Adverse drug reactions in the news, Part 2

When we look at the drug reaction data more closely, we find that the incidence of adverse reactions is 33% higher in people aged 50-59 than in people aged 40-49. Of course, one reason for that is that, the older we get, the more drugs we tend to “need.” But there’s more to it than that. Let’s take a look at why we young fifty-year-olds may experience more problems with drug interactions than our slightly younger forty-year-old counterparts.

One factor is our tired, overworked livers. Our poor livers just keep trying respond to our demands to do more than they have done and more than they can reasonably do. They never get a vacation. And of course, they get precious little help from us; in fact, they often get active interference. (Hmmm, sounds kind of like being a parent, no?) All of this decreases our bodies’ ability to process alien substances, like…well, drugs.

And let’s not overlook those other vital detoxifying organs, our kidneys. By age 65 our kidneys, on average, have lost nearly 30% of their detoxifying capacity. (You, of course, could be primed to beat the average, if you’re following our Total Wellness philosophy.) To thicken the plot, aging brings less ability to retain and use water. Of course, lots of people of all ages don’t drink enough water. But how can we hope to detoxify all these drugs — not to mention the plethora of other toxins vying for their attention — if we don’t supply our bodily filters the water they need to flush effectively.

Also, as we age, our body composition changes. Yes, you guessed it: more of those worrisome — not to say embarrassing — fat cells. And drugs just love to hang out in our fat cells.

OK, I know, aging is unavoidable. But let’s face it — we could all age a lot more gracefully, by becoming more savvy consumers across the board.
• Question your doctor, do a little research, and say “no” to unnecessary drugs.
• Say “yes” to knowing the potential dangers of drugs you’re offered and the alternatives to any drugs you do take.
• Question the value of drugs that seem to cause more problems than they relieve.
• More importantly, say “yes” to taking better care of yourself, so you’ll have less need for drugs.

It’s your body, it’s your life. Take control of them.

Adverse drug reactions in the news, Part 1

This week, adverse drug reactions made the headlines. The AP reported a study showing adverse reactions result in more than 700,000 visits to emergency rooms every year. That’s reactions to legit drugs, to prescribed pharmaceuticals — insulin, blood thinners, antibiotics, statins, etc. — and a few over-the-counter medications, like aspirin. Seven hundred thousand. Annually. Sounds like a lot, right?

But wait, as the Ginzu knife infomercial implores, there’s more. The report didn’t mention the more than 100,000 fatalities that make drug reactions one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Nor did the article mention the 1.5 million hospitalizations caused by adverse drug reactions.

And, of course, none of this takes into account the reactions that don’t send folks to the hospital or the morgue, but that do cause serious life-disrupting symptoms — like headache, mood change, loss of libido, and nausea, to name just a few.

And, to add insult to injury, many of these reactions are — you guessed it — preventable. “But how can this be?” you ask. Well, guess what? Many of the drugs involved should never have been prescribed together; some prescribed doses were too high; and some drugs triggered allergies that were already known to the patient, but were never discussed with the prescribing physician, who apparently didn’t get around to the right questions. And they call me a quack.