What is up with this?

[HereWeGoAgain]

I am 75 years old. About ten years ago my blood pressure was rising so I began taking medication for it. Though I was not overweight the health practitioner told me that veins and arteries lose their plasticity as we age and become less flexible. This can lead to elevated blood pressure. I take low dose Amlodipine, a calcium channel blocker that restores normal blood pressure and has some other added benefits. My blood pressure has been in the normal range for a decade with no ill effects.

I am not an average 75-year-old. I ride a bicycle 50 per day at expert average speeds. I go to the gym 7 days a week and pump iron for 90 minutes. What I do every day would kill most people if they tried it once.

I went to the pharmacy to fill my Bp prescription and was told they had nothing for me. I notified the medical center and was told on the phone by a nurse that seemed to have no idea what was going on that they probably want to check me for liver damage even though for years I have had blood drawn every year and everything is always normal.

The problem is that I had nearly run out of the pills and was ambushed by whatever is going on. I went to the portal and saw this:

You have an upcoming DRUGS OF ABUSE COMPLIANCE MONITORING PANEL, URINE, LIPID PANEL (REFLEX DIRECT LDL), CBC, CMP W/FASTING GLUCOSE, PSA SCREEN, MAGNESIUM, TSH from your last visit.

I will not hear back until Monday, but I am very confused about this. I do not drink alcohol, smoke weed, or use any illegal drugs. They know that but they bushwhacked me with no Bp pills. What kind of reasonable medical practice is this?

Yeah...
They piss test me on a regular basis at the pain docs but thats understandable since they prescribed a bunch of morphine.
I finally asked the chick who comes in to do the testing why they bother with me since I never test positive for illicit drugs.
Found out that while they do test for weed and other drugs it's not the only reason they do it.
Found out they also check to see if you have the proper amount of morphine in your system to make sure you're not selling the stuff as well.

 

[Woodznutz]

I've known some people like that.
Unfortunately, right now, I'm out of work and don't have any insurance.
So, I have to wait unitl I can find another job......but that may not be until after 2024, the way things are going.

Bummer. I wish you well.

 

[Woodznutz]

Well, the problem with meds is.......you never know for sure what (if any) side effects they have on you personally.
Generically hinted at side effects are one thing, but what affects you one way may affect me completely different, or not at all.

And the big problem with that is, the docs never tell you what the side effects are, can be, or might not be in your case. So you never know if something develops or changes, you have no idea what it is because of. Even if you go to the doc for it, they may not know, if they've never heard of another patient getting such a side effect from whatever med they are taking.

Which is ironic, because in order cover their ass from a lawsuit doctors must inform you about possible side effects. If you accept the risk and take the meds they are covered.