Polypharmacy
I heard a story once about a woman who went to her doctor for knee pain. She was given an NSAID. Later, she developed high blood pressure and was given another pill. After that, she became depressed and was given yet another pill. Consequently, she became fatigued and was given another pill. Finally, she went for a second opinion and he took her off everything. She felt better. Moral of the story: one drug caused side effects for which another drug was prescribed.
How many of us know of people who are taking 7-15 pills a day? There is always the possibility that one or more of the drugs will interact. It is also possible that the person is taking one pill to counteract the effects of another drug. Unfortunately, it is too difficult to say whether the person really has a primary condition for which (s)he is being treated or whether (s)he developed the condition due to one of the drugs. In other cases, the drug may be absolutely necessary; therefore, if (s)he develops side effects, (s)he needs to be treated for the side effect. But how does that affect the person? What are the consequences of taking too many pills?
Should we be like the second doctor and take ourselves off all drugs to see what happens? Or should we just put up with the side effects and take the required pills? Are we keeping doctors and drug companies in business by having side effects? Are we unwilling participants in a mind game by drug companies who put out advertisements for their drugs? How many of us have answered “yes” to questions posed in those advertisements when they ask “Do you have so-and-so symptom?” How many of us have asked our doctors about these drugs simply because we heard of them on the TV?
I hope that if I live to be 90, I will only need an apple a day.
Filed under: Medical Dilemmas