitalisations were likely avoidable.
Who is at risk?
The most commonly implicated drugs are cardiovascular medicines, anticoagulants, anti-inflammatories and chemotherapy medicines. People most likely to be affected are those who:
take five or more medications together
use 12 or more doses per day
have had significant recent changes to their treatment regimen
require ongoing monitoring of medication effects
have language difficulties, problems with dexterity, poor eyesight or dementia
attend several different doctors.
Many elderly people are at risk of adverse events from medicines, which can result in hospital admissions. Not only are they more likely to suffer adverse drug events, but their recovery is likely to be poorer.
Why so many drugs?
People these days are relying more heavily on medications than ever before, with the average number of daily drug doses per person more than doubling in the past 20 years. There are several reasons for this:
The trend to treat single conditions with several drugs.
Risk factors for disease are increasingly managed with medication.
Lifestyle-related conditions, which are on the increase (such as heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes), are more conveniently treated with medicines than with a better diet or more exercise.
We're living longer and acquiring more health conditions along the way that need treatment.
Prescription medicines, while helpful in treating or preventing relevant health conditions, often have side effects, and sometimes the side-effect costs outweigh the benefits of the drug. A classic example is benzodiazepines – prescribed to help people sleep, they also increase the risk of falls and broken bones in elderly people.
Polypharmacy
Polypharmacy is the term for people taking many medications – with an accepted clinical definition of "many" being five or more. It's estimated that up to 40% of Australians over 65 are on five or more medications, sometimes with dire consequences. If all drugs have a small chance of side effects, taking different medications combined increases the overall risk and introduces the additional danger of interactions between medicines.
One example is warfarin, a commonly prescribed anticoagulant that interacts with some anti-fungal pills and creams, anti-arrhythmic drugs, thyroid drugs and diuretics, among others, to increase the risk of bleeding. Over-the-counter medicines such as aspirin and herbal medicines such as St John’s wort can also interact with prescription medicines.
On the other hand, taking a few different medicines for some conditions can help reduce the dose of each, and therefore reduces the risk of side effects. And when treating infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis and HIV, multiple drugs can reduce the development of drug-resistant strains. However, drug combinations in these sorts of situations have usually been adequately tested.
Promotions
When prescribed appropriately, medicine is usually helpful for most people – but that's not always the case. When in doubt about the p