The Medicine Disease Effect

You have been diagnosed with high blood pressure.  Your doctor prescribes a medication for it.  On your six week follow up visit your blood pressure is still up.  Your blood tests now reveal elevated blood sugar, cholesterol, and uric acid.  Your blood tests on the previous visit were within normal limits.  Your doctor gives you two more prescriptions for the diabetes and hyperlipidemia, and advises you on symptoms of gout in case that may occur.


In six weeks after years of normal blood tests you all of a sudden have new diseases.  How did this happen? The medicine effect has given you these new maladies.  Unknown to many are the fact that medication can cause disease as well as heal it.  What a conundrum!  As more medication is added more new diseases can occur.  Additive effects may lead to more new symptoms. 


It is a documented fact that medications have side effects.  Using another drug or drugs to treat the side effects adds up.  Some side effects are actually new diseases. Your need of the medicine may outweigh the consequences that occur if you go without it.  The med effect is a serious disease in itself, but for some it is a healthy way of life.


As your list of medicines grows so does the potential for serious adverse reactions.  Avoiding drug induced disease is certainly a challenge.  One of the best ways to avoid or control it is of course avoidance. This is one reason why it is important for you to know your medicine especially side effects. When you know this, you may be able to maintain better health without so many drugs. For instance, if your blood pressure medicine causes elevated blood sugar, then it is up to you to learn about controlling it with diet and healthy lifestyle changes.


When you get new medications, discuss the benefits as well as the risks with your doctor and pharmacist.  Review the side effects carefully by reading the information that comes with it from the pharmacy.  Also, look it up in a book or on the Internet.  You may be surprised to find out that more new symptoms you were having came from your medication.*  This applies to prescription as well as non-prescription drugs.  Best health!


*"Overmedication and Illness" http://bit.ly/1IRfGiF