Drugs: Elderly at Risk

[Angry Cat]

Fatal cocktail of common drugs putting elderly at risk - Telegraph

The most dangerous included the antihistamines chlorphenamine (used in the brand Piriton) and promethazine (used in Phenergan), the anti-depressant paroxetine (used in Seroxat) and the incontinence drug oxybutynin (used in Ditropan).

[Silverback]

Re: Drugs: Elderly at Risk

Drug-to-Drug interactions are considerably more complex than the Corporate Pharmaceuticals wish to disclose.

Obviously, this gets worse the larger the "cocktail" of Drugs that some people need to take, just in order to stay alive.

There is no easy answer. The best advice I can suggest is to research every Drug, and just try to understand what it is that is being prescribed.

There are some very good resources on the Web, such that most things can be checked out.

However, knowing all about one Drug is not a lot of use if only considered in isolation. It is the interaction between Drugs that can be hard to assess, especially when those who may well know the answers, elect not to release any awkward data. They know that if the true risks were really published, that would then reduce the sales of their products.

A dent in their Company's bottom line is far more important to them than a few extra fatalities. The Corporates regard collateral damage as being wholly acceptable so long as it remains undiscovered.

After all, they can always bury their mistakes.

Silverback

[Angry Cat]

Re: Drugs: Elderly at Risk

They havn't always been able to bury their mistakes...

Here is the list:
http://www.uea.ac.uk/mac/comm/media/...tudy+drug+list

[Angry Cat]

Re: Drugs: Elderly at Risk

Drug side effect linked with increased health risks for over 65s - University of East Anglia (UEA)

[garlok]

Re: Drugs: Elderly at Risk

Hi All.

As I said on anothet thread, they treated me like a rat, I behaved in the end like a rat, and ironically it is Warfarin that helps to keep me alive. :

More seriously though I believe it is very widespread. My heart muscles were destroyed by a very common anti inflammatory drug ----DICHLOFENAC prescibed to keep my arthritis under control.

"A known but relatively rare side effect " they said.


Now no painkillers at all as every cheap common one has a dilatorious effect somewhere down the line.

My now very good GP has discussed this all with me and he says openly that all drugs are poisons and there will always be a price to be paid.

Take care my friends.
regards
Garlok

[pompeyfaith]

Re: Drugs: Elderly at Risk

I am taking a total of 8 various tabs for my health conditions and I must say it does have me thinking what are the effects of taking those tabs at the same time have.

I did ask this to my GP and the only answer he gave was carry on taking them as it is the worse of the two evils.

Garlok I was on warfarin after my stroke to thin my blood and had to be weened of them slowly now I just take aspirin to do that job.

Regards

[garlok]

Re: Drugs: Elderly at Risk

Unfortunately PF that seems to the nub of it.

I am not a great fan of genetics and genetic engineering to say the least because of our ability to misuse and abuse such technology, however I do wonder if thsi might be a better route for future generations instead of large corporations reaping large fiscal rewards from the sufferings of others.

regards
Garlok

[MrsD]

Re: Drugs: Elderly at Risk

local news here in Scotland made a big thing of this, it was really irresponsible reporting and I hope it didn't scare loads of peeps into giving up all their drugs there and then, as they obviously couldn't dig up a respectable doctor to pass comment, they had a reporter dishing out medical advise, me and DH were both shouting at TV (its usually one or the other!!)

[confused76]

Re: Drugs: Elderly at Risk

I am taking a total of 8 various tabs for my health conditions and I must say it does have me thinking what are the effects of taking those tabs at the same time have.

I did ask this to my GP and the only answer he gave was carry on taking them as it is the worse of the two evils.

Garlok I was on warfarin after my stroke to thin my blood and had to be weened of them slowly now I just take aspirin to do that job.

Regards

i'm the same pompey...i take quite a cocktail at the moment and asked my GP if this was harmful, he basically said that not taking them would be more harmful. hmmm. i'm left with little choice at the moment i suppose? i'd love to reduce the quantity in the future though as it does concern me.

[mrsinvisible]

Re: Drugs: Elderly at Risk

I take 'em cos I need 'em, I need 'em cos I'm still alive, I'm still alive because I take 'em . I know there are other side effects which may, eventually cause me serious harm, but if I had'nt taken them, I wouldnt be here, and able to look after Mr. I Not perfect, but its not a perfect world

[caspar]

Re: Drugs: Elderly at Risk

Garlok,

Dichlofenac very nearly killed my 82 year old father a couple of weeks ago. He'd been in a nasty car accident and was in hospital. They put him, reasonably, on this drug. Unfortunately one of the common side effects is that it attacks your liver and kidney function. His liver function decreased to around 10% of what it should be and he was in acute renal failure. Fortunately my brother in law is a GP and he happened to visit dad during this and suggested to the medics that the Dichlofenac could be the cause. They took him off it and hey presto, he's still with us and just last week came out of hospital after being in for 8 weeks!

[confused76]

Re: Drugs: Elderly at Risk

Garlok,

Dichlofenac very nearly killed my 82 year old father a couple of weeks ago. He'd been in a nasty car accident and was in hospital. They put him, reasonably, on this drug. Unfortunately one of the common side effects is that it attacks your liver and kidney function. His liver function decreased to around 10% of what it should be and he was in acute renal failure. Fortunately my brother in law is a GP and he happened to visit dad during this and suggested to the medics that the Dichlofenac could be the cause. They took him off it and hey presto, he's still with us and just last week came out of hospital after being in for 8 weeks!

wow Caspar, i'm so pleased to hear your dad is ok! scary stuff...x

[Angry Cat]

Re: Drugs: Elderly at Risk

Makes you sit up and think, doesn't it!

Especially, if you have been involved with the loss of a loved one.

As well as the obvious!

[di30]

Re: Drugs: Elderly at Risk

Its scary indeed!

Over a week ago I was given codeine co codamol 30/500mg, but did not bother taken them and handed them back to the chemist, I made do without them with more natural remedies and bared the pain as much as I could.

Of course I am on 2 lots of BP meds for high BP, and that's my lot, and a few inhalers.

But my poor dad, he had pages and pages of repeat prescriptions, and we asked many times for this to be reviewed - with them coming back and insisted they were essential to all health conditions he had.

Even the nursing home the 2 different ones he stayed in couldn't believe it and contacted dad's GP to check if these were right.

And I second that Angry Cat my dad lasted until the age of 69.

[Angry Cat]

Re: Drugs: Elderly at Risk

Fatal cocktail of common drugs putting elderly at risk - Telegraph

Following on from the above; concerns over doctors prescribing anti-depressants:
BBC News - Concern over frequent use of anti-depressants in women

IMO GP's have been prescribing these for years without considering other alternatives... and;
obviously not being aware of the consequences at the time and later on in life!
http://www.platform51.org/downloads/...epressants.pdf