keep a list of their medications or bring the doctor a bag of all yourpills

<http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070418/drug_interactions_070418/20070418?hub=Health>

Cancer patients at risk for drug interactions

Updated Wed. Apr. 18 2007 7:14 AM ET

Canadian Press

TORONTO -- Many cancer patients are at risk for potentially dangerous drug
interactions because of the number of different medications they take for
multiple conditions, say Canadian researchers, who caution that steps must
be taken to avoid these dicey combinations.

In a study appearing Wednesday in the Journal of the National Cancer
Institute, researchers at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto found that
almost 30 per cent of 405 cancer patients studied were taking drugs that
put them at risk for at least one adverse drug interaction.

"Most people who have oncologists also have family doctors and other
specialists,'' Krzyzankowska explained. "They're seeing a cardiologist,
they might be seeing an endocrinologist for their diabetes and they're
getting medications from multiple doctors.''

Some patients keep a list of their medications or bring the doctor a bag
of all their pills, she said. "But sometimes they come and they say: `Oh,
I don't remember. I'm on some blood pressure medication.' But the type of
blood pressure medication matters in terms of this issue.''

With each visit to a different physician, drugs may be added or subtracted
from the list -- "and eventually God knows what cocktail you end up on,''
she said.

"The message to me from this (study) is if you are seeing multiple
providers of care, multiple types of doctors and they're all changing your
medications, you should always be aware of everything you're on, so that
you can tell them: `I'm on this medication and I'm on that medication.'''

"The difficulty is when patients visit multiple drug stores and also see
multiple physicians.''

Kwong advises patients to:

* Always carry an up-to-date list of medications and their dosages,
including over-the-counter and alternative therapies.
* Try to have prescriptions filled by the same pharmacy: electronic
software will alert the druggist of potential drug interactions.
* Make sure to keep different doctors or pharmacists apprised of any
changes in prescriptions.

"J" <nexsw@nvalid,anon> wrote in message
news:46266B63.8B469212@execulink.com...
> <http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070418/drug_interactions_070418/20070418?hub=Health>
>
> Cancer patients at risk for drug interactions
>
> Updated Wed. Apr. 18 2007 7:14 AM ET
>
> Canadian Press
>
> TORONTO -- Many cancer patients are at risk for potentially dangerous drug
> interactions because of the number of different medications they take for
> multiple conditions, say Canadian researchers, who caution that steps must
> be taken to avoid these dicey combinations.
>

Substitute "older" for "cancer" and this is Old News.
bj

bj wrote:

> Substitute "older" for "cancer" and this is Old News.
> bj

Sounds like you're bored and probably better off on your other newsgroups, bj.
Since your thyroid cancer has been cured a long time ago.
J

On Wed, 18 Apr 2007 15:48:22 -0400, J <nexsw@nvalid,anon> wrote:

>bj wrote:
>
>> Substitute "older" for "cancer" and this is Old News.
>> bj
>
>Sounds like you're bored and probably better off on your other newsgroups, bj.
>Since your thyroid cancer has been cured a long time ago.
>J
My, my, isn't that a nice way to talk to cancer patient :-(. Not.

I thought this was supposed to be a support group, but someone seems
to be very selective about whom to give support to :-(.


--
Matti Narkia

"Matti Narkia" <mna@mbnet.fi> wrote in message
news:hr1d23dvcusvo50og7db2oib4b3ftji03j@4ax.com...
> On Wed, 18 Apr 2007 15:48:22 -0400, J <nexsw@nvalid,anon> wrote:
>
>>bj wrote:
>>
>>> Substitute "older" for "cancer" and this is Old News.
>>> bj
>>
>>Sounds like you're bored and probably better off on your other newsgroups,
>>bj.
>>Since your thyroid cancer has been cured a long time ago.
>>J
> My, my, isn't that a nice way to talk to cancer patient :-(. Not.
>
> I thought this was supposed to be a support group, but someone seems
> to be very selective about whom to give support to :-(.
>
>
> --
> Matti Narkia


Yes, J, that was kind of nasty and uncalled for. I'm surprised at you

Mel

"J" <nexsw@nvalid,anon> wrote in message
news:46267606.4B3B0133@execulink.com...
> bj wrote:
>
>> Substitute "older" for "cancer" and this is Old News.
>> bj
>
> Sounds like you're bored and probably better off on your other newsgroups,
> bj.
> Since your thyroid cancer has been cured a long time ago.
> J
>

You must know something I don't. Care to share?

But it is amusing to be asked to leave a cancer group -- asked by someone
who doesn't even have cancer, at that. Anyway, it's Usenet, & while you're
entitled to your opinion (& to killfile me, and to instruct others sternly
on how to do the same) you're not a gatekeeper, den mother, or bouncer.

I do freely admit that my cancer & its treatment was "easier" than what a
lot of others go through. But it's still cancer. And not all of us agree
that it's "cured a long time ago".
(& maybe it depends on how you define "cured"....)

Matti & Mel, thank you for your kind words.
bj

J, this is what we did. We had a list of the medications Ken was taking
and also it is important to tell the doctor you are working with about
any allergies to medications you may have (people tend to forget that.)
*Especially* penicillin. I can't remember which cancer medication, but
it violently reacts in combination with penicillin.

Matti Narkia wrote:

> On Wed, 18 Apr 2007 15:48:22 -0400, J <nexsw@nvalid,anon> wrote:
>
> >bj wrote:
> >
> >> Substitute "older" for "cancer" and this is Old News.
> >> bj
> >
> >Sounds like you're bored and probably better off on your other newsgroups, bj.
> >Since your thyroid cancer has been cured a long time ago.
> >J
> My, my, isn't that a nice way to talk to cancer patient :-(. Not.
>
> I thought this was supposed to be a support group, but someone seems
> to be very selective about whom to give support to :-(.

She's busy supporting and being supported on two other health newsgroups,
obviiously.
She's not been supporting here, probably because there's not been any recent
thyroid cancer posters.
J

maryanne kehoe wrote:

> J, this is what we did. We had a list of the medications Ken was taking
> and also it is important to tell the doctor you are working with about
> any allergies to medications you may have (people tend to forget that.)
> *Especially* penicillin. I can't remember which cancer medication, but
> it violently reacts in combination with penicillin.

Thanks maryanne.
Good points.
J

maryanne kehoe wrote:

> J, this is what we did. We had a list of the medications Ken was taking
> and also it is important to tell the doctor you are working with about
> any allergies to medications you may have (people tend to forget that.)
> *Especially* penicillin. I can't remember which cancer medication, but
> it violently reacts in combination with penicillin.


What's so earth -shaking about this "revelation"...??? Should be SOP
for *anyone* visiting a health care giver...

--
Best
Greg

On Apr 18, 3:02 pm, J <nexsw@nvalid,anon> wrote:
> <http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070418/drug_int...>
>
> Cancer patients at risk for drug interactions
>
> Updated Wed. Apr. 18 2007 7:14 AM ET
>
> Canadian Press

What I did for Franzi was two fold. First, a TIMELINE Date of
Event, in Chronological order.

Example XX Jan XXX Tumor found on rectal exam
XX Jan XXX Surgery to remove tumor. Edges
"clean" Has temp colostomy.
XX Aug XXX Colostomy reversed in Germany.
Colonoscopy all clear.
XX SEP XX C-Difficile probably by
antibiotic in Germany follow-up to reversal.

etc etc thrugh the three year battle.

And also a list of medicines/ OTC's/ vitamin supplements. ALL
Strengths/ dosages/any reactions.

All this in my computer so easy to update. I found this invaluable.
MD's would come into hospital room with Franzi's charts under their
arm, and then ask the most basic questions. They just don't have the
time to plow through a lengthy history. One liners I laid out proved
invaluable. The doctors wished they had this for all patients! Or
so they said.

"Gregory Morrow" <gregorymorrow@earthlink.net> wrote in message news:1177026757.171877.6660@b58g2000hsg.googlegrou ps.com...
> maryanne kehoe wrote:
>
>> J, this is what we did. We had a list of the medications Ken was taking
>> and also it is important to tell the doctor you are working with about
>> any allergies to medications you may have (people tend to forget that.)
>> *Especially* penicillin. I can't remember which cancer medication, but
>> it violently reacts in combination with penicillin.
>
>
> What's so earth -shaking about this "revelation"...??? Should be SOP
> for *anyone* visiting a health care giver...
>

Yes, but so many people forget.

Pam S.

"J" <nexsw@nvalid,anon> wrote in message
news:46271B70.C555D933@execulink.com...
> Matti Narkia wrote:
>
>> On Wed, 18 Apr 2007 15:48:22 -0400, J <nexsw@nvalid,anon> wrote:
>>
>> >bj wrote:
>> >
>> >> Substitute "older" for "cancer" and this is Old News.
>> >> bj
>> >
>> >Sounds like you're bored and probably better off on your other
>> >newsgroups, bj.
>> >Since your thyroid cancer has been cured a long time ago.
>> >J
>> My, my, isn't that a nice way to talk to cancer patient :-(. Not.
>>
>> I thought this was supposed to be a support group, but someone seems
>> to be very selective about whom to give support to :-(.
>
> She's busy supporting and being supported on two other health newsgroups,
> obviiously.
> She's not been supporting here, probably because there's not been any
> recent
> thyroid cancer posters.
> J
>

Soooooooo??? I suppose there is a point there somewhere??? You are now
monitoring how many newsgroups people visit??
What the heck is wrong with you??

Mel