Taking My Medicines

 

Six pills that I take with virtually complete compliance.  Not done as well with the topicals.  They have different purposes.  The antihypertensives and statin affect my measurements, which are really intermediate markers, but intended for a longer term measurement, longevity.  The PPI may keep me from acquiring a Barrett's esophagus but it is really intended to avoid GERD symptoms, which it does rather well when I take it but symptoms return with a lapse of only a few days.  The multivitamin has Iron 18 mg.  Its purpose is to remedy an immediate shortfall with the immediate intent of restoring my eligibility as a platelet donor.  If anything, it harms my longevity if correction of the anemia becomes an excuse to neglect its causes.

Topical diclofenac I thought would reduce inflammation in my knee and ankle.  It really eases pain, though not enough to affect my treadmill use, which was its purpose.  Orthopedic appointment on the schedule, but for now I can still keep up with a reduced treadmill intensity.  But it is the more demanding exercise, currently on hiatus, that affects longevity.  That goal has not been achieved with the topical, or with PRN oral NSAIDs.  

SSRI now gone about two months.  Its purpose was less clear, probably better function at work and more professional achievement.  No longer a prime goal in retirement.  It's effect on me changed my mind and personality, for the better in some aspects, probably not in others.  My perception of the world seems better when not chemically muted.  It's gone.

When committing to daily medicine, a certain discipline is required.  Urgent like PPI or supplemental iron is fundamentally different from longevity enhancements that have only surrogate measurements to follow.  Also, very uncertain outcome.  If my cardiovascular event occurs this year, was it delayed from last year because of the anticipatory intervention?  There's really no way to assess this accurately.