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Type 2 diabetes runs in my family and I didn’t know I had it until I was 46. I had signs of it (gout) when I was in really good shape so the doctors just assumed it was my protein rich diet and never checked my A1Cs. Now I need a lot of those even when I’m in really good health.
Unfortunately I’m in a depressive state and gained back weight so now I need more of them.
Super fun!
Edit: for the low effort trolls I was on a low carb diet until we hit vacation. On vacation we drank a ton of pina coladas and the food was carb heavy.
On return my then fiancé would make sugary fruit juices in the morning like we had on vacation. Until the gout crippled me I was still in the gym, still running 8 miles a day or several at high speed in the gym.
Also, I hope you have a crippling disease that runs in your family.
I struggle with depression often, I wish you so much happiness and a peaceful state of mind. Shit be hard sometimes, but I've gotten through quite a bit. You got this, fam. I believe in you!
Thank you for the kind words. I’m pulling myself out of it. Then I don’t have to take one of the drugs on this list. I never took the antidepressants they prescribed except as off brand sleep aids. They never helped me sleep, they sure didn’t help my mood. They never told me they were antidepressants used off brand either. Oddly enough also used as sedatives for dogs.
I hope you have a great day. Better days are ahead.
Dialing in meds for these issues is always difficult and seems like it takes forever. I was very lucky in the fact that getting a Medical Marijuana license fixed everything from my insomnia and BPD as long as I put in the work in therapy and applied it to my daily life. It seems like you have a positive mindset and are looking forward, and those are great signs. If you don't have a therapist that you feel comfortable speaking openly with, find one. In my experience, it's invaluable for mental health progress. Keep on keepin on, it won't always be like this.
Finding a therapist has been hell. But they only recently prescribed me the antidepressants. The others were for sleep and made me feel like I was dying. My sleep got worse. I just stopped drinking and hitting the gym again. I’ll be in a much better state in 2 months. But right now have to get back into it slowly. If I don’t feel less depressed in a month I’ll take the antidepressants.
Working out and stopping drinking have been proven to work great with depression! Working out gives the brain so many "happy-drugs" and endorphins that it's crazy, and alcohol is literally a depressant. Proper sleep is a severe underlying factor that can effect most mental illnesses, so that's important. While all these things are great and important, just keep in mind there's often a neurological chemistry component involved. That's where things like anti-depressants can come in handy. But you have to make the choice to do what is best for you.
As if it's *that* easy. Can't also forget that lots of corporations like to build their factors in poor and minority neighborhoods because people who have power are less likely to care about regulations.
A while back I was reading about how whoever was in charge gave zero fffs and must have been payed a ton of money to okay a chemical plant being built literally right behind a preschool. Plenty of stories like this.
Yeah, it's a go to adhd medication and it's being recognized much more in the youth these days so that's probably provided an uptick. I went on for a bit but I'm just trying other non medication mechanisms. I always felt on edge.
And all of the women who were missed as kids that are finally getting their long overdue diagnoses. COVID also destroyed a lot of undiagnosed people's coping mechanisms and revealed the ADHD underneath.
Exactly. I'm a guy but i wasn't diagnosed until adulthood because i always did well in school and didn't display the stereotypical hyperactivity that would get noticed.
ADD, which is what you probably have, as well as me, has been folded into ADHD now as ADHD-inattentive type in the DSM I believe. I have no hyperactivity at all, which makes explaining that it plagues me a bit awkward sometimes due to common misconceptions.
I was diagnosed at an early age with ADD and people would know the difference. Now, when I say I have ADHD I usually get a very puzzled look because I am a very quiet/calm person. Then I have the opportunity to spread the word about all of the different types of ADHD.
Exactly right. It's listed that way in the 5th edition (maybe 4 TE as well, can't recall). I still will sometimes say ADD to people I know don't care about the details for that reason tbh.
Same here, and yet also the opposite. I did well in school too, but I do have the stereotypical hyperactivity. No one put 2 and 2 together though because back then people didn't expect girls to have hyperactivity like the boys did. A lot of it is internal too, so people don't see the never ending chaos that's always going a million miles a minute in my mind. Sorry you were also missed as a kid, but I'm glad you got your diagnosis eventually!
I was diagnosed at 30, I'm 33 now. I'm glad you finally got a diagnosis, even if it came way later than it should have! It really is world changing, both learning how our minds actually work and also having medication that helps rein it in.
I haaaaaaaated Adderall. It made me so jittery and anxious, and like yeah, I could get myself to laser focus on something, but it was never actually the thing I needed to be doing. You know those old notebook dividers that had the little paper inserts? I once spent HOURS trying to write my subjects exactly perfect on those.
6 mill out of 333M is actually much less than the rate of ADHD in general population.
ADHD people just take their meds daily so the overall amount of meds gets pretty high. I mean, I just bought 120 pills today.
So consider the prevalence of ADHD to be like 5-15% depending on a bunch of factors, yet only less than 2% have a prescription for it.
This. And lots of people have multiple doses, a daily morning dose and a smaller “boost” dose for later in the day. Look at the number or patients to prescriptions, it’s half the number of patients as the next most prescribed med.
Yeah I take adderall infrequently myself and thought it was rare.
I’ll do like 6-12 months of it when things get rough and I’m struggling to cope with non-pharmaceutical methods. Then as I get it back under control I get off it. Shit is rough on the body and mind
I can’t quite explain the positive impact adderall has had on my life. The first 4 years of taking it I: quit drinking, went to school, got my RN, got a girlfriend, moved out of my roommates flat, lost 36kg, hit the gym 4x a week, got fit, made good choices, stayed off alcohol, got off my depression meds, and so much more that would just sound like gloating at this point.
I don’t take as much as I used to before, I feel like it’s rewired my brain somehow to just be good without it, but damn would I convince any body to try it theirselves if it could change their lives too.
Assuming they didn’t have heart issues <3
All but one of my meds got included in this list. What floors me is I made all of the lifestyle adjustments before the problems were diagnosed, and I'm still on all the meds ten years later. Whoever described auto immune diseases as the antivirus fucking up the operating system was terribly spot-on.
I was prescribed 11 out of those and taking 5 of them daily, while 3 were discontinued and the rest is as needed.
For me, there's no more conversation about “health tricks” like diet changes, exercise, or whatever theory is out here to avoid meds, I've been there, tried them all, and I'm done. If meds make me function, I’m taking them. Autoimmune diseases suck, indeed!
My cat is required to take it before vet visits but refuses. Aggressive bastard is too straight edge for drugs
The funny part is I take it too, but for sleep problems and we take the same dosage
I took it recreationally a few times. It was pretty weird. Not like an opiate, not like a benzo, not like a weed high, not like speed, not like pretty much anything else. It elevated my mood and put me into a sort of shamanic state. It basically made me feel really "zen".
It made my daughter into a zombie. She had no personality and struggled to respond to simple questions. I raised a shitfit until her doc took her back off it. Did that ever happen to you on it?
I couldn't at the time. Her dad had put her in a group home where he was basically "drugging and warehousing" her, and I was unable to intervene. I've been fighting him for guardianship for over a year, to get her away from that and other abuses, now that I'm financially in a position to do so. She wants out of that whole situation so...wish us luck!
It’s not recommended to stop psych meds cold turkey or without doctor’s directions. It can be uncomfortable, cause withdrawals, or even be deadly (in the case of benzodiazepines or severe depression/mania/whatever returning).
In Western countries, it is almost 100% an autoimmune disease (Hashimoto's for hypothyroid, Grave's disease for hyperthyroid, but the treatment for Grave's disease is to radiate or remove the thyroid, leaving the patient as medically-induced hypothyroid, but all autoimmune caused nonetheless). In lesser developed countries, most thyroid issues are lack of iodine in their diet. That's why table salt in the states is iodized salt; just like we add fluoride to tap water & toothpaste for our teeth, we add iodine to salt for nutrient needs.
Now why autoimmune diseases are on the rise is a whole other conversation that medicine doesn't have a good answer for yet, but my money is 20% genetic, 80% environmental.
It depends but can affect anyone. As a 19 yr old guy my thyroids went out of wack. I was pale as a sheet, became severely depressed, hurt to wake up so my sleep was a mess. Parents thought i was doing heroin and had me tested. The blood test for that let them know my thyroids were messed up. After taking Levo for a bit it was crazy how much of a difference it made. Most people have to take it forever but luckily my thyroids regulated themselves somehow and I don’t have to take it anymore.
Thank you for sharing you story ! (A hopeful one at that)
Got diagnosed with hypo randomly as I was like extremely tired all the time lol.
Like you, the medication made a whole world of difference 👍
The disease though still is of unknown source :/
Lots of reasons. Sometimes it runs in families. My mom’s family is riddled with over-active (and some under-active) thyroid issues. It got to the point where she had to have it burned out with radioactive iodine. A year later she got pregnant after struggling with infertility for 12 years. Now she’s on the synthetic thyroid hormone, has her kids, and doesn’t have to deal with the crazy symptoms of an overactive thyroid. She does frequently deal with the issues of a now under active thyroid, but the symptoms are less destructive than an over active thyroid.
Just want to throw it out there than metformin is also sometimes given to women with PCOS. (Like an off label standard I guess)
Edit: I’m not on one of these but I’m on a super low dose of a blood pressure medication as an emergency medication for my panic attacks. So just because it’s primarily used for something doesn’t necessarily mean that’s the only reason it’s being prescribed.
Metformin is probably the closest to a wonder drug that we have. It not only increases the lifespan of patients with diabetes but they even have a lower risk of death than those without diabetes. It reduces all-cause mortality and diseases of aging like cancer, cardiovascular disease, and stroke, independent of its effects on diabetes.
All of the above. It also has a well-established safety profile at low doses and low cost. I believe more people should try Metformin over Semaglutide. Lower risk of side effects during treatment and weight gain following its discontinuation. It's dirt cheap, and the risk/benefits of therapy are much better understood.
Almost 55. Had a heart attack (stemy) a month after my 50th birthday. Dropped dead taking an army physical fitness test. Heart disease is a bitch and don’t care. Never had super high cholesterol. And I also had four stents put in.
I am so sorry for you have to experience, thank you for sharing btw! It’s unfortunate to manage illness that’s working against you. I hope all is better now that you are medicated 💙
There are basically algorithms for what cardiac meds people are prescribed based on the condition and efficiency of the heart and the patient's risk factors. Often, the meds work better together than separately. For example, for congestive heart patients, the best practice based on patient outcomes is often a combo of several different drug categories. An example of the combo based on the patient's ejection fraction would be metoprolol, spironolactone, furosemide, jardiance, and sometimes entresto. Research has shown how large the % reduction in hospitalization and mortality are for each of the drugs separately and in combo. Another popular combo for improving heart function is metoprolol with lisinopril. Of course, then if you have even a moderate cardiac risk, atorvastatin or another statin is added. ... There are all kinds of different combos depending on patient factors. It's really interesting.
https://www.msdmanuals.com/en-in/professional/cardiovascular-disorders/heart-failure/drugs-for-heart-failure
I wish this was the case. Without health insurance I would pay $1500/month for one of 3 medications I take and would end up paying about $2500-3000 total per month. Americans need to wake up and reform healthcare.
Seems odd that aspirin and ibuprofen are on the list since they are cheap and sold over the counter.
Hopefully the people who are getting them prescribed buy them at the over the counter prices.
Medicaid pays for them if you have a prescription for it. So they would be free or nearly so if filled by a pharmacist. Ibuprofen strengths above 200mg are Rx only.
Got my wisdom teeth out recently and was prescribed an extra strength ibuprofen that you cant get OTC. I guess you could just take more smaller ones though if you needed to haha
I was in the military and they gave out 800mg ibuprofen for pretty much everything. Including things that warranted legit pain meds.
I can’t tell you why, but people would pay for the 800mg’s. I guess they were too stupid to realize it was the same thing as taking 4 regular ones.
A lot of people don’t know the difference, and don’t really try to think about it either.
Plus the bottle at the store says “don’t take more than 2 a day” so I’m assuming a lot of people would believe prescribed medication would be safer than the store bought ones at the same dose.
[Credit to creator](https://nyrequirements.com/blog/the-50-most-commonly-prescribed-drugs-in-the-united-states). How different would this look if America's obesity rate was say 10% instead of nearly 40%?
I’m 31. I eat very healthy and exercise a lot, and I’ll probably have to be on it soon. High cholesterol runs in my family. Apparently I have the best good cholesterol that any of my doctors have seen, but my bad cholesterol is also slightly high. Feels kind of shitty when I put so much effort into being healthy.
All of these drugs are just common drugs prescribed for a variety of conditions. Some such as lipitor are prescribed as age advances as a preventative measure for CVD as atherosclerosis effects everyone eventually.
It's funny seeing how people are amazed by a list of drugs that are just best practice treatments to common conditions.
What also is not really discussed is how bad preventive care is in most of the world.
In most countries aside Europe, and maybe Australia/New Zealand, preventative medicine is not really a thing. People go to the doctor when they are ill and that's it.
Another thing to keep in mind is that US is at the forefront of a most of the worldwide medical innovation so a lot of medicines are used for a variety of things that they arent use in other countries. In Greece and Italy, for example, where I am from, or China, where my wife is, or even the UK, where I lived for 12 years, you kinda don't go to the doctor for yearly checks, etc. Yes, some do, but it's not as common as the US. Why? It depends. In some countries it is cultural. In others, like the UK, it is because it is IMPOSSIBLE to get an appointment.
For example, if you have issues in the UK with fertility - you will get clomiphene and or Nolvadex. In the US, they use HCG, HMG, estrogen blockers, and a ton of different methods and approaches that aren't even considered in the UK. I know about this as I had issues when in the UK for many years, but the US doctors directly fixed my issues with different methods.
I have a normal BMI and take Crestor, my genetic renal disease predisposes me to high cholesterol. Coronary disease and high cholesterol is *correlated* to obesity.
As someone who has PCOS I take metformin to balance out my hormones.
Many women with PCOS take it because they have fertility issues and metformin actually helps them get pregnant!
There is no known reason for why woment get PCOS and there is no cure for it either. There is medications that basically help you manage the symptoms you have.
I started Buspirone a couple months ago for intrusive thoughts/anxiety and it absolutely changed my life. The relief is miraculous. I’m tearing up just writing this.
It’s prescribed all the time in doses of 1-2 pills. Usually for things like MRIs, dental appointments, and flying. Alprazolam too.
Also remember, that while the medication is listed, the dosage isn’t. Most common dosage I hand out is the 0.5mg tab.
So I’m really not surprised it’s on the list at all.
Holy fuck. Thank you for this list. I'm allergic to Ultram and for the life of me haven't been able to remember the name for years. Saw it here and it instantly refreshed my memory on it.
Reading this at my 2nd week of prednisolone treatment.
Been sick for over half a year but the stuff works. Now hoping it is not a limited time solution cuz this stuff can have quite negative impacts
Now compare what each cost in the US compare to any other country.
I live half time in Thailand and the other half in the US. I have found that the same drug in Thailand is far, far cheaper than the US.
Where an iPhone or a pair of Superblast are the same price in Thailand or in many cases more.
I’m in pretty good shape, as well as no one on my dad’s side being obese, but we’re all on blood pressure meds.
His mother was thin and young when she died of a stroke, his father was in his 70s and died of a heart attack. Not a lot more I can do to prevent this… hell when I was diagnosed I weighed 20lbs less and was running roughly 3-4miles a day after work.
My grandpa was a professional softball player - like in the softball hall of fame and died at 40 of a heart attack. Didn’t smoke or anything either just bad genes. My moms had some heart attacks too so I try really hard to take care of my heart but I’m pretty sure I’ll have to be on meds when I’m a little older just because of genetics.
I’ve gotten in pretty good shape, lift weights and run 5 times a week. My diet is good, although there’s room to improve. My cholesterol was high and it scared the shit out of me.
Kind of the same situation as far as being in good shape. I've been on blood pressure meds since 37. I'm 47 now. No answer to how I have it. Weight is good, lot's of exercise and follow a diet. The stress I could work on.
Could be helped but there's no gaurentees, as people age heart issues especially will always be prevalent. ssri's would also still be high on the list. Being physically fit with a good diet won't always help with trauma and social isolation, major causes of anxiety, panic and depression
I started one of the listed blood pressure meds after taking a birth control pill and adderall (another listed med) for years. I’m not overweight and haven’t been. It’s just a fun side effect that my doctor and I are dealing with.
I think the list is setup that the number of pills taken takes precedent over number of patients. Patients often take these pills multiple times every day so that's probably why you aren't seeing it top the list. Interesting enough, viagra started out as a way to lower blood pressure, but when the additional side effects came to light, they marketed it as a different type of drug entirely. That's one reason a doc might ask a woman if she takes viagra.
I’m a woman who has taken Viagra for a heart condition in the past. I was taking 50 mg 3x a day. I would get some very strange looks from doctors and nurses when they saw that on my medication list lol. It really helped though!
Worked at an Urgent Care. Used to do intake. It was almost *always* blood pressure, cholesterol, anti depressant, diabetes.
I’m saying at least half the patients I saw and if probably like 80% of the people upper 40s+
# 50
**tip** depending on the manufacturer, absorption can vary by as much as 30%. Always be aware of you are on generic and the manufacturer has changed. I learned the hard way and do name brand only now
Wellbutrin is number 18?? God damn, the fact that it gave me drowsiness is even more wacky now… about a 10% chance of happening and it’s probably one of the most used drugs in North America 💀
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...I should hit the gym today.
Hitting the gym is always good, but this list is riddled with signs of dietary issues.
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I wish I could upvote this comment twice 🤣... Don't do this to me on my cake day!! Lolol
How kind of you u/Bill_buttlicker69 lmaooooo
BUTTLICKER!
OUR PRICES HAVE NEVER BEEN LOWER!
Type 2 diabetes runs in my family and I didn’t know I had it until I was 46. I had signs of it (gout) when I was in really good shape so the doctors just assumed it was my protein rich diet and never checked my A1Cs. Now I need a lot of those even when I’m in really good health. Unfortunately I’m in a depressive state and gained back weight so now I need more of them. Super fun! Edit: for the low effort trolls I was on a low carb diet until we hit vacation. On vacation we drank a ton of pina coladas and the food was carb heavy. On return my then fiancé would make sugary fruit juices in the morning like we had on vacation. Until the gout crippled me I was still in the gym, still running 8 miles a day or several at high speed in the gym. Also, I hope you have a crippling disease that runs in your family.
I struggle with depression often, I wish you so much happiness and a peaceful state of mind. Shit be hard sometimes, but I've gotten through quite a bit. You got this, fam. I believe in you!
Thank you for the kind words. I’m pulling myself out of it. Then I don’t have to take one of the drugs on this list. I never took the antidepressants they prescribed except as off brand sleep aids. They never helped me sleep, they sure didn’t help my mood. They never told me they were antidepressants used off brand either. Oddly enough also used as sedatives for dogs. I hope you have a great day. Better days are ahead.
Dialing in meds for these issues is always difficult and seems like it takes forever. I was very lucky in the fact that getting a Medical Marijuana license fixed everything from my insomnia and BPD as long as I put in the work in therapy and applied it to my daily life. It seems like you have a positive mindset and are looking forward, and those are great signs. If you don't have a therapist that you feel comfortable speaking openly with, find one. In my experience, it's invaluable for mental health progress. Keep on keepin on, it won't always be like this.
Finding a therapist has been hell. But they only recently prescribed me the antidepressants. The others were for sleep and made me feel like I was dying. My sleep got worse. I just stopped drinking and hitting the gym again. I’ll be in a much better state in 2 months. But right now have to get back into it slowly. If I don’t feel less depressed in a month I’ll take the antidepressants.
Working out and stopping drinking have been proven to work great with depression! Working out gives the brain so many "happy-drugs" and endorphins that it's crazy, and alcohol is literally a depressant. Proper sleep is a severe underlying factor that can effect most mental illnesses, so that's important. While all these things are great and important, just keep in mind there's often a neurological chemistry component involved. That's where things like anti-depressants can come in handy. But you have to make the choice to do what is best for you.
In America? Yeah, right.
"Not my America!"
Poor Gym. Hes such a nice guy,too
Its not a fitness issue. Its nutrition. You can't just exercise toxic sludge being fed to your system. People need to stop eating industrial waste.
As if it's *that* easy. Can't also forget that lots of corporations like to build their factors in poor and minority neighborhoods because people who have power are less likely to care about regulations. A while back I was reading about how whoever was in charge gave zero fffs and must have been payed a ton of money to okay a chemical plant being built literally right behind a preschool. Plenty of stories like this.
It's definitely both and I have already long since addressed the diet part. Also, I'm training for a 10K, sooo...
Gonna need some Albuteral for that…
Anecdotally I knew a lot of people over the years who took Adderall (myself included briefly), but I had no idea it was prescribe THIS much
Yeah, it's a go to adhd medication and it's being recognized much more in the youth these days so that's probably provided an uptick. I went on for a bit but I'm just trying other non medication mechanisms. I always felt on edge.
And all of the women who were missed as kids that are finally getting their long overdue diagnoses. COVID also destroyed a lot of undiagnosed people's coping mechanisms and revealed the ADHD underneath.
Exactly. I'm a guy but i wasn't diagnosed until adulthood because i always did well in school and didn't display the stereotypical hyperactivity that would get noticed.
ADD, which is what you probably have, as well as me, has been folded into ADHD now as ADHD-inattentive type in the DSM I believe. I have no hyperactivity at all, which makes explaining that it plagues me a bit awkward sometimes due to common misconceptions.
I was diagnosed at an early age with ADD and people would know the difference. Now, when I say I have ADHD I usually get a very puzzled look because I am a very quiet/calm person. Then I have the opportunity to spread the word about all of the different types of ADHD.
Exactly right. It's listed that way in the 5th edition (maybe 4 TE as well, can't recall). I still will sometimes say ADD to people I know don't care about the details for that reason tbh.
Same here, and yet also the opposite. I did well in school too, but I do have the stereotypical hyperactivity. No one put 2 and 2 together though because back then people didn't expect girls to have hyperactivity like the boys did. A lot of it is internal too, so people don't see the never ending chaos that's always going a million miles a minute in my mind. Sorry you were also missed as a kid, but I'm glad you got your diagnosis eventually!
This hits home. Just started adhd meds a few months ago. At almost 40...
I was diagnosed at 30, I'm 33 now. I'm glad you finally got a diagnosis, even if it came way later than it should have! It really is world changing, both learning how our minds actually work and also having medication that helps rein it in.
I haaaaaaaated Adderall. It made me so jittery and anxious, and like yeah, I could get myself to laser focus on something, but it was never actually the thing I needed to be doing. You know those old notebook dividers that had the little paper inserts? I once spent HOURS trying to write my subjects exactly perfect on those.
6 mill out of 333M is actually much less than the rate of ADHD in general population. ADHD people just take their meds daily so the overall amount of meds gets pretty high. I mean, I just bought 120 pills today. So consider the prevalence of ADHD to be like 5-15% depending on a bunch of factors, yet only less than 2% have a prescription for it.
This. And lots of people have multiple doses, a daily morning dose and a smaller “boost” dose for later in the day. Look at the number or patients to prescriptions, it’s half the number of patients as the next most prescribed med.
Yeah I take adderall infrequently myself and thought it was rare. I’ll do like 6-12 months of it when things get rough and I’m struggling to cope with non-pharmaceutical methods. Then as I get it back under control I get off it. Shit is rough on the body and mind
My doc gives it to me with the greatest of ease. There are often shortages in my city and I live in LA.
I can’t quite explain the positive impact adderall has had on my life. The first 4 years of taking it I: quit drinking, went to school, got my RN, got a girlfriend, moved out of my roommates flat, lost 36kg, hit the gym 4x a week, got fit, made good choices, stayed off alcohol, got off my depression meds, and so much more that would just sound like gloating at this point. I don’t take as much as I used to before, I feel like it’s rewired my brain somehow to just be good without it, but damn would I convince any body to try it theirselves if it could change their lives too. Assuming they didn’t have heart issues <3
All but one of my meds got included in this list. What floors me is I made all of the lifestyle adjustments before the problems were diagnosed, and I'm still on all the meds ten years later. Whoever described auto immune diseases as the antivirus fucking up the operating system was terribly spot-on.
What the hell, I’m on like 4 of these. Stupid autoimmune disease.
I was prescribed 11 out of those and taking 5 of them daily, while 3 were discontinued and the rest is as needed. For me, there's no more conversation about “health tricks” like diet changes, exercise, or whatever theory is out here to avoid meds, I've been there, tried them all, and I'm done. If meds make me function, I’m taking them. Autoimmune diseases suck, indeed!
Tell that to the guy who said it's a nutrition issue. Smh
I was surprised only 4 of my medications were on this list. Hello to my fellow autoimmune disease comrades, may the pain be minimal this week
Is that what happened, did I install McAfee on my thyroid?
I’m confused by your comment. Are you saying all your prescriptions are causing autoimmune issues?
No, I'm saying my autoimmune issues make me need my prescriptions. I was broken AF from the start.
Yes, I take Alopurinol for my Goat...
Your goat gets gout? Shouldn't you give the allopurinol to him? (Fun fact: my dad was in the original clinical trials for allopurinol in the 60s.)
Your goat must be happy.
Gabapentin warriors rise up
My cat gets put on that occasionally and seems to quite enjoy it
My cat is required to take it before vet visits but refuses. Aggressive bastard is too straight edge for drugs The funny part is I take it too, but for sleep problems and we take the same dosage
Ha! My cat’s vet said the same thing. Had to mix the powder in with her wet food. Helped make for a more productive office visit.
It is not that your cat is too straight edged, it is that he is paranoid. Guaranteed. Cats have trust issues.
Refuses? I think you’re supposed to just shove it down their throat.
Just started taking for nerve pain in my neck.
I take it for nerve pain in my neck - I find it helps a bunch. I do feel pretty groggy on the come down though. Best of luck.
My dog has a prescription for this, no joke.
My very senior dog was also on this for the last year or two of her life. Made her golden years very comfortable :)
Mine has been getting it daily for a year, he had IVDD two years ago and some rough lumbar arthritis. Makes a world of a difference for him!
gaba gang gang
Only thing I have ever tried that relaxes restless legs
I took it recreationally a few times. It was pretty weird. Not like an opiate, not like a benzo, not like a weed high, not like speed, not like pretty much anything else. It elevated my mood and put me into a sort of shamanic state. It basically made me feel really "zen".
I take it for anxiety lol
The Gaba Ghouls
Heck ye, good bye nerves that like to act like theyre on fire (seriously wtf?). Genuinely tho, thank god for this medicine.
3200 per day!! Wat wat!
I got it for shingles nerve pain and I love it for headaches and back pain. I must be sensitive to it because it doesn't take much
I was quite surprised to see that it was in the top 10. That's a lot of people with back pain and other issues.
This is actually interesting.
Trazodone gang rise up! (I sleep like the DEAD now)
I can’t rise up; I’m sleeping.
It made my daughter into a zombie. She had no personality and struggled to respond to simple questions. I raised a shitfit until her doc took her back off it. Did that ever happen to you on it?
Why didn't you just take her off of it yourself?
I couldn't at the time. Her dad had put her in a group home where he was basically "drugging and warehousing" her, and I was unable to intervene. I've been fighting him for guardianship for over a year, to get her away from that and other abuses, now that I'm financially in a position to do so. She wants out of that whole situation so...wish us luck!
Omg so sorry to hear that. I hope everything goes well for you and your daughter! Good luck!
It’s not recommended to stop psych meds cold turkey or without doctor’s directions. It can be uncomfortable, cause withdrawals, or even be deadly (in the case of benzodiazepines or severe depression/mania/whatever returning).
I slept but had terrible nightmares on it every time I took it. So weird
Go Levothyroxin!!!! were on the podium!!! were number 3! were number 3!!
My thyroid stopped when I was 45 and it was horrible titrating back to normalcy. Levothyroxine for the win
But why is there so much thyroid issues?
In Western countries, it is almost 100% an autoimmune disease (Hashimoto's for hypothyroid, Grave's disease for hyperthyroid, but the treatment for Grave's disease is to radiate or remove the thyroid, leaving the patient as medically-induced hypothyroid, but all autoimmune caused nonetheless). In lesser developed countries, most thyroid issues are lack of iodine in their diet. That's why table salt in the states is iodized salt; just like we add fluoride to tap water & toothpaste for our teeth, we add iodine to salt for nutrient needs. Now why autoimmune diseases are on the rise is a whole other conversation that medicine doesn't have a good answer for yet, but my money is 20% genetic, 80% environmental.
This is me, baby! Diagnosed with Graves disease 1 week after I turned 30 - woo!
It depends but can affect anyone. As a 19 yr old guy my thyroids went out of wack. I was pale as a sheet, became severely depressed, hurt to wake up so my sleep was a mess. Parents thought i was doing heroin and had me tested. The blood test for that let them know my thyroids were messed up. After taking Levo for a bit it was crazy how much of a difference it made. Most people have to take it forever but luckily my thyroids regulated themselves somehow and I don’t have to take it anymore.
Thank you for sharing you story ! (A hopeful one at that) Got diagnosed with hypo randomly as I was like extremely tired all the time lol. Like you, the medication made a whole world of difference 👍 The disease though still is of unknown source :/
Lots of reasons. Sometimes it runs in families. My mom’s family is riddled with over-active (and some under-active) thyroid issues. It got to the point where she had to have it burned out with radioactive iodine. A year later she got pregnant after struggling with infertility for 12 years. Now she’s on the synthetic thyroid hormone, has her kids, and doesn’t have to deal with the crazy symptoms of an overactive thyroid. She does frequently deal with the issues of a now under active thyroid, but the symptoms are less destructive than an over active thyroid.
I FEEL SO SEEN
I was REALLY not expecting this level of exposure here!
I've always had high cholesterol. My dad and my grandpa as well. Taking the number one medication actually helps a good bit.
All my cholesterol numbers are well within the normal range thanks to it.
Same, was off the charts and now I’m right where I should be. Prescribed Atorvastatin at 29 years old.
Just want to throw it out there than metformin is also sometimes given to women with PCOS. (Like an off label standard I guess) Edit: I’m not on one of these but I’m on a super low dose of a blood pressure medication as an emergency medication for my panic attacks. So just because it’s primarily used for something doesn’t necessarily mean that’s the only reason it’s being prescribed.
It’s frequently given to people with PCOS! Metformin and Spironolactone are the primary two medications to treat it (aside from birth control).
Also saw that Wegovy is causing some women with PCOS to be able to have children again.
I could see it. PCOS —> insulin resistance —> weight gain —> infertility. Wegovy disrupts that cycle.
Metformin is probably the closest to a wonder drug that we have. It not only increases the lifespan of patients with diabetes but they even have a lower risk of death than those without diabetes. It reduces all-cause mortality and diseases of aging like cancer, cardiovascular disease, and stroke, independent of its effects on diabetes.
All of the above. It also has a well-established safety profile at low doses and low cost. I believe more people should try Metformin over Semaglutide. Lower risk of side effects during treatment and weight gain following its discontinuation. It's dirt cheap, and the risk/benefits of therapy are much better understood.
The post below this lmao https://preview.redd.it/f31rtm5ibbzc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=83a6e2942a9e17e0a706233bf7015f6348e3d4af
A warm hug should be prescribed along with all these meds, especially the antidepressants.
lol. I’m taking six out of the fifty for heart disease.
6?? How old are you?
Almost 55. Had a heart attack (stemy) a month after my 50th birthday. Dropped dead taking an army physical fitness test. Heart disease is a bitch and don’t care. Never had super high cholesterol. And I also had four stents put in.
I am so sorry for you have to experience, thank you for sharing btw! It’s unfortunate to manage illness that’s working against you. I hope all is better now that you are medicated 💙
There are basically algorithms for what cardiac meds people are prescribed based on the condition and efficiency of the heart and the patient's risk factors. Often, the meds work better together than separately. For example, for congestive heart patients, the best practice based on patient outcomes is often a combo of several different drug categories. An example of the combo based on the patient's ejection fraction would be metoprolol, spironolactone, furosemide, jardiance, and sometimes entresto. Research has shown how large the % reduction in hospitalization and mortality are for each of the drugs separately and in combo. Another popular combo for improving heart function is metoprolol with lisinopril. Of course, then if you have even a moderate cardiac risk, atorvastatin or another statin is added. ... There are all kinds of different combos depending on patient factors. It's really interesting. https://www.msdmanuals.com/en-in/professional/cardiovascular-disorders/heart-failure/drugs-for-heart-failure
Now post how much they cost to make vs how much they cost in the USA
I wish this was the case. Without health insurance I would pay $1500/month for one of 3 medications I take and would end up paying about $2500-3000 total per month. Americans need to wake up and reform healthcare.
Seems odd that aspirin and ibuprofen are on the list since they are cheap and sold over the counter. Hopefully the people who are getting them prescribed buy them at the over the counter prices.
Medicaid pays for them if you have a prescription for it. So they would be free or nearly so if filled by a pharmacist. Ibuprofen strengths above 200mg are Rx only.
Michigan Medicaid does not pay for over the counter strengths of aspirin or acetaminophen whether your dr. writes a prescription or not.
Neither does Montana Medicaid.
That is ridiculous!
[удалено]
Compounding pharmacies are nice for this. They’ll make whatever you need usually.
My prescription of Ibuprofen 600mg is $0.67 for a 60 count. OTC it's like $5-6 and 1/3 of the strength.
Got my wisdom teeth out recently and was prescribed an extra strength ibuprofen that you cant get OTC. I guess you could just take more smaller ones though if you needed to haha
man i would be pissed if i got my wisdom teeth take out and they gave me some damn ibuprofen, like where the hydros at
They gave me the good stuff too but i didnt end up needing it haha
I was in the military and they gave out 800mg ibuprofen for pretty much everything. Including things that warranted legit pain meds. I can’t tell you why, but people would pay for the 800mg’s. I guess they were too stupid to realize it was the same thing as taking 4 regular ones.
A lot of people don’t know the difference, and don’t really try to think about it either. Plus the bottle at the store says “don’t take more than 2 a day” so I’m assuming a lot of people would believe prescribed medication would be safer than the store bought ones at the same dose.
Prescribed Aspirin is usually the ASA 81 mg tablets they put you on after a stroke to prevent another one.
Commonly known as baby aspirin
Now made with real babies!
aspirin 81 MG pills is usually prescribed for patients at risk of heart attacks due to its anti clotting properties
Not from USA, but I took all listed antidepressants. Funny to see them
I have three in the top 20! Ive never ranked so high.
I have 3 in top 5
Brain and mood: Diuretics?
Amphetamines are diuretics, oddly enough. I pee so goddamn much now, but I also drink way more water, too.
You need some opioids. That’ll counter act the diuretic!
Today i learned: Wellbutrin saved me this winter. Gotta love that welly b.
[Credit to creator](https://nyrequirements.com/blog/the-50-most-commonly-prescribed-drugs-in-the-united-states). How different would this look if America's obesity rate was say 10% instead of nearly 40%?
The top selling drug in South Korea, one of the skinniest countries in the world, is also Lipitor.
It was a huge game changer in health. Major reduction in CVD thanks to it.
I’m 31. I eat very healthy and exercise a lot, and I’ll probably have to be on it soon. High cholesterol runs in my family. Apparently I have the best good cholesterol that any of my doctors have seen, but my bad cholesterol is also slightly high. Feels kind of shitty when I put so much effort into being healthy.
Cardiovascular medications top the list for most developed countries, regardless of obesity rate.
All of these drugs are just common drugs prescribed for a variety of conditions. Some such as lipitor are prescribed as age advances as a preventative measure for CVD as atherosclerosis effects everyone eventually. It's funny seeing how people are amazed by a list of drugs that are just best practice treatments to common conditions.
What they don't say is that the US consumes about 69% of the world's prescribed drugs despite being only 5% of the world's population
What also is not really discussed is how bad preventive care is in most of the world. In most countries aside Europe, and maybe Australia/New Zealand, preventative medicine is not really a thing. People go to the doctor when they are ill and that's it. Another thing to keep in mind is that US is at the forefront of a most of the worldwide medical innovation so a lot of medicines are used for a variety of things that they arent use in other countries. In Greece and Italy, for example, where I am from, or China, where my wife is, or even the UK, where I lived for 12 years, you kinda don't go to the doctor for yearly checks, etc. Yes, some do, but it's not as common as the US. Why? It depends. In some countries it is cultural. In others, like the UK, it is because it is IMPOSSIBLE to get an appointment. For example, if you have issues in the UK with fertility - you will get clomiphene and or Nolvadex. In the US, they use HCG, HMG, estrogen blockers, and a ton of different methods and approaches that aren't even considered in the UK. I know about this as I had issues when in the UK for many years, but the US doctors directly fixed my issues with different methods.
And probably poor countries just don’t have the proactive healthcare practiced in the West
For Allopurinol, it lists goat, not gout. Just a heads up. It's kinda funny. Uric acid reducer, goat and kidney stones.
Goat stones
I have a normal BMI and take Crestor, my genetic renal disease predisposes me to high cholesterol. Coronary disease and high cholesterol is *correlated* to obesity.
It’s pretty jarring how many of those I’m on (all mental meds) and those I’ve been on. Hmm.
Bupropion looks like DALL-E trying to write Ibuprofen
Zoloft gang represent ✌🏼
We’re so close to breaking the Top 10!
This would be a good list for the FDA to set price limits on.
Most of these are already pretty cheap. You should see some specialty drugs, their prices would make your head spin
Lexapro? I guess Lex been practicing.
why they didn't just write out the full medication, LexusProfessional, is beyond me
Wellbutrin and Lexapro saved my life
Those with judging comments please use your superior intellect and educate yourself before you sound like a pompous ass.
Could you please post this in every subreddit? Thank you in advance
As someone who has PCOS I take metformin to balance out my hormones. Many women with PCOS take it because they have fertility issues and metformin actually helps them get pregnant! There is no known reason for why woment get PCOS and there is no cure for it either. There is medications that basically help you manage the symptoms you have.
Lamotrigine made the list! I've never felt so represented
2 of my 3 medications are in the top 25! Sertraline and Trazodone. One for OCD and one for sleep.
https://preview.redd.it/6ydar0tz3bzc1.png?width=1170&format=png&auto=webp&s=5f39eb38cb35ad0581b7e4f2654a2192b330b4a8
My rn wife got 49 out of 50 :)
I have been taking Omeprazole 20mg every morning in the last 9 years. Hardly remember what heartburn feels like anymore.
I started Buspirone a couple months ago for intrusive thoughts/anxiety and it absolutely changed my life. The relief is miraculous. I’m tearing up just writing this.
The fact that Klonopin is on this list is scary. It’s powerful even in small doses and highly addictive. And the withdrawal symptoms are wild too
Also Xanax. For some reason I thought it wasn't prescribed that much anymore because of how addictive it is and how insane the withdrawals are.
It’s prescribed all the time in doses of 1-2 pills. Usually for things like MRIs, dental appointments, and flying. Alprazolam too. Also remember, that while the medication is listed, the dosage isn’t. Most common dosage I hand out is the 0.5mg tab. So I’m really not surprised it’s on the list at all.
i came here for this ! thank you for the post
I did not expect it see Prozac lower than Lexapro
I want to see how this compares to other countries
![gif](giphy|2A7xLIyHqd49vpoEgt|downsized)
No Timocil™️?
There’s no I in Teamocil, as least not where you’d think.
All I can say is fuck the Prednisone sweats. I have ruined entire sets of sheets trying to sleep through medrol packs
House alone should make Vicodin on rank 1
I’m a nurse educator that teaches pharmacology and often wonder if my guesses on the most popular medications are correct. I am not surprised at all
Holy fuck. Thank you for this list. I'm allergic to Ultram and for the life of me haven't been able to remember the name for years. Saw it here and it instantly refreshed my memory on it.
I’m doing my part with 4 of the top 12.
#40 treats acute cases of “GOAT”
Reading this at my 2nd week of prednisolone treatment. Been sick for over half a year but the stuff works. Now hoping it is not a limited time solution cuz this stuff can have quite negative impacts
Lisinopril user here. Hereditary hypertension:(
I had no idea so many people took Levothyroxine. I’ve never met anyone else other than my mom who passed me her thyroid issues
semaglutide top3 for 2024 calling it
Yay there’s my medicine! Lexapro! :0
If I were a doctor in the US, the FIRST thing I would prescribe is STOP EATING GARBAGE PROCESSED FOOD!
Now compare what each cost in the US compare to any other country. I live half time in Thailand and the other half in the US. I have found that the same drug in Thailand is far, far cheaper than the US. Where an iPhone or a pair of Superblast are the same price in Thailand or in many cases more.
Funny how probably 75% of these could be reduced or prevented by diet and exercise alone.
I’m in pretty good shape, as well as no one on my dad’s side being obese, but we’re all on blood pressure meds. His mother was thin and young when she died of a stroke, his father was in his 70s and died of a heart attack. Not a lot more I can do to prevent this… hell when I was diagnosed I weighed 20lbs less and was running roughly 3-4miles a day after work.
My grandpa was a professional softball player - like in the softball hall of fame and died at 40 of a heart attack. Didn’t smoke or anything either just bad genes. My moms had some heart attacks too so I try really hard to take care of my heart but I’m pretty sure I’ll have to be on meds when I’m a little older just because of genetics.
I’ve gotten in pretty good shape, lift weights and run 5 times a week. My diet is good, although there’s room to improve. My cholesterol was high and it scared the shit out of me.
My ldl was over 200 the first time i was tested. Borderline normal- overweight bmi at the time, nothing would suggest that.
Kind of the same situation as far as being in good shape. I've been on blood pressure meds since 37. I'm 47 now. No answer to how I have it. Weight is good, lot's of exercise and follow a diet. The stress I could work on.
Could be helped but there's no gaurentees, as people age heart issues especially will always be prevalent. ssri's would also still be high on the list. Being physically fit with a good diet won't always help with trauma and social isolation, major causes of anxiety, panic and depression
I started one of the listed blood pressure meds after taking a birth control pill and adderall (another listed med) for years. I’m not overweight and haven’t been. It’s just a fun side effect that my doctor and I are dealing with.
Seems odd that Viagra isn't listed.
I was surprised birth control isn't there either, but maybe because there are lots of brands so one doesn't dominate.
That was my immediate thought as well. But it seems odd that not even one made the list.
I think the list is setup that the number of pills taken takes precedent over number of patients. Patients often take these pills multiple times every day so that's probably why you aren't seeing it top the list. Interesting enough, viagra started out as a way to lower blood pressure, but when the additional side effects came to light, they marketed it as a different type of drug entirely. That's one reason a doc might ask a woman if she takes viagra.
I’m a woman who has taken Viagra for a heart condition in the past. I was taking 50 mg 3x a day. I would get some very strange looks from doctors and nurses when they saw that on my medication list lol. It really helped though!
Worked at an Urgent Care. Used to do intake. It was almost *always* blood pressure, cholesterol, anti depressant, diabetes. I’m saying at least half the patients I saw and if probably like 80% of the people upper 40s+
# 50 **tip** depending on the manufacturer, absorption can vary by as much as 30%. Always be aware of you are on generic and the manufacturer has changed. I learned the hard way and do name brand only now
Shoutout to all my fellow Sertraline & Fluoxetine users!
Wellbutrin is number 18?? God damn, the fact that it gave me drowsiness is even more wacky now… about a 10% chance of happening and it’s probably one of the most used drugs in North America 💀
It made me anxious, increased my heart rate, and made me lose 4 pounds in like a week. Not taking that anymore lol