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02/08/2008 06:14
TeainTN
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Have any of you heard about Health Ledgers death. It was caused by an accendental over dose. My husbadn brought it to my attention. He was taking a couple of the same meds I'm taking. This is going to make it even MORE difficult for us to get the meds we need. Also it reminds us of how dangerous it can be to take more than prescribed or mixing pills. I have taking too much and too many different meds before and got very sick, it was scarey. We all know how it feels to get desprate to some pain relief.
There is a light at the end of the tunnel -- but it's a train about to run over you.
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02/08/2008 06:21
singingangel
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I really have to watch my meds. My neurlogist doesnt look what Im on. She prescibed something that when aken with another med Im on could cause bleeding ulcer w/o any symptoms ahead of time. I just read everything to make sure I dont end uo having a reaction.
I have dystonia, neuropathy, gerd, arthritis, and fibromyalgia, carpal tunnel and other ailments. I enjoy embroidery,music, and reading my Bible and Christian books. I love to bake. I try to be very supportive and positive.
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02/08/2008 06:39
TeainTN
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wow, that's alarming. they should really pay closer attention to what all they are giving out. I should pay closer attention to the drug interactions. I only have one doctor prescribing my meds so I feel a little safer about it.
There is a light at the end of the tunnel -- but it's a train about to run over you.
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02/08/2008 07:09
fibroforever
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I too have to watch what and how much I take. When I saw his cause of death- I was like, wow! That could happen to so many of us!

Here are a couple of things I do:

~First of all, there is a website called 'Drug Digest'. On that site, you can select the drugs you are on and it will tell you if there is a possible interaction with your combination of meds. I use it every time I have a change in meds. You can save it to your favorites and every time you go there- your previous lists are saved for you. So all you have to do is delete a particular drug and add the new one. You don't have to redo it every time.

~Next, I have a small spiral notebook by my pain med bottle. I write down the date each morning and then write down the time I take each pain med. Otherwise, I forget. My mind is very cloudy and the fibrofog prevents me from remembering when I've taken my pills.

These are just a couple of suggestions. Maybe they'll work for you.

Amy

"When you feel like giving up, remember why you held on for so long in the first place." ~Unknown

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02/08/2008 07:17
Mydragonfly
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When I saw the cause of death report for him, I noted that I am also on a few of the same meds.

One of my things is to go to the same pharmacy all the time. She knows everything that I am on. She has caught mistakes with my meds that my dr. made. I also read about my meds. I like the idea about writing down date and time of taking meds. I need to do that. My fibrofoggets so bad I cant remember when I have the bottle in my hand if I took it or thought about taking it. So I have one of them every day of the week med boxes.

Dragonfly in Fl

The Dragonfly brings the light and color of transformation into your life.
To learn more about Fibromyalgia
www.fmaware.org ***
www.webmd.com/fibromyalgia *** www.niams.nih.gov/hi/topics/fibromyalgia/fffibro.htm ***
www.painfoundation.org *** www.rheumatology.org/public/factsheets/fibromya_new.asp ***
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02/08/2008 11:02
LibraJo
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Fibro,

That drug digest sounds pretty interesting, I'll have to give it a try.

Thank you

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02/08/2008 13:14
spruce1
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You know what's really frustrating about his sad death? Is now the DEA gets involved again and checks out the doctors and that affects how our doctors will treat many of us!! It's things like this that makes it very difficult to get proper pain management. However, I may not be sure, but he wasn't on any pain meds was he?

Spruce

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02/09/2008 06:06
hipmama42
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He was on Oxycodone (Percocet) AND Hydrocodone (Vicodin), 2 pain meds that wouldn't be used together normally because they are so chemically similar, so he must have gotten them from different doctors. Apparently he got his Rx from several different doctors, and he wasn't taking all of these meds for pain relief or sleep -- he was abusing them. Yes, incidents like this one, and Anna Nicole Smith's death last year call attention to the problem of mixing Rx drugs from various doctors and then taking them all at once in a drug cocktail, not realizing that they are all central nervous system depressants, and will slow down breathing and heartrate so much that you don't ever wake up. Celebrity deaths like these get so much publicity and make it hard for the people who desperately need them for legitimate pain relief and are taking the medicines as prescribed, and only what they were intended for in the proper dosages...not all at once. Yet it seems to be so easy for these celebs to find various doctors to prescribe mega quantities of these meds, no questions asked. Look at what happened to Elvis -- he was one of the first major celebrities to *accidently* die this way. Really, his doctors fed his addiction, got rich off him, and indirectly caused his death. It is true, however, that everyone needs to be careful that the meds they take don't interact in a dangerous manner. I used to be pharmacist, retired now. I saw many people who had no idea about side effects or drug interactions and would go to many different doctors. It's amazing that there aren't more of these accidental overdoses.
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02/09/2008 06:13
prince
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You're absolutely right, Hipmama. That is why I ALWAYS use the same pharmacy. That way, they will know every med that u are on and it will show up in the system if there are any drug interactions!
prince
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02/09/2008 07:20
Fletch2ya
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HI...just a thought from me....how many pharmacies do these people use.... Elvis for one....was it not like 5 different ones...And how many doctors did they go to for the drugs.... That is what the DEA is cracking down on is the people that are going from doctor to doctor..... getting drugs from each........ I think the people that are doing it right are going to be ok..... Yes the doctors are scared. and they are watching there patients...but come on how many people everyday die of drug overdoses..... Just like this last celeb...... They do not make the paper..but it is a real problem..people acting like they are sick and hurting just to get drug....To use or sell.... I can not tell you the number of times I have been approached in Pharm...and doctors offices from people that want to buy my scrips....I had a guy that I worked with call me a hundred times tring to buy my fentanyl from me ...then he broke into my house.....He is in jail now....... This is a real problem.... And WE need to ask for help from out doctors and phamacies so that we can get what we need to continue our lives with quality and free from pain.... As for the one that die...... I do not feel sorry for them..... I do feel sorry for there families and the people like us now that have to fight for the meds that help give us some quality to our lives......

Craig

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