[BalishBun]

With all the stars we hear about these days overdosing on persrciption pills, does it ever make you wonder if you take enough different perscrip meds to kill you? With all these celebs dropping like flies, it makes me nervous.

[serafim_etal]

It doesn't make me nervous because my pdoc monitors my meds very carefully, I only get psych med scripts from pdoc, I tell pdoc if GP writes for something and vice versa, and I always use the same pharmacy. So, I basically have three people and a computer monitoring what I take, interactions etc. A lot of the stars that have died were drinking with their meds, and/or taking non-rx drugs, and/or multiple rx's from multiple doctors and multiple pharmacies. Ledger is an example...the last thing I read was that the medical examiner determined Ledger had taken two different benzos and two different sleeping pills, along with some other meds like an antibiotic. Both the benzos and both the sleeping pills can depress breathing and should not be taken together. Ledger's cause of death was respiratory arrest due to drug interactions...he stopped breathing...I wonder why? It's terrible that these things happen, but a patient has a responsibility to tell their doc (all their docs) everything they are taking and also to use the same pharmacy so there is a second level of protection incase the doc misses something.

[314159pi]

it is easy to use only one pharmacy exclusively if you have drug insurance. i don't however. i get some drugs from costco and some from canamerica in manitoba. it saves me alot of money that way. i dont think i am taking any risk at all filling scripts this way.
celebrities prolly abuse drugs more than most other people...they are empowered with a lot of money that enables them to really screw up bigger than the rest of us while everyone is waiting to report the cautionary tale.
it is so easy for patients in physical pain to abuse pain killers and it is understandable too. that doesnt make it right nor does it affect our lives as mentally disabled people in a direct way.
ps my purchasing medicines this way is much cheaper than medicare part D. the govt doesnt give a damn about us.
pi

I think... that as a consumer you also have to be aware of what you are taking... and do some research.... and checking... and just awareness....

for me... I have 4 different doctors.. and I communicate with each one... but have many drug allergies... so have learned.. that I need to make sure... I check... out my meds..

I do use the same pharmacy... but I always ask... anyway... I ask the dr.. the pharmacy... just like triple checking....I check for drug interactions.. and for allergies...

[okiedokie]

The biggest problem with these classes of drugs, is that people ACCIDENTALLY overdose.

They will take their pills per their prescription, then later, forget they took them, and then take them again.

Unfortunately, I've seen this time and time again. One way to avoid this is to have a chart with your medications, so you can check off what you've taken and when you've taken it. This way, if you inadvertently go back to take something twice, you've got your record to prevent you from doing so.
Best,
Okie

[Perna]

My husband and I were talking about that the other day, when we forget to take our meds, etc. Usually we don't take them that time if we think we've forgotten. Both of us have routines so it's harder to forget but sometimes one can forget because it is so routine and the pill taking doesn't stand out for that day. I take one of mine last time I wake before I get up so it's easy, since I go back to sleep for half an hour or more to wonder.

[splitimage]

I think as consumers we have a responsibility to make sure we're careful. My pdoc is my only prescribing doc, and whenever I see my gp I make sure that she's fully aware of what I'm taking. I also really rely on my pharmacist and their computer system to monitor what I'm taking - and they're pretty good about it too. I'm on really high dosage of some meds so every time I go in to pick up a refil, they warn me about side effect risks. I wouldn't even consider taking anything herbal without checking with my pharmacist. And because one of my drugs is an opiate antagonist, opiate based painkillers won't work for me, so I got a medic alert bracelet simply so that if I'm ever in an accident they'll know what meds I'm on and I have a card that I carry in my wallet.

I do sometimes worry about accidental overdose, because I am on such high dosages, and taking my pills is so automatic that it would be very easy for me to get confused and take a med twice. I find what helps is that I take them in the exact same order every day.

--splitimage

[Brian37]

my psych told me this on my first visit

"addiction is 75% the person and 25% the medication"

"overdose is 100% the person"

"there's a reason the pharmacy puts the directions on the bottle"

[BalishBun]

I am very paranoid always checking multiple sources for drug interactions. I do only go to one pharmacy, and most meds are from the same exact doc. Then once I get home I go to a drug checker website just to make sure.

[BalishBun]

According to aol article i took all the meds that heath supposidly od'd on and put them into the drug checker and, wow, just about every drug said it could cause CNS depression of the system, and be worse if you take multiple drugs causing this... now i see why he died.