I’m a 64-year-old male, and you’ve just described my medications.
Then again, I’m the first male in my paternal lineage that hasn’t had his first heart attack before the age of fifty (because I haven’t had one yet), so maybe those prescriptions are working.
But most long-term meds aren’t curative, because most long-term conditions aren’t able to be cured. You’re just managing them, or preventing some worse followup condition. The only truly curative drugs there are are antibiotics.
I don’t take any prescription drugs on a regular basis, but I do take generic Claratin and generic Zantac. And it’s a pretty rare year I don’t wind up with an infection or having some dental work (I take prophylactic antibiotics because of a minor heart murmur) or needing antihistamine eye drops or some damn thing.
I guess I should vote other, since I take a prescribed iron supplement for a couple more months - until I have the baby. Sure, it’s a prescription, but I could get it OTC really. It’s just cheaper this way, since my insurance covers the ones in the little amber bottles but not the big honking white bottle…
Other than these supplements, my entire prescription history is: one round of antibiotics when I was 14, one round of muscle relaxers for a back injury when I was 20, and another antibiotic scrip around 1996. I’m a 41-year-old woman.
I’m female, 39 and have Myasthenia Gravis.
I take…
Mestinon
Mestinon TimeSpan
CellCept
Neurotin
Two meds for hypertension, but my hypertension is largely stress related. I’m hoping if my stress levels are under control within the next 5 years or so, I may only need one. But who knows.
I will probably need to start a statin too. I’ve talked to a doc about that.
I am on about 8 different supplements, mostly vitamins but a few as preventatives for CVD (which runs in my family).
I have insurance (I didn’t until about 6 months ago), but it is high deductible junk insurance. My hypertension meds cost me $5 a month, so I am not bothered by my poor insurance. A statin would probably cost me another $5 a month, not a big deal.
42, 0 medications.
Female, 47, no medications. The last time I had a prescription for anything was for pain meds after a surgery 12 years ago. I rarely take anything otc either. I chalk it up to fortuitous genetics.
36 year-old female. I take Lamictal for seizures & folic acid.
30, male, two for hypertension (losartin-potassium and amlodipine) and one for high cholesterol (simvastatin).
Female, 52. Been taking synthroid since I was 14. Otherwise healthy.
I’m twenty and so far none… And I want to keep it that way.
34, female, zero prescriptions taken regularly. But if I had prescription coverage I’d probably be on one or two for allergies, have an inhaler, and maybe take something for ADHD and/or acid reflux; at the moment everything but ADHD is more or less under control with OTC meds. As it is, the only prescriptions I’ve ever been on in my life are allergy meds (oral and nasal spray), rentin-A, Tylenol 3 (once), and a fair amount of antibiotics.
51.9 0 meds male
53 male. No regular meds. I take some meds on a PRN basis but I’m assuming you don’t include meds taken only intermittently / as needed?
Female, 57 years old, no meds. I agree with the OP - it seems kind of rare.
32, female. I said 3 - Glucophage for bloodsugar regulation, Zocor for cholesterol and BCP to treat the symptoms of PCOS (and no babies)
I’ve been on BCP since I was 13 so it’s curative for me.
55 Native American male. I have one prescription that i take only rarely for inflammation and pain in my feet from a military injury. I realized how fortunate I was in this regard when I recently took a long weekend with an old friend who is about my age. He had something like 10 or 12 precription meds, one of which he identified as “the pill that keeps me from killing my best friend while he sleeps”. Very reassuring.
A month ago I took zero.
A couple of weeks ago I asked for and got Trazadone for sleeping, and monday I was prescribed Metformin and Januvia for Diabetes.
Won’t continue the Januvia when it’s gone because it’s too damned expensive, but may be given something else.
Eh, if I think medication is truly indicated for someone, I almost always find a way to get them SOMETHING even if my preferred drug isn’t an option because of cost/insurance coverage.
A lot of drug companies have charity care programs where you can apply for a free supply of their med. A lot of generic meds can be had for $4 a month at some of the big chains like WalMart and Target. And while samples are harder to come by than they used to be, we do still have some patients who rely on samples. There is usually SOMETHING that can be worked out even if it’s not what I would do in a perfect world, so I do encourage people to be be honest with their doctor if they can’t afford the medication the doctor prescribed.
The worst thing is when I prescribe something for a patient and they don’t tell me they never started it because they couldn’t afford it.
48, female, fortunate enough to have wonderful insurance, and I take no medications. My husband, 44, takes oral meds for type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.