15 replies to this topic

[hotrodcharlie5]

I know most on here are not doctors, however you all seem to be on some meds. I just keep telling myself that I am taking way to many pills and it can't be normal. New to this, 6 months and counting, I wanted your opinions. Here is what I consume daily.

Baclofen: 30 mg ( 11 - 5 - 11) for spasms
Pantropazole: 40 mg (7 a.m.) to prevent stomach ulcers
Nortriptyline: 25mg (11 p.m.) for cold feeling
Etidronate: 800 mg (7 a.m.) for H.O.
Indomethacin: 25mg (7 - 3 - 11) for H.O. (anti Inflammatory)
Flomax: 0.4 mg (11 p.m.)
Propantheline: 15mg (7 - 3 - 11) for sweating

Any comments will be appreciated.

Charlie

[Dave Bishopstone]

Charlie,

You should really be discussing your misgivings with your family doctor, or to the Consultant at your Spinal Unit - I don't think anyone else can properly advise you, at the end of the day it remains your decision what drugs you want to take, really a working partnership decision with your doctor.

Dave

Edited by Dave Bishopstone, 07 December 2009 - 08:39 PM.

[edlee]

I'm not a doctor,, but I play one in my head,,,,

You need to decide which symptoms you can stand and which you can't,,, and of course, which ones are actually necessary.

I've dropped a lot of the stuff I started out with,, but still take more than I would like. But as was said,, talk to a REAL doctor about it.
ed

[kiwiquad]

I agree with the above posts, but was wondering why you need to prevent stomach ulcers?, & Nortriptyline for cold feeling..what is a "cold feeling"?
Sincerely interested.

[hotrodcharlie5]

kiwigurl, on Dec 7 2009, 07:49 PM, said:

I agree with the above posts, but was wondering why you need to prevent stomach ulcers?, & Nortriptyline for cold feeling..what is a "cold feeling"?
Sincerely interested.

I take the Stomach ulcer meds because my doctor tells me I take so many meds that they will cause an ulcer. Sounds silly to me, but he is the doctor. This is why I want to stop them. The cold feeling I get is in places I shouldnt feel. The Nortriptyline at low doses has a side effect that gets rid of it.

[greybeard]

I take a similar drug, Omeprazole, for the same reason, that is - because most anti-inflammatory medicines can, perversely, cause the stomach lining to become inflamed, and that can lead to bleeding or ulcers. The stomach calming medicines that you and I take apparently reduce that risk.

[Maltese Cat]

In terms of multi-drug usage you are doing quite well, in that nearly all of your meds are for a primary problem. Only one of them, the pantropazole, is for a side-effect of the other drugs you are on. This means that it should be easier for you and your doctor to tailor your drug use more easily, depending on what you need.

What is important, and should help you to know what you are able to change, is to discuss fully with your doc what each of your meds is for, so that you can have opinions on whether you feel you are suffering from this particular problem enough to want meds for it. you seem pretty clued up already, but make sure you read data sheets etc, and be aware of possible side effects (although this can sometimes backfire as when you read 'headache', you immediately start to feel one coming on!)

the anti-inflammatory you are on, Indomethacin, works by inhibiting the pathway that produces inflammatory cells. However, it also inhibits production of cells that protect the stomach lining as the same pathway produces both. (the etidronate also inhibits produciton of these stomach protecting cells, although via a different mechanism of action). This means that the acid in your stomach is more likely to be able to reach the now-unprotected delicate cells lining the stomach, and so cause irritation - ulcers and such. Your pantropazole (and GB's omeprazole) blocks the pathway for acid into the stomach, so the stomach environment becomes less caustic to those cells.

I am not a doctor, but i am a veterinary surgeon, so I use a lot of the same drugs, or similar ones (we tend to get stuck with the early versions of them, rather than the high-tech latest generation stuff!). I find that when trying to persuade pet owners to use the drugs I prescribe, it really helps if they know exactly why they are using each drug, hence my long, and I hope not too scientific explanation.

Also, I am AB, so have not got personal experience of any of what you are going through, or taken any of the drugs (oh, except the omeprazole. i actually got a stomach ulcer)

[Tetracyclone]

hey Cat,

now that i am a full time house pet you can treat me any time. pre sci i used to treat UTIs by picking up a bottle of antibiotic at the feed store, some hypos ,divide my weight into that of the average sheep, and stick myself daily. lord what some people without insurance will do...

[Maltese Cat]

Pwuff, on Dec 9 2009, 01:55 AM, said:

hey Cat,

now that i am a full time house pet you can treat me any time. pre sci i used to treat UTIs by picking up a bottle of antibiotic at the feed store, some hypos ,divide my weight into that of the average sheep, and stick myself daily. lord what some people without insurance will do...

That's cool- did it work?!
i am so often tempted to grab something off the shelf at work, but worried it'll go tits up and i'll have to go to a proper doc and confess, and then get struck off. a vet once broke his wrist on a friday evening, and to avoid spending quite so many hours in the AandE waiting room, he took his own x-ray and took it along with him, thus saving NHS time, money and man-hours. the doctors reported him to the police and he got struck off!
i do occasionally self-medicate with some of the human preps that we use though!

[Tetracyclone]

Maltese Cat, on Dec 9 2009, 05:07 AM, said:

Pwuff, on Dec 9 2009, 01:55 AM, said:

hey Cat,

now that i am a full time house pet you can treat me any time. pre sci i used to treat UTIs by picking up a bottle of antibiotic at the feed store, some hypos ,divide my weight into that of the average sheep, and stick myself daily. lord what some people without insurance will do...

That's cool- did it work?!
i am so often tempted to grab something off the shelf at work, but worried it'll go tits up and i'll have to go to a proper doc and confess, and then get struck off. a vet once broke his wrist on a friday evening, and to avoid spending quite so many hours in the AandE waiting room, he took his own x-ray and took it along with him, thus saving NHS time, money and man-hours. the doctors reported him to the police and he got struck off!
i do occasionally self-medicate with some of the human preps that we use though!

sure it worked. Same med. Amazing that some insecure sh*ts at NHS would report that poor guy. What does "struck off" mean in UK english?

Next time you cut yourself clean then repair with crazy glue and a little dental floss. This high class surgical technique was developed in the yanks Vietnam war.

oh yarn. Trin is going to warn me off for this. OK readers, my medical ideas are dangerpous and unapproved.

Edited by Pwuff, 09 December 2009 - 03:23 PM.

[Trinity]

Pwuff, on Dec 9 2009, 02:36 PM, said:

sure it worked. Same med. Amazing that some insecure sh*ts at NHS would report that poor guy. What does "struck off" mean in UK english?

Next time you cut yourself clean then repair with crazy glue and a little dental floss. This high class surgical technique was developed in the yanks Vietnam war.

oh yarn. Trin is going to warn me off for this. OK readers, my medical ideas are dangerpous and unapproved.

Struck off = off the professional register, ie not allowed to practice any more.

Pwuff, it all cuts both ways, the other day I was sewing up a hole in my socks using sutures! (although I did get some odd looks)

I also know of a couple of people that have glued up wounds with superglue to avoid a trip to the Emergency Department with no apparent ill effects

[CR_L1]

Trinity, on Dec 9 2009, 05:34 PM, said:

I also know of a couple of people that have glued up wounds with superglue to avoid a trip to the Emergency Department with no apparent ill effects

Just to add for safety reasons
(Loctite Super Glue 3) as it use to be known was the same glue as used in hospitals in the early days when hospitals started using it here in the UK & I have glued many a wound with no problems but be warned if you wish to try it now, these days superglue has an additive in it which burns like hell.

[Maltese Cat]

Trinity, on Dec 9 2009, 05:34 PM, said:

Pwuff, on Dec 9 2009, 02:36 PM, said:

sure it worked. Same med. Amazing that some insecure sh*ts at NHS would report that poor guy. What does "struck off" mean in UK english?

Next time you cut yourself clean then repair with crazy glue and a little dental floss. This high class surgical technique was developed in the yanks Vietnam war.

oh yarn. Trin is going to warn me off for this. OK readers, my medical ideas are dangerpous and unapproved.

Struck off = off the professional register, ie not allowed to practice any more.

Pwuff, it all cuts both ways, the other day I was sewing up a hole in my socks using sutures! (although I did get some odd looks)

I also know of a couple of people that have glued up wounds with superglue to avoid a trip to the Emergency Department with no apparent ill effects

suture material makes a fantastic substitute when re-threading a necklace.

try to avoid glueing up your pets though. they don't seem to understand that they can't lick it till its dry. it can be a real fag trying to un-peel a cat's tongue from its leg...

trin - what do you do? are you a doc?

[Trinity]

Maltese Cat, on Dec 9 2009, 10:27 PM, said:

trin - what do you do? are you a doc?

I am a trained ICU nurse, but I work in practice development now in critical care and anaesthesia.

[KeepTheFaith]

I think you might feel better if you slowly got off of some of this stuff. Talk with your doctor and decide what meds are absolutely essential. What things can you do instead of popping a pill? A weekly message? Acupuncture? More Physical Therapy? More daily stretching and exercise? Better Nutrition? Vitamins?

I am 1 year from a very bad C5 injury. Also broke just about every bone in my body, including a shattered ankle.

I take Baclofen 75mg/day - The rest is all vitamin supplements.

I just wanted to add: You are back to work only 6 months from your injury, which is hard. I am sure you are doing it out of necessity because you have your own business. But you need to know that it usually takes 1-2 years for most people to get use to this injury and to get back to work full-time. You are one tough guy!

Edited by KeepTheFaith, 05 January 2010 - 07:37 PM.