17 minute read
Medicinal rebound regrets
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Rebound regrets
The painful costs of medicine misuse
By Jerry Gramckow
If you’re playing basketball, rebounds are great—you want as many of them as you and your teammates can grab. A medicinal rebound, however, has serious, undesirable consequences. This kind of rebound results from the prolonged use of certain medicines that eventually exacerbate the problem they’re created and sold to treat.
MISPLACED TRUST
In his early 40s, Greg noticed an annoying tingling sensation in his legs, often at night. The spasms kept him awake, rarely sleeping for more than a few hours, which affected his concentration the following day. After years of ignoring the problem, Greg went to his doctor and was diagnosed with Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS).
His doctor prescribed him ropinirole (brand name: Requip), which for Greg was a godsend. Taken regularly, it eliminated the leg spasms, allowing him to sleep again.
However, gradually, the medicine’s effects diminished. The doctor increased the dosage until, eventually, the spasms returned worse than ever.
Greg’s doctor switched him to a new anti-seizure drug to help him transition off the ropinirole. Neither Greg, now in his mid60s, nor his doctor know what the long-term effects of this new anti-seizure drug will look like. Yet a stopgap was necessary, as there is no cure for RLS.
If, like Greg, you’ve taken a potent medication for months or years, you might be just one rim
FREQUENT USE OF NASAL DECONGESTANTS MEANT TO OPEN SWOLLEN NASAL PASSAGES CAN INEVITABLY LEAD TO SEVERE, CHRONIC NASAL CONGESTION. ADDITIONALLY, PROLONGED USE OF CERTAIN ACID REFLUX TREATMENTS CAN EXACERBATE THE PROBLEMS THOSE MEDICINES INITIALLY ALLEVIATED.
bounce from a rebound you don’t want. Medicinal rebounds can make life miserable, particularly if you’re over 60.
Boomers are playing with fire when they casually pop a few pills to assuage an annoying ache or to aid a beneficial afternoon nap. According to Dr. Stephen D. Silberstein, professor of neurology and director of the Jefferson Headache Center at Thomas Jefferson University, on any given day as many as 3 million Americans suffer headaches brought on by the medications they trusted to rid them of their pain.
BEWARE THE WONDER DRUGS
Older adults are America’s largest group of drug users, according to Kaiser Family Foundation. Almost 90 percent of adults 65 and older reported currently taking prescription medicine, and 54 percent reported taking four or more prescription drugs. A 2016 article in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reported that every day, 750 U.S. adults age 65 and older are hospitalized due to serious side effects from one or more medications.
The problem rarely occurs with the first dose, or even in the first weeks. But over the course of weeks, months or years (depending on the medicine and dosage) the terrific treatment that revitalized your life transforms into the terrible torment that vexes your body and soul.
Overuse of short-term, mostly nonprescription “wonder drugs” may cause harm in the long term. Frequent use of nasal decongestants meant to open swollen nasal passages can inevitably lead to severe, chronic nasal congestion (rhinitis medicamentosa or “rebound congestion”). Additionally, prolonged use of certain acid reflux treatments can exacerbate the problems those medicines initially alleviated.
Prescription meds have the potential to be even more hazardous.
The best-known example of prescription abuse in America is the opioid epidemic. In 2019, an estimated 10.1 million people aged 12 or older misused opioids, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Specifically, 9.7 million people misused prescription pain relievers, and emergency department visits for opioid overdoses rose 30 percent in all parts of the U.S. from July 2016 through September 2017.
Because of widespread misuse, doctors face a delicate balancing act regarding opioid prescriptions. In many situations, opioids provide a level of relief that no other class of drugs can match. However, due to their much-publicized, highly addictive properties, many doctors are reluctant to prescribe them. One JAMA article stated that more than 4 in 10 doctors’ offices refused to take on new patients who need opioids to control pain.
Many health maladies have no cure. Medical experts are still trying, often through trial and error, to find the best treatments. Sometimes the errors resulting from trials can be miserable or even debilitating for patients.
If you find yourself in a situation similar to Greg’s, do your research and seek a second expert opinion. The new doctor might feel like he’s getting you on the rebound, but he’ll get over it—and you’ll score some crucial peace of mind. ■ Senior Assistance for Materials and ServicesSAMSADRC has funding available to assist and maintain the health and independence of adults over 60 and adults over 18 with a disability. Possible assistance can include but is not limited to: Ramps • Glasses • Hearing Aids Dentures and Dental Work Low-Vision Equipment • Medical Equipment 970-248-2746 (Option 1) Aging and Disability Resources for Colorado
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LAUGHING MATTERS
DID I READ THAT SIGN CORRECTLY?
Submitted by Ben Kuckel “Toilet out of order. Please use floor below.”
In a department store: “Bargain basement upstairs…” In an office: “Would the person who took the step ladder yesterday please bring it back, or further steps will be taken.” Outside a second-hand shop: “We exchange anything—bicycles, washing machines, etc. Why not bring your wife along and get a wonderful bargain?” Spotted in a safari park: “Elephants, please stay in your car.” In a conference: “For anyone who has children and doesn’t know it, there is a daycare on the first floor.” On a leaflet: “If you cannot read, on with your grandma and she is good—the best I ever had!”
The biker still says nothing.
The drunk leans on the table one last time and says, “I’ll tell you something else, boy, your grandma liked it!”
The biker finally stands up, takes the drunk by the shoulders, looks him square in the eyes, and says: “Grandpa, go home!”
this leaflet will tell you how to get lessons.”
On a repair shop door: “We can repair anything. (Please knock hard on door—bell doesn’t work.)
GETTIN’ IT ON WITH GRANDMA
Submitted by Marcus Thompson A drunken old man walks into a biker bar, sits down at the bar and orders a drink. Looking around, he sees three men sitting at a corner table. He gets up, staggers to the table, and leans over to look the biggest, meanest biker in the face.
“I went by your grandma’s house today and I saw her in the hallway buck naked,” the old man tells the biker. “Man, she is one fine woman!”
The biker looks at him and doesn’t say a word.
The drunken man leans on the table again and says, “I got it GOOD AND BAD PUNS
Submitted by Bob Breazeale Did you hear about the animal trainer who always ate lunch in the wild cats’ cage and read a book? Apparently, he was able to read between the lions.
What’s a Shih Tzu? A dog? No, it’s a zoo with no animals.
GOT TWO BUCKS?
Submitted by Josh Green A homeless man who’s seen hard times, approaches a well-dressed gentleman on the street.
“Hey, buddy, can you spare two bucks?”
The well-dressed gentleman responds, “You’re not going to spend it on liquor, are you?”
“No, sir, I don’t drink,” retorts the man.
“You’re not going to throw it away in some crap game, are you?” asks the gentleman.
“No way, I don’t gamble.”
“You wouldn’t waste the money at a golf course for greens fees, would you?”
“Never,” says the homeless man, “I don’t play golf.”
The gentleman asks him if he would like to come home with him for a homecooked meal. The homeless man eagerly accepts.
While they’re heading to the man’s house, the homeless man’s curiosity gets the better of him.
“Isn’t your wife going to be angry when she sees a guy like me at your table?”
“Probably,” says the man, “but it will be worth it. I want her to see what happens to a guy who doesn’t drink, gamble or play golf.”
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Submitted by Bob Breazeale A young man invited 14 people over to watch Monday night football. However, he discovered he only had one 12-pack of beer in the fridge. How did he solve this problem? He told them he was sick and they had to leave.
THE OSTRICH
Submitted by Holly Brown A man and an ostrich walked into a restaurant. The waitress asked them for their orders. The man said, “A hamburger, fries and a Coke,” then turned to the ostrich. “What’s yours?”
The ostrich said, “I’ll have the same.”
When the waitress returned with the order, she said, “That will be $9.40, please.”
The man reached into his pocket and pulled out exact change.
The next day, the man and the ostrich came in again and the man ordered, “A hamburger, fries and a Coke.”
The ostrich said, “I’ll have the same.”
Again, the man reached into his pocket and paid with exact change.
This was the routine until one day.
“The usual?” asked the waitress.
“No, this is Friday night, so I’ll have a steak, baked potato and salad,” said the man.
“Same,” said the ostrich.
The waitress brought the order and said, “That will be $32.62.”
Again, the man pulled the exact change out of his pocket and placed it on the table.
The waitress couldn’t hold back her curiosity any longer.
“Excuse me, sir,” she said. “How do you manage to always come up with the exact change in your pocket every time?”
“Well,” said the man, “Several years ago, I was cleaning the attic and found an old lamp. When I rubbed it, a genie appeared and offered me two wishes. My first wish was that if I ever had to pay for anything, I would just put my hand in my pocket and the right amount of money would always be there.”
“That’s brilliant!” said the waitress. “Most people would ask for a million dollars or something, but you’ll always be as rich as you want for as long as you live!”
“That’s right,” he said.
“So, what’s with the ostrich?” the waitress asked.
The man sighed, paused and answered, “My second wish was for a tall chick with a big butt and long legs who agrees with everything I say.” Serving Nursing and Therapy ServicesMesa, Garfield, Pitkin, Eagle and Personal Care, Homemaking, IHSS Gunnison Counties Personal Safety Devices www.summitwestcare.com 970-263-0202 Grand Junction 970-945-6455 Glenwood Springs Branch
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BIZARRE HEADLINES
Submitted by Ben Kuckel Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over
Miners Refuse to Work after Death
War Dims Hope for Peace Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group ■ HAVE A JOKE THAT’S
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Taking care of our ex-husbands
By Cappy Hall Rearick
My mother’s cousin, Ginny, had a taste of glamor back in the ’50s when she worked for Ralph Edwards, the creator and host of the popular television show, “This Is Your Life.”
Each segment centered around a different person, sometimes famous, sometimes not, but a guest was caught off guard by a grinning Edwards shoving a microphone in their face. While cameras rolled, the host took the guest through the highs and lows of a life well-lived. Most of them were tickled to death to be a part of a show that allowed viewers a peek at celebrities.
Mother said Ginny’s job consisted of looking into the lives of each of the guests. She was a background researcher, a big deal for a gal from the Mississippi Delta with only a high school education. She was good at her job and Mama said, “Money-wise, Ginny did okay.”
But success and money are not what this story is about.
At some point, Ginny met Bob, they married, and eventually divorced. Much later, after Bob was diagnosed with cancer, Ginny brought him home and nursed and cared for him until his death.
I have no idea why she did what she did, but I’ve thought about it a lot. Maybe he had nowhere else to go and/or no one else in his life he could call on. I want to believe that Ginny remembered the love they once knew, and although they had been unable to make the marriage work, the once-shared love never completely died.
I was reminded again of Ginny’s story after learning that my Aunt Polly followed in her cousin’s footsteps when she suggested that her own ex-husband come live in her house.
Years ago, after Aunt Polly and her first husband were divorced, she remarried. After many more years, her newer husband died and she embraced widowhood like a champ. Her daughter, an angel if ever there was one, lived with and cared for her mother while at the same time caring for her father who lived five hours away.
Not long ago, Aunt Polly’s ex suffered a stroke. My aunt told her daughter, “Go get your daddy and bring him here to live with us. We’ll stay socially distant so we won’t bug each other, and you won’t have to make that long drive every week to see about him.”
Is there something embedded in our family DNA? I’ve got two ex-husbands so I don’t want to go there.
I was moved by the kind of family geniality I’d heard about from my mother when she spoke of Ginny. Polly’s compassion for her ex-husband’s plight went beyond kindness and asks the question: Are decisions like hers being made by other seniors today? Is there a commonality between some ex-husbands and wives (of a certain age) who once found it impossible to live together, but are now living out their less-than-golden years in the same space?
If so, my questioning mind asks, what must those days be like? Do they spend hour after hour reliving the good times or do they rehash all the reasons they got divorced in the first place? Do they find themselves nitpicking like they did so often in the past? Perhaps they have mellowed out and, along with their grown children, now sit around and talk about the old times, laughing at themselves as well as things they never found the least bit humorous in the past.
I can’t help but wonder if some of Ginny’s DNA trickled down to my Aunt Polly. Long since divorced from Husband Number One, is Polly finding out that shared history is better served up alongside the one who helped to make it? She and her ex are not as sharp as they once were. What if a Ralph Edwards wannabee showed up and shouted the familiar words, “This is your life,” at them?
I suspect a great deal of their shared history would surprise them both. Even so, my sweet, funny Aunt Polly would laugh the loudest, enjoying every moment of the redux even if she didn’t remember them. I can only hope that some of the DNA embodied in my aunt’s good humor and compassion has trickled down to some of my chromosomes...except when it applies to my ex-husbands. ■
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