Skipping pills and doctor's visits to Save Money

The Washington Times ^ | Jan. 6, 2009 | Jennifer Harper

[palmer]

My mom has plenty of money in CD’s, but still wants to skip medications. It’s about $50 per week, but at the end of the year she was in the “donut hole” (no coverage). The money is a big psychological factor, but also the fact that the medications almost always have bad side effects. I suspect if you look at the elderly who are skipping meds and useless specialists (who could care less if you fall, break your hip and die), it’s more about avoiding medicine than the affordability.

[Sun]

Also be careful of over-the-counter drugs. A friend sent me this:

“All drugs
containing PHENYLPROPANOLAMINE are being recalled.
STOP TAKING anything containing this ingredient. It has been
linked to increased20hemorrhagic stroke(bleeding in brain )
among women ages 18-49 in the three days after starting use
of medication. Problems were not found in men, but the F DA
recommended that everyone ( even children ) seek alternative
medicine.
The following medications contain Phenylpropanolamine:

Acutrim Diet Gum Appetite Suppressant
Acutrim Plus Dietary Supplements
Acutrim Maximum Strength Appetite Contr ol
Alka-Seltzer Plus Children’s Cold Medicine Effervescent
Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold Medicine (Cherry or Orange )
Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold Medicine Original
Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold & Cough Medicine Effervescent
Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold & Flu Medicine
Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold & Sinus Effervescent
Alka S eltzer Plus Night-Time Cold Medicine
BC Allergy Sinus Cold Powder
BC Sinus Cold Powder
Comtrex Flu Therapy & Fever Relief
Day & Night Contac 12-Hour Cold Capsules< BR>Contac 12 Hour C aplets
Coricidin D Cold, Flu & Sinus
Dexatrim Caffeine Free
Dexatrim Extended Dura tion
Dexatrim Gelcaps
Dexatrim Vitamin C - Caffeine Free
Dimetapp Cold & Allergy Chewable Tablets
Dimetapp Cold & Cough Liqui-Gels
Dimetapp! DM Col d & Cough Elixir
Dimetapp Elixir
Dimetapp 4 Hour Liquid Gels
Dimetapp 4 Hour Tablets
Dimetapp 12 Hour Extentabs Tablets
Naldecon DX Pediatric Drops
Permathene Mega-16
Robitussin CF
Tavist-D 12 Hour Relief of Sinus & Nasal Congestion
Triaminic DM Cough Relief
Triam inic Expectorant Chest & Head
Triaminic Syrup Cold & a mp; Allergy
Triaminic Triaminicol Cold & Cough
I just found out and called the 800 # on the container for Triaminic and they informed me that they are voluntarily recalling the following medicines because of a certain ingredient that is causing strokes and seizures i n children &n bsp;:

Orange 3D Cold & Allergy Cherry (Pink)
3D Cold & Cough Berry
3D Cough Relief Yellow 3D Expectorant

They are asking you to call them at 800-548-3708 with the lot number on the box
so they can send you postage for you to send it back to them, and they will also issue you a refund. If you know of anyone else with small children,
PLEASE PASS THIS ON. THIS IS SERIOUS STUFF!

DO PASS ALONG TO ALL ON YOUR MAILING LIST so people are informed.
They can then pass it along to their families.

To c onfirm these findings please take time to chec k the following:
http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/ppa/

PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO YOUR CHILDREN IN CASE THEY GIVE
IT TO THEIR CHILDREN OR TO FRIENDS WHO HAVE CHILDREN
AND GRANDCHILDREN.”

[Sun]

Re: my last post

It looks like these drugs were from 2000. From the link:

“In response to the request made by FDA in November 2000, many companies have voluntarily reformulated and are continuing to reformulate their products to exclude PPA while FDA proceeds with the regulatory process necessary to remove PPA from the market.”

But it would hurt to watch for PHENYLPROPANOLAMINE, anyway, in case it pops up again, or we keep our meds that long. (I sometimes do.)

When people can’t afford doctors they might be more like to purchase over-the-counter meds.