Fearing Medications
Some patients resist taking medications and prefer natural treatments. Medications are not without risk, but an overwhelming fear may interfere with the potential benefit they can provide. Without appropriate treatment, arthritis may progress with damaging consequences. A discussion with your doctor about your concerns may help allay your fears. You should be aware of the plan to monitor potential side effects and adverse reactions.
Fearing Side Effects
Some patients feel anxious, believing that medications will make them sicker than they already are. Usually, these are patients who needed no medication before.
If you are like this, you may worry about putting chemicals into your body. The newer drugs seem to provoke more fear because they have a short track record. Doctors do their best to prescribe medications only when the benefit outweighs the potential risks. The best you can do to overcome the fear of medications is to become well informed. Ask your doctor about the drugs and do your own research. Patient education is the antidote for fearing medications.
Fact
A new report issued in September 2006 by the Institute of Medicine pointed out areas of weakness in the FDA. The main recommendations focused on improving the postapproval period (after a drug is marketed) — much more is done in the preapproval phase. The report also emphasized that approval of a drug does not mean all uncertainties about it are removed.
Fearing Addiction
Some arthritis patients who have been prescribed pain medications worry about becoming addicted. Addiction means you can't stop using the drug. According to the Mayo Clinic, people confuse addiction, tolerance, and physical dependence. If you confuse the terminology, you may fear addiction unnecessarily. Here is some clarification:
Tolerance — Occurs when your initial dose of medication is no longer achieving the same therapeutic effect it did early on. You may need your doctor to adjust your dose higher. Tolerance is considered normal and not an indication of addiction.
Physical Dependence — Your body adjusts to the drug you are taking. If you stop taking it suddenly, you may experience symptoms of withdrawal. This is physical dependence, which, once again, is not the same as addiction. With physical dependence, it is possible for you to stop a drug by gradually decreasing the dose.
Addiction — You will not stop taking a drug if you are addicted, even though it has harmful effects. Addiction and physical dependence can occur simultaneously, or either one without the other.
Fear of Inadequate Regulation
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) got a black eye a few years ago when Vioxx (an arthritis drug from the drug class known as COX-2 inhibitors) was removed from the market. Patients were left wondering what to do, and in a more general sense, what it meant about drug safety overall.
The Vioxx incident, which was the catalyst for years of legal battles still to come, left many patients distrustful of the FDA. Imagine how unsettling it is to distrust the agency responsible for the marketing of drugs which you need to improve your health.
Fear of Refractory Disease
Patients who don't show an immediate response to a new medication may start to fear they have refractory disease, meaning “hard to treat.” In these cases, the patient fears the worst, loses hope, and believes they are taking the medications for no purpose since they are unable to benefit from them.
Quality of life issues counterbalance fear of medications. Consider the following:
Do you fear becoming disabled more than you fear medications?
Do you feel your quality of life is good and will remain good without taking medications?
Do you fear the future and what lies ahead (e.g., losing a job, not being able to take care of yourself and your family)?
Do you fear the future more if you are taking medications or if you are not taking medications?
