new poll

Medicines

by Julros - 2023-04-27 02:11:29

Many people do not consider supplements to be medicines. In the US they are not verified for efficacy or purity. 

I know my providers alway ask about supplements, but I believe that is to check for interactions. 

medicines

by new to pace.... - 2023-04-27 02:17:27

Julros, that is the problem in the US the pharms. want to make the big bucks. Some of  the doctors are not willing to admit that supplements work as well.  For me my problem with prescriptions is what is used as fillers and coatings. Which limit what i can take.  I know it is said to bear with the side effects.  Why should i  have to live like that.  If i feel worse taking them.

new to pace

Supplements are indeed part of my "prescribed" medicines

by Gemita - 2023-04-27 02:24:34

new to pace, thank you for your valuable comment.   Dietary supplements are often “prescribed” for many of us and therefore form part of our prescribed medication, for example Vitamin D and Calcium, so you make a very good point.  

I did not publish the current Poll, but I will try to get it amended to perhaps include “prescribed" supplements.  All Polls allow for five questions I believe, so I will ask Tracey_E if at this late stage the Poll can be amended to include another question for those taking “prescribed" supplements?  If this is not possible, or our current Poll cannot be amended, I will do a new Poll in the future asking specifically about supplements (prescribed and non prescribed).

supplements

by new to pace.... - 2023-04-27 02:32:33

Thank you Gemita for your help in my quest of adding the word Supplements.  you are right in Vit D and Calcium  are not on the prescription list.  But are needed by some.

new to pace

OTC Meds & Other Treatments

by Penguin - 2023-04-27 04:55:30

Couple of points about the poll. I'm not objecting to it but it may exclude:

1) drugs like aspirin and iron tablets which aren't always prescribed because it's cheaper to buy them over the counter without a prescription. Is aspirin still an important drug for cardiac care? 

2) prescribed non drug treatments for cardiac conditions. I'm thinking of hypotension and items like surgical stockings, binders and salt.  

3) other over the counter drugs which are regularly used: laxatives, NSAIDs, anti-histamines etc. These may be part of an overall drug regime.

Note: Content edited and transferred to a new post / thread.

Supplements

by Julros - 2023-04-27 08:09:12

The supplement industry likes to make money, too. I used to see a provider who reccommended many, that as far as I could tell, did absolutely nothing to improve my health. She also ordered many lab tests to evaluate the effect of these supplements, and they never changed. I shudder when I see TV or hear radio ads for the latest, greatest wonder drug or supplement. At least with FDA approved medications, ingredients, side effects and efficacy are available to study. I used to care for people admitted to the hospital who had taken too much of a supplement, not realizing the interactions or the danger of taking too much. Just because something is available without a prescription doesn't mean it is safe at any dose. 

poll

by Tracey_E - 2023-04-27 08:36:31

The question was specifically about medicines but I changed one of the responses to include supplements. I can't add a choice once it's been running and has responses. 

poll

by new to pace.... - 2023-04-27 08:52:35

thank you Tracey_E. that is better .  although i would have preferred just "supplements" . 

Julros yes supplements do have their side effects as i have found out. Had to stop the ones for osteroprosis.

As for the blood test i have asked to be retested to make sure am on the right path.  I can get them done for much less that what for instance Lab corp. would charge me.

new to pace

Supplements

by IAN MC - 2023-04-27 09:48:10

I agree with Julros. Swallowing supplements is an enormous act of faith, unlike prescription drugs which are tightly regulated and are evidence-based.

Prescription drugs would not be given licences without this evidence.

I could sell the contents of my lawnmower as a supplement and no doubt there would be people gullible enough to buy it !

Ian 

supplements

by Tracey_E - 2023-04-27 16:12:36

Supplements have their place. I'm not talking about the magical cure all ones, but simple vitamins. My vitamin D and mg levels were low. I started supplements and now they stay in the normal range. One of the meds I'm currently on depletes vitamin B so I started drops to prevent that. 

"Prescribed"

by AgentX86 - 2023-04-27 22:32:24

OTC supplimements can be "prescribed".  All it means is that you've been directed to take them by your doctor.  I do vitamins C, D, a multi-vitamin, and Turmeric.  I take magnesium on my own but my cardiologist thinks it's a good idea.  I'm supposed to be on iron, too but haven't gotten around to get the OTC sort.

I forgot one drug before (eight, plus the antibiotic).  My cardiologist just put me on a low-dose nitrate. That makes six for my heart.

prescribed

by new to pace.... - 2023-04-27 22:41:48

thanks AgentX86, suspected that the poll did not mean OTC but the other kind.

By the way i took Solgar Gentle Iron( on the label it is printed"non-constipating , gentle on your stomach".   I did not have any problems you might check into that  one.  On line it might cost less.

new to pace

what we meant

by Tracey_E - 2023-04-29 11:54:55

Didn't really mean anything, lol. I was asked to add prescribed supplements, so I did. I was thinking it meant ones your doctor tells you to take. Like, mine says take Vit D but I buy it at a nutrition store, it's not prescribed.

Prescribed Supplements

by Gemita - 2023-04-30 06:17:42

Yes certain supplements are “prescribed and paid for” in the UK by our National Health Service if we qualify for free prescriptions.  For example, Vitamin D and Calcium is commonly prescribed for the elderly and frail to support bone health and deficiencies.

Tracey_E, Thank you for finding a way to include supplements in the current active Poll and yes, I did in fact mean supplements which have been prescribed by a doctor for a specific health condition.  I did look at the Poll myself before asking you and could see that the only way to add a separate choice for supplements would have been to re-do the Poll already in progress and to re-post, but this clearly wouldn’t have been the right thing to do, since members had already started voting.

New to Pace, I hope the current Poll will be of interest to you and to other members taking "nothing or supplements only".  I can still do a Poll in the future on supplements.  Remember, we are restricted to 5 possible questions for each Poll enquiry.  Since some supplements are widely used for heart health, I am thinking here particularly of Magnesium and Omega 3, a Poll on supplements needs to be targeted to give us the information we desire.  Before publishing the Poll, I could post the sample questions for comment, to try to accommodate members’ views, although I won't be able to please everyone.

Marybird, I was happy to hear that your anaemia has been successfully treated and I hope you feel so much better.  Iron supplements have always caused stomach distress for me too, so thank you for the recommendation and for yours too, New to Pace.  Mary, I hope you remain cancer free and can start to put this firmly behind you one day.  You so deserve this outcome

future polls

by new to pace.... - 2023-04-30 08:06:46

yes Gemita in the future another poll on defitnite  types of supplements.   I know many are not probaly interest in doing this type  of poll.  As some  of these supplements are quite costly.  Also here in the US they are not a deduction  on our income tax.  Nor does our drug plans pay for this supplements.

new to pace