Arthritis patient Edith Manley of San Leandro, Calif., is exceedingly careful when mixing medication, and with good reason. Nearly three years ago, Manley's 39-year-old daughter, Megan Nelson, died unexpectedly during a visit to Manley's home. Nelson had back pain for several years and occasional bouts of depression. Although her medical conditions weren't fatal, mixing prescriptions apparently was. "She was taking antidepressants for her depression and painkillers for her back pain," recalls Manley. "Her primary cause of death was listed as an accidental drug overdose.”
Manley and Nelson's teenage son, Mike, still grieve. And Manley is determined to get the word out: Mixing medications can be deadly, especially for people with arthritis or older Americans, who often have more than one health condition that requires medication.
Multiple Meds = Increased Dangers
Oscar Gluck, MD, clinical professor of medicine at the University of Arizona School of Medicine and director of the Arizona Rheumatology Center in Phoenix, says most of his patients have several diseases. In addition to a rheumatic disease, the most common diseases his patients have are diabetes, hypertension or cardiovascular disease. Although people of any age can have multiple health problems, the greatest risk is among those 50 and older, he says. As people age, their propensity to develop other health problems – and the likelihood that they are mixing medication – increases.
A recent study of adults in the United States showed that more than 90 percent of people 65 or older use at least one medication per week. More than 40 percent use five or more medications, and 10 percent use 12 or more.
"It's not unusual to see people with arthritis taking a dozen drugs. And if they're taking that many, I can usually find three or four that have the potential to interact," says Don Miller, professor and chairman of pharmacy practice in the College of Pharmacy Practice at North Dakota State University and pharmacotherapy specialist at Veterans Administration Hospital in Fargo.
Obviously, the more drugs you need to take, the more likely you are to be taking two that don't mix. But even if you are young, relatively healthy and just occasionally take medications for other problems, such as a cold, headache or infection, you could be at risk for medication reactions – if you and your doctor aren't careful.
I have had trouble sleeping all my life it seems. I mix a toxic cocktail to sleep:morph,trazdone,zolpediem zamex.
fear has taken over. i read heath ledger's od and respiratory failure has me frightened. any suggentions out there, thank's
cephalexin.
This has allowed me to change meds or dosage under doctor's care. Hope you will get relief & Peace to you.
I'll keep you all in my prayers.
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" say no to drugs" remember that? " say " no to your doctor and drug companies"
I have RA since 2005 and like many of you I take so mnay types of meds (Humira, Methrotaxate, Millipred, Boniva, Lyrica, Folic Acid 1mg, Vitamin D 50,000U, Welbutrin XL and Nucynta) now I have been with these severa types of heahaches on one side only and have a had two sessions of trigger point injections on that site,and, still have the pain,I can't sleep, have to work, take care of 2 children and the home. I am also doing my Doctorate. The pain in my hands (wrists) knees, neck and lower back are always there - do we really have to get used to these pains? What do I do?
*I do physical therapy every day at least 20 minutes in the pool, eat right, always have your meals don't skip them your body needs them.
*I bought this voice recognition software to do a lot of my hand writen work and school projects, change as many electronics as possible to be touchscreen instead of buttons (I hate those).
*I organize my self to run my day, I cook for 2 days this way I can just reheat the meal of the day before, ah and use a crockpot (dump it all in and let it run!)
*My co-workers know about my conditions and we work much better as a team.
*I need to travel a lot, so I use comftable clothes and SHOES!!!, carry only what I need (Sorry ladys, no more match your clothes with the shoes and the handbag) smaller and lighter luggage. Always carry healthy snacks in my bag, and, insteads of a book I have a Kindle have them all in one place and small light to carry.
I hope my best practices help any of you out there. Keep moving forward, let's not give up and lots of health to all. Thanks Melissa
over the years i have tried every treatment i could to help with pain!! i work with a herbalist, i have took herbal classes, i am on herbs and vitamins, my husband and i both became a reiki masters. i have been to rhemys, neros, pain clinics, spine clinics, chrio, done acupuncture, gigong and pt etc. so far besides meds heat and reiki are the only things that work for me. some of that i know works for many- but for some of us we have to be on meds!!! we are not lesser people for taking them!!
i HATE with a passion when people judge others for being on pain meds or hell meds period- like someone did on this board.yes i am on a pain med and i am also on a med to control my panic attacks bc when i get into a ton of pain i can not control when the attacks hit. DO YOU THINK WE WANT TO BE ON THEM?? omg no- who the heck would want to?? having chronic pain illness suck- bc you feel like you dont have control! your sick and being on pain meds makes most people feel like they are addicts or weak. why people feel this way is bc many to many people judge us and make us feel bad. we dont use them to get high we use them to control pain. to be honest the most pain meds do is help easy the pain it never takes it away. so we can try to live as normally as we can.
i went threw 6 yrs of doctors and people telling me i was a lair, crazy, weak, mental and a junkie(at the time i wasnt on pain meds). i had shrinks laugh at me, doctors tell me to put my kids in day care and others tell me i was just lazy. lol sad bc i do more work in a day and i am on my feet more than most of them where. chasing after a toddler and a new born is no small task! yes some are jerks- i have been there many many times and it took me years before i said screw this. i bought into it all, thought i was nuts and maybe it was all in my head. then i got proactive and searched like mad to find a g.p that dealt with chronic pain illnesses. there are sites like fibro hugs that help your find doctors by state.
i know i sound like a witch but most of us feel bad enough!!
to recommend swimming ,fish oil ,Holy basil,
oregano oil , old remmody is applecider vinegar 1teaspoon,and one teaspoon of honey 3xs aday in warm water and drink. I have found no caffine to help as it stores the toxins in our body and you need 8 to 10 glasses of water daily to flush out all the toxins from pills etc. I am doing all these
and wish to find the cure for all of us whom
suffer ever so much. Also eat organic as the
cells hold the toxins and no water causes the joints to suffer terribly. Processed food
is causing alot of our problems I can my own
and have a organic orchard and grow alot of myown veggies we can help ourselves by the
things we are doing I for one am fighting you just have to start one step at a time and study. Nature has alot to help we need to educate ourselves these meds. are bad and the dies they use I for one am allergic to yellow and reds. Hope this is of some good for any of you's out there.
But I have had back and neck surgery,
Take,Topamax,Maxalt,Zanax,Zanaflex,Elvil
Lidodien? patches Ambien,Plus,Lortab
And I need to. And it don't hurt me.
I Have Chronic Pain.
Thank You
http://www.medscape.com/druginfo/druginterchecker
Pharmacists are much more aware of interactions than most doctors and most major pharmacies use computerized drug interaction checkers. I take a broad approach and use online tools, ask the pharmacist and the doctor. When I get a hit from one, I ask the others to get confirmation.
Good luck everyone.
150 & 300 MG Welbutrin XL - 1 each daily
75 MG Plavix - 1 daily
40 MG Nexium - 1 daily
50 MG Metropol - 1 daily
1000 MG Metformin - 1 daily
5 MG Ramipril - 1 daily
0.2 Synthroid - 1 daily
plus Fish Oil 1000, Bayer Aspirin 325, Vita E 400. (I do not think this list is even complete)
Add to that a nightly dose of Nyquil flu & cold medicine, and a bottle of Dristan Nasal Spray at least 10 times a day.
He has no interest in watching hs diet as long as the doctors keep prescribing pills. He is diabetic- but controlled. He has had 2 heart stints in 2007. He is 53 & overweight and his health is going downhill steadily. What are all these medications doing to him?
Thanks, Jeani
Thank you for your time,Sunnie
thx
Aman
ambein 10 take 1 1/2 before bed
atavin 5 mg before bed.
adderal 30mg
vivelle dot patch 1mg
ib proffen 600mg
melatonin 3g.
also weekly b-12 injections.
31 female
high blood pressure. 159/110
5 foot four
125 pounds( do these drugs counter ack)?
these are her med...topamax 50mg..clonazepamo .5mg..valium 40mg..lasix 40 mg..promethazine 25mg..kadian 100mg..lortab 10 mg..lexapro 20 mg..aciphex 20mg..triazolam 0.25mg.. iron 27mg..lysine 500mg..potassium 99mg..calcuim..
i have asked her husband and her about these meds..they think its not my bussiness and get angery for it..she walks around like a person on a bad high..they think because it given to her by a dr. its ok...what to do
Those are serious meds you are taking. You need to talk to your pharmacist and your doctor if they can be taken together.
i still have not found 1 med. that actually have helped with all the pain.
i would love to take just a few med. and a lot less pills per day.
is there any med. out there that can help minimize the pain of this desease ???
there had to be something out there for others that sufour like i do.
is there something new to help us ???
thanks.
marilyn from hamilton.
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