Am I paranoid?

[Ambience]

Lately I've been thinking about how dependent I am on pharmacies and labs. I take two medications that if stopped can be fatal, with no so pleasant causes of death no less. Often times, especially when I hear about large scale flooding, or warring with other countries, I wonder what would happen if we ever found ourselves in a situation where Coumadin just stopped becoming available. I wonder if I should have a doctor prescribe a stash for me, just in case as I like to be prepared for anything. But what if the levee breaks when I'm at work, or I somehow find myself stranded somewhere?

I was just curious if anyone else out there has these thoughts. Do you think it'd be possible to learn how to make Coumadin at a home lab? What alternatives could a person use if they suddenly found their medical supply cut off?

 

[Adrienne]

Even without taking Coumadin, when I see certain tragedies like earthquakes, etc. on TV, I think about what would happen if something like that happened and I couldn't get to the pharmacy, etc. So maybe we are both paranoid!

 

[geebee]

I keep at least 3 months supply of my meds on hand at all times. I AM paranoid because I worry about disasters that could affect supply.

On the other hand, I am not sure it is being paranoid to want to be prepared.

 

[JimL]

I order six months' supply at a time, and I have heard that there is a growing trend for doctors to write 3 month prescriptions for longterm drugs.
As for making your own coumadin at home, don't try D-con. I bought some a few years ago, and found that there is no warfarin used in that any more. Al Lodwick provided the explanation that the rats became immune to it.

 

[catwoman]

I have over 6 months of warfarin at home. Plus a little mini-drugstore of various first-aid items + meds in containers in my computer bag, the briefcase I take when judging cat shows, my cat show grooming bag and each piece of luggage. Yes, that's overkill, but one of these days I'll forget to restock my 7-day pillbox with warfarin.

And, yes, I too have thought about a catastrophe ... Especially after seeing several programs about disasters on TV recently. If we're lucky, it'll be a gamma ray burst and worrying about our warfarin or availability of INR tests will be a moot point.

 

[Bina]

Paranoid vs Prepared..........
I have often wondered about this same thing. I will try harder to fill my prescriptions before they get too low, possibly leaving me in a stressful situation. But I also know that the local hospital would dispense me a few pills if ever there was a "run out". For car rides I always have a few pills in my purse. When my doc wanted to give me pills for post op anxiety, I refused, telling him that I really didn't need another pill to be dependant on.!!

 

[marie]

Well I never even considered this on a daily basis. I am in hurricane country and do check both my medications and my husband's when we see a disturbance. We live a block from our pharmacy and sometimes are down to one left when we refill.

This is sure something to think about. Thanks

 

[hensylee]

odd to find this threaD because I was just thinking this morning as I mentally checked my shopping list, that I like to have an extra of everything - not just meds but things we use all the time. Like toilet tissue, butter, coffee, certain foods, mayo, etc. I have always done this - so did my mother! Oh, golly, I am my mother.

My pharmacy won't fill anything when I have a week's worth of meds left. Too early, they say. If we have a storm, I could get my pharmacist to fill for me, tho.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

I use 3 and 4 mg doses alternated appropriately in my 7 day pill box (which allows me to have a weekly total of anywhere from 21 to 28 mg using only 1 tablet per day).

My Doc gives me an RX for 3 months supply of each so there is my backup. In addition, I asked a nurse for a few 1 mg 7 day packs for backup and adjustments. She gave me a full Bottle! (I have also been known to use outdated pills, mostly 1's, and no more than 1 year out of date).

'AL Capshaw'

 

[aussie girl]

I naively had never thouht of this.
I do have a small supply in my hand bag incase I'm not home for some reason, but as far as keeping an extra supply at home I just never thought about it. We are lucky where we live we have no natural disasters (earthquakes, flooding, hurricanes) that might cut us off from the rest of the world but unfortunatly in this day and age we have to consider non natural disasters.
Guess where I'm off to now with my script in hand.
Mary

 

[INRtest]

Self-Induced Natural Disaster

Self-Induced Natural Disaster

Natural disasters? Who needs a natural disaster. I took a 400 mile weekend getaway with my wife & daughter a couple of wks. ago and after carrying my 7-day pill-box in my pants pocket all day couldn't find it at almost 6:30 on a Saturday night (3 hrs prior to my normal Warfarin hr.).

It became a frightening rush to a) call my cardio & hope for an immediate call back to get a prescription; b) rushing downstairs in the hotel to request a local pharmacy that might be open (they didn't have one readily on file, but we found one) & c) rush the 15 minute drive to the "only pharmacy open until 7 p.m. on a Saturday in San Luis Obispo, CA."

Mission accomplished. I picked up a $12. 7-day supply of 7.5 mg's and only subsequently found my supply in the hotel room under my wife's book. GOOD ADVICE: Next trip I'll be sure to carry 2 separate supplies of at least 1 week.
This was (almost) my own personal catastrophe.