The most prescribed U.S. drugs are anti-depressants.

The medical science behind other heavily prescribed/expensive drugs… like cholesterol & blood-pressure medications — is very weak.

The average American in the year 1900 died of infectious disease before age 50.

Expensive modern drugs are not the cause of our dramatic life span increases — it has been much simpler things like cleaner water & food, social control of infectious diseases, simple antibiotic drugs andless tobacco & alchohol use.

Past American generations did not live long enough to develop cancer or heart disease… or need anti-depressant, mind-altering chemicals — to ease their elder years.

The American prescription-drug-culture is more social ritual than medical need.

It never ceases to amaze me the amount of fear and loathing that “baby boomers” elicit. It is quite possible that as the boomers move through the next phase of life, that the system may change and that change may be for the better.

However, I know people who are alive because they are taking or have taken expensive medication. Think cancer. Or think of what would happen if you don’t respond to Levoxal. Or what would happen if you don’t respond to those generic blood pressure meds and need an expensive non-generic.

And am very thankful the choice is out there.

I think some “healthy” people think that it happens to the other guy, or when the other person is very old, etc.

In fact, before I was dx, I never took any meds other than birth control.

It doesn’t just happen to the other guy.

Anyone one can wake up tomorrow with a chronic debiltating illness.

Then you have to educate yourself and make an informed decision.

By taking medicine, that is quite possibly life saving, or one that can dramatically alter the progression of an illness, IMO, is not being “drugged up”. It’s responsibly managing a chronic illness.

When it’s you, your loved one, your child–well you may feel quite differently.

I hope you never have to face it.

Quality of life is all relative.

I’m not judging. I’m just questioning.

My 17 year old daughter, was dx with type 1 diabetes at the age of TWO. She has to take insulin to surivive. She also has beginning stages of kidney disease. She takes two pills a day, to control her blood pressure, and help her kidneys.

Worth every dime.

While I understand that to some people not being “perfect” health would be not worth living.

Some of us enjoy our lives, and play the cards we have been dealt.

May you never need the medicine.

But my family does, and I am very happy it is available to use.

I’m definitely not going refuse prescriptions just because they’re not “natural”. Antibiotics have probably saved my life twice over already (pneumonia), and here’s hoping they do it again!

There are so many maybes (on one hand, on the other hand . . .)to your question that I think it defies a definitive answer). You can always find an example of an elderly person kept alive by advanced technology and drugs that you think might be better off just letting go. On the other hand, I know several 80 to 90 year old people that are active, happy, and productive – and who wouldn’t be here today without the drugs and technology that saved their lives and help preserve them.

I guess my answer is that I want to make that decision for myself when the time comes. I want the choice to say yes, or no, to the medication and technology. On one hand, I don’t want some overzealous doctor keeping me alive long after Elvis has left the building, so to speak. On the other hand, I don’t want to check out sooner than I want to because some bean counter or government bureaucrat has decided that my life is no longer cost-efficient. I know I have a home in Heaven, but that doesn’t mean I’m homesick.