Do you feel Americans are over-medicated?

[MOB Karen]

http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/12/12_5_23.gif (http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001_ZNxdm824YYUS) Let us know what you think. http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/12/12_5_22.gif (http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001_ZNxdm824YYUS)

[MOB Karen]

I was just thinking about this the other day. I think we are way over-medicated. They want to give us a pill for everything. I don't want to take 30 pills a day when I'm 60 years old. :snide:

[katieandalex]

I totally agree! Its like people go to the doctor and they say "You need to go on this med." And then the person comes back and says "Well, now I'm feeling this" and the doctors are like "Oh then we need to put you on this." When you go into an elderly persons house and you see that they are taking 20+ meds a day...its insane.

And I hate how all of these new meds are coming out and the commercials tell you everything about the med, except what its used for, and then they say "Ask your doctor about this med." So the person will go in and say "I saw this commerical for this med, do I need it?" And then doctor will be like "Oh, yes you do." Its sickening.

[Kacie_bride]

Yes we are over medicated.

[LizabethDavis]

Way over medicated. I'm sorry, not every 10 year old has ADHD...Some of them just need a good smack up side the head...JMO though.

[mlm063007]

Way over medicated. I'm sorry, not every 10 year old has ADHD...Some of them just need a good smack up side the head...JMO though.

HAHA. I totally agree with this!!!

I think that we are. I am still on 5 different meds a day. After a year I was supposed to be down to 3. And if I would have had my transplant 1 year earlier it would be down to 2 because at the childrens hospital they dont even put you on one of the meds I have to take now.

[katieandalex]

Way over medicated. I'm sorry, not every 10 year old has ADHD...Some of them just need a good smack up side the head...JMO though.

I agree!!!!!

[BriansBride07]

I do believe that we are way over medicated, I go to the doctors for my back pain, and they want to dope me up so much I can't even pee by myself. Or you go to the doctors for a cold and they want to prescribe 3 meds for a viral cold. OK well maybe im just being biased but my grandma was a pill popper and I hate pills and have to be really laid up before I will even take a tylenol. But I still feel that some of these doc's go way overboard prescribing meds.

[hummingbird521]

I think we are way over medicated. I remember many times while working in the ER that most elderly people would bring their medications in with them when being seen. And believe it or not they would have them in a gallon ziplick freezer bag because there was so many they were taking. Sometimes I feel as if doctors instead of treating the problem tends to treat the side effects with more drugs as well.

[ladymelissa]

This is one topic that I am torn on. My sister worked in a pharmacy and has very strong feelings about over medication and how people believe the solution to everything must be a pill. I can totally see the argument for this, but on the other side of the coin people are living longer than ever before. I'm not really sure how much medication is really necessary or useful and how much of it isn't.

[jeni740]

My PCP is always trying to give me something new to try for different problems, I love her, but I am not a guinny pig (how the heck do you spell guinny?)lol

[ladymelissa]

Guinea Pig

[WhiskeyGirl]

Karen, you should have put North America! lol. Some of your polls could and should be applied to Canada as well! lol.

As far as North America being over medicated, I believe so yes. I have two cousins both diagnosed with ADD and if my mom's sister and her husband would have just changed their diets from sugar and c r a p filled foods they wouldn't need to be on Ritalin!! I believe that the pharmacutical companies are the ones pushing all these drugs on us. I have heard that doctors will sometimes get bonuses depending on if they push certain drugs! Can you imagine that? "Oh I just prescribed ________, now where's my bonus??"

I try to fight most sicknesses off myself before seeing a doctor because they just want to put a person on antibiotics and call it good! Soon everyone is going to be resiliant to those drugs and we're gonna have a super bug that's going to wipe us all out! Now don't get me wrong, there are times when we can use antibiotics but I also firmly believe they are over prescribed and over taken!