Medical Minute: “Brown Bagging” Your Meds
Loyal reader Beverly Garrett is a friend in my head — as Wendy Williams would say. Bev emailed me today to suggest a Medical Minute post about doctors over-prescribing medications especially to seniors.
This week I discussed this same subject with two of my close friends whose older relatives are feeling the ill effects of taking multiple medications.
I suggested they put all their meds in a bag and take the meds with them to their next doctor’s appointment. That way the doctor can see all the meds they’re taking and see if any combination of drugs are causing adverse interactions.
Forget about taking a list of meds because often times the doctors act like they’re too busy to look at the list.
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Sandra,
It’s not just celebrities being inundated with unnecessary prescriptions, it’s more the norm than the exception.
I’ve had several doctors who prescribed something for every single symptom. And, I know other people whose doctors have done the same thing. That’s a big problem for senior citizens as well. That’s why the hospital I work at has a monthly “brown bag” seminar for seniors. Once a month seniors can bring all their meds in a brown paper bag to a clinic and have someone look over all the prescriptions. Many medications counteract others or aggravate other symptoms.
I’ve gotten really sick from taking meds too close together and/or the side effects were symptomatic. Twice I could have sworn that I overdosed and was dying. On top of that I’ve got a draw full of unfilled prescriptions. After the last accidental overdose 2 years ago, I will not take more than two prescribed pills a day. If there’s still an underlining symptom that isn’t controlled, then I tell the doctor we need to find the cause not keep treating the symptoms.
Love your blog,
Beverly Garrett
Pittsburgh, PA
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11 Responses to “Medical Minute: “Brown Bagging” Your Meds”
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Great post Sandra Dee! Also another thing people should try to do, is stick with filling all their prescriptions at the same pharmacy. Often time it’s the pharmacists who can better tell when there are going to be interactions with drugs, or if you’re being given a high dosage and they can only help you in that aspect if they know everything you’re taking and often times will call the doctor and correct it for you.
Great points!
Brown baggin is a good idea, my mom does it!!!! Its important to be aware of your reactions to medication, sometimes people don’t even pay attention to certain aches, pains, nausea etc, because its labeled as a side effect.
I don’t take prescription anything UNLESS I feel like I am bout to keel over.
YAWN … STRECTH — This day is moving so slow and the YT folks here have the AC on full blast like its 101 out.
Excellent post! That’s a really good program for the wise seniors & great advice Karaz!
Well i consulted my fellow Dr rosanne baar
and myself( Dr charles) We agree
iyonah
YT= White?
Yes Charles and LMAO at your comments today…
Anyway I posted this on the Roseanne blog and I’ll redo it here. Feel free to add if I am wrong.
How To Upload A Gravatar
“This entry was posted on Friday, March 13th, 2009 at 3:03 pm and filed under Education/schools, Fan Mail, Health & medicine, Medical Minute . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed or Trackback from your own site. This site is Gravatar enabled. Sign up to upload your own avatar. ”
Click the sign up link and it will take you to the gravatar website. There will be a page for you to type in your email address and that is all they will need for now.
If I were you, make sure to use the email that you use to register here at Sandra Rose. If you don’t use the same email and find that you are having trouble you can always add it to your account later to see if that helps.
Type in your email with ALL LOWER CASE LETTERS. They will send you a confirmation email. Go to your email provider and click on the message from gravatar. There is a link provided which tells you to either click on it or copy and paste it into your web browser.
This will take you back to the website, choose a nickname and password and then click sign-up.
Now click on my account and then click on ADD IMAGE. They give you four ways to do it. Most of us are uploading it from our hard drive. Click on that.
Click Browse, find the file that you want, double click on it, then click NEXT.
Now you have to edit your thumbnail, then press crop and finish.
Next click on whichever ratings box fits your picture. After doing this you will be directed to a page with your pictures on it.
YOU MUST CLICK ON THIS PICTURE AGAIN and it will take you to a screen that asks you to confirm, click it.
Now wait a couple of minutes, ten max.
Next go to the top of your navigation bar and click TOOLS.
Scroll down to CLEAR PRIVATE DATA and click on it.
Un-check everything EXCEPT CACHE.
Press clear PRIVATE DATA NOW.
PRESS YOUR REFRESH BUTTON LOCATED NEXT TO THE NAVIGATION BAR. IT SHOULD SHOW UP, IF NOT GIVE IT A FEW MINUTES AND TRY TO CLEAR YOU CACHE AGAIN.
KaraZ Says:
Great post Sandra Dee! Also another thing people should try to do, is stick with filling all their prescriptions at the same pharmacy.
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Good advice!
my email address for this website wasn’t in all lower case….that was my problem.
@ kcicero: Thanks for the gravatar instructions!
Salaams kcicero – It took me 4ever & a day b4 my gravatar would work.
Hey CHARLES!!!!!!!!!! How u doin????
Thanks kcic, mine will be up pretty soon