Would You Rather Die Sooner Than Take a Daily Pill?

[Angel!]

I guess we don't need to wonder why women so often fail to take birth control as prescribed. If a risk of death doesn't bother you, then risk of pregnancy probably doesn't either.

[Tennesseer]

See ya, Don't-Want-To-Take-A-Daily-Pill people.  Don't want-to-be-ya either.  

[Apple]

I wonder if the answers would be different if the approach had been different?

I have to take a daily thyroid pill due to treated Graves Disease.  If I did not take the pill, I would gain an insane amount of weight (low thyroid means crap metabolism), lose a bunch of hair (affects that, not sure how/why though), be completely exhausted all the time (if I forget to take my pill in the morning, by afternoon all I want to do is curl up and sleep--that's when I usually realize I forgot to take the pill).

Did I wish I didn't have to take it everyday?  Yes.  

If I knew I was going to live into my 90s like all my grandparents, and cutting off a few weeks to a few years (those last years dealing with dementia, needing a nursing home, etc) would have me dying at 93 instead of 95, would I forgo the pill?  Honestly, probably.  My family lives a long time, sometimes too long.  

Would I deal with the issues I described above rather than take the pill?  No.  That's why I take it.  And get my blood levels tested each year to make sure I'm getting "enough" (which still doesn't feel like it's enough, because my body is used to more, and it's a constant battle when it never used to be).  

[Happy prose]

I think if the people really did get sick, they'd change their minds fast. I avoid medicines as much as I can. In the past, I couldn't understand how folks dx'd with cancer would go through chemo. Then I was dx'd. You latch on to any glimmer of hope. I did two surgeries, followed by a horrific chemo treatment. And guess what...God forbid it were to happen again, I'd be first on line to receive that poison!

[thyme4change]

The key here is "Take 2 years off your life."  Not "Die tomorrow or take this pill."  BIG Difference.

I watched both of my Grandmothers live the last 5 or 6 years of their lives in pain, deep in Alzheimer's - not knowing who they were or what was happening.  They both cried most of the time because they just found out that their husband's died (25 years previously) or some other tragedy.  There is a good chance that I will demise slowly like they did.  Lose those last two years?  Heck, I would take a pill every day for the rest of my life if you could guarantee that I would die two years earlier.  

[Shooby]

I think there is a difference between A pill and taking 20 pills a day. Yeah, I can take a pill or two but if my life begins to revolve around my next dose of whatever, then I might opt out. Or not, I really can't say because I am not in the situation. I don't care to live to 100. I just want to enjoy my life in a quality way. I don't care to extend my life to the Nth second. And, I believe nature is pretty much going to take its course. So, yes, I will do what I can to a point, but then just accept the inevitable.

[justme]

I wonder how that translates to real life. I had to start taking daily pills in my early 20s, eventually adding in a weekly shot and a rescue med by shot. I still was pretty awful about remember bc pills (when not taking them wouldn't equal pregnancy) but I remember the rest 98% of the time. People often say they couldn't/wouldn't want to do with the daily pills and shots and ask how I do it. I respond that it's not hard at all when the pills make you live a normal life and the shots keep you alive. I hate having to take pills every day, but since I'm faced with the decision to either take them or be disabled by all the symptoms and on my way to a slow death, it's a real easy decision to take the pills.

[❤ mollymouser ❤]

Crap... just taking ONE pill a day? Wouldn't THAT be delightful? I stopped complaining about daily pills about 15+ years ago when I had to start stabbing myself in the stomach with an insulin syringe.

[zibazinski]

Feb 8, 2015 12:48:16 GMT -5 Shooby said:

I think there is a difference between A pill and taking 20 pills a day. Yeah, I can take a pill or two but if my life begins to revolve around my next dose of whatever, then I might opt out. Or not, I really can't say because I am not in the situation. I don't care to live to 100. I just want to enjoy my life in a quality way. I don't care to extend my life to the Nth second. And, I believe nature is pretty much going to take its course. So, yes, I will do what I can to a point, but then just accept the inevitable.

I'm the same way but DH is not.

[haapai]

Is it possible that this study has accidentally tapped into a deep vein of distrust for the medical profession? 

I'm not sure how the choice was presented to survey-takers, but there are probably ways of asking that question that will provoke disbelief and anger.  I can't think of a whole lot of conditions out there where failure to take a daily pill will result in immediate death.  Consequently, if someone presented this choice, I'd rebel.  I'd express my anger by making the most shocking choice possible.  It's my only way to tell the person who has just insulted my intelligence to shove it. 

Even if the survey designers were able to prime people to imagine that they were ill, or admitted that such conditions were rare, I'd still be angry.  There's a part of me that thinks the the doctor in question is somehow trying to shift the blame for my death onto me. 

[busymom]

What about the cost of medication? I'm on one prescription (which has changed from time-to-time due to availability), & there have been big swings in the cost of it, which drives me NUTS. Who wants to worry if they can afford their medication in their old age?

[Artemis Windsong]

How much does this pill cost?  That would be my question.  Taking a pill wouldn't bother me because I take a lot of supplements.

[Jaguar]

Feb 8, 2015 17:37:58 GMT -5 ❤ mollymouser ❤ said:

Crap... just taking ONE pill a day? Wouldn't THAT be delightful? I stopped complaining about daily pills about 15+ years ago when I had to start stabbing myself in the stomach with an insulin syringe.

^^^^ This so much, I take a bunch of stuff every freaking day, so I can keep on living. Dying is freaking painful, you'll take daily meds then so you won't be in pain.

[Jaguar]

Taking a daily pill, suck it up buttercup.

[ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ]

I need to take my seizure medication 3x day - every day.

I'm more than willing to take any med or pill that will prevent an "episode", relieve a migraine, reduce pain, or help with any other ailment one might be dealing with.

[zibazinski]

Wow, really old thread

[Shooby]

Dec 6, 2015 0:59:08 GMT -5 @patstab said:

I will take whatever to stay alive long as I can in whatever condition so I can be here for
my daughter.  Even if its just one more day. 

Taking a pill is no big deal but what it costs might become an issue.

I dont agree that all these pills are "keeping us alive" necessarily.  Maybe some of them are crucial.  But, a lot of them really aren't.   However, it's up to you personally. 

[sarcasticgirl]

I take BC and two allergy pills every day. I also have some supplements that I take (not as often as I should)

I would rather take those pills than feel miserable.

Sent from my SM-G920T using proboards

[Shooby]

  I think too many people get put on pills but they never reevaluate if they need them for life.  It is like once something is prescribed, it's yours forever.  I had to go on blood pressure pills for  a period of time during a stressful time of my life.  But, after awhile i home monitored by blood pressure and asked the doc if i could go off them, and I did.   I have done that with other meds that i needed for a period of time.  I think that it is a good idea to have a conversation with your doc and see if you really need to continue everything year after year.  Sometimes it you don't but if you don't broach it with your doctor, they don't change it.

[Shooby]

Dec 6, 2015 9:27:05 GMT -5 sarcasticgirl said:

I take BC and two allergy pills every day. I also have some supplements that I take (not as often as I should)

I would rather take those pills than feel miserable.

Sent from my SM-G920T using proboards

  The best thing that worked for my allergies was getting a single shot of Kenalog.  It is kind of an "old school" treatment and newer doctors don't do it.  Fortunately, my doc is old school.  And, prior to allergy season, i would get a single IM shot of that and that carried me through the summer.  You can't do that forever, but it does work for a couple of years.  Now, i no longer need allergy meds.

[moon/Laura]

Shooby - your original post has been deleted because you refuse to follow the CoC.. Post a SNIPPET of the article- meaning a small piece - and the source link. This appears to be a straight copy and paste of the entire thing.



As was stated in this thread ymam.proboards.com/thread/47679/regarding-copyrighted-material-posts

If you have an article from an outside source to share, DO NOT copy and paste it in its entirety! You may paste a short excerpt to make your point, and then provide a link for the remainder. We must take care not to violate copyright laws. In addition, if someone is not interested in reading the article, it's rude to make them scroll past it all. EDIT NOV 25, 2015 - If you post a "wall of text" - all or most of an article, in other words - it will be deleted, even if the source link is provided. No longer will we allow you time to correct your error.

[moon/Laura]

Dec 6, 2015 3:27:34 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

Wow, really old thread

Hmm yeah, it is. I didn't even notice when i deleted the OP..

@patstab why did you bump this?

[NancysSummerSip]

I cannot imagine why one pill a day would be an issue. I take five, plus supplements. Well, soon it will drop to four, when the hormone pills cease.  Sure, there are risks, and yes, lots of things are wrongly or over-prescribed. But we've come a long way in the world of modern medicine, being able to treat conditions that used to shorten peoples' lives drastically.
And we're finding possible new uses for old medicines, such as the recent studies about aspirin and Alzheimer's.

We're also getting smarter, I hope, as consumers. We don't look at our doctors as the be-all and end-all of treatment. We have resources to check and the means to do research before we say OK to that prescription or treatment.

I think if life can continue to be useful and vital and meaningful to someone, and the way to achieve that is to use medicines, then why not? Conversely, when one has decided that there is no more real living, merely existence, due to illness, then the decision to end medical intervention should be respected.

[Deleted]

Feb 8, 2015 12:48:16 GMT -5 Shooby said:

I think there is a difference between A pill and taking 20 pills a day. Yeah, I can take a pill or two but if my life begins to revolve around my next dose of whatever, then I might opt out. Or not, I really can't say because I am not in the situation. I don't care to live to 100. I just want to enjoy my life in a quality way. I don't care to extend my life to the Nth second. And, I believe nature is pretty much going to take its course. So, yes, I will do what I can to a point, but then just accept the inevitable.

I went from taking no meds, not even an aspirin (because I don't get headaches), to taking a handful. There's a blood pressure med, vitamin D pill (I can't drink milk), a mult-vitamin, a cholesterol med, an osteoporosis preventative med (did I mention I can't drink milk?), and a baby aspirin. I also take two sets of eye drops to treat glaucoma. 

This is daily. I am 61. Would I rather die of a heart attack, have a stroke, go blind, break a bone . . . or be grateful for the marvels of modern medicine? Maybe I look at it differently because these meds all prevent problems.  Even the glaucoma drops, which are for a diagnosed condition, are to prevent damage to my optic nerve.  Mine was caught early, at about 47 or 47.  My osteo pill, which I also started early,  even helps prevent breast cancer although they don't prescribe it for that.

I'll admit, though, that it was hard for me at first. 

[moon/Laura]

There should have been a warning box, but it appears that not all boards were listed in that plugin.

[mmhmm]

I take a low-dose beta blocker for a congenital tremor, a multi vitamin, vitamin D, and a probiotic daily. Doesn't bother me to take these as they serve a distinct purpose. I'll take a couple of Excedrin for headache, but don't get headaches often. I consider myself very fortunate for my age. If I had some chronic condition I'd have decisions to make based on what condition was involved, the prognosis, and the medication prescribed; however, these are decisions each person must make for themselves, IMO.

[Sam_2.0]

Feb 8, 2015 10:31:07 GMT -5 @sroo4 said:

It would be interesting to see the results of a survey if the question posed as taking a daily pill to keep/make you thin, grow hair, and stop/erase wrinkles. 

You know they did this with Viagra? its a BP med. Can't get the guys to routinely take it, so play up the side effects and voila.

[Shooby]

For a lot of these pills, there is no real evidence that you are going to "die sooner" if you don't take them.