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How Many Prescription Drugs Do You Take?

How Many Prescription Drugs Do You Take?

  • 0

    Votes: 27 50.0%
  • 1

    Votes: 3 5.6%
  • 2-5

    Votes: 21 38.9%
  • 6-10

    Votes: 2 3.7%
  • 11-15

    Votes: 1 1.9%
  • 16+

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    54
I am in my 50's and just had my annual physical. blood work came back good including choleterol, blood sugar, PSA, etc. I am proud to say that I take no prescription meds.

I never took prescription drugs except antibiotics now and then until I was 62...
 
None, I avoid drugs and doctors with a religious fervour, the only ones I take are over the counter painkillers for when I have a really bad a headache or something, which is usually only once a month or less.
And how old are you? ;) I hope you don't take much.
 
Nada.

.............
 
At the moment none, but I do have a prescription for Nexium should I need it again.
 
Two different eyedrops for my glaucoma. At one time it was up to three different drops, prior to my surgeries back in the college days.
 
I voted incorrectly. I'm currently on 6 medications.
 
Good to see 19 zeros, but 4 for me (diabetes and high blood pressure).
Do we take too many ?
YES !
Is this any solution ?
maybe, but I think diet and exercise are far better..
And, BION, this works for me...Neither are hard nor that big a change.
American prople should listen to those who know, and not RushLimbaugh nor Beck (two fools)
 
i have to fill mine through mail order, which is a complete hassle. they seem incapable of shipping me my prescription on time. i would never do mail order if i weren't forced to by my job's arrangement with this company.

our "best health care in the world" keeps finding more ways to get more expensive, less convenient, and more inefficient.
 
I'm a 2-5er, and none of them are for side effects of the others.
 
I'm a 2-5er, and none of them are for side effects of the others.

Yes, someone else made the point that many illnesses have multiple effects that must be dealt with... Thanks for voting!
 
I had to take an anti-cholinergic to counter the side effects of Haldol, but then I went blind, so I had to stop taking both drugs.
 
No need to go into detail about what they are, but just very curious as to how many. I recently ran across stats saying over half of America is on multiple scripts... wondered how that bears out here...

The poll will be anonymous. I will reveal my own script usage later in the thread.

But to spur discussion, is modern medicine is "better living through chemistry"?
Would you be alive today without your scripts?


Just to be clear, I'm not looking for anyone to divulge in their posts what or how many scripts they're taking. That will just lead to everyone claiming none.

Vote honestly and annonymously in the poll... but keep the discussion to aspects of modern pharmacology and medical practices... unless you feel like divulging more of course.

Currently I'm not taking anything, thankfully, but I do owe a debt of gratitude for the drugs that have helped me over the years. Anti-biotics and vaccines at the least.

To answer the questions, yes it is much better living through chemistry. I have several relatives who would more than likely not be around were it not for prescriptions drugs. One of them had to prove it this summer by choosing not to take a medication because of an inconvenient side effect. CPR delivered by an EMT crew and a few days in the hospital, has persuaded that individual to never do that again.

I think modern medicine is wonderful, it's just the business side that can suck. Pushing drugs on the market before thorough testing, for example, leading to death or severe side-effects.
 
I answered "1".

I take birth control, and I'd prefer not taking it if other options were practical. I have, on occasion, used an Albuterol inhaler to control asthma issues but do not use one regularly. The possible side effects of medications are terrifying. There's a new ADD/ADHD medication for children that is advertised at the "non-stimulant" option for ADHD kids. The commercial says that the medication can cause trouble sleeping, digestive issues, stomach bleeding and 3 or 4 other very serious side-effects....and they want children to take it! Of course then you get the medication to help them sleep, which is supplemented by a medication to combat drowsiness, which is supplmented by a medication to control nausea and blah, blah, blah. The next thing you know, the kid is taking a cocktail of medication everyday.

And it's worse for adults.

I have no interest in that kind of lifestyle for myself or my future children.
 
Yes, someone else made the point that many illnesses have multiple effects that must be dealt with... Thanks for voting!

When you get to 65 (I'm not quite there) the average person has 3 separate conditions going on at any given time.
 
Currently I'm not taking anything, thankfully, but I do owe a debt of gratitude for the drugs that have helped me over the years. Anti-biotics and vaccines at the least.

To answer the questions, yes it is much better living through chemistry. I have several relatives who would more than likely not be around were it not for prescriptions drugs. One of them had to prove it this summer by choosing not to take a medication because of an inconvenient side effect. CPR delivered by an EMT crew and a few days in the hospital, has persuaded that individual to never do that again.

I think modern medicine is wonderful, it's just the business side that can suck. Pushing drugs on the market before thorough testing, for example, leading to death or severe side-effects.

Well, everything is chemistry. All the natural processes of a completely healthy person are chemistry. Vitamins are chemistry. Aspirin is chemistry.

But chemistry is not always good. Cancer is chemistry. Heroin is chemistry. Arsenic is chemistry.

Chemistry can make life better or worse. And the business aspect of things is a big, big component of prescription drugs. Not just drugs that aren't adequately tested, but drugs that are unnecessary.

Because of this pervasive business aspect, I really do believe a patient needs to do their own homework before deciding to go on a drug. Doctors are specialists, but they aren't gods, and a lot of them get kick-backs for prescribing certain drugs, whether you need them or not, whether they're safe or not.

And even good chemistry can be bad. I too owe my life to antibiotics. But that doesn't mean there isn't a culture of irresponsibility surrounding antibiotics. Over-prescription has resulting in drug-resistant bacteria and pervasive allergies. More conservative treatment would minimize or avoid most of these problems.

And you can see the effects of money if you own a pet. Take your pet to the vet with a problem, and they will try the most conservative viable means of treatment. Often, this involves avoiding pharmaceuticals if possible, and opting for more gentle treatment. Things like honey bandages for surface-level infections, and supplements for mild arthritis. These things work when used in appropriate cases. There's no reason to go straight to powerful drugs. And in the veterinary industry, there's less monetary incentive for vets to over-medicate.

I'm not a homeopath by any means. That stuff can be dangerous, and it hurts a lot of people. But there's legitimate science behind a lot of non-pharmaceutical methods of treatment, and there is often no reason for someone to be on some of the medications they're on.

Patients needs to keep themselves informed, ask questions, and when in doubt, get a second opinion. Chemistry is only as good as the person wielding it.
 
Well, everything is chemistry. All the natural processes of a completely healthy person are chemistry. Vitamins are chemistry. Aspirin is chemistry.

But chemistry is not always good. Cancer is chemistry. Heroin is chemistry. Arsenic is chemistry.

Chemistry can make life better or worse. And the business aspect of things is a big, big component of prescription drugs. Not just drugs that aren't adequately tested, but drugs that are unnecessary.

Because of this pervasive business aspect, I really do believe a patient needs to do their own homework before deciding to go on a drug. Doctors are specialists, but they aren't gods, and a lot of them get kick-backs for prescribing certain drugs, whether you need them or not, whether they're safe or not.

And even good chemistry can be bad. I too owe my life to antibiotics. But that doesn't mean there isn't a culture of irresponsibility surrounding antibiotics. Over-prescription has resulting in drug-resistant bacteria and pervasive allergies. More conservative treatment would minimize or avoid most of these problems.

And you can see the effects of money if you own a pet. Take your pet to the vet with a problem, and they will try the most conservative viable means of treatment. Often, this involves avoiding pharmaceuticals if possible, and opting for more gentle treatment. Things like honey bandages for surface-level infections, and supplements for mild arthritis. These things work when used in appropriate cases. There's no reason to go straight to powerful drugs. And in the veterinary industry, there's less monetary incentive for vets to over-medicate.

I'm not a homeopath by any means. That stuff can be dangerous, and it hurts a lot of people. But there's legitimate science behind a lot of non-pharmaceutical methods of treatment, and there is often no reason for someone to be on some of the medications they're on.

Patients needs to keep themselves informed, ask questions, and when in doubt, get a second opinion. Chemistry is only as good as the person wielding it.

Great Post!

I would only add more broadly that food is chemistry, and food can be medicine. Much of the chronic disease we see in America today is the result of lifestyle and eating habits... many of them we've been sold on as healthy by a federal advisory panel heavily influenced by both agri and pharma.

This is completely anecdotal, but I can't say for certain that I owe my life to antibiotics. For years as a child I got bronchitis every year, sometimes twice. It wasn't until I was out on my own and couldn't afford either a doctor or the medication that I had to suffer through without the antibiotics used to end it in the past. After that episode, I never got bronchitis again.
 
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Okay, a little info on me... And a bump

For the last twenty years I have avoided prescriptions altogether, and when prescribed rarely have them filled. The only time I have been to a physician in that time, up until recently, has been for emergencies where I couldn't set my own bones.

Over that time aspirin has been my only med. on rare occasions when sick with the flu and running a high fever I would dog-pile fever reducers, aspirin then two hours later Tylenol then ibuprofen two hours after that, then repeat. I count myself very fortunate to have seemingly good genes and have always been active and a relatively sensible eater. In addition to the stats I read about recentlymy closest friend, a health are provider and I have been talking about another stat coming more to light these days... That 80% of chronic disease in this country are due to lifestyle choices.
More on that later...
 
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