Yep, sadly 5+ prescription meds sounds just about right. My mother told me she just cut back to 5, but then she said, "that doesn't include the over-the-counter stuff and supplements." And she wonders why she has so many digestive issues!
The fact that doctors can receive payments from drug manufacturers seems like one of the biggest conflicts of interest in history.
My mother is in the same situation and that's because some doctor gave her these heart pills years ago... I don't know if she actually needs them as it was the same doctor who also said she needed heart surgery. My mother wouldn't even consider the idea and she's lived well enough for years without it.
Sorry to hear that. (But glad your mother is doing okay!) It's such a tricky situation because once you get hooked on several pills, it seems like such a risk to eliminate even one.
My own plan is to avoid them as long as I can. Being uninsured has its benefits. Doctors aren't exactly eager to talk to me!
I don't have insurance either :)
Oh my. What are medical costs like in Romania?
Here in the US we have to pay a fine if we don't have health insurance. Last year it was a $600 a year penalty on our taxes, per person. The government actually criminalizes us for not buying a product from a private company.
Don't even tell me about the US...I have friends and family there and I'm always amazed about that insurance system... it's absolutely insane and people there don't realize it's a huge scam.
Here, insurance is sort of useless, as the state system is not that good, so it's better to go to a private clinic, it's like $50 a visit. Tests are more expensive, but anyway just a fraction of what you'd pay in the US.
When my wife got sick travelling in the UK, they said, "Oh no! You're not part of the NHS so you'll have to pay for private care."
She got to meet with a doctor, no wait, and pick up antibiotics, all in a couple of hours, for $75.
That visit here would have cost hundreds!. Even with insurance!