General Medical issues thread

[beefarmer]

Front page of the Herald sun yesterday talked about a contentious issue, Accidental overdoses on prescription medications that lead to death.

Perhaps it is my poor understanding of todays society but how many of these people are actually seeing one doctor, and actually adhering to the doctors dosage schedule?

If you stay within the prescribed guidelines, including the use of multiple medications, I am sure we wouldn't be having this as front page news.

Sure it keeps the funeral business clicking over but let's see whether all of these incidents with folks of many ages are actually due to some sort of non intentional interaction or in the case of Heath ledger and co, a cornucopia of ingested and injected pharmaceuticals for pleasure purposes that ultimately will kill you just so you can experience a high?

I am hoping we get some accurate information from the media about all of this instead of a quick sensational news grab so typical of everything today pandering to those with short attention spans and self absorbed in their own digital world. I may be getting old but life was easier when my digital world had the two fingers next to my thumb extended and pointing towards you.

 

[Pushka]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

My recent experience has suggested that prescribing drugs is much more complicated than we realise. People have many underlying conditions that are not screened, that can make some prescription drugs deadly. It isn't until an 'event' occurs that you find out. Add to that the plethora of natural/herbal drugs that will interact with medications - eg St John's Wort. And prescribed drugs can interact with each other. Even the foods we eat can change the effectiveness of prescribed drugs.

 

[blackcat20]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

Front page of the Herald sun yesterday talked about a contentious issue, Accidental overdoses on prescription medications that lead to death.

Perhaps it is my poor understanding of todays society but how many of these people are actually seeing one doctor, and actually adhering to the doctors dosage schedule?

If you stay within the prescribed guidelines, including the use of multiple medications, I am sure we wouldn't be having this as front page news.

Sure it keeps the funeral business clicking over but let's see whether all of these incidents with folks of many ages are actually due to some sort of non intentional interaction or in the case of Heath ledger and co, a cornucopia of ingested and injected pharmaceuticals for pleasure purposes that ultimately will kill you just so you can experience a high?

I am hoping we get some accurate information from the media about all of this instead of a quick sensational news grab so typical of everything today pandering to those with short attention spans and self absorbed in their own digital world. I may be getting old but life was easier when my digital world had the two fingers next to my thumb extended and pointing towards you.

The problem can be that people go "doctor shopping" and dont tell each one what they are already taking...

 

[love_the_life]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

I agree with Pushka's comment about how complex prescribing medications can be and also making sure that the patient really does understand the dosage. I've got two examples based on family member experience. In one case, the patient was prescribed drugs to assist him giving up smoking but the GP did not check that it had serious contra-indications when used with certain anti-psychotics (the GP knew he was on these). Sent him into a full blown episode (and I think he ended up in hospital). In the other case an elderly patient with Parkinson's Disease has his medication changed by the specialist after a long period of time on one dosage regime. The patient misunderstood and ended up in almost a catatonic state through overdosage. Luckily it wore off but it was one of the triggers that led to his death a few months later.
There are lots of factors at play in any 'unintentional overdose' and it is not always the patient at fault.

 

[love_the_life]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

After reading all the sad posts on the Felines thread, I read this newspaper article - well that was a mistake!

The trouble with Goldie: Donating a much-loved pet to veterinary science - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

 

[Pushka]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

After reading all the sad posts on the Felines thread, I read this newspaper article - well that was a mistake!

The trouble with Goldie: Donating a much-loved pet to veterinary science - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

I should have listened to you Dame

 

[Bindibuys]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

All this talk of Doctors..... apt at 4pm with mine.
Fell over the coffee table here at work yesterday afternoon, landed on my left wrist.
(back story... coffee table moved to in front of my desk last week to make room for a party. Had not been moved back. I got up from my desk reading a paper, came around the corner, not seeing the very low table and fell on top of it)
Don't think anything is broken, just sprained, but getting it checked out just in case.

 

[medhead]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

After reading all the sad posts on the Felines thread, I read this newspaper article - well that was a mistake!

The trouble with Goldie: Donating a much-loved pet to veterinary science - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

I should've read that story, instead I read about the 14/15 year old in NSW care homes who was raped, possibly prostituted, addicted to drugs, and died of an "overdose"* a couple of weeks before she was due to testify against one of the men who raped her. Removed from her parents at 12 months of age.

It makes me sick. I'd torture the animals who did that to her over a number of months or years, if I had my way.

*Apparently, they were not able to prevent him getting access to her, so I'm willing to bet that there is more to the overdose than just an accident.

 

[coriander]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

Fell over the coffee table here at work yesterday afternoon, landed on my left wrist.
Don't think anything is broken

That's lucky - good coffee tables are hard to find nowadays :shock: !

 

[froggerADL]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

After reading all the sad posts on the Felines thread, I read this newspaper article - well that was a mistake!

The trouble with Goldie: Donating a much-loved pet to veterinary science - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

I have recently been diagnosed with a human version of this condition, although it is late onset, around fifty years of age, so it is just starting to affect me. Not in a nodding head kind of way fortunately. More of a "your cerebellum is killing itself" type of thing.

I recently saw an ABC TV piece about a rower that with an associated condition who will be competing in the Rio Paralympics. Apparently I would have a better chance of winning lotto than having this, but such is life.

Like the dog, there is no treatment or cure. I am not aware of any research into my condition either. I'm quite surprised that they state that they don't want to tell the breeder as it may upset them. As it's genetic there is probably a 50% chance of passing it on to any offspring. I have certainly told my son that if he wants to start breeding he needs to make sure he doesn't pass it on.

The positive for the dog is that it's entitled to be euthanaised. When I can no longer walk or swallow I will get to lay in a bed and be fed pulverised food.

Or find a less humane way to end the suffering.

And I will be donating my body to scientific research, just to save on the funeral costs .

 

[love_the_life]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

A terrible thing for you to discover froggerADL. It sounds incredibly rare and I had no idea there was a human variant of the disease. Although as you say there is no cure, I hope that for you the mongrel condition is slow in progression and you have lots of good times ahead.

 

[get me outta here]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

frogger, may you live a long and uneventful life, apart from lots more travel. Plse go again soon so I can read another entertaining and amuse bouche TR.

I have recently been diagnosed with a human version of this condition, although it is late onset, around fifty years of age, so it is just starting to affect me. Not in a nodding head kind of way fortunately. More of a "your cerebellum is killing itself" type of thing.

I recently saw an ABC TV piece about a rower that with an associated condition who will be competing in the Rio Paralympics. Apparently I would have a better chance of winning lotto than having this, but such is life.

Like the dog, there is no treatment or cure. I am not aware of any research into my condition either. I'm quite surprised that they state that they don't want to tell the breeder as it may upset them. As it's genetic there is probably a 50% chance of passing it on to any offspring. I have certainly told my son that if he wants to start breeding he needs to make sure he doesn't pass it on.

The positive for the dog is that it's entitled to be euthanaised. When I can no longer walk or swallow I will get to lay in a bed and be fed pulverised food.

Or find a less humane way to end the suffering.

And I will be donating my body to scientific research, just to save an the funeral costs .

 

[QF WP]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

Having had the pleasure of meeting froggerADL on numerous occasions, I am amazed at your ability to share such a life changing diagnosis. Thank you for making it personal. I hope I get to see you many times before the inevitable

I have recently been diagnosed with a human version of this condition, although it is late onset, around fifty years of age, so it is just starting to affect me. Not in a nodding head kind of way fortunately. More of a "your cerebellum is killing itself" type of thing.

I recently saw an ABC TV piece about a rower that with an associated condition who will be competing in the Rio Paralympics. Apparently I would have a better chance of winning lotto than having this, but such is life.

Like the dog, there is no treatment or cure. I am not aware of any research into my condition either. I'm quite surprised that they state that they don't want to tell the breeder as it may upset them. As it's genetic there is probably a 50% chance of passing it on to any offspring. I have certainly told my son that if he wants to start breeding he needs to make sure he doesn't pass it on.

The positive for the dog is that it's entitled to be euthanaised. When I can no longer walk or swallow I will get to lay in a bed and be fed pulverised food.

Or find a less humane way to end the suffering.

And I will be donating my body to scientific research, just to save on the funeral costs .

 

[froggerADL]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

Having had the pleasure of meeting froggerADL on numerous occasions, I am amazed at your ability to share such a live changing diagnosis. Thank you for making it personal. I hope I get to see you many times before the inevitable

I'll be around for a while yet. I've got too many points to burn and I'm still earning the damn things :shock:.

 

[froggerADL]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

frogger, may you live a long and uneventful life, apart from lots more travel. Plse go again soon so I can read another entertaining and amuse bouche TR.

OK. You've talked me into it! Although I may prefer an eventful life if that's alright .

 

[Flashback]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

All this talk of Doctors..... apt at 4pm with mine.
Fell over the coffee table here at work yesterday afternoon, landed on my left wrist.
(back story... coffee table moved to in front of my desk last week to make room for a party. Had not been moved back. I got up from my desk reading a paper, came around the corner, not seeing the very low table and fell on top of it)
Don't think anything is broken, just sprained, but getting it checked out just in case.

Glad to hear I'm not the only one in the wars! Double whammy for me. Injured myself ever so slightly at hockey - but didn't think much of it. Then when running (well jogging, really) home my ankle gave way again and I hit the pavement, unfortunately quite literally. Abrasions along most of my leg and ended up with quite a sore ankle. Hands wrapped up in bandages too thanks to using them to break the fall. Was OK at the time but then when I woke up on Tuesday morning my ankle was the size of a balloon! Off to A&E for me. X-ray'd and fortunately not fractured. Have been laid up ever since icing & Ibuprofening. It's still quite swollen now, but a nice shade of black and blue. I guess you'd consider it a sprain?

Been a difficult week at work too - one of the problems of being "the fixer" is that I get thrown all the difficult projects, just when they become unmanageable. It's been rather fun (not) trying to sort things out this week when I'm working from the couch with my ankle elevated. 12 hour days every day so far this week.

Then to round it all off for good measure, my grandfather is in a very fragile state (quite a shock, as he was always so fit and spritely) and the heart surgery they tried 2 weeks back they couldn't complete as the heart was too weak. Then couldn't get it to a position where it was safe to do but was left with a situation of do it now (via an alternative method) or he dies. A small piece of good news at least, surgery was performed today and the heart appears to have ever so slightly strengthened.

There is light at the end of the tunnel after all...... I'm just hoping my ankle is better soon otherwise it will be difficult to get up Machu Picchu in 2 weeks time!

Rant over! Well, not a rant so much but I did need to vent. It's been a challenging week at best..... but what doesn't kill us only makes us stronger! Thanks for listening

 

[cove]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

Flashback do you have a little bell to summon Nurse Nightingale to your side? Often it can be better not to have a bell as it can end up lodged in a body cavity by an exasperated nurse.

 

[Flashback]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

Flashback do you have a little bell to summon Nurse Nightingale to your side? Often it can be better not to have a bell as it can end up lodged in a body cavity by an exasperated nurse.

Yes, I think that certainly would be the outcome if that were to be the case. She has been very good though and was around to help me waddle around A&E on Tuesday morning.

 

[Bindibuys]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

Flashback - must be the week for it. Next day had hubby at A&E for Xray/ultrasound, spur on his heel. Off work for a week, but still working from home via computer instead of in the field.
We also have just over 2 weeks before heading off in the other direction (Middle East) for a 7 week jaunt.
Loved MP.

 

[Flashback]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

Flashback - must be the week for it. Next day had hubby at A&E for Xray/ultrasound, spur on his heel. Off work for a week, but still working from home via computer instead of in the field.
We also have just over 2 weeks before heading off in the other direction (Middle East) for a 7 week jaunt.
Loved MP.

Working from home I usually love - but this is one of the few weeks I'd rather be in the office as there's so much going on. I've literally had the phone glued to my ear...... not been ideal! I'm tempted to get a cab into work tomorrow...