Why Does My Medication List Keep Increasing? And What You Can Do About It
Introduction
A large part of a GP’s day is authorising medication or carrying out medication reviews.
For many, taking medication is part of their daily routine.
A patient once told me his tablets were essentially a meal-He took a total of 20 tablets in the morning.
Most people see taking medication as an and an accepted norm and inevitability.
After all, they are old, and it is to be expected as the body starts losing its function.
To compound matters, most doctors think getting a chronic condition is not only inevitable but more importantly, there is nothing you can do about it.
Getting a chronic disease is therefore seen as a natural progression of aging.
Well, you can’t blame them-This is what we are taught in medical school.
What this means in effect is that the solution to a symptom from chronic disease is a tablet and nothing more.
As many chronic diseases have many symptoms, one ends up with a tablet for each symptom.
Let’s forget side effects for the moment…
Because you aren't tackling the root cause of the problem, in a way one sets a new dynamic or steady-state in the body.
Now throw in the side effects of tablets, and you might end up with even more tablets to counteract side effects.
Here is an analogy that might help explain better:
If a traffic block were placed along a popular route in a city, traffic gets diverted through an alternate route.
Should the new route also get blocked due to say a crack in the tarmac, again traffic gets diverted to yet another route.
Placing blocks as a result of problems on different routes only works up to a point, after which the traffic jam becomes unmanageable.
Using this analogy, treating symptoms is akin to placing traffic blocks.
The only way to resolve the root cause of the problem is to find out what caused the leak or crack in the road in the first place.
So, is there another way of tackling chronic disease? The answer is yes.
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A fresh new approach
Before we look into this alternative method, it is important to know two things:
While it is true that physiological function does decline with age, the development of chronic diseases is not inevitable, and therefore not a natural part of aging.
This has been shown by numerous researchers over the last few years.
Secondly, should you be diagnosed with chronic disease, you can absolutely do something to change its course.
Now, what’s this novel approach to avoid polypharmacy?
It is a systems-based approach.
An approach where the body is looked at as a whole, and not just as isolated body systems.
Focusing on body systems leads to treating symptoms, and the corollary of that is more and more drugs as we have mentioned above.
With the systems-based approach, one seeks to find the root cause of the symptom.
Once this is found and resolved, everything else falls in place and the body resorts to perfect balance.
To appreciate the root cause of disease, you have to dig deep into the diet and lifestyle of each person.
These causes include diet, infections, toxins, allergens, stress, and poor sleep.
Here is a quick example.
You present to your doctor complaining of bloating and diarrhoea.
You get a stool test that comes back negative, get diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and treatment follows.
You then start with a rash on your chest and get a steroid cream.
Few months down the road you get indigestion and get prescribed an acid blocker.
Root cause approach
Diet and lifestyle are explored fully with special tests.
Turns out you have a gluten intolerance.
Stop eating gluten-containing foods, rebalance your microbiome (gut bacteria), and problem solved!
Here is another example:
You present to your doctor complaining of breathlessness.
You get prescribed a blue inhaler which works for a few weeks only.
You then get prescribed a brown inhaler which you use twice a day.
You end up with a white tongue and get prescribed a fungal tablet for thrush.
A few months later you get severe breathlessness, get diagnosed with an asthma attack, and get prescribed steroids.
In a year, you get a total of 12 courses of steroids.
Weight gain follows, and you get diagnosed with diabetes.
You then start developing strange aches and pains later and get diagnosed with fibromyalgia.
Root cause approach
Diet and lifestyle are explored fully with special blood and urine tests.
Turns out you have a case of Aspergillus (Mould) possibly from poor housing conditions.
You start a detoxification regime and tailored supplements to eradicate the mould from your body.
In a few months, your energy returns and you start your weekly walks again.
As you can see, this system-based or root cause approach has the power to make tremendous change.
So how do you prevent chronic disease?
Be rigorous about your diet, have enough exercise, reduce stress, avoid toxins, and sleep well.
Easier said than done, but being in the know is a great start.
About the Author
Dr. Leke is an NHS GP and Functional Medicine Doctor with deep expertise in gut health. His approach emphasises the relationship between the gut and overall wellness.
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