General Chat

was a worrying night, thinking of all the doom n gloom I'd been warned of.......

but so far, so good.....

Tx

Bob

sorry if i've hi jacked your thread, Ron......

Bob, I read all of the small print whether a medication has been prescribed or bought over the counter. Always have, but then I'm the child who always read sauce bottle labels too. It's a habit.

Again, I think Sylvia's right and everything you take, herbal or otherwise, ought to be with the approval of your doctor if you are already on prescribed medication.

Good luck Bob, it can't be easy for you at the moment.

Bob ........


good luck!


Yes, reading the literature that comes with medications is a good idea ............... but most especially reading those that come with over-the-counter medications, herbal preparations, herbal teas, etc etc

ALL of the latter can have adverse effects, yet most of us never think about the non-prescription or herbals that we take.


For example, there is a cough medication that we can buy over the counter, that tastes good and really worked for me ................ Nin Jiom is a herbal expectorant that contains about 15 herbal and natural products, plus honey, sucrose and purified water.

Then I developed high blood pressure, had to take my bp 2 or 3 times a week ................ and discovered that the bp went very high when I was taking Nin Jiom

Yep, at least one of those herbs has a known effect on bp, which can be dangerous if it is already high.


Even herbal teas should be reported to the doctor or pharmacist for checking against the prescription drugs you are taking or the condition that you have.

sorry, Sylvia.......
acute kidney failure.......

who actually reads ALL the small print accompanying medication, when it is prescribed by a Gp?/consultant?

I don't normally, but because this came on suddenly, I have read the aforesaid print and am SO confused by comments such as don't take this if....or this may conflict with............

but two changes this year come to the front........both apparently suggesting kidney problems/conflicts, (1/1000) so, off to see the surgeon...........

Bob may be referring to renal problems.

???

Bob ...............


what is AKF???

I can only find references to Aga Khan Foundation or Australian Karate Foundation .............


and I'm assuming it isn't either of those!

just had a biopsy for AKF
strange, prior to September I was ok,

then suddenly plunged to 21% recovered to 35% but more investigation required

so Stab in the back............"

My doc (newly qualified and very young) years ago, said my cholesterol level was 'high', and suggested statins. 'How 'high' was my response.
'3.5 was his response.
'What 'should' it be' asks I.
'3'was his reply.
'You must be joking', was my response. 'How was that figure devised?'
'Don't really know', he said, 'It's the agreed level'.
'Well', said I, 'Give me another test in 3 months, if it's risen above 5, I may consider it - but it's highly unlikely I will agree'. (This was before my mum's experience)

I've had quite a lot of blood tests in the past 10 - 15 years. My cholesterol has stayed the same/become lower. My doctor no longer advises drugs for minor fluctuations to difference to the average 'norm' for me.

I had a blood test for my kidney (I only have one) about 3 months ago. It indicated kidney failure. I had another one a month ago - as it happens, after having a bladder scan, and drinking copious amounts (for me) of water.
I've heard nothing. Either their admin system has gone to pot, or the 'kidney failure' was just a 'fluctuation'!!!

I'm still here - so that says something, and I'm sure if I claimed disability allowance under the DWP, I would be refused!
:-D :-D

Joeva Yup. The more on statins the more they get

Quite agree Rollo

Thank you Maggiewinchester. Yup I'm quite happy with my decision

JoyLouise

Have tried many different statins and dosages of such to no avail. I'm happy with my decision to avoid them. Thanks for your thoughts

I had the same doctor for 28 years until he sadly died in 2013. My cholesterol level never went above 4.2 in the blood tests I had during those years. He never ever mentioned statins to me.

When I was transferred to a new GP in the surgery, my level was just the same....... so why did she try to convince me that the taking of this drug was necessary . Must say she looked a bit annoyed when I refused..... could this be part of the reason ?

http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/555471/Medical-experts-furious-that-doctors-will-be-paid-to-dole-out-risky-statins

I do not believe that politicians control medical problems .......... at least not here :-)

Our problem is getting the politician to believe there is a problem, and to provide funding for treatment, whether that be obesity, AIDS, hospital funding, etc :-D


Of course, we do have to pay for our own prescriptions, so that is very different from you ............. the Provincial Health Ministries and Feds in Ottawa do not have to find the money to pay for millions of prescriptions per year.

Rollo ....

I doubt that any private pensions, whether through work or subscribed to by the individual, are restricted in where they can be paid.

Canadian government pensions can be paid outside the country if the individual either lived in Canada for at least 20 years after turning 18, or lived and worked in a country that has a social security agreement with Canada and thus meets the 20-year residence requirement under the provisions of that agreement.

If neither of those provisions are met, the government will send the OAS pension payments outside Canada for the month the individual left and for six months after that.


The biggest restriction for individuals living outside the country is that many, if not all, provincial health plans will not cover them if they are out of the country for longer than 6 months and then return to Canada for less than one month. Special arrangements can be made for those working outside Canada, but this does not apply to seniors or those retiring elsewhere.


We have several friends who now live in various parts of Mexico ........ one couple returns to Canada every summer and stays up here for a couple of months. Another returns to Canada for a few days every 4 or 5 months.

if I don't take statins I keep thinking I'm having heart attacks - crippling pains in my chest - that's how it was discovered that my cholesterol was in double figures - well to begin with, 9.5, and when my GP suggested statins, I said, no, I eat the wrong things, I'll get it down - so I cut out cream, cakes, biscuits, crisps etc and went back a month later - it had gone up to over 11 - so statins it is and my reading is about 4.5 - it's familial he said - one or both of your parents must have had it

Politicians will always grab at whatever looks like a silver bullet to health problems even with the scantiest of evidence. They usually have some medical researchers / doctors to back them up.

Statins fall into this category.

Other current political hot favorites in the UK are

obesity ( it must be yr fault you fat lazy so and so ) even tho is is any amount of evidence that the problems of obesity are complex

back pain (that is no reason not to be fit for work)(it is all in your mind)(so what if you have MS you can work) etc etc even if a scan shows one or even two herniated disks
fav. treatment cortisone jab. mind bending pills - there is a women in the NHS who has built a little empire based on denying back treatment v pop with the Treasury

sugar - it must be good for you it is a matter of free choice

If ever you see politicians, especially of the right, and doctors singing the same song then be afraid. As it is of course the current UKGovt is in head on collision with the doctors from the most junior to top dogs.

gan canny

fwiw UK private occupational pensions are not subject to restrictions when paid to people outside of the UK although people need to work out the best way to draw it. It was the same for UK govt pensions ( teachers, police etc) until April this year. Now the pension will only be paid in the UK and the recipient will have to work out how to transfer it from a UK account.

Sylvia, due to medical problems, my doctor was sure I should be anaemic.
Blood test came back - no I'm not. I put this down to the 3 glasses of (very weak) red wine I consume every evening :-D

Wisechild -that's horrendous!
...and to think they wanted to put everyone over 50 on them once :-0

I read somewhere recently (can´t remember where) that taking statins only adds 4 days to the patient´s life. :-0 :-0

Recent research has suggested that one of the reasons that the French do not have high cholesterol levels despite the high amounts of cream etc that they eat, is due to the concurrent consumption of red wine, though not to excess


BTW ........... I am lactose-intolerant, and do not eat cheese, cream, butter, or any other dairy containing foods. I do not add sugar to any foods. I have cut my salt intake. I do not drink any alcohol as it does not like me.

Yet, like Sue, I have a cholesterol level that is higher than it should be.


One size does not fit all, and it is no good anyone pontificating that their "size" is the one and only one.