Health & Fitness – For the first time, it appears that more than half of all insured Americans are taking prescription medicines regularly for chronic health problems, a study shows.
I read many years ago that 80% of illnesses people go to a doctor for could have been prevented with exercise and proper nutrition. I am 65 and take no prescription drugs.
Count your blessings. Up to a year ago, I used to boast that my body was a drug free zone (didn't even take an aspirin). Then I had a heart attack and today, I take 7 pills every day...5 in the morning and 2 at night. Hate it, but what you gonna do?
I am with you on that. Sometimes nothing we can do but take the medications. I had a minor stroke a few years back and they found it was due to a tendancy of my blood to clot more than normal. From that time on as long as I live I will have to take daily doses of anticoagulants. Like you the alternative is not pleasant most likely at some time a major and fatal stroke. Thanks but no thanks I will take the drugs.
People seem to miss the real key here. 60 years ago it was considered fortunate to live to 65 and collect social security for 5-10 years. Now major portions of the population are moving into that range and living into your 90's is no longer rare. Yep we are living longer due to many things, but the bodies to not last forever so as the population ages more and more will be on drugs for chronic conditions. BTW I pay $20 a year under my insurance for my drugs so Big Pharma is certainly not making a killing off of me.
I think that many doctors feel somehow "guilty", when their patients leave without a prescription (But on the other hand, many patients complain: He didn´t do anything. He only asked me some questions!). I once read that in Germany, 80% of the visits at a doctor end up with the handing out of a prescription form. Of course, this doesn´t take as much time as searching intensively for what the patient´s deeper problems are!
My doctor knows I don't like to take prescription drugs, so she takes the holistic approach with me. I do take multivitamins and antioxidants like fish oil capsules, natural estrogen, etc. But I also eat salmon and tuna four times a week and at least seven fruits & vegetables every day.
Most doctors don't know much about nutrition. :)
Most doctors don't know much about nutrition. :)
Thing about salmon is only the wild salmon is good for you, not the Atlantic (farm-raised) kind. And stay away from the tropical fruits like pineapple, mango, etc.
High blood pressure and high cholesterol are preventable with proper diet and exercise.
It is not a doctor/drug company scam or conspiracy that Americans want a short cut.
That is true in many cases but in some people there is a genetic predisposition for the liver to make too much cholesterol regardless of dietary intake
Rhe newer meds block absorption of cholesterol in the GI tract AND production in the liver
Several hormones in the body are derived from cholesterol including testosterone and estrogen. That is why the body has a means to manufacture it's own cholesterol
this is not surprising in a country that supports for-profit health care. while many people do have chronic illness requiring medication, probably half of the medicated, don't.
it is all about the way pharmaceuticals are marketed. saturation tv advertising tells americans that all their problems can be solved by their company's little (and expensive) pill. and have you noticed that it is always medication for very common ailments? pharmaceutical corporations won't even develop medications for diseases that are too rare to be "profitable".
not to mention the extremely well paid pharmaceutical sales reps peddling their products to doctors and encouraging use by providing large quantities of "samples". reminds me of how kids get hooked on illegal drugs. start giving it away, get them addicted and then they'll pay.
unfortunately, americans "swallow" it.
Im one of those people.
It's not like I'm some crazy pill popper (Im crazy WAY before the pills ;) ) .
I have to take asthma and allergy medicine daily to keep from, well, dying. It sucks. It really sucks to have a pharmacy in your purse.
I know there are people who want a pill for everything but there are just as many of us who would rather not take them but have to. Boo to that I say.
Agree with you there. Many if not most of us on chronic medical treatment would rather not take the drugs.
When I was younger I actually let asthma caused by cat danger to get so bad I had to go to the emergency room for a shot of adrenaline to be able to breath. Rather than take the medications forever I took the full series of tests and went through two years of desensitizing injections three times a week. Occasionally take an OTC anti-histamine but been relatively free of issues for over 30 years now.
I found it interesting that the article didn't mention Viagra, Levitra or Cialis
According to a study published in 2002:
The fastest growing segments of users were found to be men 18 to 45 years and 46 to 55 years, who experienced increases in use of 312% and 216%, respectively, over the study period
Men 56 years and older continued to receive the majority of Viagra prescriptions.
I don't think those could be called medication, more like self help for advanced age......
"more like self help for advanced age"
Is that why the study showed the fastest growing segments of users were found to be men 18 to 45 years?
They are certainly medication - they require a prescription and have side effects
I too, was one of those who at one time took no drugs other than for occasional aspirin. Now, I'm taking several. Some for hi blood fats - which diet does NOT help - some for migraine prevention - some for cronic back pain due to spondylolisthesis - which didn't bother me when I was younger. Now, if I start to think maybe I don't really NEED those pain killers and try to NOT take them for a day or two, my back gets so damn sore I can hardly walk. I hate it, but the alternative is even less attractive.
Believe me it can get worse than just some pain. I have been having pain trouble with my feet lately, a lot due to a couple of broken toes there is not much you can do about. Due to my anticoagulants the only pain reliever I can take is Tylanol or Vicodan (tylanol hydrocodone) as that has the least impact on my chronic condition medicines.
Still it does have an impact and causes levels of anticoagulant in my blood to increase and my dosage to be reduced. I worry that when I get of the pain killers I might not be getting enough of the other medication to prevent a serious stroke or other issue. I do have to have my blood tested for that level regularly and am trying to work now with my clinic to determine how to back of the pain killers without other issues occuring.
Very simplistic but there can be real dangers in mixing drugs, even if one of them is a common OTC medication.
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my dentist told me about three/fourths of her patients are taking prescription drugs.
this is largely a scam between the insurance foks and big pharm.
I've got a chronic condition related to Crone's Disease and believe me, I need to take my pills everyday. The alternative is to literally feel like my guts are falling out.
Drop, don't walk, run, to your local grocery store and find, in the dairy case, a yogurt called "Activia". Eat one of the small containers every day. You won't believe how much it will help.
Really, it will help Ulcerative Colitis?
money is made on TREATMENT.
take care of that I have a friend who died from what you describe.. took him over a year.. he went from 250 to 89 when he passed..
Colitis isn't as bad as Crone's and my case is under control with maintainence medication. Crone's can't be surgically cured and the lesions can eat through the intestine into surrounding organs. Aggressive steriod treatment can help but some people do die from Crone's.
Oh Droppy!
Now I see why you post such bile.
Im so sorry.
However, I think its important to realize that words have meaning and power and you shouldnt just use the internet as your own personal linquistic toilet bowl.
Know what I mean?
Why would it be a scam? Insurance companies have to pay when one fills a prescription. They'd rather you have insurance but not have have claims.
state laws connect the amount insurance companies can charge their customers to how much they have to pay out on claims.
zero claims means zero income. mass claims equals mass income.
Not the way the insurance industry works. I should know I have worked in that industry for over 10 years. You set rates based on expected losses not on past losses. Your goal then is to pay out less than you take in using the delay in payments to invest the premiums so you even make money when you have a bad year.
Only some states and only some coverages like automobiles are restricted by the state and the state may prevent increases, but unless there is a change in the law will not demand decreases.