What Is Your Medication Story?

Do You Have A Story Around Taking Medications?

I am in the process of making a video about the shocking head surgery I went through.

I am finally going to tell all about how I joined the ranks of suffering a traumatic side-effect from taking prescription medication that nobody told me anything about the possible life-long damage it could cause. I will be releasing that video soon!

By telling my story, I hope to help others make sure that all cards are on the table when it comes to their decision of whether to take a medication or not.

As always, I am not diving in here to say anyone taking a medication is bad or wrong. I simply want to help people be aware of the risks so they can truly be informed when making a choice about what they put into their body and why.

It is simple, I want to stir up this conversation, no blame, let us just talk about it more; tell our stories, see what other people are experiencing.

Have you had any difficult or helpful experiences that resulted from taking either a prescribed or over the counter drug?

Let us get this conversation rolling, share your story in the chat box below!

OTC/Prescription Medicine: Know Your Risks Before You Opt For Them!

• Research shows that 81% of adults use OTC medicines as a first response to minor ailments.
• According to the Mayo Clinic, Almost 70% of Americans take at least one prescription medication and more than half take at least two.
• The National Council on Patient Information and Education says that people need to recognize that all medicines (OTC and prescription) have risks.

I mean really, lots of people are taking medications, but do we really talk about it that much?

Just because a doctor prescribes a medication for you, does not mean that you have been informed of all the risks.

We all know that medications can be life-saving. I have seen medication have life-saving effects for several family members with severe diabetes. I was very grateful for the pain medication that allowed my mother to be able to spend time with her family during her end of life experience.

Unfortunately, though, because of my long time interest in this topic, I have heard a lot of sad stories.

Like my friend whose doctor told her nothing about the risks of taking Hormone Replacement Therapy only to have her breast cancer surgeon tell her to stop taking it immediately and that it was the cause of why she had breast cancer!

Or my 28 year old neighbor that had a stroke because nobody told her that if you have a history of migraines, then taking birth control pills puts you at a higher risk of having a stroke.

Or my student that developed debilitating muscle pain that lasted for years even after she stopped taking medication for high cholesterol. I could go on, but have just mentioned a few to get the ball rolling.

What is your story? Do you know someone that has a medication story? Your story might help someone else; share it in the box below.

Tips For Managing Your Medication Safely

Here are a few steps you can take to bring more information to the table when considering taking a medication:

1. Talk to your doctor, ask your doctor to talk to you about possible side-effects of a medication.
2. Read the Patient Information Sheets that come folded and tucked into the medication box.
3. Look on WebMD for possible drug interactions and side-effects.¹
4. Research if what you are dealing with can be helped by using herbs or natural remedies.

I hope you will join me in this conversation, together let us shed a little light on what is happening to so many people. Do you know someone that may be at risk of a side-effect, but has no idea about it? Share this article with them.