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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe medications that change who we are
This article has really disturbing implications -- a LOT of people in the US take statins. Among other things ...
"Patient Five” was in his late 50s when a trip to the doctors changed his life.
He had diabetes, and he had signed up for a study to see if taking a “statin” – a kind of cholesterol-lowering drug – might help. So far, so normal.
But soon after he began the treatment, his wife began to notice a sinister transformation. A previously reasonable man, he became explosively angry and – out of nowhere – developed a tendency for road rage. During one memorable episode, he warned his family to keep away, lest he put them in hospital.
Out of fear of what might happen, Patient Five stopped driving. Even as a passenger, his outbursts often forced his wife to abandon their journeys and turn back. Afterwards, she’d leave him alone to watch TV and calm down. She became increasingly fearful for her own safety.
...
We’re all familiar with the mind-bending properties of psychedelic drugs – but it turns out ordinary medications can be just as potent. From paracetamol (known as acetaminophen in the US) to antihistamines, statins, asthma medications and antidepressants, there’s emerging evidence that they can make us impulsive, angry, or restless, diminish our empathy for strangers, and even manipulate fundamental aspects of our personalities, such as how neurotic we are."
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200108-the-medications-that-change-who-we-are
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napi21
(45,806 posts)be emotionally altered (for the bad) because of medications they're told they need.
Silver1
(721 posts)A lot of people in the US are overweight, and probably many are taking statins.
From drugs.com "Statins are one of the most common medicines prescribed in the U.S., with more than 35 million people taking them."
Wikipedia - "NHANES 2016 statistics showed that about 39.6% of American adults were obese."
I think our health plans should be covering gym membership for weight reduction. It would probably cost them less in the long run compared to paying for years of medication.
Stargazer09
(2,164 posts)I learned that the hard way. It was gradual, but after a few months, my previously mildly-injured knee became so painful it kept me awake at night. I had to use a cane whenever I walked, and the pain was excruciating. Spent over a year suffering through that, gaining 30 pounds in the process.
I didn’t make the connection until I went out of town for a weekend without my medication. By the time I got home, I could actually walk with minimum pain. Never took another statin after that.
It’s hard to exercise when your joints are screaming.
Silver1
(721 posts)because of the luck you had in this accidental discovery.
I wonder how many people come down with side effects to common medication. Some of us do fine but what are the actual numbers of those who do and those who don't? Is that information on the insert? Why are the inserts so user unfriendly anyway? Tiny print that seems to go on for miles. It would be nice if in addition to technical info, there were user friendly inserts people could actually refer to. Also, a timeline for possible effects and side-effects.
I was prescribed something once which was the right prescription but too high a dose. Wow, I was snapping at everyone for nothing. I looked into it online and contacted my Dr to lower the dose and haven't had problems after that.
But that experience really got me thinking and made me very cautious. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for good medicine and many of us need these medications to live, including me.
Stargazer09
(2,164 posts)But there needs to be a better way to monitor the effects on the mind, as well as the body.
I wholeheartedly agree about the inserts being unreadable.
KT2000
(21,038 posts)are on multiple medications. I think some of their anger issues come from those single and combinations.
My mom complains about not being able to think clearly since she started her heart medication.
She did manage to lower her cholersterol with Asian red rice supplements though, and was able to stop the statins.
KT2000
(21,038 posts)I am on some of those meds and gave up the statins for the red yeast rice. My brother has been on statins and he not as sharp as he once was. Scary.
dixiegrrrrl
(60,011 posts)Regular oatmeal lowers cholesterol, I've done before and after blood tests. Read too many warnings about statins.
Seems like my mom, after going on a statin, became more angry with my dad. She complained more about things he wouldn’t do around the house in particular. She wasn’t that way with me or my sister.
I also take a medication for migraine headaches and find I get angry easier after I have taken it. Unfortunately if I don’t take it I feel really awful and get angry too. No win situation.
Fiendish Thingy
(19,023 posts)But to state that about Tylenol without peer reviewed research to back it up is just irresponsible.
I_UndergroundPanther
(12,984 posts)When you take the bigger doses before you taper off,those big doses make me a little loopy.
However my art took a turn to strange when I was on Prednisone.
yaesu
(8,410 posts)brainwashed.
Silver1
(721 posts)People don't seem to be thinking clearly, just "reacting" emotionally.
BigmanPigman
(52,481 posts)for in the first place. People have to weigh the pros and cons of both and decide for themselves which is best in the long and short term.
Silver1
(721 posts)can come on slowly, and people don't make the connection. I always read the side effects scroll that comes with the medication, and mostly get freaked out.
renate
(13,776 posts)Simvastatin might even be helpful in slowing the progression of Parkinson's disease...
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5676977/
... but then there are also studies saying it might speed up its development.
https://www.ajmc.com/newsroom/statins-may-speed-of-symptoms-of-onset-parkinsons-disease-in-some-people
I've been reading about this stuff because of a family member, but I hadn't read the stuff about possible personality changes--which would be especially problematic for someone who's already cognitively at risk.
This article is really interesting--thank you!
Aviation Pro
(13,666 posts)And this is what you get.
napi21
(45,806 posts)(can't recall which med anymore) but his reply was an interesting one. "Every medication you put into your body has some side effect. If the side effect(s) is less of a problem than the disease it cures, then you take it; if it's worse than the disease, then you don't" We talked about the side effects of an aspirin, which most people don't hesitate to take and never think about it doing anything except curing their headache.
Kerrycrat
(159 posts)So far
(twitch)
so good.
Mossfern
(3,356 posts)My doc started me on it a few months ago. So far no side effects that I know of. Recently he started me on a calcium channel blocker and the only side effect that I have from that is outrageous dreams. I told the doc, no problem - they're entertaining.
Yes, I need those meds.
Kerrycrat
(159 posts)And the only strong emotions that I'm not sure about are more along to do with being post menopausal, I think.
I'm also diabetic, so any excuse to put me on anti cholesterol and now high blood pressure medication.
Mossfern
(3,356 posts)before I was just on Warfarin for a coronary aneurysm....major MI 25 years ago this week.
Now they want to start me on a diuretic. This is very strange after all this time of not needing anything else.
Last edited Sat Feb 15, 2020, 07:22 AM - Edit history (1)
Was there something happening with your body for them to want to put you on that? Or is it sort of an automatic "at your age" thing?
Being put on high blood pressure medication felt like that to me. But more like I had done something wrong. If I had lost weight. If I exercised. I was ridiculously upset about it. But the rest of my family have had high blood pressure. I guess it was inevitable.
The list of pills in my pillbox keeps growing
I take:
Glucosamine for my knees
a baby aspirin ('cause I'm old)
Buspar for anxiety
Lisinopril for high blood pressure
Pravastatin for cholesterol
Zinc as a preventative, hoping to avoid colds
Black Cohosh for post menopausal symptoms
and timolol because I have the beginning of glaucoma
I'm a pharmacy, basically.
I know how you feel!
My normally good blood pressure started spiking and no one can figure out why - it is true that I've gained 10 pounds within the past year, but I'm still within the "healthy" BMI range (some people thought I was too thin before) My lipids went too high, but that was because my HDL (good) cholesterol was over 100. But total was too high so they put me on statins. I also take Estrase for post menopausal symptoms. Now I have to start a diuretic for the high blood pressure too. Of course I need Warfarin to make sure I don't die from my aneurysm. I lost 10-15% of my heart from that heart attack.
My cardiologist never put me on so many meds in the 25 years I've been with him. I think it's the insurance companies that are insisting that they prescribe this. My doc seems fearful when he sees me (certainly not of me!)
I have a very healthy lifestyle, work out hard, and never thought I would be one of "those" people who had to take so many meds.
I_UndergroundPanther
(12,984 posts)And switch blood pressure meds
Linisopril can cause lung cancer.
My endrocrineologist switched me to lopressor for blood pressure immediately when I went back to see her. So if it bothered her that bad,and she does not have pharma reps visit at all,and she is an awesome endro it must be a serious issue.
LuvNewcastle
(17,075 posts)can change people so much that they don't even know who they are anymore. A lot of those drugs get into the water, of course, and get consumed over and over. I wonder how many of our problems are directly related to drug consumption, legal and illegal.
Silver1
(721 posts)And then there's the stuff in food.
OldBaldy1701E
(6,882 posts)that not only did the SSRIs I got duped into taking did a real number on my wiring, the freaking Gabapentin iI take now for neuropathy is now destroying my motor functions and my brain functions as well. But, it is this or bad pain... since I am not in the upper tier, I cannot get real medical help. I use an illegal (although not so much these days) substance to help, but risk everything just to be functional. (Not sure why, but that's another discussion for another time.)
LuvNewcastle
(17,075 posts)Seems like everybody is on it these days. I know what you mean about being unsure what to do. So many legal drugs have horrible side effects, you have to find relief where you can. Best of luck to you. 
ooky
(9,705 posts)I understand it doesn't work for everyone but it took away horrible back pain that was literally ruining my quality of life. If it hadn't worked, the next thing they were going to try was an epidural injection into my spine which didn't sound all that great to me. So far I have had no side effects other than some infrequent blurred vision and dizziness.
OldBaldy1701E
(6,882 posts)It took away a pain that was about to make me invalid. However, after five years, it is now affecting me in ways I was not informed it would affect me. So, as I said, my choice is to be pain free and an idiot, or trying to save what little brain I have left while lying around in agony. Can't make the third choice... too much of a coward...(p.s.: the blurred vision and dizziness will get worse BTW... that is another thing that I was never told about. One has to wonder why we are not told about these things until they happen.)
hunter
(39,143 posts)I got free rides in the back of a few police cars as well.
I once road a Greyhound bus near 500 miles covered in blood, my clothes shredded. Nobody sat next to me. That was after I broke up with my girlfriend by jumping out of her moving car. In retrospect that was a good decision, if not a rational decision. It could have ended worse.
Asthma and mental illness.
My life before modern meds was frequently a really bad trip. I suffered some hellish experiences in my later teens and early twenties. And I hurt quite a few people who tried to help me.
Quite honestly I really didn't know who I was before modern asthma and psych meds. At twelve years old I knew everything. The world was mine. In adolescence my mind went sideways.
Perversely, I feel a little bit jealous of people who have ever enjoyed legal or illegal drugs. I've never experienced a drug that makes me feel good, just drugs, mostly prescribed, with unpleasant side effects that keep me stable.
I'm a sexagenarian if you are curious.
Okay boomer.
LuvNewcastle
(17,075 posts)They prevent a lot of injuries, deaths, and involuntary lockups. And the drugs don't make people high; a lot of people don't understand that. But all of that comes at a price. Most people think the cost is worth it.
RandySF
(71,445 posts)I found myself in an ER thinking I had a heart attack. The day after that, I spent my lunch hour checking for a window that opened. MEDICATION and therapy got me over the hump and is helping me make calm, rational decisions that I wasn't able to make before then and I have my life back.
I'm happy that you are in a place where you can judge pharmaceuticals with such a broad stroke, but us weaklings need more help, and I am thankful I was able to find my "crutch" and kept me walking this planet a little longer.
LuvNewcastle
(17,075 posts)They keep people from killing themselves or worse, so I certainly don't think they're worthless, but every day I can't help but wonder if this is really who I am or is it the drugs. I feel like the real me is dead and I'm a shell of my former self. The drugs help, for sure, but everything that helps comes at a cost. If I thought the cost was too great, I'd quit taking them, but I can't deny i have these thoughts from time to time.
Ahpook
(2,765 posts)And correlates well with a friend of mine.
He mentioned taking statin drugs in his mid 30's. This started about 5 years ago and have seen BIG changes in him. He was quite fun to hangout with but now he is a very aggravated individual.
I chalked it up to a new career as a nurse in an ER. He was a DJ prior to that.
I don't know, but he blathers on about "n" word topics and just sheer hate.
Does anyone really need those things in their 30's? He is not overweight. Matter of fact he is slim and works out.
Rage filled, though
Silver1
(721 posts)Medications have to be matched up so to speak, to the person. But if side effects have creeped up, he may not make the connection that the way he's feeling is not really "him".
Timewas
(2,348 posts)With statins, I took them for a while... After a short period my wife noticed some serious changes, I literally became dumber and dumber.. I could not tell but she could, we had a talk about it and I stopped taking them, within only a few days I was back to normal and several friends noticed also. My medical records now show me as alergic to statins..They are really pretty worthless as a med and dangerous as hell.
KentuckyWoman
(6,921 posts)you have to weigh the intended benefit with the negative side effects.
When my husband was on chemo... loaded with toxic chemicals ... I stopped buying commercial bread. The dough conditioners were not mixing well with the chemo. it was only by accident that we figured it out.
Before the days of better drugs, my sister took methotrexate for rheumatoid.... once a week. An intelligent quick witted woman turned into mush. Her instincts told her it was the methotrexate. Her doctor found out through other specialists that a teaspoon of robitussin taken at the same time as the methotrexate stopped that from happening. It worked.
I could go on... we all have stories.
hatrack
(61,442 posts)How many people who handle massive amounts of the world's money every day have been rendered neurologically incapable of responding to threats or bad news or inconvenient reality by the happy pills that get them through the day?
Jane Austin
(9,199 posts)happy pills?
lutherj
(2,707 posts)they lined their aqueducts and plumbing with lead to reduce leaking. I see behavior nearly every day that I don’t remember witnessing as a child. Both in adults and children. I suspect it has to do with drugs and untested chemicals we’re exposed to in our diet and environment.
defacto7
(13,700 posts)way back to ancient Egypt and earlier. Definitely the Romans were exposed and affected. But it would have been throuout their entire existence. The fall is hotly debated and no one can pinpoint which of the 250 odd theories it correct. I don't think lead was a factor in the fall anymore than in the rise. Back in ancient times the human life span was much shorter than now so many things never caught up with them. If life expectancy is 35 like in ancient Egypt lead didn't matter so much.
lutherj
(2,707 posts)we’re much closer to modern norms. I agree that lead probably had little affect on the decline of Rome, which happened over several centuries. The application of lead in plumbing or cosmetics were inconsistent and nonexistent in various regions.
NutmegYankee
(16,355 posts)Once you made it to adulthood, you were likely to live to old age. The average is so low because of the high childhood mortality.
It’s a complete error to think people only lived to 40 in the past.
defacto7
(13,700 posts)than they did is possible but not known. I'm more aware of ancient Egypt on the subject. There are competing theories usually tainted by ideology but the data is pretty clear with anomalies. The life "expectancy" of Egyptions around 2000 BCE was 29 for women and 32 for men not as an average but by examination. The elites lived a bit longer but not by much excluding anomalies. The mortality among women and children was definitly high but once children reached maturity they could expect 20 more years as a peasant, possibly 30, occationally 40 if an elite. Ancient Egyptians were malnourished for the most part subsisting on bread, beer and occasionally meat. There was a high incidence of diabetes, tooth decay, parasites and exposure to environmental toxins from metals throuout the classes. Again, whethere they were capable of living as long as we do now is unknown. The point is they didn't.
NutmegYankee
(16,355 posts)We also have good records from Rome and other ancient empires. Modern adulthood expectancy is about 10-15 years more than in the past, but people lived to be in their 60s. People keep using a weighted average that takes into account that roughly 50% died as children.
defacto7
(13,700 posts)upper middle class which would be late 50's to early 60's and that would definitely be elderly for them. Maybe that's an indication that they were genetically capable of living older or maybe not. But the numbers still seem to be an anomaly at this point as far as I know. Time may tell. (that sounds ironic) I'll keep reading up.
NutmegYankee
(16,355 posts)The argument keeps getting made that people are living longer and we therefore need to raise the retirement age. This is untrue. It's just that MORE people are living longer. The body still wears out at the same rate as previous decades. In fact, given the large problems with obesity now, the average life expectancy may be declining.
defacto7
(13,700 posts)in the context of modern society and politics. But these are 2 different contexts. One is about political misinformation that effects humans here and now in a shorter period of decades or a century. The other is about archeological findings that concern genetics, ancient society, and evolutionary processes that span thousands of years. The ancient Egyptians have no effect whatsoever on modern politics. I can't disregard data from 4000 years ago to deal with a modern propaganda problem where the two are completely unrelated. Yes, we need to deal with wrong concepts and applications in our modern world but not at the cost of unrelated science.
NutmegYankee
(16,355 posts)I understand the high mortality in places like Egypt, where malnutrition combined with infectious diseases to drop many people in their prime, but have read many accounts of people living to their 60s to die "natural" deaths was well. Average life expectancy is a arithmetic mean and not life span of a normal adult.
One thing I observed on my own ancestry was a distinct change in how many children died in the late 1800s. Prior it wasn't uncommon to have 7 children and only 2 lived to their 60s. Afterwards it became the norm to survive. Some still died young, as did my Dad at 49 from a rare cancer, but most made it elderly age.
Silver1
(721 posts)The sheer volume of drugs out there is huge, it seems everyone is taking something.
Fiendish Thingy
(19,023 posts)Tylenol? That’s a pretty ubiquitous drug, how could anyone state it is personality changing? Have they done double blind controlled studies on each of the “dangerous” drugs to create a body of “emerging evidence”, or is It all anecdotal and correlative?
This is like all those articles that claim antidepressants create mass shooters, because they were all taking them...they all drank water too, so there’s a 1:1 correlation between drinking water and mass shooting.
defacto7
(13,700 posts)It directly affects the empathy center of the brain. What people tend to leave out is that its effect is only for the 4 hours that it's in your system. Then you return from being Dr. Jekyll to being Mr. Rogers.
Fiendish Thingy
(19,023 posts)Otherwise, cool story.
defacto7
(13,700 posts)Fiendish Thingy
(19,023 posts)The BBC article borders on yellow journalism, but does include a quote by one researcher noting there is a “gap” in evidence regarding the psychological effects of medications, meaning just the opposite of what the hysterical, screaming headlines claim.
So, thus far, no posted verifiable evidence of behavioural changes when taking Tylenol.
I was a mental health professional for 40 years, working closely with psychiatrists, and we knew which drugs to inquire about regarding side effects and interactions before the doc wrote any new prescriptions.
defacto7
(13,700 posts)Until then, nice story.
Fiendish Thingy
(19,023 posts)And your credentials?
defacto7
(13,700 posts)This is just a game of come backs now. It's silly. You seem to not want to have your experience challenged whatever it is and I don't really care one way or the other. Recent studies are what we are exposed to and I didn’t do the brain scans so I have to trust the data that's available. You certainly don't have to take my word for it and you probably shouldn't but I'll continue to keep up with more trustworthy info than that from a personal blog post. If you're doing the same, then great. If not then... great.
YOHABLO
(7,358 posts)Tylenol (Acetaminophen) can cause liver and kidney problems, which could lead to death. I've read Naproxen (Aleve) is not much better maybe worse. So when you have aches and pains what do you do? Maybe CBD oil is safer? Never tried it.
Fiendish Thingy
(19,023 posts)There is no documented evidence of Tylenol causing mental health problems.
kcr
(15,522 posts)Mainstream journalism is often bad at reporting science, and this is a typical example.
Liberal In Texas
(14,760 posts)If I didn't take the drugs that I'd do, I would be posting through an Ouija Board.
I take a statin. Among other things so numerous that I keep a file I constantly update to print out every time I see a doc that has the exact time and type of med I'm taking. This includes vitamins and OTC. I find this a whole lot easier than trying to remember everything when filling out those 6 page forms. I also had to go to the ER last year (I was fine, another story) and took the print-out with me and handed it to the head ER doc as she was doing her initial analysis and she turned to her intern/trainee and said, "You may get one of these. Never."
One of the things about drugs is that they affect us all differently and according to our unique body chemistry. They also have interactions with other drugs that we take. Some of which are actually explored by people doing research and probably most, not.
The thing I have discovered over my 70 years on the planet is that if some drug isn't working for you, tell the doc who prescribed it and get something else! Don't just stop taking it because it's making you see UFOs or something. Different types and brands of drugs make a difference. There are many different statins, for example. Many different kinds and types of blood pressure meds.
Now here's one that drives me nuts. The same drug (now generic) made in India and another brand also made in India affect me differently. Once my mail-in pharmacy decided that the second Indian provider is cheaper and I should now, of course, have it. But for some reason, the BP it was supposed to control isn't doing it any more. Now I have to call the mail-in and complain. "We haven't had any other complaints." Well good for them. I finally after (sometimes hours ) get them to change the provider either back to the original or to another one. And guess what? The meds start working again.
I have been told that especially when we get into generics, the active chemical (the thing you're taking it for) may test OK for all of them, but they all use different formulations of fillers and "inactive" ingredients. These can for some unknown reason can effect how the drug works in some people.
I guess my point in writing this is that you can't say all statins are bad from anecdotal evidence. Or aspirin or anything else is bad and we should not use them. Every body is different and I know it can be a PIA to have to keep adjusting meds, but in the long run it's the better choice than not using what you need.
I think we all need to be more pro-active in dealing with our med providers. If something doesn't work for you you need to let them know and want a different approach. After all, we're the employer here. And if you can't get satisfactory answers from you doc, find somebody else.
OK, back to yelling at some kids to get off my lawn.
Silver1
(721 posts)People must be more communicative with their doctors.
My mom though, is very communicative with me when it comes to medication, and gets white-coat-whtever it's called when she's with a doctor. She goes mute basically, forgets to ask questions, and work so hard to pay attention that she forgets most of what her doctor said.
The thing about that article though, is that it implies some medications cause personality change to the point they drastically alter peoples decision making, and therefore alter their lives. It's quite a disturbing thing, that this can happen without people even suspecting.
Mosby
(17,825 posts)Into the exam room. It helped her because she didn't have to try and remember everything and I would ask pertinent questions about her care.
Wiseman32218
(291 posts)Since my stroke in February of 2019, my new PCP (since August) has me visit a Hematologist every three months for blood work and evaluation. The Hematologist was able to take me off of Warfarin and put me on Eliquis. That stopped me from having to get my IVR tested every week. I take many different pills daily and am monitored quarterly.
I am not sure how or if the medications have altered my behavior or what may be a result from my stroke. I do know that my memory and equilibrium are not as they were and my ability to concentrate has also greatly diminished.
Despite all of that, I am still thankful to be able to participate here!!! The alternative does not appeal to me at all!!!!
DFW
(57,003 posts)I occasionally take paracetamol (one ingredient in Tandrilax, the miracle Brazilian pain pill) for back pain, and I take a statin daily for heart trouble that would otherwise have killed me 15 years ago (and nearly did).
Luckily, my anger outbreaks seem to have taken an extended vacation to the dark side of the moon, but I will tell my wife to be on the lookout, just in case I start acting weird and don't notice it, myself. Well, make that any weirder than I usually am to begin with!
On the other hand, from her reaction to the surprise flower bouquet I had delivered to the house yesterday, it would appear that I am not suffering from any anger issues so far. Indeed, when Trump come on the TV here, SHE is the one who gets upset, and they don't even let his voice be heard for more than a second or two (it is voiced over with a translation into German).
Liberal In Texas
(14,760 posts)As am I.
I'm not sure I agree with this new pop med scare about acetaminophen (paracetamol) to Europe and Tylenol to the rest of us. I will say, my cardiologist has said take that instead of Aleve for my muscle pain.
(BTW, read your book. Nice job. As soon as my wife gets around to reading it I'm donating to Dallas library as they seem to not have a copy of it. 
)
DFW
(57,003 posts)I don't recall taking it in any other form. About 6 or 7 years ago, I was in London having terrible back pain. I had been seeing a chiroprcator for the first time in my life, and even that wasn't really helping. A Brazilian friend was in London at the same time, and saw I was in pain, and asked what my problem was. When I said "back pain," he reacted like I had said "I'm thirsty," and said, oh, well, just take one of these before going to bed. It was a big pink pill, and I had no idea what it was, but I was ready to try anything.
I took the pill before going to bed, and woke up the next morning, prepared to move VERY carefully, so as not to aggravate my back pain. To my astonishment, not only was it gone COMPLETELY, but it didn't come back. This was a Thursday night. I had an appointment with the chiropractor the next Monday, which I decided to keep, though I was fine. When he asked how I was doing, I said, great, I'm cured. He laughed and said, "right, sure you are." But then he laid me down and started feeling around, and noticed all tension gone, and asked in amazement, "how did you do THAT?" I said I took a pill. He said "ONE pill?" Yep, one pill. WHAT pill? I sent him a scan of the package with the ingredients. It was in Portuguese, of course, and he was expecting to see it laced with all sorts of exotic or forbidden substances, but there were none. He noted the name "Tandrilax," and also noted it was only available in Brazil. Anyone getting a license to import it into the USA or Europe will be a billionaire within a year. None of my doctors in Germany or the USA had ever heard of it before I told them about it. I keep a box around the house (30 pills, costing about $1 per pill), but we usually give them to friends having back pain, because we use them so infrequently.
As for my book, THANKS for that!! It still seems to inspire smiles in those who bother to read it (even Thom Hartmann said so on his show after he read it!!), which is obviously very encouraging to me.
Liberal In Texas
(14,760 posts)And to bore you with another: I have had what's called reflux disease for years. It was mostly bothersome overnight and would cause me to wake up with burning in my throat. Also it gave me chest pains which is annoying if you're trying to figure out if you are having a heart attack or not.
About 30 some years ago, my, what they call now, primary care physician (or as I called him Doc Morgan) prescribed Zantac. It was like a miracle drug. Made all the bad stuff go away almost immediately after taking it. It was only by Rx when I started on it and then awhile back, the feds decided that maybe the pharma people could actually make more money selling OTC. So, I have been taking it 2, 3, sometimes 4 times a day. It did the trick.
As you may have guessed the worst thing in the world happened. The bloody stuff apparently produced MDMA a known rocket fuel additive and carcinogen. (And not just the brand name, but every know variant sold.) Not wanting to knowingly take rocket fuel, especially since I had quit smoking over a year before so actually not trying to knowingly ingest any more carcinogens and because every seller on the planet recalled them and pulled them off the shelves, I have been at my wits end trying to figure out a good substitute.
Well nothing has been really good, but a few weeks ago I was listening to Dr. Radio on XM in my car and they were talking about reflux. I'm all ears. The doc was saying his friends in England and Germany are taking this new stuff. He said the brand name was available in the US but you had to get the word "Advance" on the label or it wasn't the same. It was called "Gaviscon Advance" and it worked great with reflux. And so I figured wtf, I'll give it a shot.
The radio doc said it was hard to get in the US. I asked my wife who is a Brit if she might have any secret ways she gets her weird Brit stuff (like Marmite and Fish Paste) out of the UK if she could score me some. In the end I used Amazon and there was one vendor. Bought 3 bottles of pills and the stuff works. One takes it before bedtime and it forms a little barrier on the top of your stomach to keep the reflux from happening.
Since I have been using it, not one case of reflux.
I just wonder why you can't find this at Walgreens or CVS.
Ah the joys of getting elderly.
DFW
(57,003 posts)My wife has a friend in New England. She had gone through some kind of horrible intestinal flu that left her insides wrecked. Nothing she could get in the USA helped, but someone told her about some drug sold in Germany she should try. She called my wife and asked, so my wife went to our local pharmacy and asked if she needed a prescription. "Oh, that stuff? No, you don't need a prescription for that." So she bought some, sent it over, and it cured her friend's ailment right up.
On the other hand, when we are in the States, Germans beg us to bring them back some Neosporin. It appears an antiseptic ointment with antibiotics is an unknown concept here. A tube of it costs less than $8 over the counter in any American drug store.
I'm sure there are far more effective drugs out there in other countries than any of us know about. The quirks of the local pharmaceutical market (and, obviously, the clout of pharmaceutical companies) keep certain drugs unavailable that people would otherwise buy in droves. The makers of pain killers and muscle relaxants would probably carry out assassinations if they thought there was a danger of Tandrilax coming on the US or European market. A pill (from Brazil, of all places!) that cures severe muscle pain, works for days, weeks, or even months, and costs $1 ?? If it were available in the USA, our pharmaceutical companies would probably lose hundreds of millions in sales, or else secure exclusive import rights, and arrange for the pills to cost $150 apiece. Martin Shkreli, anyone?
Arthur_Frain
(2,208 posts)Was prescribed Prilosec, experienced the same relief that you did.
Always concerned about drug interactions and side effects, also not wanting to shell out X amount of $$ every month more than I have to for my hypertension meds, I went looking for something more natural that actually worked.
I found that drinking Aloe Vera juice, about a half a cup daily, allowed me to come off of the drugs prescribed for reflux. It may or may not help you, but it’s worth a shot in my opinion, one less drug to interact if it works for you.
Kali
(55,947 posts)Carisoprodol AKA Soma, careful carrying this one around it is a schedule IV controlled substance in the US.
Diclofenac is prescription only here too though it really shouldn't be, in my opinion.
DFW
(57,003 posts)My Brazilian friend now lives in the USA and brings Tandrilax back with him when he visits his family in Brazil. Of course, he only brings a box or two (30 pills in a box), so no one looks. Here in Germany, Soma must not be under any such restriction, because when the doctor here asked for the ingredients, he didn't raise an eyebrow over any of them.
Kali
(55,947 posts)it is amusing (and aggravating) how you can cross a border and buy something over the counter, go back and face arrest for the same medication. or you find something that really works traveling but can't get it at home at all.
DFW
(57,003 posts)He has an ingrained tendency to bend the rules to begin with. As for me, I just bring the Tandrilax he brought in to the States (smuggled in?) right back out again to Germany. No one here has ever heard of it anyway. If I had known how well it worked, I would have taken a brief trip to Brazil (not exactly local to Düsseldorf) just to get myself a couple of boxes. The couple of thousand euros the trip would have cost me was a price I would gladly have paid to be free of the pain I was experiencing.
andym
(5,764 posts)Filled with fresh determination, Golomb scoured the scientific and medical literature for clues. “There was shockingly more evidence than I had imagined,” she says. For one thing, she uncovered findings that if you put primates on a low-cholesterol diet, they become more aggressive.
Golomb remains convinced that lower cholesterol can cause behavioural changes in both men and women
There was even a potential mechanism: lowering the animals’ cholesterol seemed to affect their levels of serotonin, an important brain chemical thought to be involved in regulating mood and social behaviour in animals. Even fruit flies start fighting if you mess up their serotonin levels, but it also has some unpleasant effects in people – studies have linked it to violence, impulsivity, suicide and murder.
Silver1
(721 posts)an endocrinologist with decades of clinical experience told me that low body fat correlated with higher anxiety. That was pre internet, and I took his word for it. And somehow intuitively it seemed to make sense. Now it seems those observations are supported by testing and trials.
I also recall reading low body fat and low cholesterol plays a big part in infertility.
Food fads can be a disaster!
Greybnk48
(10,453 posts)I also cannot take any statins. I had a muscle wasting side-effect that happened very quickly. Because I was older, and was just recovering from a surgery for cancer, it took a long time to get back to normal.
DFW
(57,003 posts)Fortunately, I suffer no such thing, but I was warned from the very beginning to be on the lookout for it and to stop immediately if I showed any hint of it. My brother also takes statins with no ill side effects at all, and our sister inherited the same high cholesterol we did. She won't take one because she is scared of that very side effect, even though if my brother and I are unaffected, she probably would be, too. It's her health, but we think she's nuts not to try. Our mother had breast cancer, but had high cholesterol long before that, and died of a stroke in the middle of what was turning out to be a successful chemotherapy for her cancer.
Greybnk48
(10,453 posts)and it has lowered and kept my cholesterol low. It's supposed to be taken with a statin to boost it, that's my understanding, and it works a bit differently. That was our last ditch try, along with diet changes, and it has worked.
She may want to try this. It's not as good as a statin, but doesn't cause the side effects.
PoindexterOglethorpe
(26,976 posts)It required a physical, which I didn't pass because of high blood pressure. Sigh.
So I needed to acquire a primary doctor, who prescribed medications to lower that blood pressure. And I must emphasize that she did it in simple and cautious steps. The blood pressure got lowered, I was able to get the insurance policy, but I was quickly caught up (at least in my perspective) in a merry-go-round of medication and side effects.
Blood tests showed that I had high cholesterol, which I'd been aware of some thirty years earlier. So I was prescribed statins for that. Then something else. I'm forgetting the details because this was nearly a decade ago. I told the doctor that I wasn't willing to take more than three medications, no matter what. Plus, I was having some side effects that were no doubt from the statin meds. A bit later, an appointment with her was cancelled by her office, and I never rescheduled. That was over three years ago.
So now, I'm 71 years old. I know I have high blood pressure, which I also know isn't a very good thing. I'm sure I still have high cholesterol, but that's not been conclusively demonstrated as being bad. Meanwhile, I'm the healthiest person I know at my age. I don't take any prescription medications. I get around more than fine, unlike far too many of my age mates.
I don't want to sound as if I'm telling others not to get appropriate medical help, or not to take genuinely needed medications. But the truth is, that far too many of us are over medicated. If nothing else, if you're taking something to counteract the effects of some other medication, then think about it. You probably are being over medicated.
Silver1
(721 posts)Do you keep a good diet? Or is it genes?
My FIL had the genes of a bull. He smoked, drank and ate whatever he wanted. He had a high stress job with tons of travel,
a temper and never sat still. He walked around in a t-shirt in winter and never had a cold.
I can tell you my mom takes Asian red rice to keep her cholesterol down. I don't know much about it so if you're interested you can research. She took statins for years, and after talking to a friend found out about the red rice. She switched and has kept her cholesterol down ever since.
PoindexterOglethorpe
(26,976 posts)and having been exposed to many things that built up my immune system. I was sick A LOT as a young child, and then abruptly stopped getting sick very often at all. I continued to have the usual colds, and occasional flu or flu-like illness through my twenties.
There's also an attitude aspect. I don't think of myself as old, and I don't act old. Most people, when they find out how old I really am, are shocked. They think I'm at least a decade younger. And this is even though I have gray hair. Mind set matters.
I've never smoked. I do drink. I eat reasonably well. I do a lot of cooking from scratch. I eat meat. I almost never have a soft drink. I gave them up nearly thirty years ago, and I honestly wonder if that isn't important. Diet soft drinks are especially bad for you.
Smoking is so far and away the worst thing a person can do, and too many people, especially smokers, don't get it. Nice that your FIL apparently didn't suffer adverse effects from smoking. But no one should take that chance. My older sister smoked starting at age 13. A while back, when we were both in our 50's, someone was utterly astonished to learn that we were only 18 months apart. By then she looked at least a decade older. Plus, she had cardiac problems and continued to smoke. She died almost three years ago, and the last several years of her life were miserable. She was in and out of hospital. She'd had coronary bypass surgery, which finally got her to mostly quit smoking.
I'm simply not that concerned about my cholesterol. The connection between it and bad things simply isn't well demonstrated. Plus, the side effects can be meaningful.
rainy
(6,248 posts)mass shootings.
HAB911
(9,422 posts)as fresh water becomes more scarce and municipalities turn to highly treated waste water to supplement fresh, we all begin consuming other's drugs. From estrogen to viagra. ENJOY
https://www.tampabay.com/opinion/letters/Saturday-s-letters-Health-risks-of-reclaimed-water_164824277/
First, reclaimed water contains estrogen, the female hormone, no matter the degree of disinfection. Male frogs raised in reclaimed water take on female characteristics and those of hermaphrodites and intersex frogs.
Second, reclaimed water contains endocrine disrupting chemicals, or EDCs. These also cannot be removed by disinfection. The research of Laura Vandenberg at the University of Massachusetts has focused on how fetal chemical exposures can produce birth defects and how early life exposures to chemicals and chemical mixtures can predispose individuals to diseases that manifest later in life. She found that EDCs change the level of hormones in the human bloodstream and can be especially dangerous to pregnant women because the hormone levels in the mother's blood regulate the development of the child. For example, EDCs inhibit the production of the thyroid hormone, which in an expecting mother alters the development of the child's brain, resulting in impaired cognitive ability.
We need absolutely radical change in our government to deal with ttese kinds of problems.
lark
(24,419 posts)I was one of the lucky ones, medicine worked on me as it should - almost all the time. Only had issues with Ibuprofen due to my stomach problems. At 66 I had 2 head traumas, almost died, and got neck fusion & discectomy to save my life - no choice. Well, everything was going well for first 5 days, but I was getting dizzier and dizzier and by day 6 could hardly walk without help and was also very nauseous and couldn't eat. I'd developed intolerances for drugs - just out of the blue. NSAIDS, narcotics, muscle relaxers, CBD oils don't work for me now and Neurosurgeon said I'd be highly at risk if need surgery. The only thing I can do for my back pain issues is smoking or vaping pot. My goal for last year was to totally quit smoking/vaping, but now that's all that works for me. I have tried 4 different types of CBD oils, including one I was told was designed for people with Krohns', but all cause issues with my stomach within 1-3 days. CBD is good with stress, anxiety and muscle/nerve pain & inflammation, so keep hoping there's something somewhere that doesn't kill my stomach and is affordable (patches work great but are too expensive for every day use). In the meantime, I have learned so much about pot, never knew about the joys of terpenes and different strains until medical mj.
If anyone knows of any CBD product which works but doesn't hurt gastritis & hyper acidic stomachs, please let me know. It'd be greatly appreciated.
Ex Lurker
(3,929 posts)It's helped a lot with pain relief but she's also recently developed anxiety, insomnia and had some panic attacks. I cant say for sure the meloxicam is to blame but I'm suspicious.
tavernier
(13,321 posts)until one night he took after my daughter and me with a baseball bat. We managed to get him out of the house and locked the doors. Doctor said it often effected ppl over 50 that way... made them violent. No more Tagamet... sweet loving husband once more.
Faux pas
(15,484 posts)keeps my cholesterol in check. The only side effect is the flush. I like the flush it lets me know it's working.
I_UndergroundPanther
(12,984 posts)Help me alot, I am a better person when I take them. I think better,feel better and feel calmer and my ADHD is controlled. The anxiety manageable And I don't freakout as much and can sleep.
For me,meds are nessesary.
I'm crazy without my meds.,really.