Managing your pills as you age; navigating today's polypharmacy
Photo: Ri Butov/Pixabay
by Paul ArcoOSF Healthcare
It's estimated that about one-third of adults between the ages of 60 and 70 are exhibiting some form of polypharmacy.
Taking multiple prescription drugs can increase the risk of multi-drug interactions, in which one medication can affect another medication. Another potential concern is drug-disease interaction, where taking medication for one health issue can make another health problem worse. It appears to be a bigger concern for older people. It's estimated that about one-third of adults between the ages of 60 and 70 are exhibiting some form of polypharmacy. “Once we get to that age, we tend to have chronic diseases that have been diagnosed and we take more medications to handle those chronic diseases.” McCuen adds we don’t often think about how our age can affect how medications work. “That’s when your body starts to change,” she explains. “You can absorb medications differently; the way that your body works changes and then the way that you hold on to medications because of your body makeup changes too. The way that you may have absorbed or had a reaction to a medication in your 30s could be different in your 60s and 70s just because of the way that your body has changed.” People who experience polypharmacy have a bigger risk of being tired and dizzy, which increases the risk for falls. Other symptoms are weakness, loss of appetite, gastrointestinal (GI) problems and skin rashes. And it’s not just prescription medications pharmacists worry about. Over-the-counter medications and herbal supplements can negatively interact with daily prescription drugs. It’s also possible to be on a medication longer than is needed. For example, some people take a proton pump inhibitor – medicines that work by reducing the amount of stomach acid – for problems like heartburn. “They'll just continue to take it even though they probably only need to take it for a couple of weeks and then see how they do off of it,” McCuen says. “That’s one of the most common ones I see that they don't necessarily need to be on.” That’s why it’s important to talk with your care team before starting any new medication. In fact, McCuen recommends doing a medication review with your physician or pharmacist at least once a year to make sure your medications mesh. “Your pharmacist is really your drug and medication expert,” she says. “They know a lot about the drug interactions with all your medications.” McCuen adds that it's also a good idea to use the same pharmacy whenever possible so that your pharmacist has a record of all the drugs that you're taking. That way if anything new is added they can intervene in the event you have an interaction with one of your other medications.
Commentary |
Stop the invasion of our nation
by Glenn Mollette, Guest Commentator
If President Biden could announce on November 1, 2024 that all student debt is forgiven, he would do so. That would surely be a way to get a few more votes. If you have a $100,000 student loan, then you have a heavy burden of paying back that loan. To suddenly have the debt cleared would be a marvelous feeling.
Would this make you feel like Biden is a great President? Would this boost your confidence in his ability to lead our nation? Or, would you see such an act as a last-ditch effort to do whatever it takes to stay in the oval office for four more years?
Thousands of Americans have carried the weight of student loans for years. Thousands have paid back the loans. Loans are never fun to pay back. Car payments, house payments, and credit card debt are tough to carry for years and years. Is it fair that many Americans have paid off student debt but suddenly thousands of Americans could have a large portion of their debt wiped away? It doesn’t seem fair. Is it good for America? Many more Americans need to borrow money for college. Paying back student loans is one way to keep money circulating back into the government coffers.
What if someone paid back 75% of their loan in ten years then the other 25% would be forgiven? What about a two or three percent interest rate on student loans? What if people went to community colleges their first two years? There has to be a better way than just waving the magic wand and clearing debt to boost popularity.
Interest rates are going to come down between now and November 1. A 30-year mortgage by November 1 will be closer to six percent. The stock market is roaring. If you have some money in stock then you have to be enjoying the increase. What goes up always comes down some, eventually. Don’t look for it to go down much between now and November first.
The one thing President Biden doesn’t seem to want to do is stop the invasion of America. The invasion of America continues. Allowing up to 8.5 thousand illegals per day is not a fix. Outlaw gangs have taken over parts of South America in Columbia and Venezuela and parts of central America. Gangs have taken over Haiti. The cartel seems to roam freely in Mexico. These outlaws are coming into America. Violence, stealing, and killing are all they know. They will fight with and kill police officers, assault and murder women, steal from you, and terrorize our communities. Most of our small American counties are understaffed to protect our citizens from gangs armed with semi-automatic weapons.
The invasion must be stopped today. Border states deserve all the help the federal government can give in securing the borders immediately instead of making it difficult on the states.
Soon there will be so many illegals from China and throughout the world in our country that we will not have enough police or military to protect ourselves. We see this happening before our very eyes.
The issues of student loans, interest rates, gasoline prices, inflation, and much more impact our lives significantly. Nothing is impacting our nation like the invasion.
Please Mr. President and Congress, stop the invasion of our nation.
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He is the author of 13 books including Uncommon Sense, the Spiritual Chocolate series, Grandpa's Store, Minister's Guidebook insights from a fellow minister. His column is published weekly in over 600 publications in all 50 states. The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily representative of any other group or organization. We welcome comments and views from our readers. Submit your letters to the editor or commentary on a current event 24/7 to editor@oursentinel.com.
Craft happy hour this Wednesday
URBANA - Looking to meet new people or maybe show off your artistic side? Unwind and chill at this post-workday event at the Urbana Arts and Culture free craft happy hour at the Urbana Free Library on Wednesday, April 3, from 6 to 7 p.m.
Each month, UAC offers a monthly drop-in crafts program for adults to enjoy after a long day at the office. This week, participants will create painted flower pots to take home. All the craft supplies needed will be provided and light refreshments will be available. Pre-registration is not required.
The adult craft happy hours are presented each month by Urbana Arts and Culture with a different craft and guest artist. For more information contact the Programming and Outreach Manager via email at programming@urbanafree.org or via phone at 217-367-4057.
Sunday Sports Rewind; Spartans baseball fall hard to U-High
NORMAL - St. Joseph-Ogden pitcher Garrett Grimsley unloads a fastball at a waiting Normal U-High batter during their non-conference game on April 11, 2016. SJO picked up their third loss of the season, ending an eight-game win streak with the 13-3 loss. Unfazed, Grimsley and the Spartans bounced back the next game to roll off an incredible 21-game win streak before losing a post-season heartbreaker to Reed-Custer, 7-6. The squad, loaded with talent, finished the season with 33 wins against four losses. Below are more photos from the game eight years ago.
Photos: PhotoNews/Clark Brooks
Commentary |
State-Level marijuana legalization has been a stunning success
Contrary to some critics’ claims, legalization states have not experienced any spike in either psychosis or mental illnesses.
by Paul Armentano
It’s been over a decade since Colorado and Washington became the first two states to legalize marijuana for adults. With the benefit of hindsight, it’s fair to ask: Has this policy been successful?
Absolutely. A policy of legalization, regulation, and education is preferable to a policy of criminalization, stigmatization, and incarceration.
Let’s be clear. Legalization didn’t create or normalize the marijuana market in the United States. The market was already here.
Illustration by Gordon Johnson/Pixabay
By contrast, under regulation, cannabis products in many states are now available from licensed manufacturers at retail stores.
Cannabis is cultivated, and products are manufactured, in accordance with good manufacturing practices. Products are lab tested and labeled accordingly. And sales are taxed, with revenues being reinvested in the community. Since 2014, retail sales of adult-use cannabis products have generated more than $15 billion in tax revenue.
Most importantly, millions of Americans — many of them young adults — are no longer being arrested for possessing a substance that is objectively safer than either tobacco or alcohol.
According to data compiled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the annual number of marijuana-related arrests in the United States fell from 750,000 in 2012 to 227,000 in 2022, the last year for which data is available.
In short, these state-level policy changes have resulted in countless Americans being spared criminal records — and the lost opportunities that accompany them — in the past decade.
Teen use of cannabis has not grown with legalization. A CDC report says use has actually dropped among high school students.
Photo: Dimitri Bong/Unsplash
And contrary to opponents’ fears, cannabis use by teens has not risen in parallel with legalization.
According to data provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the percentage of high schoolers who use marijuana actually fell 30 percent over the past decade. Compliance check data from California, Colorado, Nevada, and other legal marijuana states show that licensed marijuana retailers do not sell products to underage patrons.
Also contrary to some critics’ claims, legalization states have not experienced any spike in either psychosis or mental illnesses.
According to findings published last year in the Journal of the American Medical Association, rates of psychosis-related health care claims are no higher in jurisdictions where cannabis is legal than in those where it’s not. Stanford University researchers similarly reported last year that residents of states where cannabis is legal exhibit no higher levels of psychosis than those in non-legal states.
Legalization is also successfully disrupting the illicit marketplace. According to a 2023 survey, 52 percent of consumers residing in legal states said that they primarily sourced their cannabis products from brick-and-mortar establishments. By contrast, only 6 percent of respondents said that they primarily purchased cannabis from a “dealer.”
Many consumers in non-legal states also reported that they frequently traveled to neighboring legal states to purchase cannabis products rather than buying from illicit dealers in their own state.
Twelve years into states’ marijuana legalization experiment, public support for making marijuana legal nationwide has never been higher. To date, 24 states have legalized the adult-use market.
None of these states have ever repealed their legalization laws. That’s because these policies are working largely as voters and politicians intended — and because they’re preferable to cannabis criminalization.
After a century of failed policies and “canna-bigotry,” the verdict is in. Legalization is a success, and the end of cannabis prohibition can’t come soon enough.
Paul Armentano is the Deputy Director for NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. This op-ed was adapted from an earlier version published at The Hill and distributed for syndication by OtherWords.org.
Children's Easter Carnival and Egg Hunt on Saturday in St. Joseph
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