Perscription Drugs -- Diabetics and other ailments

[whatsinthepackjack]

this is a very good topic...

I have Type 2 Diabetes... so... I have given this topic a bit of thought of the months since they told me I have this disease...

For one, the only meds that are effective in the treatment of this disease are perscription meds... which the doctor only dolls out in needed quantities...

So, I ran a self-experiment... (don't try this at home)...

I stopped taking my meds until I figured out the danger-zone of when I will need them at a last-ditch SHTF scenario... results will vary here, and I would suggest anyone consult their doctor befoire trying it... but I did figure out how long I could go off the meds before the shit kicks back in and I feel the symptoms of Diabetes again...

Also, while I was doing that, I was able to shuffle away a few of the regular meds I need to a safety stash...

My worry is this... Type 2 Diabetes is NOT insulin-dependant Diabetes...

So...

What the heck is somebody suppose to do, if (let's use Hurricane Katrina or any natural disaster as an example) SHTF, and the drug stores aren't accessible... ????

I still haven't figured out the answer to that question...

I don't want this thread to only be limited to Diabetes...

Other folks are depedndant on perscription drugs, too...

--heart medication
--ulcer problems
--back spasms and other muscle/joint problems
--breathing meds, like for ashtma, etc...


The list goes on and on...

One thing I have done to educate myself is to search for eBooks that are typical college-level textbooks pertaining to anatomy, biology, medicine, physics, you name it... to date, I have a virtual library of about 17,000 titles stored on a hard drive... that's about 120GB of files... if they were all one-inch thick books, placed on three-foot wide shelves in a home library, that would be about 472 shelves...

I guess my thought was a post-nuclear-war re-education system... I don't have every subject known to man... but I have a big library...

well, until the first EMP hits, anyways..
http://www.fas.org/nuke/intro/nuke/emp.htm

In those volumes of books are all types of first aid, medical, and human physical condition type of readings...

I still have no idea how to stash several months worth of the meds I need to survive with Diabetes...

So, my contribution to the SHTF world or post-world might be brief...

any other thoughts????




WITPJ

[Bidah]

You are correct, and it isn't pretty. In the end, those that can't, or won't stock the meds that they need most likely will die.

My wife and I have worked hard with her diabetes to keep here off of insulin (she was for a while). With diet and some interesting homeopathic(sp?) stuff, we have been able to figure it out.

Some prescription plans such as the one that I have now will let me get 3 months at a time for any prescription that is regular. While not perfect, it is certainly better than week by week, or month by month.

-Bidah

[Erebus]

I'm in a similar situation.

I take blood pressure meds, that if I just quit "cold turkey", can cause heart attack. The correct way to go off these, is to taper off over time, and usually under doctor supervision. I keep a few days worth with me at all times. I've skipped/forgotten a dose before with no serious affects, so I could feasibly build up a reserve, over a few months. I get 90 days worth at a time, so figure if I can get one extra bottle, and rotate stock as it's used, I can go 3-6 months (more if I start tapering off VERY SLOWLY). I'm working on getting in better shape, so that I won't be as dependant on them.

I'm planning to talk to my doc, and explain my concerns about supply shortages or "extended camping trips". If the doc poo poos my concerns, or doesn't at least give me an emergency withdrawal schedule, it's time to change doctors!

Different meds have different shelf lives, so I'm not sure if this type of thing would work for you, but it's worth checking.