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[bobf <bobford79 AT yahoo.com>]

Wendy, when I can phrase my questions properly, I would like to follow up on 
your comments.  I have to think this through, first..................

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--- On Thu, 12/25/08, Wendy <crazygardens AT verizon.net> wrote:

> From: Wendy <crazygardens AT verizon.net>
> Subject: Re: [Homestead] medication / supplement combos and danger
> To: bobford79 AT yahoo.com, homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
> Date: Thursday, December 25, 2008, 6:05 PM
> 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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