Wellness

[millieshops]

@Laura14That makes sense to me.  I have friends who spend on supplements far more than I spend on big pharma.  They are not in better health than I am, but what I or anyone else does not know is whether they'd be better off with different supplements or drugs. 

My preferences are based on my personal experiences; I always assume genetics pays some part in why we all react so differently to what we consume, how we look, etc.

[Laura14]

@alliswell  I have a big problem with low fat.  A lot of the neurological diseases are having study after study come out about the absolute necessity for mono and poly unsaturated fats and olive oil in particular is a main one to prevent Alzheimer's and a big part of the Mediterranean Diet which seems to be #1 all around for any disease you want to keep at bay. 

Everyone does what works for them and for what they have a comfort level with but if you think you are at all at risk for a brain disease, you may want to take a look at the other side of that argument.  They also think grains are a big potential issue in causing neurological defecits as well because of the way they mess with gut bacteria.

Totally on board with the rest of it though.      

[Laura14]

@Nightowlz  I don't know where I am either.    It popped up on FB that is was now available and I took a spin to HSN.  

[Laura14]

@millieshops  Supplements can be just as potent as pharma drugs.  I take red yeast rice with Coq10 to keep my cholesterol at bay.  It's not horrible but a little bit above where it should be sometimes and that usually takes it right down.  I'm genetically predisposed to it.

And I can't remember what the percentage is but it's not small about how much our genetics play in why drugs interact differently with different people.  It's the number one reason actually for allergic reactions..  

[ROMARY]

Sometimes 'tried and true' drugs are better.

One of our friends (years ago) was prescribed a new drug by a specialist.

Then, his primary doc suggested/prescribed a 'tried and true' drug instead.  He  said that he knew that this older drug works quite well, but didn't know how well the new one would work.

I do believe that pharmacists most likely know which drugs work and don't work. Overall/in general.  Just by recalling what patients tell them and/or how often the drugs are replaced/substituted by docs with another drug over and over again. 

Pharmacists are almost genius.  They are able to be 'above it all' and oversee/learn a lot about medicine overall.

(In general, collective; not talking about individual problems.)  Sort of a survey, so to speak.  Recalling 'this and that' about certain medications, etc. )

[Laura14]

@ROMARY  Pharmacists know more about drugs than any doctor ever could.  The first thing mine did every morning was call the offices sometimes before approving the prescriptions and recommend what drug would be better with what's already prescribed for the patient or what they would probably have more success with for certain issues.  

[software]

I've been a victim of this in the past and I always blamed Blue Cross, the monopoly in Alabama.    They own our legislators.

There is no reason why we can't price shop our meds.

Whoever removed the handcuffs, God bless you!

[dex]

@Nightowlztoo bad we weren’t neighbors.We only stock aspirin in our house too and end up throwing out expired product regularly.We could split a bottle and quit throwing drugs in the landfill.

[Icegoddess]

I had seen recently about this practice by pharmacy benefit managers in my state and that one of our legislators had introduced a bill to make it illegal.  Good to know it has been taken care of on a national basis.

@software, I feel your pain; I'm in AL too.  However, it never really mattered how many providers we had; they were all the same because they all had to adhere to the ACA.  The premiums were ridiculous across the board.

As far as supplements go, many of them can be as bad a big pharma drugs.  I'm not anti-supplement; I take plenty, but I know the Red Yeast Rice mentioned here as an alternative to statins can have the exact same side effects as the statins, including muscle loss.

I have to believe a lot of it is genetic.  My husband, who doesn't follow any diet whatsoever (in fact his diet is mostly fast food), is 71 and he is not on any drug whatsoever.  He only recently started taking some tumeric, but he's not strict about it.  I have been taking Co-Q 10 for years before I started taking a statin and I credit it with getting me out of the periodontist's chair. My doctor did suggest I take Co-Q 10 when he put me on the statin.  He tried me on Crestor, but that hurt my joints so badly I said I'd rather die.  Now I'm on a generic and tolerate it much better.  

[lovesrecess]

We have a good friend who is a pharmacist. He was so glad to see this bill signed. He said it is frustrating to see people come to pick up medicine when he knows there is a cheaper option sometimes. DH's PCP prescribed niacin tr tabs for him...$118 for 60 pills. I found the same thing on Costco.com for $14.48 for three months supply. Now consumers will be given options at the pharmacy....good news.