FDA sounds alarms on pain mediations!!

The FDA Panel is speaking up about the amount of  Acetaminophen a person should take.  I think this is a good thing, don’t get me wrong.  But its an individual thing.  Some people just don’t pay attention to what they are taking ingredients wise, like say if they are taking a cold medication, then take more in a separate tablet or liquid form for another pain.  Frankly you have to pay attention!!

Now they are talking about doing away with Vicodin.  Now my father, whom I caregiver for, takes this, has taken this for over three years now.  He needs for his advanced stages of Rheumatoid Arthritis.  Now they prescribe him 240 a month but he only takes three a day!  But there are times he is in so much pain he needs to take more.  Because he has more than one doctor it can be crazy sometimes because other doctors are the problem.  They don’t pay attention the medication list I provide them.

For example he had to go to urgent care for a cold.  They had his medication list, its always updated and a copy is in my purse and in his wallet.  They told him (and wrote this down in his going home instructions) to take Tylenol for fever in addition to the medications he is already taking.  RED FLAG went up for me!  no no no!  He is already getting a form of that when he is taking the Vicodin.  He can’t have both!  Its an either or thing!   Even his pharmacist backed me up on that!   Could you imagine what would of happened had he been on his own?

People need to pay attention!!  Some simply can not take Acetaminophen.  Its very important to check with your doctor and have blood work done to make sure are able to take it.   But to simply state it should just be eliminated, its not just that simple for some who have been taking it in a form like Vicodin, they are going to have to literally be weaned off of it, or your going to toss them into withdrawals and cause other issues!!  I just can’t watch my dad go through that.

He goes in to see his RA doctor every 6 weeks and they check his blood and watch the levels involving his liver!

I hope should they decide to do this, they allow time for patients such as my dad who have been on for so long time to be adjusted off of it without causing other issues!!