Sickness and Frustration

It has been nearly a week since I woke up with what seemed like just another sinus infection, or if I were lucky, allergies. I should have gone to the doctor then, but I worked. I even went in Friday, despite having a fever when I woke up. All this, I did because I have trouble admitting when I'm actually sick enough to do something about it and because I have so much trouble changing my habits. I have to suspect there were I to have listened to my symptoms sooner, I would at least be better than I am now. Instead, I my sinuses are still dripping. My ears are so stopped up it feels as if I have earplugs in and my own voice sounds to me as though I were yelling through a kazoo. As if that weren't enough, I'm having episodes of severe vertigo when I stand for more than a few minutes, especially after I have a coughing fit. Take from this that you should listen to what your body is trying to tell you and see a doctor as soon as you think you're getting sick, especially if you have good insurance as I do. Don't put it off, or you'll probably pay the price for it sooner rather than later.

Musing About Medicine

Firstly, I will admit that this is an ad for an alternative-medicine book, but the numbers are mostly correct. Also, I've seen much of this first hand in my own health and healthcare. I have been on Norvasc to control my hypertension for some time now. It lost it's patent protection a few years ago, leading to the introduction of reasonably priced generics. To combat this, Pfizer introduced a combined drug called Caduet that includes both amlodipine (a.k.a. Norvasc) and a still-patented statin drug, Lipitor. This has led many doctors to prescribe Caduet instead of amlodipine and a statin separately, thereby preventing patients from having access to generics. Also, many doctors are prescribing Caduet as a preventative, despite the increase in cost and associated risks of statins. I know this was the case with my healthcare; I was prescribed Caduet despite not having any indications for statin use. Also, with my insurance, Caduet cost me over $70.00 USD. Whereas, the brand-name Norvasc cost about $20.00 USD. The real shock came when I was finally able to switch to generic amlodipine: $5.00 USD! All of this in the name of profit, not healthcare.