Know your own body

[solo1]

About a year ago, my ophthalmologist put me on ARED II, a vitamin supplement supposedly researched and known to slow down macular degeneration,( Age Related Eye Disease AREDS.)  Bausch and Lombe came up with the exclusive formula researched and that might tell us something.
I evidently have just a touch of macular degeneration.

Shortly after that, my controlled asthma wasn't so controlled.  I stopped the AREDS, my asthma got somewhat better.  I started again and asthma got worse.  I stopped  AREDS now for over a month, and I'm back to almost normal .   Supposedly, AREDS II doesn't have that effect. However, everyone is different, especially in older age, IMHO.

I also take 1/2 of an Excedrin to help me sleep better, although caffeine supposedly keeps a person awake.  My family doctor just shakes his head.

So keep in mind, doctors, while knowledgeable, are not God; you're the final judge on what works for
you.

Now if I can find something to give me more patience when I listen to my friends telling me what's good for me.   Of course, most are younger than me so you can see my problem since I don't always listen to young'uns.

[Oss]

Yep
Doc told me to take prednisone for poison ivy
2 days later riding to americade I lost the sight in my good eye
as my retina started leaking blood into the eye

Googled side effect and that was a listed one

within the week I was at your place with Mad6 and Gman watching your model trains in the table and the next day had my last visit with RJ on the way to Spearfish

Stopping the pred stopped the leak, the sight came back within the month, well as good as it got anyway.

Listen not only to your body but to that little voice that sometimes warns you  and yeah the doc thought I was nuts to ride a motorcycle  with limited vision, I just made sure I didnt ride at nite and had a blast

Thanks for the post Wayne

[old2soon]

Wayne and oss-both of ya-thanks. One good eye due to macular degen-chek. AredsII-chek. So far so good. I do NOT at the present time have a-but moment. BUT dat don't mean one ain't headed fer me at mach 2.63!  And since I've retired my list of meds has-sadly-grown!  But I also KNOW my Quality of life is improved Because of these meds. RIDE SAFE.

[Harryc]

2 days later riding to americade ...

Off topic, but OSS if you go to Americade this year, on Thursday June 8th, a friend from Vermont has arranged for a Vermont Covered Bridges tour. If you are interested PM me for details.  If anyone else is interested contact me. This would be a small group of friends on a 4 to 5 hour tour of some pretty spectacular Vermont countryside, leaving from Lake George NY on 6/8 at 10am to 11am ET.  These are my personal friends, so all good people...no worries bringing wives or girlfriends.

[shortleg]

Yep
Doc told me to take prednisone for poison ivy
2 days later riding to americade I lost the sight in my good eye
as my retina started leaking blood into the eye

Googled side effect and that was a listed one

within the week I was at your place with Mad6 and Gman watching your model trains in the table and the next day had my last visit with RJ on the way to Spearfish

Stopping the pred stopped the leak, the sight came back within the month, well as good as it got anyway.

Listen not only to your body but to that little voice that sometimes warns you  and yeah the doc thought I was nuts to ride a motorcycle  with limited vision, I just made sure I didnt ride at nite and had a blast

Thanks for the post Wayne

 I can,t tell you how much I miss RJ .
He reminded me so much of my Dad, that every time I saw
him it was like I got my Dad back. Now I have lost two Dads

[Hooter]

I have it as well but take nothing. My doc told me to eat greens on a regular basis. I also had a bout of Glacoma. My eye pressure was around 31. The drops they gave could affect your heart.  Screw that, haven't taken a  thing and my pressure is now normal, 15 -16 since I retired. I also dumped my blood pressure meds since I retired. High stress jobs affect your health as well.

Just watching TV any more tells me that the pill fixes are worse than what you have. Basically , pills in the long run will kill you. Then add the attorneys.  Usually don't know something is bad for you until you take it for a couple of years.  We are in a catch 22!

RJ was a primo person!!! Never met him but we shared a common bond,  we had discussions about our experience on the job.

[fudgie]

Could be it causing your asthma. Yrs ago I tried different inhalers for my asthma and it made it worse.

[Jess from VA]

My 87 yo mom went through the hoops (two pokes up the leg to the heart), to prepare for a heart valve, also poked up through her leg (the third time).  All heart work gets blood thinners as the possibility of clotting is greatly increased (and that clot will kill you).  She was walking the day after surgery and doing and feeling great.

A week after she's home she's driving around alone and makes six different stops (just her usual routine), but after she gets home that day, she has a very small pinhole brain bleed (through capillary vessels) that is only possible because of the blood thinners.  In short order (minutes), that caused her to have a huge seizure that damages muscle all on one side of her body and screws her up good.  She's never had a seizure in her life before.  It's like a stroke (in many ways), but it is not a stroke (so we are told).  She's in ICU and in really bad shape for a week (and the anti-seizure medicine is kicking her ass) (cannot stand or walk at all), but has now turned the corner and gone 80 feet alone on a walker.  Now out of the hospital in an intensive physical therapy center.

Now she needed the heart valve.  And that apparently must be followed by blood thinners, for up to several months.  But the thinners gave her a brain bleed and a pretty devastating seizure which screwed her up worse than her heart ever had.

Wayne,  my mom has macular degeneration too.  She's legally blind in one eye, but the other is correctable to keep driving.  Macular degeneration cannot be cured, but the dope they have for it can slow it down to a near stop from normal progression.  She has been reading about a book a week for the last 20 years.

I saw the Dr today myself.  First time in about 9 years (so you know I needed to go).  I've never had allergy in my life, but I guess at 64 I get to now.  I had a TV camera stuck up my nose and down my throat.  That was new.  The good news is the only meds given me were over the counter.  I don't know if I'm getting better, but I'm sure as hell going to sleep like the dead from the meds.  

That's probably a bad choice of words.

With medicine (the profession, and the stuff in the bottle) ....... you damn well rolls the dice, and you takes your f'ing chances.

[solo1]

I can see that I was preaching to the choir,  Sooner or later we all have experiences with meds and doctors that don't turn out so well.

When my wife was very sick we had our share of doctors, some who were dangerous to listen to.

I, too, miss ole RJ.  We had some things in common.  The year before he became really sick he stopped  here in New Haven and we had a nice go around.

Brian, your comment reminded me. About eight years ago I was told to try a new 'wonder drug' for asthma, Serevent.  Within 30 minutes my BP went to 210/110, I was nauseous, had a severe headache.  I drove to the New Haven/ Adams township fire dept (just two blocks) and stayed there with the paramedics.  Called the doc from there.  After three hours, went back to normal.  Serevent is on my s*** list.

[JimmyG]

WARNING:  After over 40 years working in Medicine,(Radiology), and doing everything from radiographs, special procedures, CT, MRI, Ultrasound, both general and vascular, my opinion for myself at this point in life is that doctors are wonderful, as long as you don't go to them.   Yeah, I know, some things you just cannot super glue back together and someone has to stitch your fingers back on, etc.  But in general, an apple a day keeps the doctor away!!! JMO    Sure hope I don't ever have to eat those words, LOL

[Reb]

What gets me is all the new miracle drugs that come across as TV adds now.

Do not take blah blah blah If you are nursing, pregnant, or plan to become pregnant.

Side effects may include: Flu like symptoms, bleeding gums, facial cysts, erectile dysfunction, liver failure, brain tumors, kidney stones.

Consult Doctor if your asshole turns inside out and begins talking to you within 2 weeks of taking blah blah blah.

[solo1]

Jimmy G, I was an Xray tech at the local VA in 1955.  A patient went into anaphylaxis because of an IVP injection. Severe scratching, welts growing as I watched, and breathing problems. I called  the radiologist stat (he was in the dept.) and he told us to gurney the patient up two floors to a ward. He, the radiologist, had the proper meds on hand to slow the shock but didn't.  We barely made it to emergency services.

When the wife was in severe difficulty (40 pounds of excess water) the doctor, a Pakistani, argued with me instead of treating her immediately.

I have lots more 'war' stories about docs.

[old2soon]

Mark me as one who was Fortunate enough to meet R J but also one who Misses him Lots. Man did like to P M and when I was invited into his Home I felt like I was visiting an old friend and Not for the first time-which it were. And as it turned out-the last time!  Far as the sawbones go I've had mostly but by no means always-good fortune. My V A Doctor retired from his practice in Arkansas and bein he IS down home country he always has time to not Only listen to me but duz ask pertinent questions. Even as I've grown more cantankerous as I age my current Doctor make me feel comfortable. AND also on the plus side I can drop in without an appt and if I wait til 1330-1400 can generally git some face time if I need it. RIDE SAFE.

[solo1]

Dennis I didn't mean to raise heck with the VA.  I have had good service from the VA and the doctors there in the last two years.

[old2soon]

Dennis I didn't mean to raise heck with the VA.  I have had good service from the VA and the doctors there in the last two years.

           Wayne-Never NOT Once did I even presume to Think you were dissing the V A. All I can do here is relate my experiences as I encountered them. BUT I Will Admit that I am a patient at a Really Top Shelf V A Clinic. And-YES-I've told them they Are Top shelf. Poplar Bluff Mo. V A Hospital is a bit over a hundred miles from my casa. Now There I have heard the horror stories of the current crop of Vats that Served in The sand Box. BUT I also realize the potus that created a lot of the V A problems was replaced in Jan 2017. Again-I DO have a very decent Doctor who is as I've seen more than once is on top of my "stuff" and the other Vets I Know that have him as their Doctor are happy with him as well. My Doctor was retired for a bit over a year and he signed on for the V A medical profession. He was actually shocked by how far he had fallen behind in a year! He gave me the light simplified version of "keeping up" and my hat is off to hm. RIDE SAFE.

[fudgie]

I can see that I was preaching to the choir,  Sooner or later we all have experiences with meds and doctors that don't turn out so well.

When my wife was very sick we had our share of doctors, some who were dangerous to listen to.

I, too, miss ole RJ.  We had some things in common.  The year before he became really sick he stopped  here in New Haven and we had a nice go around.

Brian, your comment reminded me. About eight years ago I was told to try a new 'wonder drug' for asthma, Serevent.  Within 30 minutes my BP went to 210/110, I was nauseous, had a severe headache.  I drove to the New Haven/ Adams township fire dept (just two blocks) and stayed there with the paramedics.  Called the doc from there.  After three hours, went back to normal.  Serevent is on my s*** list.

Seravent and combivent made my asthma worse. I been on advair for yrs and I love it.