I'm dying inside. How can I help Mom if I can't help myself?

wow we r soul sisters its 11 now and im not sure how to get through the nite? but some how i still do...every time .. 15 years now .u r stronger than u think, cry ur eyes out but it doesnt fix any thing ...do it any way it makes me feel better,lol...btw call catholic social services they will guide in the right direction.for bills and ur mom

TheBoogs, I know what you mean by doctors trying to prescribe this or that.... most of my adult life I wouldn't take anything, not even an aspirin. So now it is difficult to take anything prescription, but I muddle through it. If I don't like the side effects I ask for something else to try.... my primary doctor is to the point where she gives me one week's worth of a prescription to try out first :)

Fillers in pills can cause side effects if someone is sensitive to the products being used. Some common fillers are lactose (milk sugar), microcrystalline cellulose, corn starch, sugars, whey and yeast.

Some common binders [to keep the pill together] in pills are povidone, xanthan gum and Carbopol (an acrylic resin).

Then there are the coatings which help to prevent the tablet from dissolving too soon. They may also keep you from tasting or smelling the active ingredients. A common coating is shellac - yes, shellac. Then there are the coloring of pills, and you are probably familiar with those dyes used in products.

Freq, no -- I totally get where you're coming from. In fact, I live a Paleo lifestyle. Everything I eat is farm raised (even meat) and organic. But, as far as trying to monitor pain pills like Advils or my Lorazapam, which are at very very low doses, I think I'm not too bad. I don't smoke, I don't eat processed foods and I watch where my food comes from. I mean -- eating eating seafood poses great risks too, since Fukushima is still spilling out radiation and the oil spill really didn't "go away" or disappear as the media would like us to think. There is so much risk alone in our foods --- especially those who are only eating processed foods as well as non-organic products. Wheat and sugar are giving us illnesses. GMOs are almost among every single part of our lives and sometimes hidden.

I guess my point is: since I am uber obsessed with what goes into my system as far as food goes, I can't eliminate everything on this planet, sadly. I'm happy to see that you, among others are conscious of what you put into your systems. It does have impact our lives.

Another alternative to Advil is turmeric which I'm looking into, (for juicing). It's a huge anti-inflammatory. Even taking a heaping teaspoon of good ol' Yellow Mustard can alleviate muscle aches and heartburn. But sometimes, it's just not enough. :(

I also don't buy anything with red dye 40. When I'm sick, I don't reach for the gatorade -- I go straight for the coconut water which is loaded with potassium to get my electrolytes back in order. There are so many alternatives, but with pain pills, going natural is sometimes a challenge and not enough to ease the ailments. So, I suffer the consequences of shellac. O_O Scary what they put in our stuff. I'm also super concerned about this year's flu vaccination. The ingredients alone are just unbelievable, but I have to do it in order for my mom not to get sick. I can't shuffle around being a threat to her, as her cancer already does. Eh. Manmade crap, right? What happened to all of our food, medicines and everyday requirements to stay healthy?

Thanks for the info. I didn't know any of that of which you wrote above. I appreciate it!