Medication Interview

My dad had a stroke 10 years ago, after that he was prescribed lipitor and daily baby aspirin. I asked him what he knew about the medications and why he was taking them. He said aspirin was to prevent more clots and that Lipitor was a beta blocker for his cholesterol (close but not quite). Mostly he knew that it was very very expensive until it went generic. He didn’t know the side effects or mechanism of action of either of these meds, and the fact that he brought up the term “beta blocker” makes me suspect he was also prescribed one of those but just forgot. However, my dad hasn’t taken any of his prescribed medications in 4 years, so I can’t be too mad at him for having so little idea of what he was taking. Instead, he became a very strict vegan and decided he didn’t need any of his medications anymore. After 6 months of this new lifestyle, he went to his doctor for a physical and blood work and she told him “Just keep doing what you’re doing.” This was a huge validation for all his hard work, and he has been able to stay a vegan (despite me and his girlfriend complaining) ever since. Now the only medications my dad takes are supplements and homeopathic. He takes red rice yeast for his blood pressure, ginko biloba to prevent alzheimers, and saw palmetto for prostrate health. Instead of over-the-counter medications, he only takes homeopathic when he has a cold and completely swears by it. One of the big things I noticed when talking to my dad was how self-assured he is about his lifestyle and medication choices. Going off your meds because you “feel like you don’t need them anymore” is probably not a good idea. But for him, it was like he took charge of his own health and that independence made him so much more responsible than he was before. Because the choices are his own, he is very very committed to his health, while he didn’t even pay attention to the pills he was prescribed.