Do You Read the Warnings on Medication?

Well, do you? I never have done that because I think I might develop all of the symptoms listed. When I listen to those warnings for drugs they are advertising on TV, I wonder why anyone would try them. It mystifies me.

I have a friend that is a nurse and she always reads them in great detail. She has had to quit a medication because of a bad reaction.

Because of the fact that I have never had much of a reaction to a prescribed medication, I don't worry. There was that one time when I had a delayed reaction and I did check to see where that problem came from. I made the discovery that it was my medication after reading the warnings. Would I have taken the drug if I had known...probably so. No one mentioned it to me either at the pharmacy of the doctor's office so I didn't know to worry. My assumption would be that if they didn't warn me the reaction would not be life threatening. Is that true? Who knows.

So when I began having a severe reaction to my cholesterol reducing statin drug, I quit the medication and visited my doctor as soon as possible. In my case, no one really believed me. The solution was to change the statin name drug and keep me on it. I fell three times in succession and could barely walk.

When I quit the drug I felt better within a few days.

It is a very long story that began almost 20 years ago. The upshot is I had to do a lot of research to find just the right doctor to help me. No one was referring me so I used a self referral allowed by my insurance. Our local Oregon Health Sciences University turned out to be the only place around that really could deal with my problem.

I have been diagnosed with "Familial" cholesterol which mean that food is not the root cause for high cholesteral.

Now I am beginning to take a drug (Repatha) using an injection every two week. Wish me luck! I am at very high risk for heart problems because of high LDL cholesterol I am told.

The warning on this medication says that the consequences for taking it are far less than the consequences for NOT taking it. The last ditch effort I guess!

The odd thing is people tell me that they have the statin reaction too...a lot of people. Several have said to simply quit that medication. I don't know how big their risk is but it truly is frightening for them.

So, do you read the warnings? Did doing so affect your response to how the drug made you feel?

I am interested.

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AARP Listen up! Here is what I see!

I was in  the lab yesterday getting my blood drawn. My A1C has been creeping up and so we keep track of it.

While I was waiting for the tech, a beautiful straight tall lady walked in and sat in the chair opposite. I sized her up and judged her to be younger than myself by 10 years. I am 77. Imagine my surprise when she revealed that she was 81.

See this is not that unusual anymore. I am learning to figure it out. The definition for old is changing so rapidly it is amazing. The idea that people will work longer and be healthy for years more has become a reality.

It is those people that have "worked" and I mean "worked" at jobs lifting boxes, digging ditches and wearing out their bodies more in one day than someone like me did in my whole life that are breaking down. A bad back or worn hips, knees or even hands is coming back to haunt them.

The other trend that I am seeing and hearing about is medications issues. So many old people are telling me that the mistakes with meds is making them sicker that they really are. My neighbor was on medication to lower blood pressure...his blood pressure dropped so far he could not walk. Another med he was taking also was causing problems. An man at the golf course in Tucson....well you get the idea. I personally had to quit a statin because it was poisoning me.

I'm sure that AARP has some wonderful statistics about aging. I only know what I see in my life with around me. What has been your experience?

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I like the writing over at Aging in Place. This piece about the dangers of removing all risks was especially interesting.