Shake & Rattle

I never said she didn’t need the TKR .
It was when she went into have it done that the list of her prescribed meds was checked.
She had been over prescribed for some time.
It was nothing to do with her knee problem.

Would her GP have prescribed them if they weren't necessary?

When DH was in hospital for some time, the hospital decided to give him some different prescription drugs instead of the ones the GP had changed him.
Needless to say, he had a bad reaction to them!

Surely, she wouldn't have had the knee replacement, if she didn't need it? Scans and xrays are required before a diagnosis is made. Surgery is the last resort.
How does that make her a hypochondriac? Does she have other imagined conditions?

Granmarderby10

annsixty

I have a hypochondriac friend.
When she had a TKR the staff were horrified at the amount of prescription drugs she was on.
She came home with some doses halved and some cut out altogether.
She was very unhappy.

What is a TKR?

Total Knee Replacement.

Perhaps if the waiting lists weren't years long, she might not have needed so many painkillers ☹

annsixty

I have a hypochondriac friend.
When she had a TKR the staff were horrified at the amount of prescription drugs she was on.
She came home with some doses halved and some cut out altogether.
She was very unhappy.

What is a TKR?

Chestnut

annsixty

I have a hypochondriac friend.
When she had a TKR the staff were horrified at the amount of prescription drugs she was on.
She came home with some doses halved and some cut out altogether.
She was very unhappy.

Maybe they should have given her some fake pills. Sometimes people feel better just knowing they have taken a pill for their condition (the placebo effect). If she has a mental dependency on those pills she may actually become physically ill through not taking them. The mind and the body are in tune with each other and this can happen.

I hope they don't give me fake pills, although I suppose they might realise their mistake before too long.

Chestnut

I'm afraid painkillers become ineffective when taken long term. It's best not to use them for long and to find alternatives through diet and exercise. I know that's not easy, but this can improve or cure many conditions.

If only. The spirit is more than willing, but unfortunately the body just won't co-operate.

I was going to post the many reasons why it is not a solution for me, but it would be a waste of time.
Unless you know the details of a person's medical condition/s, you cannot advocate diet nor exercise as a solution or cure for ailments.
Unfortunately, some conditions are neither incurable nor manageable.

Chesnut I’m sure my DH would love to cut back on his pain killers but unfortunately due to lack of care in hospital he is now unable to walk. He does exercise in a chair but it’s not the same. His diet is good, and he eats healthily.
All his medications are prescribed by Consultant specialists in their fields and reviewed regularly
Sadly he has numerous health problems including cardiac, vascular and cancer which require medication. I’m sure he’d be more than happy to exist with diet and exercise alone if that were possible. During DHs most recent stint in hospital he had another two medications added to his list so far from cutting them back they are adding in more.

I have 14 meds on prescription.
One of them I take 8 pills over the course of the day. Several others I take 2 pills. Yes, I have a spread sheet.

Doodle

I can imagine. Do you use a spreadsheet to keep track? DH does.

I do have a spreadsheet. It is stuck to my medicine box, so that if I have to go into hospital, the timing and doses are there for all to see. Clinicians are pleased to see how organised I am, saves a lot of bother!

Oh and I forgot to add the annual Alendronic Acid infusion, after reading your post, Stansgran.

I gave up being cross along time ago, it uses up too much energy, of which I have little! 😉
However, I am grateful that these meds keep me alive and living a reasonable life. Eventually, one becomes accepting of it all. What alternative do we have?

I have been feeling annoyed about having to take 9 pills plus up to 6 paracetamol if needed plus alendronic acid once a week and calcium twice a day. I don’t feel so cross now reading these.

I suppose I am fortunate in that frequent GP consultations, hospital clinic visits and periods in hospital mean that my medications are often reviewed.

I am always getting in trouble for not bothering my GP when I should, you could term me an unhypochondriac.🤭
I don't like to bother anyone.

annsixty

I have a hypochondriac friend.
When she had a TKR the staff were horrified at the amount of prescription drugs she was on.
She came home with some doses halved and some cut out altogether.
She was very unhappy.

Maybe they should have given her some fake pills. Sometimes people feel better just knowing they have taken a pill for their condition (the placebo effect). If she has a mental dependency on those pills she may actually become physically ill through not taking them. The mind and the body are in tune with each other and this can happen.

I'm afraid painkillers become ineffective when taken long term. It's best not to use them for long and to find alternatives through diet and exercise. I know that's not easy, but this can improve or cure many conditions.

I have a hypochondriac friend.
When she had a TKR the staff were horrified at the amount of prescription drugs she was on.
She came home with some doses halved and some cut out altogether.
She was very unhappy.

Aged 86 I take 2 Adcal and one Felodipine.. blood pressure.
I can’t recall when I last saw a Dr.
My 18month approx meds review is by phone and has been for years.
I occasionally get called in for BP check by a nurse.
Lucky or just genetically healthy?
I did spend a few hours in A&E about 12/15 months ago when my GD called 111 about a pain in my chest/shoulder.
They sent an ambulance who recommended I go to hospital.
Everything was fine and I was sent home after 12 hours on a plastic shell chair.

The above poster's medication is reviewed on a regular basis by GP and a number of consultants.
Unfortunately they tend to increase, rather than decrease.
They are necessary to manage multiple comorbidities.
If only they could be reduced.

I expect the above poster have checked with their GPs and had a medicine review.
I know if people who had been taking several medicines for months/ years. When they finally managed to get a review , nearly everyone ended up taking less.

I can imagine. Do you use a spreadsheet to keep track? DH does.

I would gladly be a loser in the competition, Doodle. Not going to happen. The time spent pill taking is interfering with my social life. 🤣

I think you win Marydoll. Hopefully, DH will be able to cut back on the painkillers if his current issues improve.

DH has around 30 total pills a day at the moment plus 4 inhalers and liquid oxycodone. It takes him about an hour each day to sort them out and take them. Four of the meds have drowsiness as side effect or as one Doctor said would knock an elephant out. I suppose as he’s been on many of them for years he’s got used to them.

I forgot the painkilling patch! 🤣

Marydoll

Twenty nine, three inhalers, a bottle of peptic liquid and a weekly injection.😂
None of them make me drowsy, unfortunately.

Blimey! Each of mums give the side effects, each have drowsiness! She only said this morning, she never realised she took so many and was wondering what she could cut out, in reality she cant, she's tried before and then suffered for it for a few days when she had to go back on them.

Twenty nine, three inhalers, a bottle of peptic liquid and a weekly injection.😂
None of them make me drowsy, unfortunately.