help with all my dad's meds........

[boswell]

He is 84, in pretty good health except age is setting in.....unsteady, back arthritis.....etc. He is suffering from depression right now and it does not seem to be getting under control which is making him become extremely anxious as he is sure something is way more wrong with him. In going through his list of meds...............that gets changed, it seems, every couple months, dose increases, changes from paxil to zoloft and back again, new meds added for other things. I just find it impossible that the amount of meds he is on can't be a major cause of his mental "unsoundness". I have spoken to the Dr. about it but not much is being changed or said for that matter. Having an elderly parent has really woken me up to how truly messed up our healthcare system is. Anyway, I was just hoping for a little input or advice as to who/where, online,I may find some sound advice or information. Here is the list. Some are a.m. and others are p.m. with a couple at noon!
Levoxyl 200mg, Allopurinol 300, Nifedipine 60, Isosorbine 60, Paxil 30, Zocor 10, aricept 10, Terazosin.......then we have ambien occasionally (he says but I think almost every night), then a new one they put him on recently....the little purple pill...can't think of the name right now, but it is to play it safe as he takes Ibuprofen 800 bid. Let's see, Oh yes, they put him on Flonase if he gets a clogged nose. I think that is it. If anyone feels comfortable giving their opinion on all this stuff I would appreciate it very much. Thanks!!![xx(]

[justwhatever]

i'm not a pharmacist or a doctor so i can't consult you on the meds, but would it upset your dad to get a second opionion? I've seen a lot of doctors that are literally drug rep puppets. If you feel he is being over-medicated, perhaps you could check his insurance and express your uneasiness to a professional? That is your right

amanda

[lane413]

I took zorcor myself for a yr or two and it caused me to have aches and muscle pains. Some meds, such as my blood pressure pills, caused insomnia, and then i was prescribed ambien to help me slee. My blood pressure med (lisinopril) also caused stuffiness and I was given flonase. Flonase caused my ears to clog so I stopped taking it. Toprol xl (bp med) caused me to go into a deep depression, (among other things) and i stopped taking it too.

Dr. seems to be treating symtoms and the cause. Why not try getting another opinion? I finally had to change doctors to get decent treatment.My old dr. kept giving me prescriptions, instead of taking me off the offending med. I ended up with 24 pills daily just for bp and diabetes. I stopped taking all but three and i am doing much better. Good luck.