I recently read an article titled Patient Heal Thyself in Ode magazine.  The gist of the short article was this – as patients we have a responsibility to know about, and take charge of, our health care.

I couldn’t agree more.

I am not advocating complete self-diagnosis nor am I suggesting that traditional medicine does not have its place.  Doctors, hospitals and prescriptions can definitely be of value.  However, as is all to often the case, we tend to run to the doctor for the most minor of illnesses and injuries.

These well-meaning doctors, succumbing to pressure from pharmaceutical companies and our desire to be “cured’, are quick to prescribe pills.  In our ignorance we accept prescriptions for medications without knowing exactly what we are taking and/or the potential side effects.

As a former pharmacy tech, many of my customers were clueless about the prescriptions I was selling them.  And more times than I’d like to acknowledge, customers didn’t even know which symptom(s) the medicine was supposed to address.  They just blindly accepted the pills and paid the bill.

For years I was no different.  I didn’t understand that I had not only the right, but the responsibility, to ask questions of my doctors.  In an ideal world my doctor would be looking out for only my best interest and would discuss my options before prescribing medications.

However, the reality of current trends in medicine is that most doctors are overworked, burdened with caseloads they cannot possibly serve, working with less and less resources and more and more requirements from the healthcare industry, and are constantly bombarded by pharmaceutical companies.  The field of medicine is not what it used to be.

Again, I am not blaming doctors.  I believe most of them went into their chosen profession with good hearts and plans to help people live a healthier life.  But, things have changed over the past several years and doctors can no longer dedicate the amount of time and wisdom it takes to treat individual patients with the same care that was standard many years ago.

That being the case, it is our responsibility to be listen to our bodies, become knowledgeable about our medications and understand our alternatives.  Not ever cold or cough requires antibiotics, for example.  In fact, antibiotics can become harmful to our bodies if we take them needlessly. (See the following links: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/09/19/48hours/main522536.shtml, http://www.keepantibioticsworking.com/new/resources_library.cfm?refID=36366)  The same argument can be made for other types of medications too. (http://www.quackwatch.org/04ConsumerEducation/crhdrugs.html.)

We must, as much as is possible, become aware of what our illnesses are telling us.  Are we feeling nauseous and dizzy because we are sick or are we just dehydrated?  Is my heartburn due to acid reflux or am I simply eating foods to which I am allergic?  Are my joints achy and stiff because I have arthritis or am I just overweight and out of shape?  Are my flu-like symptoms caused by a bacteria or a virus?

If indeed drugs are necessary, we need to ask questions.  Is there a different (and cheaper) drug that will target just my illness as opposed to broad-spectrum drugs that fight everything?  What are the potential side effects?  Will this new medicine interact with any other prescriptions I may be taking?

Also, this is research you will probably need to do on your own, are there alternatives to medications?  Are there supplements that have been proven to help my condition?  Am I eating something that is causing my problems?  Are there food allergies that are triggering symptoms?

Personally I fall into this latter category.  A few years ago I was on seven different medications, many to counteract the side effects of other medications I was taking.  I took these medications for many many  months and did not see any relief from my symptoms.  In fact, I was getting worse.  Thankfully, through a string of events I had to stop taking my prescriptions.  After I stopped my health stayed the same, I did not get well, but I did not get worse either.

Then, as I took steps to become aware of what my body was saying to me I realized I had vitamin and mineral deficiencies as well as food allergies.  As I changed my eating and began supplementing my diet my symptoms began disappearing.  I was able to increase my physical activity and maintain a “normal” lifestyle.

I am, however, very aware that as soon as I fall back into old eating habits my symptoms return.  I become tired, my mind sluggish, my joints achy and stiff, I begin having headaches, I get Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms and the list goes on.  These are the same symptoms that lead to an initial diagnosis of Fibromyalgia several years ago.

If I was not aware of my body’s needs I would run straight to the doctor with these symptoms and be put again, on a host of needless medications.  Instead, by getting my eating back on track, taking my supplements and increasing my activity my symptoms disappear and I am again healthy.

So, my question to you is this, are you aware of what your body is telling you?  Are you blindly taking medications?  If medication is necessary (I know sometimes it is) are you aware of the side effects and the potential interactions it may have with other medications – prescriptions or not?  Are you confident that you are following the best course of action for your health?

Choose to become aware and Choose a Better Life.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 9th, 2007 at 2:41 pm and is filed under Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.