Medication Adverse Side Effects in Seniors

[Meerkat]

Medication side effects are a huge problem for seniors, most of whom rely on prescription drugs. Overall, seniors account for about 20% of the population, yet they sustain 39% of drug side effects requiring hospitalization and 51% causing death (3,4). That’s why experts repeatedly advise doctors to use caution when treating seniors and, except in acute situations, to start with the lowest, safest medication doses. In my book Over Dose (5), I quote experts, medical journals and textbooks on this point, but here one statement will suffice, because it’s from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration:

“There is evidence that older adults tend to be more READ ABOVE.

ER ,second visit said I am having adverse side effects of antibiotic plus two drugs not to be taken with Bactrim DS.Ican see a little.


Wanted to let you know

Mayo Clinic

 

[The Lazy L]

We are going through this with mom.

A pill 1 has a side effect so they give her another to deal with the side effects which in turn cause....

 

[Peanut]

Take care Meer. I understand side effects very, very well. Because of CFS I'm a walking poster child for side effects... Get print out of the side effects and MAKE your doctor/nurse practitioner READ them. They can't be expected to remember all the sides of thousands of drugs...

A refresher is helpful.

 

[Meerkat]

Hubby said get offline.. I can see a little at times.I took Bactrim for UTI bladder infection. Wrong drug for that!PLUS 2 DRUGS not suppose to take with the stuff.



THIS IS IMPORTANT, LISTEN TO IT


losing sight Ginso post later

 

[Amish Heart]

Our youngest daughter did a study last summer on olders taking statins that also have HIV and were taking the HIV inhibitors. It was found that a normal dosage of statins would be too high in those cases. Her studies came from older people with HIV in prison.

 

[Meerkat]

Just hope the ANTIFA med student that cracks your skull with ball bat or bike chain,isn't the one repairing it.

Stay radically INVOLVED IN YOUR CARE!!!

Vision prob is contrast not blurry. LIKE bad contrast on tv.

 

[Weedygarden]

Our youngest daughter did a study last summer on olders taking statins that also have HIV and were taking the HIV inhibitors. It was found that a normal dosage of statins would be too high in those cases. Her studies came from older people with HIV in prison.

There are some people who thinks statins are really not good for any of us.

 

[Amish Heart]

I agree. I don't care for the flu shot or most of the vaccines, either. Or stem cells.

 

[Weedygarden]

We had a neighbor when I was a child, who was an older woman. She would go see the doctor and he would prescribe different medications, but somehow, he didn't think about everything she was taking. At one time, she was on 7 different medications. She decided to get off of most of them. I am not sure how she did it, but she realized she was being over-medicated, and that probably there were some not good problems because of them.

 

[backlash]

I use this site to check for drug interactions.
My wife was prescribed a medication for her stomach pain.
She had every adverse reaction it could cause. 1 pill and she was really messed up.
Dry mouth, chest pains, dizziness, sleeplessness plus a lot more. She called the doctor the next morning and they suggested she not take it. NO kidding.
My Aunt was a pill-popper. She took so many different Rx she had no idea what most of them were for. She carried 2 Walmart bags full of pills in blister packs everywhere she went.
She had a doctor that would just write her a script for anything she wanted. He's a quack and he's still doing the same thing with her daughter.



https://www.webmd.com/interaction-checker/default.htm

 

[phideaux]

Stay radically INVOLVED IN YOUR CARE!!!

I been preaching this to friends and family for years

Don't just accept anybody's diagnosis and treatment , without doing some homework.

Jim

 

[backlash]

Good advice Jim.
I will add this applies to especially to hospitals.

 

[Supervisor42]

There are some people who thinks statins are really not good for any of us.

I'm not one of 'em.
I cut my numbers in half with a statin 18 years ago and I haven't missed a dose yet.
The 'unbelievers' ran me thru a nuclear stress test 2 years ago (@age 61) to see "how badly clogged" my heart arteries were.
Arteries of a 20-year-old.
The second 'unbelievers' ultra-sounded the arteries going to my kidneys this year (@age 63) ....nothing, zip.
Knowing my DNA, if my cholesterol numbers were left untouched, I would have had a stroke or heart-attack by now.... like all of my 'hard-headed' relatives.
I would be a disgusting lump of flesh being pushed around in a wheelchair by people instead of someone that can jump in the back of a pickup truck and start slinging tools around.
That's how statins can change your future. For most people, they have zero side-effects after you get used to them.

 

[phideaux]

I'm not one of 'em.
I cut my numbers in half with a statin 18 years ago and I haven't missed a dose yet.
The 'unbelievers' ran me thru a nuclear stress test 2 years ago (@age 61) to see "how badly clogged" my heart arteries were.
Arteries of a 20-year-old.
The second 'unbelievers' ultra-sounded the arteries going to my kidneys this year (@age 63) ....nothing, zip.
Knowing my DNA, if my cholesterol numbers were left untouched, I would have had a stroke or heart-attack by now.... like all of my 'hard-headed' relatives.
I would be a disgusting lump of flesh being pushed around in a wheelchair by people instead of someone that can jump in the back of a pickup truck and start slinging tools around.
That's how statins can change your future. For most people, they have zero side-effects after you get used to them.

I have to say that's also my life story.
Ida been wormfood long time ago if not for the statins.

After my second heart attack , they finally found one that suited me.

That was 20 years ago, now my plumbing pipes are clean as can be.

Jim

 

[Meerkat]

I'm not one of 'em.
I cut my numbers in half with a statin 18 years ago and I haven't missed a dose yet.
The 'unbelievers' ran me thru a nuclear stress test 2 years ago (@age 61) to see "how badly clogged" my heart arteries were.
Arteries of a 20-year-old.
The second 'unbelievers' ultra-sounded the arteries going to my kidneys this year (@age 63) ....nothing, zip.
Knowing my DNA, if my cholesterol numbers were left untouched, I would have had a stroke or heart-attack by now.... like all of my 'hard-headed' relatives.
I would be a disgusting lump of flesh being pushed around in a wheelchair by people instead of someone that can jump in the back of a pickup truck and start slinging tools around.
That's how statins can change your future. For most people, they have zero side-effects after you get used to them.[/QUOTE

I did that and more till the drugs and cat scans. never took meds,only aspirin and have never had heart or health problems till I did last week or so.

 

[Caribou]

Dad's first stroke was probably because of an adverse reaction of prescription and OTC drugs.

 

[Meerkat]

I have to say that's also my life story.
Ida been wormfood long time ago if not for the statins.

After my second heart attack , they finally found one that suited me.

That was 20 years ago, now my plumbing pipes are clean as can be.

Jim

Jim glad they work for you.But alo watch for main cculprit CALSIUM.
Go to 3 min.s in video
then skip to 8 min's.

Mayo Clinic,

 

[Meerkat]

Dad's first stroke was probably because of an adverse reaction of prescription and OTC drugs.

Car,Don't doub ii.

 

[phideaux]

I am watched closely by VA
I get full labs, blood work and exam , every 3 months.

They are on top of it for me.
Of course I've known my primary care doc for over 20 years.

Jim

 

[Bacpacker]

I have done 2 rounds with Statins. First time stayed on them for a few years, had weird things going on the whole time and dropped the statins. Weird stuff went away. Dr hounded me for 3 years after that to get back on them. So I did. Within 2 months the Side effect came back, mostly mid level back pain. I have herniated disk in the L5-S1 area but the pain was Higher. Stopped the statins and within 2 weeks the pain was gone. I'll not do them again. I'm gonna be worm food one day regardless what or how many drugs I take. No reason to have extra pain just to hang on a little longer. I've had a nuclear stress test that showed no issues, so I don't feel the need to treat something that doesn't present as a problem.

I see my primary care every 6 months and my endrocrinologist every 6 months. Split to see one about every 3 months. Blood work from both. Other than my A1C being higher than 7 everything else is pretty good.

 

[phideaux]

Hey Backpacker,
They are not trying hard enough to find one that works for you.

I tried at least half dozen different ones until finally one did the job without side affects.

Jim

 

[Supervisor42]

... I've had a nuclear stress test that showed no issues, so I don't feel the need to treat something that doesn't present as a problem.

It's mostly about genetic predisposition to it also. If your numbers are decent, it's not a big deal.
Know your numbers.
I've known some skinny people that ate nothing but green leafy rabbit-food and struggled to keep their cholesterol under 280. Also known some "heavy-duty" people that ate everything passed in front of them and had 120 cholesterol.
For those of us in my gene-pool, I can show you headstones of the ones that didn't have statins.
They didn't make it very far.
Back in the old days they called it "hardening of the arteries".
I call it 'dead before age 65'.

 

[Bacpacker]

My numbers are generally lower than 180 total. Never had one over 200. For the cost vs my numbers I just don't see a benifit.

 

[Supervisor42]

My numbers are generally lower than 180 total. Never had one over 200. For the cost vs my numbers I just don't see a benifit.

Yeah, you're nowhere near felony numbers.
My mom had a stroke at age 82 and they checked her cholesterol for the first time in her life, it was over 300 and had obviously been for decades.
She was lucky. Her speech is still fouled up but she has been on Pravachol ever since. Cost? 20-cents per pill ($6 per month without insurance).
(I take Atorvastatin, $0 co-pay per month)
Mom blew past 92 this January and is still going strong:green man:.

 

[Sewingcreations15]

My cholesterol level is almost 264 and it has come down from what it was, I should have exploded by now. It is a side effect of the hyperthyroidism /Graves Disease and I imagine that will come down now it is being treated and they get the levels of my thyroid medications worked out hopefully in a couple of weeks and an amended diet.

I am one of those skinny mostly vegetable/ fruit and little meat eating people you are talking about @Supervisor42.

When taking any medications always double check with your doctor about other medications you are on to see if they will react negatively with one another. Glad you found out what the problem was @Meerkat and hopefully your side effects will subside soon.

 

[Meerkat]

Still researching. If its cataracts which it seems it is. Pasting notes torefereback to. I see best in morning, early afternoon.


[ MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO

Jul 31, 2011
You're welcome and good luck. My experience is that as long as you can function reasonably well you should consider wating on ssurgery because of the very high risk of retinal detachment. If you are male your risk could be 10-15%

JCH MD\



If so need to be in Gennis Book for not only fastest forming cataracts but almost instant cataracts in BOTH eyes.

 

[Meerkat]

I do know drugs save lives and help sympyoms.
I just ddin't get the right ones.
I went from seeingvery good to instant problem. research is not easy when you can't see well. Hubby helps but also taking up my slack here.

 

[Meerkat]

No way am I ready to let hem do surgery right now.Espeiaially on both eyes!

 

[Meerkat]

My numbers are generally lower than 180 total. Never had one over 200. For the cost vs my numbers I just don't see a benifit.

American Medical Journal. read years ago. High colesterol is actually good for your heart and brain. Its the calsium overload that kills from blocked arteries.

It may all be wrong! Why I say do your own research ,stay involvrfed.

 

[Caribou]

I had cataract surgery on both eyes but on different days. It was like two days or a week apart but enough time to give the first eye time to heal so that you had vision in one eye.