A dear
friend, Caroline*, recently announced that she chooses to live her life without
prescription drugs. A few years ago, her doctor told her she had high blood
pressure, and advised her to begin a regimen of blood pressure medication.
Caroline never went back to the doctor, and currently has no firm plans for a
checkup.
When I read this declaration on her popular blog, I was stunned and
worried about this woman, a lady with an extraordinarily beautiful soul, who is
as precious as a sister to me. Although I share some of Caroline’s views that
prescription drugs can possibly cause harm and prolong life without maintaining
an acceptable quality of life, I hope I can convince her to rethink her choice
to avoid doctors and completely refuse any prescription medicine.
In her
post, Caroline cites the experiences of her brother and father. Both men died
too young. Her brother underwent a time of kidney dialysis, until his life was
an endless round of visits to the dialysis center. His quality of life was
miserable, and he finally chose to refuse treatment. Caroline’s father began
his decline with the simple step of taking blood pressure medicine that led to
more and more prescriptions, and death at 67. Knowing Caroline’s loving nature,
watching these adored family members succumb to ill health was heartrending and
hellish for her.
She has
a valid point when she rebels against the idea that there is a pill for every
minor-to- major blip on our health radar, and that sometimes the smart thing to
do is to say no or at least get a second opinion before embarking on drug
therapy. Our nation is awash in a sea of pills. With a Walgreens, a CVS, or a
Rite Aid on nearly every corner, drug ads on prime time TV, and even children
taking prescriptions in record numbers, we are over-medicated, as Caroline
implies. Having had some unfortunate experiences with drugs, I can understand
why she is wary of being made sick from prescription pills.
My own
best example of prescription troubles started when I was in my late forties and
was diagnosed with slightly elevated cholesterol. My doctor prescribed statins,
and I remember being hopeful that these common drugs would lower my lipids. After
all, many people take statins, they are considered safe overall, and some
doctors believe so strongly in them that they propose adding them to the public
water supply! At this time, I also got serious about my diet, added more
exercise, and lost twenty pounds, bringing me into a healthy BMI. Proud of my
lifestyle changes and sure that along with the statins, my cholesterol levels
would be the envy of all, I had another blood test. My cholesterol had gone UP!
First, I
was incredulous, then dismayed and discouraged. How was this possible? My
physician, Dr. D., was unconcerned, and told me that some people had hereditary
high levels that were stubborn to treat. Over the next eight years, she tried
me on four different statins, and on increasingly higher doses. At
the highest dose of the strongest statin, my back, wrists, and muscles began to
ache. Brushing it aside as too much time spent commuting and working at the
computer, eventually I complained to Dr. D. She advised me to stop the statins,
and a scant week later my painful back, joint and muscle pains disappeared.
The
pain that I thought might be my lot to bear for the rest of my life—after all,
old people have aches and pains, right?—had been caused by the pills that were
supposed to make me “well.” The statins had caused me to ache all over, and had
NOT reduced my cholesterol to “healthy” levels. This experience shook my faith
in the marvels of supposedly safe modern drug therapies.
So I
approach any prescription drug with caution, and with the thought that if the
drug does not accomplish its stated goal within a reasonable amount of time and
with a minimum of negative side effects, it’s time for a second opinion. But I
feel bound to add that over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, and herbal supplements
need much the same caution. Tylenol can be deadly to the liver, vitamins can be
toxic at too high levels, and herbal supplements should be considered as
potentially as powerful, and as prone to unpleasant side-effects or
interactions as any prescription drug.
We can’t
be passive consumers; we must do our research and due diligence. It exhausts me
to put so much thought into health, but I haven’t found a shortcut around
working with my doctor while also trying to stay reasonably well informed about
any drugs she prescribes. Additionally, I attempt to keep up with ongoing
research for my health conditions. Alternative
therapies can help in some cases—I also get therapeutic massage and I’ve tried
acupuncture.
After my
sobering experience with statins, one might expect that I am living a happy-go-lucky,
drug-free life. I was, for about six months. Then some other conditions reared
their ugly heads; I now take 3 prescription drugs on a daily basis. I’m not
thrilled, but I have realized that my current prescriptions are necessary for
me to function. The drugs keep me going; without them, I would not be able to
work, to be here for my husband, or for my aging mother.
I used to have
concerns, as Caroline does, about “what if I have to stay on these drugs the
rest of my life?” For me, and for many people, if prescription drugs are what
it takes, so be it; we are resigned. Sometimes, we’re even grateful. At least
these drugs are available, and the alternative for me is near complete
disability. Without these drugs, there would be no “rest of my life” to worry
about.
Further,
I would tell Caroline that yes, she is her own woman and she has the right to
refuse treatment. We have the freedom to choose how to live, and how to die. However,
she is not an island. She has a loving husband, children, grandchildren, and many
friends who all love her. We don’t want her to die too young. We don’t want her
to suffer anything remotely near the fates of her father and brother. We do
want her to consider finding a doctor she has can develop a trusting
relationship with, and who in turn
answers her questions about high blood pressure, possible treatments, and
recommended lifestyle changes.
We want
this for her not because we are trying to tell her what to do or because we are
trying to make her feel guilty, ashamed, or unreasonable for her choices. We
want her to be WELL, to live a long
time among us, and when the time comes, to be able to have a dignified,
pain-free death.
Prescription
drugs are not inherently good or evil. They are chemical compounds, as are OTC
drugs, herbal supplements, and the food and drink we consume daily. Our own
physical bodies, at the most basic level, are chemicals. Prescription drugs are
sometimes useful chemical tools that can help to decrease or delay many
diseases. Life expectancy was a bitterly short 47 years for an average American
woman in 1900 (University of California, Berkeley, n.d.). The average woman
today can expect to live 33 years longer, to over age 80. The CDC (2008) says
Caroline, as a Hispanic woman, can expect 3 years more than that, on average,
83 years!
Prescription drugs are certainly no guarantee of longer life. However,
many people would agree that when used judiciously under the supervision of a knowledgeable,
caring physician, drugs are an option we sometimes must consider. Caroline—please make that doctor appointment
soon. We love you and want you healthy, happy and with us for many, many years to come!
*not her real name
This blog is not intended as medical advice. Consult your own health care professionals for advice related to health and prescription drugs.
