anyone ever had "Nephritic Syndrome".....? ( kidneys)

[elephant]

Lightwarrior, hope your feeling better. We are a little toxic, keeps us going.....

[Jack]

I have been thinking and wondering if they all fill a function or are the docs indoctrinated?

Each time you see a new specialist they do like to add some drugs of their own to the mix. You have to keep en eye on this or you end up doing nothing but taking pills, each one with its own side effects and potential for interactions with the others. Drugs are pretty well tested here in the UK, but I bet no one has ever tested the particular concoction that I take!
I review the drugs I take all the time and try to reduce the number of different sorts or the dose. I think I'm taking the minimum I can get away with.

[elephant]

I agree with Jack, if you can get away with taking the minimum prescription then that will benefit you in the long term. Of course you doctor has to to be on board. Since I am a RN, I tend to play doctor...which is not good....some of the doctors know this...but I have been perfectly honest with them and explained why I will not take certain drugs...I take all my WG medicine's ...or I take for instance Nexium every other day...and the doctors know this...

[Sangye]

I'm the same way. My docs know I'll take the Wegs drugs but will either ignore or self-regulate the non-Wegs drugs. They're okay with that. We can't have a doctor with us every day so we have to figure out how to work with our non-Wegs drugs. Of course, you really have to know how your drugs work to do that or you can hurt yourself.

[jola57]

Same here, I take only the most necessary meds, and while I don't regulate the mtx I do regulate everything els. Both my rheumy and my family doc knows and trust my judgment.

[Sangye]

My blood clotting was off last week (not clotting enough) and my hematologist said "Take vitamin K." I said "How about if I just eat more veggies?" Sheesh. Not everything needs a PILL.

[jola57]

exactly, I am glad he didn't put you yet on another high tech med to counteract the other med that couteracts the first med to stop the action of the latter med. Phew,

[elephant]

I know its like a domino affect to infinity!

[Sangye]

I always feel like I have to fend off the doctors who are determined to stuff more pills down my gullet. They really do get out of hand if you let them.

[Doug]

Where doctors in the US (at least) get freebies from drug companies as an inducement to try them on patients, there is a "write them another prescription" mentality. Sorting out the mix, keeping the doctors involved (!) but also reserving the right as patient to try an alternative to more pills seems the best bet.

My motto is : The fewest drugs, in the smallest efficacious doses, for the shortest time possible. I'm happy to read comments by Jack, Jolanta, and Sangye, for example, that support that approach!