Would you rather take meds or would you rather suffer?

I have to limit my meds due to heart and liver condition; so yes I needlessly suffer because meds usually affect liver condition and I can not take meds that hinder liver ...I do take natural/herbal medications(but have to again watch liver interactiing)...I take meds when the suffering is no longer tolerable but in retrospect to the liver it has to be really bad and than a maintenance of liver is required...I prefer not to take medication but will do so when I can no longer take it... I do take diuretic and claritin on daily basis...

 

Gardenfish you said it all when you said it is a choice...I do not like to take the meds but if they help me and keep me going and having a life that is of good quality then you bet ya...I don't pop a pill just for the shear pleasure of it and I take them according to my doctors recomendations.

Why would you want to suffer if you don't have to?

I watched my son after being hit by a car at 16 suffer and almost die... he took meds that I hope I never have to take but, to get him where he is today in his thirties and his on construction business that is what had to happen... he has taken a lot of meds he would rather not take and I think that is the way with most of us.

I fought for years not to take depression meds because I wanted to know what I was feeling and not to mask any of it and to try to deal with what was going on but, I found out that sometimes we need a little help to get to the real place we are suppose to be so, I went on the meds for a couple of years and thearpy and a lot of work on my behalf and today I do not need the depression meds....but as was said it was my choice, which is everyone's right no matter what you are dealing with.

I personaly would not be able to have a normal life with the vertigo with out the meds...I don't take them on a regular basis but when I feel an attack coming on..it does not cure it but makes my quality of life more livable and happy.

 

Really interesting thread. I appreciate the thoughtful and frank dialogue. I have a doctor is is VERY careful with meds. A few years ago I had a burnout/breakdown. She carefully weaned me on an anti-depressent for 3 months then just as pointedly and carefully weaned me off. During that time, she insisted on seeing me every 2 weeks before writing another prescription.

At one point, due to poor circulation and swelling, I asked her to put me on diuretics and she refused - pushing more natural relievers. When the specialist finally put me on them to try and prevent increased and more violent vertigo attacks, I asked her why it was OK now and not beforee. She talked to me about weighing the benefits against the risk. She was also careful to tell me about how to mitigate the side-effects from the diuretic.

Last time I visited, I asked for valium for when the bad vertigo hits. She declined...feeling a shot of gravol would suffice in extraordinary circumstances. I must confess I was a bit pissed at her. And as an alternative to valium, I take valerian root sometimes. But given her reluctance to prescribe and her careful consideration and monitoring when she does - I am inclined to trust her and go ahead with the meds she does approve of (serc and diuretic at this point).

I sure don't have all the answers ...hell, after 36 hours in labour with no end in sight, I let the nurse talk me into an epidural. Not sorry I did either!

 

Great topic! It's a tough choice ... for years I was on SSRIs for this and then the side effects would just become unbearable. Almost every med I threw at this caused some sort of miserable side effect. At the moment I'm on nothing at all apart from supplements and, although I feel like I'm walking on eggshells, it still feels better than the meds.

Cheers ... Scott

 

I take medications...and do not want to suffer.

I have anxiety disorder, dx. in 1996 and on medication for that which for me is just fine. I have medication of meclizine, Dyrenium and Hydrolchothizade (sp)

For me, I prefer this as I am under doctor care and it is very helpful.

I have no pain and for those that do, it is one's personal choice for pain medication.

 

Carrie-Anne ~ I so agree about children medicating not being taken lightly. My nephew is 15, he is my sister/BIL son and he has ADHD, OCD, and under medical team of doctors (he is on medications and my sister & BIL are very diligent regarding this. I have witnessed a few years ago his behavior and when I got home I sobbed.

He is NOT over medicated and if not for the team of doctors, IEP meetings at school and the hardworking diligent of my sister, my nephew would not have a chance.

In some cases medication is the answer and in his case it is, and my parents and us are grateful!!!

Ruth

 

Only a fool would refuse to take meds that could help them avoid, or at least lessen the grip of this beast.

MM has taken music from me, strained my marriage, robbed my life of a lot of spontanaity, robbed me of dignity at times, hurt my self-confidence, could eventually jeopardize my job, and made me miserable for hours to months on end. Yet I am supposed to worry that if I, say, take a Valium to lessen some of the symptoms of this thing that is destroying my life, I may eventually become dependent?

Please.

EVERYTHING you put in your body or breathe into your lungs could conceivably be hazardous to your health. Meds MAY have side effects. I KNOW that MM does. I take my chance to try to salvage what hasn't already been taken from me.

Your mileage may vary.

 

Iate some peanut M&Ms today. There were rather like medicine - I sure felt fine eating them.

 

Omegaman nailed it

 

Gardenfish, I felt the same way about my ice cap from Tim Hortons.

 

For some reason unknown to me, my 88 year old mother would rather suffer!
She will talk to me constantly about how much pain she is in. I will remind her that I was with her when the specialist told her on her bad days she could increase the dosage of prednisone. I heard him (with the one ear that hears perfectly ) She won't... but she won't suffer in silence either.

I simply don't understand her.

 

I wonder if she gets side effects that she hasn't explained or she feels like she tried it and it doesn't help. I don't take diuretics because I get really lousy side effects and it doesn't help anyway. The dr's seem to think I am making this up. Not!

 

I woke with a migraine today. I didn't wonder long if I would rather lay in bed for two days and suffer or take a maxalt.

I am here--can you guess what I did?

 

Meds have made it possible for me to lead a productive life and avoid disability. I take the minimum possible, under the close supervision of a neurologist/psychiatrist.

 

Bluesky - If we became immune to meds and they stopped working after awhile, then it wouldn't look too good for transplant patients who rely on meds to stay alive.

nassman - I realise you are an anti-med person, but I really think you feel that anyone taking meds of almost any sort is doing so whilst not requiring them. I have seen people who cannot get themselves to the dentist due to horrendous nerves and actually pass out, which the NHS refuse to treat any other way than with calming meds for their appointment, is that really such a bad thing - they get the dental treatment that they would not get otherwise.

Meds, when required, allows me to live again, I don't have to keep thinking "well, I won't commit to the evening out in 3 weeks time, because I could have a stinking cluster headache which I cannot control"...so should I stop having any life and just sit indoors, or take the meds on occasion, or the long term meds that stop the inner ear from allowing me to spin at any time and have no life worth living. All of that on top of health issues I am dealing with, without meds for the problems, would just tip me over the edge. Why shouldn't people be entitled to live like everyone else, why should we have to deal with extreme pain, and just smile sweetly...I don't get it, I don't and never will understand that attitude; more so since I saw a documentary on tv where people are going through pain that they cannot control at all but their is a specialist that deals with pain medication and can work out a plan for people going through almost any level of pain, but it seems there is only one of him in existence since even he states that nobody should have to suffer unnecessarily. My mother, from what I heard, was writhing in agony dying of cancer, but never got meds to ease the pain even though she was in hospital...but from what some people write, this should be how it is.