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["Wendy" <crazygardens AT verizon.net>]

Please take note that this "study" means nothing.

> Those interviewed weren't asked if they'd ever had a bad reaction from 
> taking those combinations. And the study didn't assess whether patients 
> were taking medications inappropriately.

The question asked was not whether anyone has had any complications from 
interactions between drugs and nutritional supplements, but rather if they 
took them together.  An even bigger question is, Why can't the prescription 
drugs be dropped if a nutritional supplement will work just as well?"  Also, 
Bob, be very cautious when taking statins or any other cholesterol lowering 
drugs.  Cholesterol is not your enemy.  Your body produces cholesterol when 
it needs it.  Cell walls are almost pure cholesterol.  Different forms of 
cholesterol are used for different things. LDLs are your bodies "patch" 
material.  If your LDLs are high, you have damage that your body is patching 
until it can properly heal.  HDLs are the "old bandages" being sent back to 
the liver to be reformed into another type of cholesterol.  Tryglycerides 
are the form of cholesterol that is used when transporting or storing 
cholesterol.  If your LDLs are high and your HDLs are low, that means that 
your cells are deteriorating and not being repaired.  If your HDLs are high 
and your LDLs are low, that means that there is little new damage and what 
was there is healing fine.  Statins and other cholesterol lowering drugs, 
inhibit your body's ability to synthesize cholesterol.  It is like shooting 
the messenger.  It doesn't "cure" or "fix" anything and may inhibit your 
ability to heal.  There are certain cases where cholesterol lowering drugs 
are called for.  For example, certain thyroid disorders cause the thyroid to 
erroneously call for massive amounts of tryglycerides.  Tryglyceride counts 
can be in excess of 1000, over thicken the blood and cause blockages and 
interfere with the oxygen/CO2 exchange in the lungs.  Bad news.  Cholesterol 
lowering drugs are needed here since the blood cholesterol levels are being 
elevated in error.  However, under normal conditions, cholesterol counts 
only give an indicator of what else is going on in your body.  Manipulating 
them does not correct the condition that caused the concern.  Prescribing 
cholesterol lowering drugs is like giving a child the test answers, then 
proclaiming that the child is learning when he passes the test.  (Note: this 
analogy was not meant to be a call to anyone to go off on a rant of our 
pathetic public school system. ;-) )

Wendy



> This article is in today's Washington Post and cerns not only danger with 
> mixing medications, but also supplements and over the counter meds.  I 
> have had more than one of the reactions in the article myself (blood 
> thinner, aspirin, & something else, & the doc forgot to tell me, at first, 
> to quit taking niacin -- which I had taken for years-- when I started 
> statins).  Soemone well educated on plants and supplements like Roxanne or 
> Susan Jane probably know  all of this stuff, but it is hard for me to keep 
> up with allpossible interactions.........................
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Millions of older Americans use risky drug combos
>
>
> By LINDSEY TANNER
>
> The Associated Press
> Wednesday, December 24, 2008; 6:24 AM
>
> CHICAGO -- At least 2 million older Americans are taking a combination of 
> drugs or supplements that can be a risky mix _ from blood thinners and 
> cholesterol pills to aspirin and ginkgo capsules _ a new study warns.
>
> Among older men, the numbers are particularly alarming _ one in 10 are 
> taking potentially harmful combinations, according to the study.
>
> The results aren't always disastrous, but older people are more vulnerable 
> to side effects and drug-to-drug interactions. And patients need to know 
> that just because lots of medicines and supplements don't require 
> prescriptions doesn't mean they're harmless. Nor are some of these safe to 
> take when you're prescribed other medications.
>
> Experts say the take-home advice is to ask about any side effects of 
> prescription drugs, and tell your doctor before taking other medicines.
>
>
> The report showing just how many older people are using risky combinations 
> comes from a study of nearly 3,000 interviews with people aged 57 to 85. 
> The research, funded by the National Institutes of Health and University 
> of Chicago, appears in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical 
> Association.
>
> It's well-known that as people age, their medication use goes up. But the 
> study highlights the potential problems with some sobering statistics.
>
> Ninety-one percent in this age group use at least one medication, often 
> for heart disease and related problems. That translates to more than 50 
> million people. More than half use at least five remedies, including 
> prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines or supplements.
>
> Virtually every medicine can have side effects, and with so many being 
> used by so many older adults, the potential for harm is high.
>
> For example, warfarin, a potent prescription clot-fighting drug, was often 
> taken with aspirin. Both increase the risk of bleeding, so the odds are 
> even higher when both drugs are taken. The researchers said these risks 
> also occur when warfarin is taken with garlic pills, which some studies 
> have suggested can benefit the heart and help prevent blood clots.
>
> Signs of bleeding problems include bruising easily, hard-to-stop bleeding 
> from the gums or from cuts and blood in the urine.
>
> Other commonly used and risky combinations included:
>
> _Aspirin taken with over-the-counter ginkgo supplements, increasing 
> chances for excess bleeding.
>
> _Lisinopril, a blood pressure drug, taken with potassium, which combined 
> can cause abnormal heart rhythms. Potassium is often prescribed to restore 
> low levels of this important mineral caused by certain blood pressure 
> drugs.
>
> _Prescription cholesterol drugs called statins taken with over-the-counter 
> niacin, a type of vitamin B that also lowers cholesterol. This combination 
> increases risks for muscle damage.
>
> "Patients need to know that while medications are often beneficial, 
> they're not always safe," said lead author Dima Qato, a University of 
> Chicago pharmacist. "If they need to self-medicate with over-the-counter 
> or dietary supplements, they should definitely consult with their 
> physicians or pharmacists."
>
> The study relied on data from in-person interviews with 2,976 adults 
> questioned about which medications they routinely used. The nationally 
> representative survey was done between June 2005 and March 2006, and 
> results were extrapolated to the general population.
>
> The researchers assessed how many people routinely used at least two 
> medications of any type known to have dangerous or even fatal 
> interactions. The number totaled at least one in 25, corresponding to 2.2 
> million nationwide.
>
>
> Those interviewed weren't asked if they'd ever had a bad reaction from 
> taking those combinations. And the study didn't assess whether patients 
> were taking medications inappropriately.
>
> Dr. Jerry Gurwitz, chief of the geriatric medicine division at University 
> of Massachusetts Medical School, said taking multiple medications, despite 
> possible bad interactions, isn't necessarily a bad idea as long as 
> patients are in close contact with their doctor.
>
> "There are definitely many instances where if they're monitored carefully 
> and there's good reason for using them, that they could be used safely," 
> said Gurwitz, who wasn't involved in the study.
>
> Prescription drugs were the most commonly used and nearly one-third used 
> at least five prescription drugs.
>
> Michael Cohen, a pharmacist and president of the Institute for Safe 
> Medication Practices, called the study an important snapshot of medication 
> use in older Americans. But as someone who takes at least five medications 
> himself, Cohen said the widespread prevalence isn't surprising.
>
> Cohen said his group recently launched a new Web 
> site,http://www.consumermedsafety.orgthat will allow consumers to enter 
> names of their medications to check for any potentially dangerous 
> interactions.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/24/AR2008122400608.html?hpid=sec-health
>
>
>
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