I’ve told my husband when I get “old”, but it’s not a specific number, more of how good my quality of life is that I don’t want to be on any meds meant to help me keep living, or any flu or pneumonia vaccines. Comfort care drugs only. I’m 49 & only take allergy meds & Advil so we’ll see how that plan goes. My FIL was 89, mind as sharp as a tack & he still canned foods, gardened & mowed his lawn. I would not have taken his maintenance drugs from him. My mom is 79, immobile, has dementia but is “okay” for the most part & in a nursing home. Her meds are a different story.
I have multiple co-morbidities and multiple medications. I have a medication manager at local hospital. I have to be careful with both diet and medications. I go every 6 weeks to the hospital dietician and to my medication manager. I think I receive good advice and coordination between my PCP, specialists, nutritionist and medication manager. I think I’m fortunate to have good providers in my area.
Becky, would you please, tell us how old you are? I'm like you with multiples, and am interested if you intend to maintain your medical regime, or if at a specific age or condition, you would phase it out. Thank you, for the info.
My 'new' PCP saw the list of meds I was taking at age 60 for cholesterol---and blew a head gasket, Sent me in for a complete heart and chest scan. Clear as a bell. My cholesterol is in the 400's. Dh had 2 major heart attacks last summer with a non medicated cholesterol of 150. Totally occluded arteries. 4 stents placed and one replaced a week after the first procedure. Go figure.
ME? I want to be on nothing but my anxiety meds by age 75 and don't plan or expect to be on anything else, Gonna let life happen.
I currently am fighting Stage 3 Lymphoma--came out of the blue. I told my oncologist I was a 'one and done' patient. When this returns, 10, 15, 20 years, I will not treat it again.
Just a caution, but certain anxiety meds are implicated in contributing to dementia. Any of the ones that are anticholinergics like Xanax, Valium, klonipin, etc. that’s because choline is needed in the brain to consolidate memory and these drugs reduce choline. Check to see what you’re on and switch if you can.
High blood pressure and diabetes meds should never be stopped.
Cholesterol? There comes a time, I feel its not needed anymore. It has been proven that statins contribute to Dementia. Members have mentioned when an elderly LO is taken off them, their cognitive ability seems improved.
I don't think statins have been proven to contribute towards dementia and can actually help against it, as lower cholesterol means fewer strokes, which can cause vascular dementia. So less chance of strokes, less chance of vascular dementia.
A medication review can be a good thing. Even a second opinion.
I was prescribed high blood pressure meds, but I do not have high blood pressure. It was all part of the "Standard of care" given to e v e r y o n e these days, as standard protocol by the HMO doctors.
We need to be our own health advocates in addition to consulting our doctors.
My answer is meant to be "overall, in general", and does not include patients of any age who might have a diagnosed terminal illness.
I think this is a topic worth discussing with your physician. You'll probably be able to figure out if the physician seriously considers your questions or if he or she reflexively says that you shouldn't stop taking any of the medications. If you get the latter response, do some research of your own.
And don't assume that a medication was originally prescribed for a 100% valid reason. See the following article, for example: https://www.statnews.com/2019/04/02/overprescribed-americas-other-drug-problem/
I don’t think it depends on age necessarily, but it does sometimes seem we are supporting life with meds when the quality if life is long gone. My dad is on some calming meds for his dementia. He’s 89, in memory care but it’s not really life.
I pay a drug service the facility uses to supply his meds. His insurance changed and now his eye drops for glaucoma cost over $200 per month. He can afford it so I pay it out of guilt mostly. I asked the staff if it’s really necessary at this point but they kinda calmed up. I suspect it would make no difference if he quit the eyedrops.
if my dad could step out of his dementia body for a minute and take a look at his life now there’s no doubt in my mind that he would want it to end immediately. So much of what we do in prolonging life is based on emotion and guilt, not rational thought.
I see the calming meds as part of making him and the people around him comfortable (as long as they work of course) kind of like pain meds but I sure am with you on the eye drops unless they actually help him see rather than prevent possible future issues... I too know that if she get's to that point my mom would want her existence ended. She once told me that when it came time she was just going to walk out into the woods in the winder and go to sleep under a tree, die of hypothermia.
I don't think age comes into it, there are people struggling in their 70's and others who are robust well into their 90's... l have a friend whose aunt was still living a full active life until she died unexpectedly at 105. For us it came on the heels of the realization that things were getting worse despite the medications so all but those deemed necessary for QOL were dropped, although l was very fearful at first mom kept on going anyway.
For myself, I would like to leave instructions to stop giving me those meds if I end up with some form of dementia and have reached certain stage where I am becoming a burden. Why keep the body going if the mind is leaving.
Maybe. But it’s a matter of trusting your doctor, I guess. My husband is on a buttload of meds for a lot of different issues. I’d be afraid to discontinue them. There has to be a reason he’s on them. He’s on Eliquis, which is $500 a month, but that, too, is necessary for stroke prevention.
My mom was 95 and took her meds up until the day before she died. Like I said, personally, I’d be afraid to stop taking my meds.
My FIL was 89, mind as sharp as a tack & he still canned foods, gardened & mowed his lawn. I would not have taken his maintenance drugs from him. My mom is 79, immobile, has dementia but is “okay” for the most part & in a nursing home. Her meds are a different story.
ME? I want to be on nothing but my anxiety meds by age 75 and don't plan or expect to be on anything else, Gonna let life happen.
I currently am fighting Stage 3 Lymphoma--came out of the blue. I told my oncologist I was a 'one and done' patient. When this returns, 10, 15, 20 years, I will not treat it again.
Cholesterol? There comes a time, I feel its not needed anymore. It has been proven that statins contribute to Dementia. Members have mentioned when an elderly LO is taken off them, their cognitive ability seems improved.
I was prescribed high blood pressure meds, but I do not have high blood pressure.
It was all part of the "Standard of care" given to e v e r y o n e these days, as standard protocol by the HMO doctors.
We need to be our own health advocates in addition to consulting our doctors.
My answer is meant to be "overall, in general", and does not include patients of any age who might have a diagnosed terminal illness.
And don't assume that a medication was originally prescribed for a 100% valid reason. See the following article, for example: https://www.statnews.com/2019/04/02/overprescribed-americas-other-drug-problem/
I pay a drug service the facility uses to supply his meds. His insurance changed and now his eye drops for glaucoma cost over $200 per month. He can afford it so I pay it out of guilt mostly. I asked the staff if it’s really necessary at this point but they kinda calmed up. I suspect it would make no difference if he quit the eyedrops.
if my dad could step out of his dementia body for a minute and take a look at his life now there’s no doubt in my mind that he would want it to end immediately. So much of what we do in prolonging life is based on emotion and guilt, not rational thought.
For us it came on the heels of the realization that things were getting worse despite the medications so all but those deemed necessary for QOL were dropped, although l was very fearful at first mom kept on going anyway.
My mom was 95 and took her meds up until the day before she died. Like I said, personally, I’d be afraid to stop taking my meds.