Not feeling well, but not actually ill?

So you have frequent headaches, are always kind of tired, your mouth burns at times, your tongue feels funny or burns at times, your muscles are sore, your joints ache, your gums never had bleeding before but now they do, you just don’t feel right? You went to your doctor who did a lot of tests and your doctor ruled out all of the bad things that could be wrong with you. Does any of this apply to you? If so, what do you do next? In my opinion, you need to approach your health as a check list.

Your first step to feeling better should start with a visit to your medicine cabinet. Do you regularly take prescription medications? According to the National Hospital Discharge Survey, in 1996 there were more hospital admissions for “preventable drug related morbidities [illnesses]” than those for diabetes and asthma combined!

Every medication has side effects and, even if the side effects are rare, they have to happen to somebody…that somebody may be you. If you are taking multiple medications, there may be bad interactions, even if the bad interactions are rare, they have to happen to somebody…Generics are “supposed” to be the same as the branded product, but many times are not. So, if you feel there may be a negative link between your medication(s) and your health problem, talk to your doctor or your pharmacist (pharmacists are very knowledgeable too). Ask what you can do to eliminate as many medications as possible (possible lifestyle changes), ask if you can take a “drug holiday” to see if you feel better, ask if there are substitute drugs that do not have the same side effects. If your doctor or pharmacist knows you are going to be committed to your own health, then they will be more committed to helping you.

Next time: Sleep and your health