[Wellness] Get Smart About Drug Safety

["Karen Patterson" <Patterson@womens-wellness.com>]

In the May 2005 Issue of Ladies Home Journal a very timely article addressed
the validly rising concerns over prescription drugs and the drug companies
who make them.  How do you know when a drug is necessary and safe?  The
article centered on the new problems with cox 2 inhibitos such as Vioxx.  I
will summarize what I feel to be the best information from the article
concerning todays medical consumers taking responsibility for education
themselves about any medications they are prescribed.  Pay very close
attention to your body and take steps to be safe.  We all know medications
work differently in people and we need to ourselves and our families best.

	* Get educated:  When prescribed a drug find out everything you can about
it including its generic name, what it does and its possible side effects.
Carefull read the package insert paying very close attention to side
effects. Don't discount the Rare event----it could be you.

	*Start Low, Go Slow:  Ask if you are being prescribed the lowest dosage and
why or why not. As you progress you can watch for side effects and increase
dosage safely when necessary.

	*Be Forthcoming:  keep a list of ALL medications including over the
counter, dietary, herbal, alchohol,etc

	*Rethink your medicine cabinet:  As you age and your body metabolizes
medication differently, you may need to alter your dosage or switch drugs.

	*Coordinate your care:  If yu see a specialist show wants to prescribe a
new medicine check with your primary doctor first and also stick with one
pharmacist and have him track over your precriptions and alery you to
interactions

	*Be Literal:  Follow instructions precisely.  Never borrow someone else's
meds and always check expiration dates faithfully.

 DRUG REACTIONS NEVER TO IGNORE:

	MOST COMMON: SKIN RASHES OR HIVES, BRUISING OR BLEEDING EASILY,
SEVERENAUSEA OR VOMITING, DIARRHEA OR CONSTIPATION, CONFUSION, DISSINESS OR
HEADACHES, DIFFICULTY BREATHING, INSOMNIA, TREMORS OR ANXIETY, FATIGUE OR
LISTLESSNESS

	LESS COMMON: DEPRESSION, MEMORY LOSS, HALLUCINATIONS, DELIRIUM, TICS AND
SEIZURES, HEART PALPITATIONS, ARRHYTHNIAS, CARDIAC ARREST


Resources to protect yourself:

  www.pdrhealth.com/drug_info/index.html  drug bible used by doctors

www.fda.gov/medwatch  check the latest drug warnings

www.torsades.org   list medications known to cause heart arrhythmias and
other gender specific adverse interactions

www.worstpills.org  comprehensive informationon more than 600 prescription
drugs and lists 182 the group says are unsafe

My best,
Karen Patterson, Founder of Womens-Wellness.com and a breast cancer survivor
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