Mom's Story:
Journey with Prescription Drugs (Part 1)
August 18, 2023 by Nikki and Anne Heart
Although we wrote this post together, we have chosen to present the following story through Mom’s experience.
My world changed on March 25, 2010, when my daughter Nikki was prescribed her first drug.
At the time, we thought everything would change for the better.
But in the case of my daughter’s journey for wellness, it didn’t.
For years promises were made, inaccurate information was given, and false hope was encouraged by Nikki’s health care providers.
Because of our trust in the health care system during this time, we were naive.
And this naivety lead me to believe that the information provided by the medical professional was always accurate.
The truth of the situation is that the medical professional prescribing drugs doesn’t always know everything about the drug.
How can this be?
I recently watched a limited streaming series on the opioid painkiller crisis.
How it began, what took place, and why it happened.
I am aware that the series was only based on the facts and not everything was true.
But as I discussed the series with my sister, even though the exact details were fictionalized, the overall picture through my experience is genuine.
What is especially alarming is the awareness of how some health providers receive pertinent information regarding the drugs they are prescribing.
Before my journey with prescription drugs began, I had a conversation with a parent from my daughter’s elementary school regarding her job distributing pharmaceutical information to medical offices.
At that time I was interested in part time work, so I questioned it.
I asked if a specific college degree was required.
She said no.
I asked about special training.
She said no.
The more questions I asked, the more she started to back away from the details.
Something didn’t feel quite right, so I never pursued a job in that field, but this conversation was always on my mind.
Basically, without realizing it, this became my first clue into how drugs are truly prescribed.
When Nikki entered the world of prescription drugs, we began to easily recognize the pharmaceutical reps entering the medical offices.
Simultaneously, we became observant to the numerous free samples Nikki’s counselor would provide and the stockpile she had in her office.
Coincidentally these were the drugs her counselor would prescribe to Nikki.
So does the prescription subscriber know everything there is to know about the drug they are prescribing?
Unfortunately, many instances we found they didn’t.
So what can you do?
First, verify the facts about the medication you are prescribed.
- Is the prescription drug FDA approved for your diagnosis or is your provider using the drug Off-Label?
- What is the meaning of Off-Label?
- Was the prescription drug FDA approved originally for another diagnosis?
- How long has the prescription drug been used for your diagnosis?
- What is the complete history of the prescription drug?
- What are all of the side effects of the prescribed drug, even uncommon?
- Is the prescribed drug a controlled substance?
- Can your prescribed drug result in withdrawal when discontinuing?
- What are the withdrawal symptoms of the prescribed drug?
Remember, the FIRST STEP is to question your medication treatment plan.
Second, verify how the medication can and should be taken?
- Should you take with or without food?
- Does it matter what time of day you should take the prescribed drug?
- Does it matter if time is exact? (Everyday at 10:00 am)
- Can I cut pill, chew, or break apart in any way? Note: Even though a pill is scored, doesn’t mean it can be cut. Unfortunately this may not be recognized by the medical prescriber.
Note, the SECOND STEP sometimes requires calling the actual pharmaceutical company for directions.
I have found that searching the FDA website to be a good source to obtain accurate information regarding your prescription drug.
Most importantly, don’t rely on one source of information.
I continue next week with Journey with Prescription Drugs – Part 2 adding more informational steps.
Our goal by telling our journey is to provide you with the information we did not have.
Information needed, so you can live a healthier and happier lifestyle.
Weekly Posts Every Friday: Journey with Prescription Drugs (Part 2)
Continues on August 25, 2023
Learn more. Live healthier!
- Know any warning signs with a medication, even the rare or uncommon ones
- Recognize changes in behavior when taking a medication. It doesn’t always happen right away
- Be the eyes to someone close to you on prescription drugs
- Learn all you can for yourself or for someone close to you
- Remember question!
FROM THE BLOG
Mom's Story: Journey through Wellness (Part 1)
Mom's Story: Journey through Wellness (Part 2)
Mom's Story: Journey through Wellness (Part 3)
Nikki's Story: Journey into Prescription Drugs
Note: All information in “Nikki’s Story” are based on detail journals covering seven years of Nikki’s life on prescription drugs.
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