Skip to main content

OK, so I have a phobia

I have an aversion to taking pills. Whether it be medications, or just your ordinary vitamins and/or supplements, I have this built in resistance to taking them.

It hasn't always been that way. There was a time I took a myriad of vitamins and supplements, thinking it was necessary for good health. I had even been known to take the occasional antibiotic, aspirin, ibuprofen, or other over the counter medications when necessary.

But then I was diagnosed with MCL, and my life changed forever. I didn't think it possible. I had done everything right, ate right, exercised, didn't smoke, took vitamins etc. Or so I thought. It was after a lot of research, I came to the conclusion (arguably) it was likely the indiscriminate taking of vitamins, supplements etc. that was a contributing factor in my diagnosis. So I quit "cold turkey". No more vitamins, supplements or over counter the medications. I've even resisted taking prescription medications. (Just not always successfully.) And I've been fine every since, at least as far as my MCL goes.

Now whether that's a rational fear, or not, is certainly up for debate, but at least in the case of vitamins and supplements, I am convinced that fear is justified. I've even expressed my concerns about that many times before. But is my fear of taking prescription medications also rational?

I sure hope not, as since my diagnosis with coronary artery disease I've been taking a beta blocker (Metoprolol) and a statin (Lipitor). It's just that I've been trying to come up with some reasoning to not take them, to the point I may be starting to piss off my doctor(s). (Something I don't think is such a good idea.)

There is no rational reasoning behind my fear, but my best explanation is a fear of becoming one of those people who carries around lists of medications, and is always being concerned with the time, so as not to miss a dose. It makes me feel old, and I don't like that feeling.

Stupid I know, logical of course not. Still it exists none the less, but for now I have resigned myself to continue taking the Metoprolol and Lipitor until something changes or I can come up with a better excuse.

[note] That's especially in light of the fact my heart rate got to 90 bpm last night, without any exertion (blood pressure was low), and I was having some intermittent, pinpoint, throbbing type chest pain which I'm not convinced is angina pain (it occurred in my upper left chest area), but.........[/note]
Labels:

Comments

Alan said…
Your HR got up to 90 last night probably because of the anxiety caused by your probably insignificant chest pain. (anxiety releases cathecholamines which increase your HR).

Stop worrying and over thinking so much.
1:35 AM
Marc said…
I can't help it. It's in my nature. :(
1:42 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

My concerns reaffirmed today

When I was first diagnosed with MCL, I pretty much read just about everything I could get my hands on, I attended various conferences, and I talked to anyone who would listen. One of the most important lessons I learned, and which I've mentioned numerous times before was No one cares more about you than you. But in addition to that, I learned to fear the drug Doxorubicin , AKA Adriamycin, Doxil, Hydroxydoxorubicin, or more affectionately the Red Devil. Besides being a deadly chemical, as is the case with most chemotherapy drugs, it is one of the few chemotherapy drugs known to cause permanent heart damage. I even heard Dr. Sandra Horning , a noted Stanford lymphoma specialist, state at the first lymphoma conference I attended in LA, there was no evidence Doxorubicin provided any added benefit to chemotherapy protocols. This was music to my ears, since Doxorubicin is very common in most lymphoma treatment protocols. And even though Dr. Horning has since changed her tune [which my sk...
Post a Comment
Read more

Bowling: A metaphor on life [sorta]

Over the past 15+ years the game of bowling has changed dramatically. Not only has the equipment changed, making it easier for bowlers of all ages and physical conditions to participate, and score well, but there have even been major advances to how the lanes are prepared for the start of bowling. No longer is it just heavy oil, light oil, long oil, short oil, or no oil, with the latest equipment, the amount of oil can be varied from front to back and side to side, producing a myriad of patterns designed to make the game more interesting, more challenging and as you might surmise, more frustrating. No longer does the "one ball fits all" approach work any more either. In order to navigate all the differing possible lane conditions, you need to have a varied selection of bowling balls. Most pros will tell you the average bowler needs 3 balls, plus a ball for spares, but to be an above average bowler you'll need at least 6 balls, with many possessing more than that. But just...
1 comment
Read more

Fatigue! Part II - Maybe it is real?

Or it's actually Motivational Deficiency Disorder, MoDeD (pronounced Mo-Dee-Dee) for short. In a report this week by Roy Moynihan who reports for the British Medical Journal Austrailian scientists may have come across the reason for extreme laziness . The condition is claimed to affect up to one in five Australians and is characterised by overwhelming and debilitating apathy. Neuroscientists at the University of Newcastle in Australia say that in severe cases motivational deficiency disorder can be fatal, because the condition reduces the motivation to breathe. Neurologist Leth Argos is part of the team that has identified the disorder, which can be diagnosed using a combination of positron emission tomography and low scores on a motivation rating scale, previously validated in elite athletes. "This disorder is poorly understood," Professor Argos told the BMJ. "It is underdiagnosed and undertreated." Who knew? Maybe I have MoDeD, from my attempts to become a...
Post a Comment
Read more