Don't Take That Pill So Fast : Check Your Options For Prescription Medications

Okay, I'll admit it, I'm "over the hill," "past my prime," "on a down-hill slide," and all the other "cute" terms y'all might use to describe a 52-year-old woman who has had surgery on more than one body part, complains about at least one major joint, and has more things hanging than a Chinese laundry. But these years have given me a chance to observe things that someone younger might not have noticed. Like, for example, how quick doctors are these days to prescribe medications. When I was a young parent and my daughter had a slight fever, I knew that her pediatrician's office would ask: (1) how high was the fever, and (2) how long has she had the fever. If the fever were 103 or above and not relieved by an over-the-counter fever reducer, they'd suggest we come right in for an appointment. However, if the fever were below 103, reduced by an over-the-counter medication, and she'd had it less than 3 days, they advised us to stay at home, drink plenty of fluids (other than milk), give her over-the-counter remedies for pain and fever and call if it hasn't gone away in 3 days. Why? Because they wanted to give the child's body a chance for its NATURAL healing to kick in, a chance for her body to develop the antibodies it needed to fight off infections. Much of the time, after 3 days, the fever was gone and she was much better, the miracle of healing designed into our bodies having done what it was supposed to do.

Several months ago, my husband and I were talking about joint pain, and I shared with him that it had been my observation that when I don't drink enough water, my body can definitely tell the difference. Water deprivation makes my joints stiffer, my muscles less flexible. Not drinking enough water simply makes me move slower and feel older. It makes my skin drier. It makes me retain water and get puffy around the ankles, even though I KNOW that makes no sense whatsoever. Not drinking enough water makes my gout flare up, and that's PAINFUL PAINFUL PAINFUL!

So, Robert began drinking water. Lots of water. Water with meals instead of soft drinks. Water instead of the flavored, sugary something-ade. And then he noticed that his knees didn't pop as often or hurt as much. His eyes--and he has long suffered with dry eyes--weren't as dry and irritated. He moved better. Hm.... so he began sharing this tidbit of information with people. I must say he has become quite the water-advocate, espousing the benefits of drinking enough water to everyone who will listen. He is so pleased and proud that he didn't have to take a joint medication, anything to fight joint inflammation or steroids to get rid of the knee joint pain and noise. Because one thing is for sure: those who go to a doctor complaining about joint pain certainly do get a prescription for these things!

And here's an even better story about the NON-need for some prescription medications. A friend of ours was complaining about fatigue--extreme and unrelenting fatigue. And his wife was complaining about the sexual side effects of his fatigue. So he went to a urologist who merely checked his prostate and prescribed some medication for erectile dysfunction that is something like $200 a month. Which, I am told, certainly helped the sexual aspect of his complaints but did nothing at all for the fatigue. (And, she pointed out, if he's still "too tired," what good is that medication?) So, after another few months, she sent him off to an internist for a thorough physical. And what did the doctor find? Why, the man was EXTREMELY Vitamin D deficient! Vitamin D--the vitamin/nutrient that helps regulate the hormones, the nutrient that aids the endocrine system. His doctor prescribed some mega-doses of Vitamin D. Within mere days, the man is a walking miracle! His entire appearance has changed, from tired and dull looking to animated and alert. He has a new light in his eyes, a smile that appears much more often than ever before. He tells me that he had been tired his entire life, that he thought being tired was normal. And his wife confides that she knows why they call it Vitamin "D"! He is no longer "too tired" and no longer in need of the medication from the urologist. Why, I wonder, didn't the urologist check for an underlying CAUSE of his problem? I can tell you why: because there's so much money in prescribing medications that cost $200 a month!

So, before you depend on a pill to fix something, why not look for the natural remedy--whether it's water, or a vitamin, or time to allow your body to heal, or something entirely different. One thing's for sure: you won't see an attorney on television saying, "if you have were prescribed water and it caused you to suffer permanent damage, call Sue Themnow and we'll get you what you deserve."