Try Cutting Down What You're Taking

[Guest guest]

Joy,

You have my deepest sympathy for all the conditions you are trying to contend

with, and

the limited or negative results you've had to date. I can understand how you

would

have come to be taking 32 supplements in addition to your Armour. Several are

supposed

to help this (whether they really do or not)...another few are supposed to help

that...and so on. But how firmly do you know that any particualar thing you are

taking

is really doing more good than harm--or how many are really helping. (Even if

something MAY be helping with one condition, by itself, it may be doing more

harm,

overall, when you combine it in your body with other things.)

I would bet that a large part of the problem--and I think Chuck hinted at it--is

what

doctors call " polypharmacy, " a situation they are often largely responsible for.

It

means taking a large number of drugs (doesn't matter if they are RXs or OTC or

supplements) at one time--whether they have been prescribed by different doctors

who

didn't know or care what you were getting from others, or you're

self-medicating...

Anyway, it's hard enough getting reliable information about side-effects and

interactions involving many individual drugs, but a good pharmacist and even a

doctor

who takes the time may be able to figure what the problem is when you're getting

wierd

or unexpected reactions on, say, 3 or 4 things. But as the number goes up, you

quickly

get to the point where there is no information about how A + B + C + D +

E....(etc)

interact. Your body has been brewing an unknown chemical broth, and all sorts

of new

compounds with unknown effects have been formed by at least some of what you're

taking.

I would google " polypharmacy " if I were you, and look into this further...

It's a lot easier getting a doctor to give you a drug than taking you off one,

usually.

Most want you to stop drugs that others have given you. (I've had two elderly

friends

who were mentally and mood-wise devasted by a lot smaller combination of things

than

you are taking.

If I can give you a suggestion, admittedly from a non-professional,it would be

to try

to go off, one at a time, several of your supplements--perhaps at one or

two-week

intervals. If you notice bad reactions after going off one, you might resume

it,

though the reaction could just be a temporary withdrawal symptom.

Some pharmacists will consult with patients on problems like this during

non-pharmacy

hours. Perhaps insurance would cover it, I don't know. One of the best ways to

locate

one would be to contact a local retirement home,since such pharmacists often

work with

residents who have problems caused by polypharmacy.

Plypharmacy is one of the biggest and least-addressed medical problems of our

time,

especially with older people (but others too). And it is likely to get much

worse as

drug companies and supplement makers keep " pushing " new things in our direction.

Good luck,

--- hypothyroidism wrote:

> There are 25 messages in this issue.

>

> Messages

> ________________________________________________________________________

> 1a. Re: OT but I need advice from those I trust.

> Posted by: " Chuck B " gumboyaya@... gumbo482001

> Date: Sun May 11, 2008 3:41 pm ((PDT))

>

> Joy,

> You wrote:

> >

________________________________________________________________________________\

____

Be a better friend, newshound, and

know-it-all with Mobile. Try it now.

http://mobile./;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ