Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Shadyglade]

Hi all,

Being now 62 I am lucky enough not to take any prescription medication. Twice, in the last few days, this has caused surprise. Firstly when I went in a chemist to buy nurophen. At the till I was asked what medication I took. 'Nothing ', I replied. No blood pressure medication or anything, I was asked. No, I repeated. Then today at the dentist I was asked for an update on my medical records. Again surprise on my no meds status. My dentist said it was really unusual for someone of my age. Personally I find that sad and a little worrying. Are us oldies in general being over medicated, or am I just one of the lucky ones?

[Dancinggirl]

Sadly, I think the answer is YES - I find it scary that drugs are dished out so readily!  I also think that many people feel reassured that being on some sort of drug will not only help their health but lengthen their life!! 

The only prescription I get is Vagifem and I don't consider that a drug.  DG x

[Daisydot]

Same here shadyglade I'm now on vagifem oestrogel and ViT d3,gp tried unsuccessfully to get me on statins yesterday but after reading your post on them I politely said no chance.lol

[losttheplot]

Same here, 60 and no repeat medication prescribed. I wonder if gp's in the uk get paid for prescribing statins and suchlike to the over 60's? I know they get paid extra for the flu jab and other services....

[Shadyglade]

They certainly do get paid for prescribing statins. I believe they also have targets for the overall cholesterol level of their registered patients.

There does not seem many of us med free ladies but that is what I expected.

[dangermouse]

Oh wow, I had no idea that doctors get paid extra for prescribing certain meds?!!! Surely this is a serious conflict of interest that impacts on their advice?

It would explain how angry my aunt's doctor was because she refused to take statins.

[Annie0710]

It was n the news a few years back that they get/got a bonus for AD prescriptions

I have on repeat (well I did at my old surgery) inhaler, amitriptyline low dose for nerve pain and epipens

[CLKD]

I think you are healthy!  My Mum, aged 91, takes Paracetamol as required.  When she went to the GP in July because she felt really tired, they couldn't understand why a) they never saw her on a regular basis and b) that she wasn't on regular medication.  She needed VitD tablets which she takes daily.  She needs a pain relief rub-in gel as she doesn't exercise her hands as often so when she does gardening at the Care Home she gets pain in the thumb joint.

Apart from over the counter pain relief as necessary: Nurofen : a beta-blocka at night to control anxiety, anti-depressants twice a day and an emergency anti-anxiety tablet I have had nowt until my recent well woman check  when statins were suggested; and fought against but my usual GP explained really why the ins and outs why I would benefit.  So that was added, I'm 64 [I think  ] ........ and when I remember the VitD capsule that is required.

Add to that VA treatment as necessary and I too, am healthy 

[Dorothy]

I think you are healthy!  My Mum, aged 91, takes Paracetamol as required.  When she went to the GP in July because she felt really tired, they couldn't understand why a) they never saw her on a regular basis and b) that she wasn't on regular medication. 

She sounds like the mother of a friend of mine.  This lady rang her daughter up one lunchtime and started talking about the fact that she 'wasn't long for this world' and thought she was dying.  Daughter asked why.  "It's because I feel so tired."
"Do you think you might have just overdone it, mum?"
"Oh no, I've hardly done anything this morning.  Only my weeks washing and mown the lawn and cleared out the garden shed."

(She was 93, never visited the doctor or took any medication.  Oh, and still did her washing by hand and used a mangle to wring it out     ) 

[CLKD]

That'll be the exercise regime keeping her fit then!   

A friend of mine: 3 years younger: already has 1 knee and 2 hips ....... 1 hip done twice already.  Not over weight.  No genetic history of joint problems.  We both owned dogs and walked miles  . 

My paternal grandparents had 'lumbago'.  Not many pain relief medications for them.  Both were active and ate well.  I take Nurofen for pain, we eat healthy, we cycled for years as we didn't have 4 wheels.  I'm not aware of any problems on my maternal side, joint wise.

As an aside: another friend's Mum was moved to a care home close to us and her regular medication was left behind.  Within 3 days she felt a lot better and on review with our GP here, was found to require 3 of the drugs - it seems that side effects are treated by another drug which then causes more side effects  . 

[Shadyglade]

What a star.  My mum lived to 90 but had heart problems from her! sixties, so she didn't do bad really. My dad lived until 97 and was pretty well until my mum died, 8 months before him. Both he and my took very little medication and my dad was on on only 2 when he died.

[Shadyglade]

That's the trouble with over prescribing CLKD,  once it starts it's a downward spiral. 

[CLKD]

It should be less of an issue now that GPs and more of the public are aware of one med may give more problems that it might solve!  It's up to us to take responsibility and ask if we need more, though the GP I saw was insistent about statins  - although she didn't know how they work!  When we saw our regular GP he was really helpful ......... a bit like when the Financial Advisor comes though, I understood what he said at the time 

[Dancinggirl]

CKLD - I'm interested to know whether the GP who took the time to explain why you should take statins also took the time to tell you about the side effects and possible long term harm they can bring? Did he/she explain that you could lower your cholesterol through the right diet and exercise without the need to use drugs? There is still no evidence that statins will actually lengthen your life or indeed improve your quality of life!!!
I do wonder how many doctors take statins???
DG x

[CLKD]

The GP has up-2-date guidelines which have come into force in the last few months.  Yep.  DH took 3 months to try to alter his diet but it wasn't working.  The GP talked about %, at which point he lost me but Himself, as a Scientist, took it on board.  We discussed the possibility of muscle pains which apparently don't occur often.  Stroke can ruin peoples' lives.  Neither of us has relatives that suffered stroke.  But %-wise, we are at risk of stroke within the next 10 years if we don't take the medication.

Any drug may cause harm but that bus might be along far sooner ;-)