Health and Medication

Post Reply
User avatar
persephone
Posts: 664
Joined: Sat Nov 13, 2004 3:14 pm

Health and Medication

Post by persephone »

Medication isn't always there to be a cure. Most age related conditions do not have a cure, and the best that can be offered for a continuing quality of life is management via drug therapies. At best all the drugs do is slow down the conditions and allow the person to continue to be independant for a while longer.

What is worse being dependant on medication or being dependant on loved ones and strangers?

I know a lot of people who I have looked after would rather take the medication than loose their dignity by relying on others to wash, dress, change them and even feed them.

Independance and dignity are two of the most important human needs.

Vioxx was a prescription only drug over here, I was working in elderly care when it was withdrawn in September and many of the patients on the ward were taking it.

It did work, that wasn't the reason it was withdrawn, it was withdrawn because of the "side effects", like the increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

Having said all that the Vioxx story is bad publicity for all medications. In Britain it was used for 5 years before being withdrawn, and checking on the BBC website "an analysis by the University of Berne in Switzerland found serious question marks over the safety of the drug dating back to 2000".

We don't have all the advertisments for medication that can not be bought over the counter here in the UK, but I'm sure some that can be bought over the counter need tighter regulations.
Bad Girls have very high standards, but they love you even if you sometimes fall short.
A Karenina
Posts: 968
Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2004 8:36 am

Health and Medication

Post by A Karenina »

Jack, I'm curious as to why don't you believe in holistic medicines?



While I don't think they are a cure-all any more than I think manufactured medicines are a cure-all, I do believe they have great value if taken sensibly.



My mother is a napropath, and she has helped me tremendously. When I was a teen, I started getting terrible sinus headaches. They'd eventually turn into sinus infections. Ouch! She taught me how to prevent it with very simply massage techniques. They work - they hurt, but they work.



She was suffering from arthritis in her hands. The medications didn't help, so she started drinking a glass of cherry juice every day. She hasn't complained about being unable to move her hands since she started drinking it.



Pear nectar is good for fever, garlic is a natural antobiotic, and ginger helps ease nausea.



Holistic approaches also include a proper diet and exercise. A lot of things can be avoided with a common sense healthy regimen.



Naturally, I'm not saying that plants are the way to go for every illness, but I don't think they should be overlooked, either.



The FDA doesn't seem to be on our side anymore, either. I say this in direct reference to the RICO charge that has recently been filed in CA against the makers of aspartame.
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.

Aristotle
User avatar
persephone
Posts: 664
Joined: Sat Nov 13, 2004 3:14 pm

Health and Medication

Post by persephone »

Jack Sprat wrote: My father's generation, those who are left, are between 85 and 95 now and most of them need someone to check their medicine, set the doses in advance and make sure they are properly taken. Yes, it's dependency, but it's also love.
What you describe here is minimal care, what I stated was full care.

If you had a crippling condition and were diagnosed with it early, while you were still independant would you really not take drugs that are known to slow the conditions progress?

You have to think about how as the condition progresses you will become less able to do things for yourself, even simple tasks like doing up buttons on your shirt and as it really takes hold you'll be unable to bathe yourself so will require someone to help you.

Most people will not allow their children to do this for them and there are a good many out there who wouldn't want to do it for their parents, so the alternative is a stranger.

Now you have to think how it feels to be at the mercy of someone else to help you do simple tasks, and if you are still living in your own home with care coming to you, you may well find yourself being incontient because you need the toilet when it isn't the time that the carer is there to help.

Now if you take the medication you can slow the progress and have maybe many more years of independance, but if you decide not to take it you'll be at the mercy of others quickly, even if it is all done in love there is much more remifications that come with it.

Depression is high in older people even higher if they are dependant, the carers are also under pressure and can become resentful, however much love there is in a relationship.
Bad Girls have very high standards, but they love you even if you sometimes fall short.
User avatar
persephone
Posts: 664
Joined: Sat Nov 13, 2004 3:14 pm

Health and Medication

Post by persephone »

Sorry just have to say, holistic medicine is an approach to care, not actual remedies. Holistic care is looking at the person as a whole and how their lives are affected, by both the problem and the solution.

Alternative medicines are those of diet, exercise and herbal remedies to name but a few.
Bad Girls have very high standards, but they love you even if you sometimes fall short.
A Karenina
Posts: 968
Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2004 8:36 am

Health and Medication

Post by A Karenina »

Double post - I'm sorry.
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.

Aristotle
A Karenina
Posts: 968
Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2004 8:36 am

Health and Medication

Post by A Karenina »

Jack, thanks for your reply :) I think we are on the same page with this. What kind of tea are you drinking for your high blood pressure?



letha wrote: Sorry just have to say, holistic medicine is an approach to care, not actual remedies. Holistic care is looking at the person as a whole and how their lives are affected, by both the problem and the solution.



Alternative medicines are those of diet, exercise and herbal remedies to name but a few.Letha, don't be sorry - I appreciate your input. I'm a little slow about this one though. Wouldn't alternative medicine be a part of holistic medicine?
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.

Aristotle
User avatar
Lon
Posts: 9476
Joined: Fri Nov 12, 2004 11:38 pm

Health and Medication

Post by Lon »

I live for part of the year in an age restricted (55+), active adult retirement community in California. There are 3,000 individual homes built around two golf courses. I am an exception, in that I take no medications other than levoxyl daily because of a thyroidectomy. Most of my peers are on multiple meds, irrespective of needing them or not. I am of the belief that we are in fact, an over medicated society. Of course their are medical conditions that require daily medications to sustain one's life, but there are a vast number of meds that are of questionable value, and in fact, my be harmful. Depressed? Take a pill. Lost your desire? Take Viagra. Can't sleep? Take Ambien. Many people are like sheep in responding to both doctors prescribing and TV ads teling us what we need. Many never question, just gobble those pills down. And we wonder why much of the youth take drugs? Give me a break. I am against banning ads as proposed by some politicians. I am likewise opposed as is occuring in the UK, on banning ads for fast food as a solution to obesity. I do support people taking RESPONSIBILITY for their own actions.
User avatar
persephone
Posts: 664
Joined: Sat Nov 13, 2004 3:14 pm

Health and Medication

Post by persephone »

A Karenina wrote: Letha, don't be sorry - I appreciate your input. I'm a little slow about this one though. Wouldn't alternative medicine be a part of holistic medicine?Nurses use holistic approaches in assesment, it looks at mind, body and soul (The Roper-Logan-Tierney Model of Nursing: The Activities of Living Model follows this).

The patient can be treated with any medicine or any alternative approach, most health care services use the holistic approach for assesment.

I guess you could say that the priest is alternitive medicine in looking after the soul if that is what the patient wants/needs. :-2
Bad Girls have very high standards, but they love you even if you sometimes fall short.
Paula
Posts: 1852
Joined: Fri Sep 10, 2004 12:00 pm

Health and Medication

Post by Paula »

Short is not good.
Everyone has these on their face? TULIPS.
User avatar
minks
Posts: 26281
Joined: Mon Dec 13, 2004 1:58 pm

Health and Medication

Post by minks »

Jack Sprat wrote: Depression, arthritis, loss of virility, increased chance of disability, diminishment of hearing and vision..... There are dozens of illness that we relate to growing older.

Along with them is the tendency to increase our dependence on medications and medical procedures to "cure" these ills. Did Vioxx cure anything for anyone? Does cosmetic surgery really make us better or simply give an illusion?

One of John Kerry's proposals during the presidential election debates was to eliminate television and magazine drug ads as they increase people's desire to use the product, whether they really need it or not. Advertising increases the cost of producing the product. At the same time it does succeed in increasing sales. How many of the people influenced by the ads are really helped, and how many open themselves to drug overdoses or drug interaction problems?

Please, do not just read these comments, add your own. Even if you just write one sentence, your opinions are important. For those of you who are not ForumGarden members joining is free and only takes a minute.


Interestingly I watched A Documentary on "Paxil" and how it is highly addictive and to go off it the side effects were way worse than the depression it was to prevent so therefore, you pretty much had to be a lifer on Paxil. Then there was another drug for PMS sorry forget the name but it was to ease women through PMS. Ok folks here is a clear case of Pharmaseutical bull crap. These companies are making money hand over fist because a) in the case of Paxil, this drug has been manufactured to keep you on it. (pay money forever)

b) PMS drug, this symptom was a result of pharmaseutical greed, lets hood wink the women to believing this condition exists so we can suck them into buying more drugs. (handin more money over to the corporations)

We are victims of the media in sooooooooooooo many ways.
�You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.�

― Mae West
User avatar
minks
Posts: 26281
Joined: Mon Dec 13, 2004 1:58 pm

Health and Medication

Post by minks »

PS

I think there ought to be more programs teaching us how to look after ourselves. Eat better, keep active, a healthy mind and body adds to long living.
�You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.�

― Mae West
Post Reply

Return to “Health and Drug Concerns”