When you are prescribed a new medication, do you do research on it?

I'm not on any. I think perhaps I should be. I would do a hell of a lot of research if I was.

It depends, but basically I trust my doctor. I might ask him about it, but not much beyond that. I might look it up online later, after I've been taking it, if I think it might be causing some side-effect. There's a decent chance that I may just refuse to take it in the first place, too. But, that's more on general principle of not wanting to take more drugs. But, if it's something like an antibioitic, I'd just take it.

I don't take prescription drugs, no apparently what you should do is ask the pharmacist's you brought the medication from because they tend to know appropriate dosage better then doctors often do, I've heard that doctor often over prescribe.

Yes of course!!!
Now I am reading about "ADOL-PM" and "Urgodermyl Aphtes" for my tongue..

I am so rarely prescribed a prescription medication that this barely applies to me. When I do get a prescription it's generally antibiotics for some infection, or a painkiller... once every few years. If I were prescribed something more interesting, I'd certainly research it.

No, I generally trust my doctor. I may have done a tiny bit of research once. I don't get prescribed medicine very often.

I always read the side effects before I take any new prescribed meds.

No, my mom knows what the drug is..And I trust my doctor..
But I don't usually take prescription drugs.

Yes. I love reading about different medicines, how they work, etc.

yes, some

I haven't had a prescription medication in quite some time, but I would definitely read up on anything that I was prescribed. At the very least, I would check it out in the British National Formulary (BNF). But I have an interest in that stuff - it isn't about not trusting the doctor.

I go by what my doctor she tells me and my pharmacist I ask questions

No, but its a good idead though

Always, but not obsessive amounts.

yes.

Do not trust your doctor.

I do it beforehand and suggest the medications myself. I tried Prozac again after years of taking nothing and it actually worked. It also fudgeed me up. Immediately and for months my face felt like a leg that fell asleep, especially after facial movement or walking or lack of sleep, a nump twang.

I usually read the full prescribing information, and may also read background information on the conditions it is supposed to treat, usually from the primary medical literature indexed at www.pubmed.com

I do thorough research, not to the point of exhaussting myself. I ask and read. Just so I can find a natural remedy to either work with it, or instead of it. I don't trust the pharmacist or most doctors to have my health in their care. I believe that medical is important, but they don't understand fully what they are doing. I have found that most would rather blow smoke up your ass than admit they do not know something. and when a pharmacist or doctor says "you have to live with it" what ever it is, I would fire them immediately.

> yes.
>
> Do not trust your doctor.


I am finding that there are a few good ones out there, so don't give up. Research the doctor first, than the drug.

I did - and I had one I trusted.... for years. When they referred me to the urologist (Dr. Kuhn - don't go to him!!!), and the urologist punctured my diaphram and stabbed my liver with a needle.... When I told them something was wrong.. and that I couldn't walk, had a fever... and shouldn't leave the hospital.. because of the severe painful attacks that made me scream so loud it sounded like someone else... I was scared.. and they dosed me with benedryl... sent me home anyway. They told me I was having panic attacks.

I was at home eating and drinking nothing for a week.... ended up back in the ER... and then the ICU for weeks.... the hospital for months...

I kept seeing the same docs that referred me to this psycho. I blamed the urologist.... not the docs that referred me to him.

They always had me on a low dose blood pressure med to protect my kidneys, and a triglyceride lowering med.... I stopped seeing them for a while because of financial difficulties - I wasn't able to afford the prescriptions. When I went back, I explained that we are trying to get pregnant... and if they are going to put me on these meds, I need to know they are safe for pregnancy. She said that's cool - and prescribed me the same ones I'd always taken before... and referred me to an endocrinologist for all my problems.

When I went to pick up the prescriptions (60 bucks!), I brought the bags home and found that the blood pressure med says ON THE BOTTLE... "do not take if you are trying to get pregnant".

I call the doc and explain again that I shouldn't be taking this. The nurse calls me back and tells me that they've called in something new... that I can take. I go to pick it up -- $20 more bucks. I went to see the endocrinologist.. She is shocked my doctor prescribed me these drugs. She says that the one for Triglycerides shouldn't be taken while trying to get pregnant... take fish oil instead... She says that the drug the doc gave me to replace the blood pressure med 1. Is also not safe for women trying to get pregnant.... and 2. Is not for protecting the kidneys, it's for blood pressure only.

This means that when I called my doc to get a new kidney med, she looked at the note... saw it was for blood pressure... didn't check my chart to see why I was taking it..... and prescribed a med solely for blood pressure.

How many times are they going to almost kill me before I stop trusting them?

I'm done with trust. From this point forward, I trust nothing they say to me. I will take everything they say home with me.... ignore their fancy degrees.... and google the crap out of my own problems.

So.... if you find yourself in Cincinnati... Don't trust the following doctors:
Dr. Kuhn from the Urology Group
Dr. Ping or Ling or some asian name radiologist at Good Samaritan Hospital
Dr. Gregory Niehauser from Greater Cincinnati Associated Physicians
and
Dr. Gerallyn Duell from GCAP as well.

Ah!!! It feels so good to out those fudgeers. I hope they google their names someday.

Sometimes I do. Researching medical things can make you anxious though!

Good job!

I tend to Google search most prescriptions given to me starting from some time ago. Probabbly cause I become more cynical over the years. Off course I am also smart enough to not buy into the alarmists claims about all the bad things they write either.

>I have found that most would rather blow smoke up your ass than admit they do not know something. and when
> a pharmacist or doctor says "you have to live with it" what ever it is, I would fire them immediately.

I'm so glad I don't have one like that!! He's very cool... when after a few months of trying to treat my depression didn't yield very good results, he was very good at telling me he wasn't comfortable prescribing more meds and that he wanted me to see a psychiatrist because they can be more 'creative' with their solutions. He apologized for not being able to whip up a solution, but that he felt a specialist was in order. And I'm very glad he did. I respected him more for his honesty.

True. One time I was in the drugstore waiting for my prescription when I heard the pharmy tell this woman that she "is just unable to go out in the sunshine anymore, she will have to stay indoors..." for whatever problem she had and followed with "You'll just have to learn to live with it" I felt my bloodpressure skyrocket and my fists tighten and my jaws clench when the woman looked at her friend and said with dignified defeat and surrender "I could watch everyone partying in the backyard from the kitchen window".
It took everything I had not to start screaming at these people falling into a sad life of drugs and defeat. I know enough about natural health care to know there is always another way of living the life you want. Someday...someday soon there will be a pharmacist, homeopathics, and an herbalist working side by side, hand in hand. Doctors and chirpractors, physical therapists working with Rolfers, surgeons working with psychics...before I die this is my dream. This is what I pray for.

Not really. I read the pamphlets.

sorta off-topic.... but do you know of any non-pharmeceutical remedies for frequent insomnia and one for low energy?

Less caffeine.
I take an herb for sleeping, if you want the info, PR me. Otherwise any herb combination that contains valerian root is ok. Valerian root alone doesn't work that well. If those kinds of herbs make you jittery, or have the opposite affect, than that means you need to take magnesium with them.
As far as low energy, again, less caffeine. I hesitate to recommend anything for low energy for someone I don't know because the lack of energy is from something in your body working overtime. There are plenty of supplements that promote more energy, but most of them have ginger in them, or other heart stimulating or thyroid stimulating properties, and they may not be good for what's going on in the body.
Sorry I can't just say this product or that, because it would be somewhat irresponsible for me not knowing what is going on with your systems.
You definetly cannot go wrong with homeopathics, but I recommend finding a homeopathic doctor in your area.

Thanks

In my hometown the chiropractors, physical therapists, and massage therapists work pretty well together. The ones that have been educated within the last 15 years, that is. A lot of chiropractors had massage therapists working in their office with them. The really old school ones still pooh-pooh all of it except their chosen profession. I had a good referral relationship with a chiropractor, and doctors send their patients for PT and massage therapy. My doctor did, anyway. He was a DO instead of an MD. I really liked him. My current doc is the one I wrote about.... I just got home from seeing him about something and he did two different tests to eliminate or confirm what he was thinking, instead of just slapping a diagnosis on it, patting me on the head, and sending me out the door. I've had that done to me, and to say the least it's irritating.

The type of work I do, is more beneficial than massage therapy and physical therapy combined, yet it is not recognized as valid. I may have to go to massage school for that stupid piece of paper, so I am recognized as valid, and can charge appropriately with insurance paying.
( I hate the idea of going back to school, and every time I get my nerve up to go talk to someone over at the JC, something big comes up like we move, Mary starts something new at the office and I am involved, next thing you know it's a few months later and I am more broke. )
That's what I see is Insurance, pharm's and the AMA NOT running the show, but being an integral part of the wheel of health. And it all starts with the person taking responsibilty and YES recognizing that a pat on the head and a few pills ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

No I just throw the prescriptions away, same with those forms that he gives me where I'm supposed to go get a bunch of tests...I'm a bad patient!

I was prescribed physical therapy, and I didn't go.

Still in the wheelchair?

I get sciatic nerve pain sometimes. It got really bad, so I went to the doctor. They said I should go to physical therapy. I think it's just as well and more convenient to stretch at home.

I don't get prescribed medicine really. Can't remember the last time I filled a prescription for myself.

Always do research and in some cases I don't take the meds.

The last research I did was after the fact, to verify that indeed, Prozac was to blame for my face going numb.