Are we over-medicated?

[Workingman]

I said on another thread that my Dr is happy to look at lifestyle type things before going to the medicine cabinet, but then he is German. My misfortune is that most of my drugs stem from my heart problems, and they are under the control of the hospital.

I am not sure how to say this, but there seems to be a 'tick box' mentality as far as heart problems go: Heart problem = This; this; some of this and some of that. I suspect that is also true for many other conditions.

[Suff]

WM certainly my consultant for Cardiology started to prescribe me drugs for my condition before he had done ANY investigative procedures at all.

Needless to say I declined....... I've only ever taken the ACE inhibitors and since they blew my blood pressure through the roof in direct relation to the amount taken, I stopped pretty quickly.

I have a sneaking suspicion that the balance of ACE inhibitors and Statins might have created a balance in my blood thickness, however I can achieve the same with Vitamin C without any of the impact of the ACE inhibitors which only made me ill.

I'm wiser now. They will do what I ask or I will go to someone who will. End of story. If, after doing what I ask, they don't find what I suspect is there, then we'll discuss other options. Whilst I recognise that if I have Stents fitted I will be on some regime of drugs for life, I'll take that balance given the benefits to me of stents.

I haven't seen my GP in over a year and I have no intention of seeing him again until I have some reason and, besides a sore chest because my heart is pressing on my left lung, there is absolutely nothing wrong with me. Now I have my blood thinned again......

[Paddypix]

I'm very lucky too as I'm on no medication at all touch wood. I was sent to the GP by the optician a month or two ago because she saw something a couple of years ago in the photo of the back of my eye which she thought would bear investigation even though whatever it was had disappeared in this year's photo. The GP offered me statins because he said my cholesterol was high. My actual cholesterol level was 3 but they double it if there is a history of heart conditons in the family history! I really do think that they are much too quick to prescribe a drug without investigating whether it is absolutely necessary and the more you take the more chance there is of them starting to interact negatively with one another.

[Kaz]

It's a bit of a snowball effect I think Paddy, so I agree with you. Different of course if you have serious medical issues......

[Suff]

I find that last post from PP extremely interesting. I've never had a high cholesterol test. Until after they found out I had an enlarged heart. Then I was told that my cholesterol was a bit high. When I asked what "a bit" was, I was told "Just over the limit".

Well, if they double the damned results then I'm doing pretty well to reach just over the limit aren't I?

Next time I see the GP I'm going to ask for the actual numbers of my last 3 tests. Two of which were before they thought there was anything wrong with me.

How can we know if we're ill enough to need drugs when they play with the readings based upon what they "think" is going on with you???

I find them playing with the cholesterol levels even more annoying when I think back to my talking to the NHS consultant about my family history and being told that it didn't mean that I was susceptible.....

It's what my mother calls "Flexi Truth". Which is that the truth is what they want us to believe.

[Diflower]

I forgot I posted a reply on here the other day then lost it as the kindle said I wasn't logged in
Mostly what I said was that I wouldn't dream of suggesting anyone stopped any drug they'd been prescribed off their own bat, but that it would be nice to have someone objective to discuss it all with, rather than the Gps and their movable targets and guidelines.

[Kaz]

Oh god no, of course you wouldn't! And yes it would be nice - someone impartial with no axe to grind, or quotas to fill xx

[Suff]

Neither would I Di. But, yes, I feel the same. Mrs S' closest friend used to check every single thing the GP prescribed with her drugs almanac and would challenge anything she felt was not well prescribed. But neither of us would have said just stop taking drugs. However what she did do was come to the GP with questions, lots of them and request that the GP justify the drugs she was asked to take.

Mine made me ill in a way which was diametrically opposed to the supposed result. When they drove my blood pressure up and not down, the consultant simply said "Take more of them and keep taking more of them until they work" He wanted me to double or even quadruple the amount taken even though there was clear evidence that they were making me worse. I doubled the dose for one week, had very serious effects and stopped altogether.

My GP's position was that there were other drugs of the same line which "might now" have the "side effect". He wasn't even listening to the fact that the very action of these drugs was causing the problem. Hence why I stopped listening to either of them. I've been a lot more healthy since I did. But, again, short term with the drugs making me seriously ill.

The only good point out of the whole exercise is that I found out in a non destructive way what an Angina attack feels like. Now if I get anything like it again I can deal with it.

But, to reiterate, I don't recommend anyone just junking drugs. I'm certain that if I had taken the Statins at the same time as the ACE inhibitors, I would not have seen the same problem. Then I would have been on drugs I don't need, which don't help me, for the rest of my life (so they tell me). Yet these same drugs are Vital to others and Must be taken.

[KateLMead]

For over three years I was given drugs for supposed angina.. Gus was concerned about the symptoms I was experiencing severe chest pains, and spoke to the doctor stating my medications should be looked into. It turned out that I was being treated unnecessarily for angina, the pains had been excruciating and debilitating and I certainly should not have been on the medication.. Within a week the pains stopped and I have not suffered with them since. It was a student doctor who pointed this out to the doctor who was shocked that I had been prescribed them. I am on four drugs a day a small amount and one of those I take every other day instead of every day. Important to check your medication and if you are worried tell your doctor.[quote][/quote]

[Kaz]

Very sensible post Kate, and I'm glad the doctors finally got it right for you! ((((x))))