Confessions of a Pill Popper

While I was gainfully employed as an engineer, I took my good health as a given and paid little attention to what I ate, how much, and my lack of exercise. In those days, I believed I only had time for family and earning a living. When my doctor prescribed pills for high blood pressure one year and then pills for elevated cholesterol the following year, I decided to take a more active role in my health care. I became a pill popper, uneducated, of course. It was an easy transition for me, since I had been admonished for years by my mother and father, “take this, or eat this, ITS’ GOOD FOR YOU.”

My first venture into self-medication was with vitamins. Somewhere I had learned that vitamins were GOOD FOR YOU, probably from subliminal television ads that were popular in those days. I became a vitamin taker – a one-a-day man. Although I saw no difference in my overall health, I was assured by the ads that positive results might take years, and besides, how would I know what terrible illnesses were being prevented by the vitamins. So, I kept taking them. As for cholesterol, a friend told me that the absolute prevention of high cholesterol numbers could be achieved by the use of flaxseed. I began a flaxseed regimen that lasted only a few days: My spontaneous emissions of gas were just too embarrassing.

When I questioned my friend sometime later about the problems with flaxseed he said, “Oh, you should have taken flaxseed oil, the raw flaxseed causes severe problems with excessive gas.” It was a case of too little information, too late, from my former friend.

As I recall, that was about the time the celebrated chemist, Linus Pauling, issued his incredible news about the benefits of Vitamin C. Having studied chemistry myself, I thought that even his name sounded impressive, LINUS PAULING, pH. D, Chemistry. The Nobel Prize winner said that C was positively a boon to mankind and might even eliminate the common cold. I added C to my diet. When I got a cold that fall, I made inquiries about my use of the vitamin.

“Oh, you weren’t taking enough. You need massive doses of Vitamin C to prevent colds.” I think that answer came from a marketer of the vitamin

When my annual doctor’s visits continued to show the need for blood pressure and cholesterol medications, I redoubled my efforts in self medications. I can’t remember all, but Vitamin D, baby aspirin, chondroitin, seaweed, pills for added dietary fiber, and maybe even Chia seeds were on the long list of things that filled my medication shelf. And tea – as a tea drinker I began a lifelong search for flavorful tea concoctions that, are you ready, ARE GOOD FOR YOU. Of course, those teas always seemed to be the most expensive ones on the shelf.

And how could I forget fish oil? It was something about Greeks or fishermen who had low rates of heart disease and they ate lots of fish. Surely, fish oil is the answer, screamed the ads on TV. I added fish oil to my ever-growing collection of pills, take daily, thank you very much.

There must have been others like me who didn’t find health benefits from our pills. I recall a growing disillusionment with the pronouncements of my idol Linus. Easily swayed, I gave up first on Vitamin C and then, one-by-one, most of my other pills except for fish oil, baby aspirin and the one-a-days, now the specialized version for men, and the more expensive version for seniors. And, of course the tea.

The news in recent month about over-the-counter pills has not been good. Two months ago, I learned of a study that showed no benefit to regular use of vitamins nor fish oil. “A waste of money,” the newsman said. And today, Yahoo reported on research showing no benefits for taking baby aspirin. It seems the major benefit for each of these concoctions is for the folks who make and sell them. Imagine that.

Even more disturbing was the report on television last night about the expanded problem of heroin use in Middle America. The report concluded that a large part of the problem stems from the use of Oxycontin, both as a prescribed and illegally-obtained drug. The piece included a previous statement from the maker of the drug that their product had been shown to be not additive in 99% of the cases - now known to be untrue as the product is highly addictive over time. It must have been an innocent mistake by the manufacturer.

And now I learn that sassafras tea may not be good for me. The Indian who said it was, probably didn’t know that sassafras can be toxic to the liver. Hmmm.

I am beginning to think the answer of ‘taking a pill for that’, may not be the right answer. But wait, have you heard about the new seafood diet? I’m thinking of trying it – I’ll let you know.