Taking Daily Medications?

[CanadianPaco]

Interest to see quite a few thyroid issues. I also take Synthroid daily - I had thyroid cancer 5 yrs ago and my whole thyroid was removed. My girlfriend takes it as well for an under active thyroid and has been taking it for years. I asked her, when I was going through my cancer, what it was like having to take a pill daily. She said it was a matter of feeling bad or feeling great. For me, it's no choice.

 

[Anne MN]

my DD who is 15 is "down" to 15 meds daily.
she is a transplant patient, so, if she skips doses..
some are for reactive airway (3 inhailers)
she was at one time taking 64 meds daily, but that was just being discharged from the hospital after transplant

 

[minkydog]

I have this discussion several times a week with my patients and their families.

Many resent being prescribed medications to be taken daily, some even mind medications taken on an as needed basis.

I admit I take a proton pump inhibitor every day (Prilosec) and I find it annoying. I'm thankful it isn't something that will end my life if I should forget to take it.


I'll be 44 soon and that's all I take. I'm a registered nurse and admit I purposely steer away from my family taking medications when something else will do the job instead.

My husband takes medications for cholesterol, allergies, and a few other things. He's younger than I am and takes a pile of pills each day.


How old (young) are you, do you take medications each day, and how do you feel about it?

Well, I'm one of those who hates having to take medications but if i'm going to function as a reasonable adult and not go all One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, I better darn well take them. I'm 54 and i take 5 meds for *your* safety.

My husband is severely disabled with heart/lung disease. He is 54 and takes 23 different meds, for a total of about 42 pills and 8-10 doses of his inhalers EVERY DAY. More when he's having a hard day. He really has a hard time with this. He hates taking the pills, hates the implication that he is disabled, hates feeling like he's somehow "less than" other men. We're probably a match made in heaven.

 

[Mrs. Darcy]

When people say they don't like or resent taking medications daily, I always wonder why.

For me I think it borders on an irrational fear. I mean I truly would rather try a natural way of getting well, but it's more than that. I feel like medicines will interfere with my body, like it's a poison. My father is an MD so I know medications are a live or die thing for many people, and I just pray that I never need medicines that way. If I do, the first med I'll have to take will be something from a psychiatrist.

The odd (or maybe not) thing is that I have no problems with my husband or loved ones taking medicines. And I don't think I'll have a problem with giving them to my future children. It's my own body that I think won't take kindly to it.

 

[Gigi22]

I don't know why people would refuse to take prescribed daily medications, unless for economic reasons. I am on 3 pills daily for hypertension and high cholesterol, and I consider myself darn fortunate to be on them. One of the prescriptions I take now might have saved my father's life, had it been available when he needed it. He passed away of a heart attack at the age of 59.

 

[KristaTX]

For me I think it borders on an irrational fear. I mean I truly would rather try a natural way of getting well, but it's more than that. I feel like medicines will interfere with my body, like it's a poison. My father is an MD so I know medications are a live or die thing for many people, and I just pray that I never need medicines that way. If I do, the first med I'll have to take will be something from a psychiatrist.

The odd (or maybe not) thing is that I have no problems with my husband or loved ones taking medicines. And I don't think I'll have a problem with giving them to my future children. It's my own body that I think won't take kindly to it.

That is interesting and very honest of you. I wonder if things you saw or heard as a child/teen that related to your father's work helped lead to your fear.

 

[KristaTX]

Now that I think about it, I used to view any drinking of alcoholic beverages as "poison" kind of like that. I don't anymore, but when I was much younger, even as a young adult, I did. At least I don't see it as "poison" when people are drinking it responsibly.

 

[DisMomme]

I take synthroid daily (or at least when I remember). I had 1/2 my thyroid removed 2 years ago. I am also vit D deficient so I have to take supplements daily for that. I take another seasonally for SAD. So, 4 per day usually.

I have a CPap machine that I use every night too, does that count? I usually wake up around 2 AM though and shut it off because it makes me feel sick.

I hate taking meds daily. Only because I don;t remember to take them 1/2 the time. I'm glad I don;t have anything serious so when I forget I just feel tired and sluggish for the day.

 

[honugirl]

32 and I take a handful of pills/supplements a day to keep myself alive. If I don't take several of them, I will die. No ifs ands or buts about it. Even just missing a dose or 2 can be deadly depending on the circumstances when you have no adrenal glands. So while I don't like that it makes me different among my "peers," I do it because the alternative isn't very good. It has made me a much more functional person. Before I was looking at someday having to go on disability, now I'm looking at a much brighter future. Fortunately, I have a wonderful support system among my friends that make being a freak OK.

 

[Sorsha]

I take several meds daily, and they are all necessary. I take a blood pressure med/diuretic combo daily for hypertension. Hypertension runs in my family, its just a fact of life. My 32 year old, oh-so-fit little brother, who is a MD, and works out daily, and is-ever-so healthy has hypertension; my mom has it, my grandma died from it. So, I take medication for it. I also have adult onset complex partial catamenial epilepsy, very difficult to treat. So, I take a couple of anti-epileptic drugs daily for that. We have yet to find a combination of drugs that will completely stop the seizure events, its a work in progress. It may be that nothing but menopause will stop it. I look forward to that day. SIGH.

I also usually take OTC acid blockers daily, but that depends on what I eat on that day.

 

[bellebud]

I also have adult onset complex partial catamenial epilepsy, very difficult to treat. So, I take a couple of anti-epileptic drugs daily for that. We have yet to find a combination of drugs that will completely stop the seizure events, its a work in progress. It may be that nothing but menopause will stop it. I look forward to that day. SIGH.

I also usually take OTC acid blockers daily, but that depends on what I eat on that day.

that's interesting... why would menopause stop your seizures? If you got a hysterectomy, would that bring on menopause and maybe stop it?

 

[rie'smom]

For me I think it borders on an irrational fear. I mean I truly would rather try a natural way of getting well, but it's more than that. I feel like medicines will interfere with my body, like it's a poison. My father is an MD so I know medications are a live or die thing for many people, and I just pray that I never need medicines that way. If I do, the first med I'll have to take will be something from a psychiatrist.

The odd (or maybe not) thing is that I have no problems with my husband or loved ones taking medicines. And I don't think I'll have a problem with giving them to my future children. It's my own body that I think won't take kindly to it.

You sound like me. The reason I've never had a problem taking my Armour thyroid is because it's natural and not made synthetically. Since last Sunday, I've been sick with something that resembles the flu. I kept putting off going to the doc because I knew he'd prescribe an antibiotic. On Thursday, my husband said for the thousandth time-you need to go to the doctor. When I looked in the mirror and my glands were so swollen I looked like I had the mumps, I went. He prescribed a z pack. So Thursday night I didn't take the meds, on Friday I had my husband drive our daughter and me to the seamstress for her Mardi Gras Ball gown fitting. Woke up at midnight with ear ache that lasted until 4am. I decide to take my meds but read the insert. You can't take this med if you take antacids-I had taken one.
This morning I called the pharmacist and she said since it had been 12 hours I could take the meds but NO antacids while on the medication.

This is why I hate taking meds. Apparently antacids can cause a problem with the z pack. Why isn't this listed on the box? It was in writing so small I almost needed a magnifying glass. What about those people who don't or can't read the insert?
Once I read an article about a Dr who took 2 meds that weren't supposed to be taken together. He died of kidney failure as a result. Now a days, if you have all of your prescriptions at the same pharmacy, it would send a flag. It doesn't though with over the counter meds that can also cause devastating problems. Docs need to ask about anything a patient takes not just what other medications they're taking.

Sorry for the novel.

 

[MushyMushy]

I'll be 44 this week and I take a few daily meds. I don't like it, but the alternative is worse. I take Synthroid, 2 antidepressants, Prilosec and a sleeping pill. The Synthroid is obviously for the rest of my life, and the doc has strongly recommended I stay on the antidepressants long term. The Prilosec is an alternative to surgery. The sleeping pill... well, I'm not giving that one up without a fight! It's the only one I wouldn't WANT to give up!

 

[Sorsha]

that's interesting... why would menopause stop your seizures? If you got a hysterectomy, would that bring on menopause and maybe stop it?

Because my seizures are directly tied to my monthly hormonal swings... estrogen is a seizure exciter, progesterone is an inhibitor. I can chart my cycle, and pretty darn near predict when seizures will happen based on when estrogen will be on an upswing or on a high point.

I have borderline PCOS, and as such, I produce way too much estrogen, we figure this is probably the cause of the seizures to begin with - I have a tendency towards them, and the overdose of estrogen pushes my neurological pathways over the edge. So, just taking a low dose progesterone-only birth-control pill isn't enough to control the estrogen swings... we have tried that. And since I have hypertension, my MD isn't willing to try a birth control pill with any more kick than that; it might help the seizures, but be too dangerous when combined with the hypertension.

And yes, I could try a complete hysterectomy. It probably would be a great help indeed. But, you see, I have no health insurance. And since I have several pre-existing conditions, it would bankrupt me to try to get insurance. So right now, I just muddle along, paying for my care out of pocket. And a hysterectomy out of pocket just isn't in the cards.

 

[mommasita]

I take an anti-seizure pill daily, and without fail. The alternate is

I take B12 injections Bi weekly now.

My Dr's have tried, and I flopped out on Lyrica, Elavil, and one other one lately. They just made me TOO loppy, and the benefits (NONE) did not outweight the positive. SO after a good go at each one, i decided to stop them.

I see my Rheumy this week and my Brain Surgeon after my last results, and judging by the intensity of the calls, from the Dr's directly, I suspect something is up, and I will need definitetely something for the Sjrogens, and perhaps more surgery.

I am a guinea pig.

 

[Conservative Hippie]

Because my seizures are directly tied to my monthly hormonal swings... estrogen is a seizure exciter, progesterone is an inhibitor. I can chart my cycle, and pretty darn near predict when seizures will happen based on when estrogen will be on an upswing or on a high point.

I have borderline PCOS, and as such, I produce way too much estrogen, we figure this is probably the cause of the seizures to begin with - I have a tendency towards them, and the overdose of estrogen pushes my neurological pathways over the edge. So, just taking a low dose progesterone-only birth-control pill isn't enough to control the estrogen swings... we have tried that. And since I have hypertension, my MD isn't willing to try a birth control pill with any more kick than that; it might help the seizures, but be too dangerous when combined with the hypertension.

And yes, I could try a complete hysterectomy. It probably would be a great help indeed. But, you see, I have no health insurance. And since I have several pre-existing conditions, it would bankrupt me to try to get insurance. So right now, I just muddle along, paying for my care out of pocket. And a hysterectomy out of pocket just isn't in the cards.

I have (had?) endometriosis, and on the theory that it was caused by too much estrogen, my dr put me on Femara, an estrogen-inhibitor, and then a low-dose BC to put a little bit of estrogen back, and it was the best I ever felt. I haven't had any symptoms since having my first daughter, so right now I'm on nothing.

 

[GAGirlInVA]

I take an antihistimine cocktail every single day... since last February when I started getting strange line hives. I've had multiple sets of allergy testing, changed apartments, gone on vacation, been in the hospital, changed things and changed things back.. and I still get them without fail.

The antihistimines do not fix my hives, they make them bearable. The hives of course come and go with no real rhyme or reason. Without antihistimines I feel like I'm being eaten alive by fire ants and I'm sure it'd be very simple for DH to have me committed.

 

[MariDisney]

I am 41 and had my thyroid removed last year. Therefore, I need to take synthroid every day. I don't think too much about it. It's on my bedside stand, and it takes about 3 seconds to take it in the morning. I know I'd feel pretty darn bad if I didn't take it for a few days! (Although I've never tried. I've taken it every day) The only bummer is that I can't have anything until 30 minutes after my pill, and sometimes I'm hungry for breakfast before that.

 

[mommasita]

I'll be 44 this week and I take a few daily meds. I don't like it, but the alternative is worse. I take Synthroid, 2 antidepressants, Prilosec and a sleeping pill. The Synthroid is obviously for the rest of my life, and the doc has strongly recommended I stay on the antidepressants long term. The Prilosec is an alternative to surgery. The sleeping pill... well, I'm not giving that one up without a fight! It's the only one I wouldn't WANT to give up!

Which day Mushy? If you don't mind me asking. I tend to forget. And I would like to wish it to you.

 

[casndan]

I'm 28 and I've taken synthroid everyday for the last 8 years or so and since I had my thyroid removed this summer due to thyroid cancer I will take that pill everyday for the rest of my life. I also take BC everyday because well I have cancer and therefore don't need to be pregnant right now! I don't think that's too bad for being a cancer patient though! Occationally I have more, but that's it usually.