The unique world of my perceptions on Pharmacology...or, "Why do people take these things?"...

[rasputin1952]

I was a Medical Platoon Sergeant in the Army, so I have a cursory knowledge of pharmacology as well as other aspects of the medical field. I am not a pharmacist, although I've worked with Pharmacists over a long period of time.

When I checked the mail toady, I had a notice from the VA that another medication was being added to an increasing long list, "OK, fine" I thought, "the tests show I need this and it's been around forever."

As always, I then read the enclosed information that came with the orders. Hmmm...this all sounds so familiar, the usual stuff, then I decide to look up all of the meds I am taking, including OTC stuff like ibuprofen and vitamins.

The rundown is basically, I can't take some things, if I am taking something else, interactions, (some which may be fatal). I can't start or stop some of these meds suddenly, or I will have a stroke, cardiac event or just up and die.

The short list side effect possibilities:

nausea
vomiting
bloating
increased flatulence (how popular can that make me?)
inducing ulcers
joint pain
muscle pain
muscle spasms
severe nightmares
sudden loss of memory
possible visual/auditory hallucinations
diarrhea/constipation (wtf?)
rectal bleeding
rectal pain
may cause drowsiness/sleeplessness (wtf?)
swelling ankles/lower legs
muscular dysfunction
erectile dysfunction
liver disease/enzyme interference

etc...etc...etc

Here is the conundrum I face. If I get nauseous and head to the bathroom, will my legs get me there before I start puking all over the place? If I make it to the bathroom, will I be overpowered with projectile diarrhea? Probably not, as I'd be constipated thinking about the pain I'm about to endure if I defecate and the severe loss of blood from the ulcers I have gotten over worrying about all of this. Not to mention the nightmares that kept me from ever getting "drowsy" again...or is all of this a hallucination anyway?


All things considered, if I had to endure most of these symptoms, I'd rather be dead...:D

[hedgehog]

1. I was looking over my medication list - Drug A may intefere with the

blood test needed to determine the dosage for Drug B, but Drug C enhances the effect of Drug B, so I suppose it all works out!

[Atman]

2. It doesn't really work that way. Here's the deal...

(I know this because my wife is an APRN with prescription authority; we've discussed this several times).

When the drug company runs tests on a drug, they are required to report every incident that occurs in the test group. If even just one person reports a swollen ankle, they have to say it could happen to you, too. Even if it is minor, the lawyers make them warn you that it could happen. It doesn't in any way mean it is LIKELY to happen, just that it happened to someone else.

.

[rasputin1952]

6. I realize all of that....

I've spent a lot of time in the med field...it just seemed so ridiculous to me. Sort of like putting a note on a fork, "Do not insert into an electrical outlet."

:D

[Bigmack]

3. How about medical pot?...nt

[rasputin1952]

4. If I had all of those things...

I'd start smoking again...:hi:

[virgogal]

5. Old lady here----never,ever read the side effects. Drive you nuts.

[rasputin1952]

9. It's just a habit with me to read everything...

some of it can be quite humorous..."severe flatulence"...I want to if an elevator operator is taking something that causes the...;)

[virgogal]

12. Yeah,they can be funny----like the ones that say they

can cause sleeplessness or drowsiness.

[davsand]

7. Anal leakage... I'm sorry, but that would be a deal killer for me.

I've experienced my share of side effects in recent years--especially as my doc has tried to find a blood pressure med I can take. I always drew the line, however, at anything that admitted it might cause "leakage" of any kind. There is just some stuff that is a quality of life issue...

I also marvel at the anti-depressant ads that warn about an increased desire for suicide.


:shrug:



Laura

[rasputin1952]

8. I still chuckle when I hear...

"An erection lasting longer than 4 hours..."

:eyes:

[davsand]

13. Yeah, and most men are gonna be on the phone calling everyone to brag.

You just KNOW it...


:woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:



Laura

[hifiguy]

10. Once when I was taking Ambien

for sleeplessness I woke up in the morning with a badly swollen nose and a substantial cut over my left eye. Apparently I had sleepwalked - with some force - into the edge of the door of my bedroom, and I have never sleepwalked in my life. :scared:

Give me good old-fashioned barbs like Tuinal or Seconal as sleeping pills. They put me out, kept me asleep all night (which none of the new "sleep" meds do) and the slight grogginess on waking was easily dispatched with coffee or tea. Never walked into a door when I took those. And they were excellent "fun" once in a while to boot. :hippie:

[unblock]

16. last time i took ambien, i sleep-washed the dishes

apparently i had washed the dishes in my sleep and made some odd decisions, because a few of the dirtier dishes were in the trash and others were in the cupboard, still dirty.

haven't taken ambien since. i'd rather be up all night and tired the next day.

[NV Whino]

11. When I was in the hospital in '09

and they were shoving/injecting anything and everything in me, I asked a nurse what the side affects were for a certain medication. She burst into laughter and said, "Honey, I can't even lift the book on that one."

All this medicating, by the way, was to counteract the results of a little-known (and non-listed) reaction to another (very common) medication.

[Lars39]

14. Half paying attention to one of those commercials the other night..

husband and I both heard "cause cancer" as one of the possible side affects. :wtf:

[hunter]

15. I've done quite a few of those.

I fondly remember when ibuprofen was my wonder drug. But now it just makes my guts bleed. No matter how badly my joints hurt the gut pain caused by ibuprofen will be worse.

I had a wonderful rotation on the crazy meds merry-go-round where I had severe nightmares of the sort where I'd force myself awake directly into a brand new nightmare. Me and my kids are fleeing a tsunami, I realize it's a nightmare and wake up startled in my bed only to discover I'm paralyzed and a komodo dragon has eaten my dog and is chewing my feet off... Then "wake up" again into a brand new horror.

Compared to severe nightmares those times I've experienced hallucinations or erectile and muscular dysfunctions seem quite benign.

Shitty thing is without meds I'm a crazy cranky homeless person.