Always Research The Medications Prescribed

[ACE28]

After taking different HBP medications for a number of years (with different side-effects), I think it has become more necessary these days to take our medications more cautiously. We should be aware of the type of pills we are taking and all known research trials for the particular pill(s). My uncle always told me "With High blood pressure, you need to be your own doctor". I continue to believe he is correct. In the old days (before the INTERNET and the big pharmaceutical companies advertising constantly on television) their were only a handful of medications our MD could prescribe. Their are now thousands of medications on the market. (Some medications are horrible without any proven mortality benefits and worse could cause fatal side-effects) but, the other side of the coin is, their are many pills which are excellent and can save lives (and have been proven in many research trials) For ex. Some pills that come to mind with good results from research trials are: ALTACE (RAMIPRIL), ACEON (PERINDOPRIL), COZAAR (LOSARTAN), CAPOTEN (CAPTOPRIL), ISRADIPINE, BISOPROLOL, TOPROL, CARVEDILOL, NEBIVOLOL etc.. For cholesterol ZOCOR, PRAVACHOL and NIASPAN. For diabetes GLUCOPHAGE etc.

Many doctors would say that most classes of HBP meds. (generics etc.) are all the same. I say, that I would rather take a pill that has been proven to save lives regardless of the doctors suggestions. It's true that many drug companies spend millions of dollars on research trials while others do not and maybe the pill will cost more, but it is our lives and health we are talking about. In my opinion, you can never really say that all classes of pills are equivalent with the same benefits. For ex. in a large research study on patients with coronary disease/heart failure the beta blocker... CARVEDILOL/COREG cut the risk of stroke, heart attack, sudden death (all cause mortality) by almost 60%. TOPROL XL studies have been similar.

Can we say that other beta blockers NADOLOL, ATENOLOL etc... will prove to be the same in research trials?? We will never really know. I figure, when a drug company performs a huge research trial, they are extremely confident of the new pill they produced. For ex. a huge trial is now coming to an end (after approx 6 years) comparing MICARDIS/ALTACE. These results should interest anyone taking blood pressure meds.

P.S. Unfortunately, we cannot rely only on our doctors anymore to prescribe pills. We should make suggestions when necessary and ask questions. I can't believe that so many with HBP are taking 5 or more HBP medications (some with contraindications) We are very lucky to have a wealth of information available to us from books, pharmacists and most important the Web. Their are numerous Consumer organizations which can recommend the best and most proven drug regimens...

Note: This is just my opinion.....

[flowergirl2day]

P.S. Unfortunately, we cannot rely only on our doctors anymore to prescribe pills. We should make suggestions when necessary and ask questions. I can't believe that so many with HBP are taking 5 or more HBP medications (some with contraindications) We are very lucky to have a wealth of information available to us from books, pharmacists and most important the Web. Their are numerous Consumer organizations which can recommend the best and most proven drug regimens

...

It is a well known fact that more people die each year from the use of prescription drugs that were properly prescribed and properly administered than from the use of illegal drugs. Many people are hospitalized each year with severe side effects of their prescription drugs. It is estimated that over 1.3 million people are injured each year as a result of medication errors. The most common fatal error - 41%- is administration of the wrong dose. Wrong drug -16%- and wrong type of administration also 16%. Most of the people harmed are the elderly because they take so many medications.

You are so right when you say we should ask questions and educate ourselves about any drugs we put in our bodies. Drugs are toxic foreign substances and do not belong in our bodies. We react by fighting them - thus the side effects. We must be very careful and always check we were given the right drug. Even if it means making the pharmacist angry. Actually, the pharmacists at my pharmacy are great (with the exception of one new guy). One of them questions every new medication I am prescribed. Always doublechecks with me and asks why the change...what prompted it. He does not agree with some of my drug combinations and told me so. Rolled his eyes on several occassions when I handed over a new prescription. I trust him without any reservations. I cannot say the same for my doctor. Some doctors rely too much on their prescription pads with no intention of getting to the root of the problem, treating the symptoms while ignoring their cause.

flowergirl

[bethsheba]

Originally Posted by ACE28

... My uncle always told me "With High blood pressure, you need to be your own doctor".

I believe in many ways this is true...

...(Some medications are horrible without any proven mortality benefits and worse could cause fatal side-effects) but, the other side of the coin is, their are many pills which are excellent and can save lives (and have been proven in many research trials)

I strongly believe in examing the research trials...but no matter how long a drug has been tested, no matter who it has been tested on, no matter what "good" results are in evidence, NO DRUG IS SAFE FOR EVERYONE!! And for that reason we need to be aware of the side effects BEFORE we take the medications...we need to always be looking for adverse reactions, always.

...P.S. Unfortunately, we cannot rely only on our doctors anymore to prescribe pills.

I agree...they rely to strongly on their drug reps for info and don't listen to their patients.

... We are very lucky to have a wealth of information available to us from books, pharmacists and most important the Web. Their are numerous Consumer organizations which can recommend the best and most proven drug regimens...

Not to mention the personal experience and the opinions of people who have lived with these meds, the side effects...and have to deal with doctors who are not versed and don't listen to their patieints!

Thanks so much for sharing your opinion!

Bethsheba

[bethsheba]

[QUOTE=flowergirl2day;3452945]...regarding the real drug problem in America...you're right, flowergirl. We need to start a thread to address this...maybe when people see the stats, they'll pay more attention to what we are saying.

... One of them questions every new medication I am prescribed. Always doublechecks with me and asks why the change...what prompted it. He does not agree with some of my drug combinations and told me so. Rolled his eyes on several occassions when I handed over a new prescription.

It's good to know your pharmacists are "watching over" you. We need to rely on them more as I believe they are more versed in many ways about the meds we take. Pharmacists have extensive training....

... I trust him without any reservations. I cannot say the same for my doctor. Some doctors rely too much on their prescription pads with no intention of getting to the root of the problem, treating the symptoms while ignoring their cause. flowergirl

It's more lucrative for a doctor to write out a rx...a repeat business. On the other side of the coin, how many people actually diet and exercise? They want an easy fix...supplements and/or pills.

Bethsheba

[bethsheba]

Originally Posted by ACE28

...I can't believe that so many with HBP are taking 5 or more HBP medications (some with contraindications)....

This (among other reasons) is because their doctors fail to look for secondary conditions, fail to identify secondary conditions, and/or fail to refer to specialists who have more knowledge and expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of secondary conditions....which is very unfortunate because many secondary conditions can be treated effectively or "cured" thus reducing or eliminating the hypertension! I might also add that these doctors are not following the guidelines offered by the federal government regarding the treatment of uncontrollable blood pressure.

Bethsheba