how would you feel if your doctor told you you had to take a tablet every day for the rest of you life?

Question

or for the next few years even. i mean if you had some long-term condition such as epilepsy, diabetes or schizophrenia

Answer 1

I have been taking 5 pills a day for the last 18 years for epilepsy. It is something you get used to do, just forms part of a daily routine.

Answer 2

very angry and resentful, and likely to "forget" to take the medicine quite a lot. I was diagnosed with severe adult asthma ten years ago in my mid forties. It meant I had to learn to use an inhaler, and I would have to use it every day of my life if I was to stay well . Did I do what I was told? No way. I figured that as soon as I felt better, I was my old self again; except for one thing - I got very sick again. In fact, I got pneumonia. Twice. The second bout was so bad it terrified me. I finally accepted that the only one I was hurting by my "forgetfulness" was me. I had everything to gain by doing a simple 10 second procedure twice a day. Now I don't even think about it. Using my steroid is part of my day. These days, if I get a cold, my lungs are protected by the steroid inhaler; a cold does not have to mean bronchitis or even pneumonia. If you are in a similar situation, consider what the alternatives are if you don't take the prescribed medication. My inhaler has literally changed my life, for the better. I promise you, you will get used to it, and it will become part of life; you could even become an expert on the dosage, the types of drug used etc.!

Answer 3

I had epilepsy as a child i was 8 when i started the tablets i was fortunate enough to grow out of it by 14 and no longer neede tablets, but i don't think i would mind taking a tablet each day for the rest of my life if it was proven to help my illness.

Answer 4

I must take one tablet in the morning and one tablet at night every day for the rest of my life. No big deal, takes a few seconds, and stops me from getting ill. A small price to pay for a better quality of life. When the doctor first told me I was surprised, but I accepted it straight away. I have no alternative. There are much bigger things to worry about than this. I count my blessings in comparison to the really ill people who are in pain and suffer all the time, yet still manage.

Answer 5

The rate that science and medicine is growing at at the mo may provide other methods of treating the illness other than tablets in the near future. So, i wouldn't be too pesimistic. It'd be worse if there was no treatment at all and the illness shortened your life expectancy dramaticaly without the tablets. I would thank my lucky stars that i was fortunate enough to be given the chance of living in a medically advanced country where some form of treatment is available to alleviate symptoms/causes of the problem.

Answer 6

No problem at all. It seems a psychological problem if you are well - and the idea of taking a pill (and remembering to take one every morning) a real inconvenience. The simple truth is, once you have a condition which requires it (I have an under active thyroid and have to take synthetic thyroxine every day) you just do it, without giving it a second thought - you get ill without it, so there is no question. When you personally know the consequences of not doing it, it stops being a problem.

Answer 7

like a pill box....id rattle too...no seriously....it would depend on what the benefits were, for example diabetes can cause many problems if left untreated so taking treatment would lessen the complications and possibly increase quality of life which outweighs the side effects from the medications. on the other hand taking a tablet everyday for a mild pain in the arm, when the pain is manageable means im opening myself up for the risks of side effects from the tablets...do you see what i mean?

Answer 8

Its not that big of a deal. If it improves your quality of life why not? It only takes what 2 maybe 3 seconds? I take three pills a day everyday and probably will for the rest of my life. That doesn't count on the days I need Advil or something for a cold.

Answer 9

I do. I have an under-active thyroid so I take my tablet with my coffee at break feast time. It isn`t a problem, I don`t thin twice about it. What I do find annoying is having to go to my doctor every twenty-eight days to get these tablets, she only prescribes one months` supply at a time. It is a twenty-five mile round trip to her through narrow country lanes, with no `street` lighting, and finding myself behind a tractor each time for several miles! Ah well, these little things are sent to `try` us.

Answer 10

My first visit to a Psychiatrist I was prescribed a medication I know almost nothing about and when I asked how long, I was told it could be forever or it could be a few years. I was very very very upset. It does seem like you are trapped because without your meds you are a wreck sometimes suicidal. But on your meds you are just not you and giving up your body, sometimes life just to act like others.