Do you take medication daily? For what? Are medications over-prescribed? Or are they a valuable resource?

I don’t take any medications, at all.
I used to be on pain killers, and muscle relaxants..after the birth of my son, from pain all the time. Be it uterine spasms, teeth pain, hip pain…it sucked.
I was prescribed pain medications, you have to be careful, especially if you’re seeing multiple doctors. Mixing certain medications can be deadly.
I think prescriptions are given in excess, but they are still very much needed.

I started taking Celexa again and I’m relieved to feel like me again…on an even keel and able to easily cope with the horseshit life dishes out. My doctor took me off of it 3 years ago and the doctor I’m with now questions why he ever did that. I take glucosamine condroitine every morning for my joint pain (Army life takes it’s toll on a body) and a vitamin supplement because I don’t eat as well as I should. I’m not a big medication person, but if it makes life easier to deal with…fuck it, I’m in.

I take .5mg of Prednisone and .01mg of Fludrocortisone every day because I have Addison’s disease (primary adrenal insufficiency). If I didn’t take those drugs, I’d die, so I don’t think they’re over prescribed.

I do, however, think that a lot of times that anti-depressants, pain-killers, and ADD meds for kids are way over prescribed. That’s not to say that there aren’t people who legitimately need those drugs, but we all know a “drug seeker” or two who don’t really need them.

I do feel that doctors prescribe too much medicine, but I’m very thankful for my daily medication that I take for shingles. It lessens the severity and amount of outbreaks that I would normally get if I weren’t taking the medication.

I suffer from trigeminal neuralgia and twice a day I take a gabapentin pill and a carbamazepine with food. They sort of work but they make me drowsy. I did research on my condition for medical marijuana but it is illegal in my state however.
I’m not fond of popping pills.

@essieness Actually child of mine, you take 5.0mg of Prednisone…glad someone knows what you take!! LOL

I spend much of my time taking people off of medication. But some are necessary.

I definitely think it’s often the first choice of a busy doctor, rather than the last. That said, I take a shit-load of medicine every day. I am grateful that they are available, but I often resent having to take so many damn pills.

Some of it literally keeps me alive (Synthroid for Hypothyroid), some of it lessens the severity of my chronic pain, making life worth living (Diclofenac and Lyrica, both taken twice daily for Fibromyalgia), some slows the progression of my kidney disease (Enelapril – a blood pressure medication that is used off-label to reduce protein loss from my kidneys), and some of it keeps me sane, again making life worth living (Effexor XR and Xanax). I have been on most of these meds for years, and have taken the Synthroid since I was 17 years old. My most recent round of tests shows I have high cholesterol, so a new one just got added to the mix, Crestor. I was not pleased.

@Kraken I just received a new NP magazine that has a good article on Trigeminal Neuralgia. If you’re interested, I’ll find a way to get it to you.

I take asthma medication daily. Medicines are a wonderful advance that have prolonged and improved the lives of millions of people. At the same time, some medications CAN be over-prescribed. Doctors may have other business interests in prescribing a certain medicine.