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The alarming risks of mixing common drugs


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Older adults often take several medications each day. But there's growing evidence that this could sometimes be a mistake.

A growing problem

Polypharmacy, often defined as the regular use of five or more drugs by one patient, is on the rise and is expected to grow as life expectancy increases and the global population ages. Elderly people not only take more drugs, but also face a greater risk of severe side effects because their livers tend to be less efficient at metabolising and clearing medications from the bloodstream.

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Over medication of old people ain't a new problem,been a problem for a long time. Run as fast as you can when you get a doc that does this. My 2 main docs actually reduce my pharmaceuticals whenever it makes medical sense. We consult and they don't talk down to me because they know they can't,I am not a stranger to medical terminology or research. Best to take some responsibility yourself to avoid this sort of problem. Getting other pro opinions is a good idea on occasion.

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Very true! It is a good idea to check for interactions with all your meds and especially before adding a new one. Doctors aren't perfect.
I use https://www.drugs.com/ and click on the INTERACTIONS CHECKER where you list all your meds including vitamins or other things you're taking to check for those interactions which come in three warning systems... Mild, Moderate, Severe.
It's not perfect because the names of meds in Mexico are different. Eg. Micardis Plus doesn't register but Telmisarten/Hydrochlorothiazide (the active ingredients) does.
I prevented a lot of severe reactions with all the drugs my hubby was taking. There are usually alternatives available and you should check with your Doctor as to what those alternatives are. Always check for interactions BEFORE filling a prescription so you are not out of pocket.

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Some drugs potentiate or attenuate the effect of other drugs.  Also some patients go to more than one doctor at the same time.  Some doctors will minimize or ignore the effects of drugs that they’re unfamiliar with.  Theyre just interested in taking care of the symptoms theyre faced with.

look up the dangers of polypharmacy and learn something.

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17 minutes ago, Jreboll said:

Some drugs potentiate or attenuate the effect of other drugs.  Also some patients go to more than one doctor at the same time.  Some doctors will minimize or ignore the effects of drugs that they’re unfamiliar with.  Theyre just interested in taking care of the symptoms theyre faced with.

look up the dangers of polypharmacy and learn something.

I don't need to look it up"to learn something" since I have known about over medication of the elderly since the mid 60's. I suggest that your medical knowledge, if any, is very narrow. I have fired doctors that aren't up to snuff and I already have stated that I have 2 excellent doctors for treatment of my major problems. Also very competent docs for other periodic problems. Everybody works as a team and that includes me.

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Pharmacists in the USA receive 6 years of college education and clinical study in medicine and drugs. They are truly the expert on drugs. They graduate with a PharmD degree and can use the title Doctor but few do. Geriatric Pharmacy is even a specialty in pharmacy. Please do not confuse the professionals in the US with Mexico.

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12 minutes ago, Floradude said:

Pharmacists in the USA receive 6 years of college education and clinical study in medicine and drugs. They are truly the expert on drugs. They graduate with a PharmD degree and can use the title Doctor but few do. Geriatric Pharmacy is even a specialty in pharmacy. Please do not confuse the professionals in the US with Mexico.

You got that right and the same applies to pharmacists in Canada and many other countries for that matter. But again the overkill of scrip drugs for the elderly ain't nothing new as the OP suggests on more than one bored under 2 diff handles-eh!

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