More Health Issues and More Medicine to Take? *sigh*

[kimlovescats]

Just need to vent a bit here, and I suppose have a small pity party!

I am only 40 years old, and I feel like I am falling apart at the seams. I take so many medications now, for so many stupid diseases / conditions, that I feel like a walking pharmacy.

I have just been started on a new medication for Adult ADHD. After failing every assessment test and quiz, and realizing that my daughter Amy Beth probably has ADHD because she inherited from me ... DUH ... I finally discussed it with my doctor. She gave me a starter pack of Strattera and so add that to my list of daily medications.

Here is what I currently have to take for my current illnesses.

Celexa
- antidepressant for Major Depressive Illness and Anxiety/Panic Disorder. (hoping that maybe the ADHD caused this and IF the new medicine for that works, there is a slight chance I might be able to get off of this ... just wishful thinking for now though)

Tenormin - for High Blood Pressure

Crestor - for High Cholesterol

Metformin XR - Diabetes medication ... just started and already had to double it

Zyrtec - Allergy medication ... I'm allergic to everything pretty much.

Albuterol - Asthma Inhaler, as needed ... often due to my pets!

Nasonex - Allergy Nose Spray ... tend to slack on this one

Nexium - Medicine for GERD .... gastric reflux disease


Stratera - new Medicine for Adult ADHD ... "joy, joy"

In addition to these, I am "supposed" to take these daily :

Baby Aspirin - to prevent a stroke or heart attack

Multi-Vitamin - to make me healthy? LOL!!!



Also, the list of medications I am allergic to is growing as well, so whenever I have a bad infection, (like the double pneumonia I had 2 years ago) they have a hard time finding an effective antibiotic that I can take!

OK, this is getting long ... so, what is my point? I don't know, just feeling a bit discouraged!]

Sorry...
Kim

[Nomilynn]

Hey Kim even though I'm type 1 I'm taking metformin for my diabetes too. It is helping SO much.. it basically is meant for insulin absorption and it's working great! And I haven't had the nasty side effects that bother some people

I but a lot of medical stuff too.. mostly for diabetes. It does suck! But I've gotten to know onee of the pharmacists at WalMart!

[wolfsoul]

I'll be going to my doctor to see about getting some ADHD medication as well. My dad has it, and I'm sure I have it as well, only he has both the hyperactive and inattentive subtypes, while I only have the inattentive. I definatly don't have to take as much medications as you, but I am on a few. Paxil for Seasonal Affective Disorder, Some medication to help me sleep, and salbutamol for when I can't breathe. Edit: Forgot to mention I take zinc for my alopecia.

[Logan]

Kim, sometimes I feel like between Scott and myself, we ought to have major ownership in the CVS Pharmacy! I know that if I did some things to help myself, I might be able to get off of some things. My list isn't as long as yours, but Scott's and my list together might be.

Hang in there and talk with your doctors about anything you can do to eventually be able to stop some of these meds. In the meantime, take them and be happy that there are so many medical advancements that help to keep us "healthy". I think I know the answer to getting off of my high blood pressure meds.......exercise and weight loss. I take Lotrel and Clonidine. Plus, I take Singulair for allergies, and a diuretic to offset the swelling problems caused by the BP meds. That's enough! And I'm 42!

[slleipnir]

I'm on Celexa too. I actually feel dizzy if I forget to take it I guess it helps though....I don't care much for meds though. I would forget to take all those I think! lol I only take 2 diff antidepressants, other stuff, and allergy stuff. I'm lucky if I remember that..

[catnapper]

Oh dear Kim! If I had the money, and actually took the meds my doctor wants me to take... I'd be the same as you, and I'm only 32!
I'd be taking the Nexiunm, the Zyrtec, the Nasonex. Add to it the Zomig I take for migraines when they hit. I do have slightly elevated cholesterol and BP too. Though I have really been working on diet to regulate both, and its working (I think)

What tests/evaluations did you take for ADHD? I often wonder if I have a touch of it myself.

[kimlovescats]

Originally posted by catnapper
Oh dear Kim! If I had the money, and actually took the meds my doctor wants me to take... I'd be the same as you, and I'm only 32!
I'd be taking the Nexiunm, the Zyrtec, the Nasonex. Add to it the Zomig I take for migraines when they hit. I do have slightly elevated cholesterol and BP too. Though I have really been working on diet to regulate both, and its working (I think)

What tests/evaluations did you take for ADHD? I often wonder if I have a touch of it myself.

Here is the most thorough exam ...

http://www.amenclinic.com/ac/addtests/adult.asp

[micki76]

Boy can I relate to this? I take:

Synthroid for my thyroid -It was hyper but hey can’t slow it down, so they kill it off so that it doesn’t work anymore. Then you have to take thyroid hormones for the rest of your life. Seems like they could find a better solution!

Ziac for my blood pressure. It’s been 140/95 ish for years.

Prilosec for heartburn.

Estrogen for obvious reasons. (I’ve been spayed )

Flonase so that I can breathe

Zyrtec for allergies.

Patanol for eye allergies.

Metronidazole to treat symptoms of Chron’s disease.

I have a couple more that I'm supposed to take, but as the Chron’s progresses, I feel I’ll really need the meds then, so I don’t want to build any immunity to them too early on.

[ramanth]

*HUGS* to you all.

The only think I take is Kariva (birth control) to help control the pain of Endometriosis.

I was a guineau pig for the doctors office for awhile as they performed tests and tried other meds on me. After only one injection of Lupron, I now have the permanent side effect of hot flashes.

[micki76]

Originally posted by kimlovescats
Here is the most thorough exam ...

http://www.amenclinic.com/ac/addtests/adult.asp

WOW!!

This is me!

ADD Inattentive Type

"The onset of these symptoms often become apparent later in child-hood or early adolescence. The brighter the individual, the later symptoms seem to become a problem. The symptoms must be present for at least six months and not be related to a depressive episode or the onset of marijuana usage. Using marijuana can often make a person seem as though they have ADD without hyperactivity. It is important to screen for pot usage in teen-agers or adults.

Girls with ADD are frequently missed because they are more likely to have the non-hyperactive form.

The severity of the disorder is rated as mild, moderate or severe. Even though these children have many of the same symptoms of the people with AD/HD, they are not hyperactive and may appear hypoactive. Additional symptoms for this subtype include: excessive daydreaming, frequent complaints of being bored, appearing apathetic or unmotivated, appearing frequently sluggish or slow moving or appearing spacey or internally preoccupied -- the classic "couch potato."

Most people with this form of ADD are never diagnosed. They do not exhibit enough symptoms that "grate" on the environment to cause others to seek help for them. Yet, they often experience severe disability from the disorder. Instead of help, they get labeled as willful, uninterested, or defiant.

As with the ADD combined type, brain studies in patients with ADD, inattentive subtype reveal a decrease in brain activity in the frontal lobes of the brain in response to an intellectual challenge. Again, it seems that the harder these people try to concentrate, the worse it gets. ADD, inattentive subtype is often very responsive to stimulant medications, such as Ritalin (methylphenidate), Dexedrine (dextroamphetamine), Cylert (magnesium pemoline), Desoxyn (methamphetamine), and Adderal (a combination of amphetamine salts). These medications "turn on" the frontal lobes and prevent brain shutdown, allowing a person to have more access to this part of their brain."

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

I know what you mean Kim. I too, feel like I'm falling to pieces all the time. Terry is so healthy it makes me sick! Hey, maybe that's what the problem is!

Anyway, I am by no means preaching because I'm in the same boat as you, and don't take my own advice often enough, but exercise does help tremendously, especially with the diabetes. Just a simple walk around your block once a day, five days a week would be a great start. Nothing hard, nothing strenuous, just something regular and consistent makes a world of difference. Last year I was doing exercised here in the office on a regular basis and I felt sooo much better! But ever since Tubby started getting sick (last Thanksgiving) I've really been slacking off and I can really feel the difference because I feel awful most days.

Exercise helps with so much, diabetes, high blood pressure, depression....don't know if it does anything for GERD, mine still acts up when I'm exercising...but it's really amazing the difference exercise can make. I know the doctors preach it, and I also know how hard it is to get exercise into your daily routine. But I know you will see a difference if you start a routine and stick with it.

So like I say, don't take this as I'm preaching it because I really should start up again with mine, but will I start today, probably not....

[NoahsMommy]

I'm sorry Kim.

Hopefully the new meds will help you get off the first one you mentioned.

I hope you feel better soon. Taking a million pills is no fun...

[kimlovescats]

Oh yea ... I forgot to mention that I also have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, no luckily no meds for that ... just have to sleep in hand / wrist braces! LOL!!!

Thanks so much for allowing me to whine and pout for awhile, sometimes it just helps to wallow for a while! I do know, Debbie, that I need to exercise ... trust me my diabetes therapist is always telling me that, but for some reason I just cannot make myself actually get out there and do it. I even bought a year's membership to curves and went a total of 3 times ... yep, I PAID EVERY MONTH for it and never used it!

micki76: that is exactly my "type" .... I seemed fine as a child, made wonderful grades in school, was in the National Honor Society even ... it's only now as an adult that I can't function!

Oh well, thanks again everyone for listening ... I just thank God none of this is going to kill me anytime soon!

Kim