Multiple meds and combined side effects

[balou2]

Hi,

Taking numerous meds here, when you DO read the small print, most have side effects, especially kidney related. I was just wondering if there is any safeguard for multiple meds takers? Obviously the cardiac team are OK with their drugs, but what about the stroke pills and then the diabetes tablets. Does that make sense?

Paranoid in Kent

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

Hello and welcome to the forum! All medications have side effects some of which are extremely rare. At times some people will have you believe the rarer ones are common! Your GP should be monitoring you regularly for liver and kidney function in addition to the usual HbA1c, cholesterol, etc. Obviously report any issues to your GP as sometimes a changes of medication or doseage are required.

[Casper020918]

Although all drugs have listed side effects, these are only possible side effects and not everyone will get all or any of them. Your gp should do regular blood tests for you if you are on drugs which could affect kidney function etc. Your pharmacist will always go through your drug list to ensure there aren't any that shouldn't be taken together

[Kristin1812 Heart Star]

Drink lots!

[Ansteynomad]

Read James Le Fanu’s book ‘Too Many Pills’ for a discourse on this very subject. Polypharmacy as they call it (taking lots of meds) is a very real thing and some people do suffer terribly from side effects or the effect of taking medications that don’t work in combination with others they are taking.

I belong to an online patients’ group for Prinzmetal Angina and the people on there seem to be either taking lots of meds and dealing with horrific side effects or taking as little as possible and managing pretty well. Also, the people taking loads of meds (statins, blood thinners, calcium channel blockers etc etc) seem to have no better symptom relief than the people taking minimum meds. It makes you think.