Archive for date: March 11th, 2015

I was fortunate enough to be able to travel and see my family this past weekend, many of whom are strongly against taking any medications (they are very familiar with generic/brand names, take herbal supplements and know to tell the doctor always, and are aware of the side effects) so I was only left with interviewing my grandfather. To start off, I asked my grandfather what he knew about his hypertension medications with which he replied, “what… I don’t have hypertension?” And I said I thought you were on high blood pressure medication and he replied, “blood pressure medication, yes… but I don’t know about hypertension.” This demonstrated to me the need to simplify the language we speak with our patients because clearly my grandfather was unaware that high blood pressure and hypertension were the same thing. My grandfather only knew that he took a cholesterol medication, high blood pressure medication, and a diabetic medication (metformin), or so he says “his essential medications.” He also takes various others but knows that these are the ones he should never skip. He knew the purpose of his medications and could recognize them by color. When asked if he knew the side effects and safe doses of his medications he replied that he was explained everything at one time when he initially began this medication regimen (5 years ago). And said that the pharmacy offers the information again when he picks up his medications, but he has little desire to speak with the pharmacist or read the information. My grandfather is opposite of most of my family who take herbal supplements as he thinks herbal supplements are not reliable and trusts doctors more than the “natural people at the healthy stores who try to get you to buy all this junk.” I taught my grandfather the essential cliff notes version of his medications (as he doesn’t really care to be educated on meds he’s taken for so long but was willing to hear me out for a few minutes). We discussed some side effects and actually spent most of our time talking about how to better manage his glucose levels and my grandfather frequently eats only once a day (which he claims is best since he should be losing weight) and I discussed with him the importance of keeping his metabolism going in addition to better managing his glucose levels by eating smaller frequent meals.

Many of us in America are swimming in the “pharma-sea” of medications. We are a pill popping nation. Interestingly, years ago when I was dating a frenchman, whenever we’d go to France to visit his family, his mother would request certain vitamins/supplements that are not available in Europe. Apparently pharmaceuticals isn’t as “pushed” or emphasized in Europe as it is in the U.S. I found that interesting. I don’t know how it is today in Europe (that was more then ten years ago and the frenchman and I have since parted ways) but, I think it is safe and credible to say that big pharma is a big business in America.

When I have spoken to my mother-in-law about ALL the medications that she takes and ALL the ones that she is in charge of making sure my father-in-law takes, she knew the basics on what they were for. However, she wasn’t truly aware of how the medications “work” or the possible side-effects they can have. My father-in-law is the sickest person I personally know. My in-laws kitchen counter top practically looks like an apothecary! My husband believes that the years of prednisone that his father had been on for rheumatoid arthritis for years has kicked him into acquiring chronic myelogenous leukemia.  It is worth mentioning that shortly after being on prednisone, my father-in-law gained quite a big of weight and eventually acquired diabetes. Perhaps it is my mother-in-laws generation that doesn’t question what the doctors prescribe them. They just want to feel better and they trust their doctors. My husband on the other hand isn’t as trusting. He has even done much research on the many medications that his father takes and even came across an article that said taking prednisone long-term is like giving yourself HIV because of how much is suppresses the immune system. When my husband spoke to his parents about the information he found on the certain medications his parents were taking, it seemed to go in one ear and out the other. Sad.

It is prudent to say that before we dive into the “pharma-sea” of drugs out there, we should definitely get some swimming lessons or at least wear our floaties, lest we sink.