Is it that unusual to be in your 60s and not on medication?

[Mumblechum0]

This is just something that made me think this week; 3 separate groups of friends and family, all late 50s or early 60s.

im finding increasingly that a lot of conversations turn to various ailments etc. I find these very dull.

amyway, in all 3 groups (I know how bizarre this sounds), they talked about what medications they’re on, and were surprised that I don’t take anything, not even vitamins, hrt etc.

i had cancer over 20 yrs ago but have been to the GP twice in 10 years. If I get ill, I tend to just wait for it to pass.

anyway, I wondered idly whether I just hang out with a lot of very unlucky people in terms of health, or is it usual to be on 3 or 4 meds?

(one friend had an alarm going off on her phone all day to remind her to take her tablets which led to today’s conversation)

Yes, indeed. What a caring emphatic person you are, OP

I do all that. HRT still provides benefits which outweigh the risks.

I’m late 60s and not on any medication. I know that friends who have had cancer are on meds but Ive no idea about the rest.

My mum is 78 and isn't on anything - her parents were similar.

She tells me it's the northern peasant stock!

My parents are late 70s and weren't on any meds until very recently when my dad started needing meds for high blood pressure.

My mum wasn't on any medications, she died at 83, just dropped dead while going about her day getting ready to go out. There was nothing really much on her death certificate, just something with her stomach which didn't seem much. I guess you never know when you might go, you don't have to be particularly ill.

Do you not have an annual blood test? How about blood pressure checks? Assuming you’re fine and don’t need any meds with 2 trips to the doctor in two decades seems a bit of a claim.

Lol I remember going to hospital for cancer treatment and then being most surprised when they asked me what medication I was on and I said none. Was only 51 at the time as well

Why? If it wasn't for appendicitis/ sepsis and cancer ( neither of which I saw my GP for just nurse for me and hospital got the sepaisb)id not been to the surgery for 22 years and that was a postnatal exam

DH is 61 and not on any med. I'm 58 and not on any either.

I'm not allowed to take it after my radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer.

My husband is mid 60s and on nothing but vitamins.

Certain blood types apparently can make you more likely to be ill. It seems type AB blood has an 83% higher risk of stroke. People with type A blood are more likely to get stomach cancer etc

Does the NHS provide annual blood tests for everyone.

What about bone health? And vaginal atrophy?

When are you supposed to have these " health" CM checks and bloods being taken Not anything my surgery has ever offered me

I just wish those who were / are lucky enough not to take medication appreciate it mostly is luck, and not always down to bad choices for those that do. I am 45 and had autoimmune issues all my life - lupus, Addisons, pituitary issues, cough variant asthma, hypothyroidism etc all sorts. I am on 25 medications a day, including mycophenolate, a powerful immunosuppressive medication for lupus. I don’t drink, have never smoked, always tried to eat healthily etc etc. My body just hates itself.

No, I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to book something or the surgery would automatically send out an invite for some sort of MOT but haven’t had a sort of general invite.

i do always go for screenings like mammograms, bowel cancer test etc.

sorry if I’ve offended ppl by saying some of these conversations are dull, but if 6 people are meeting for a couple of hours, and each of them feels the need to spend 15 minutes giving everyone a run down of their latest minor ailments, it doesn’t leave much time to chat about more positive things.

I’ve been on meds since my late twenties. I would also categorise myself as very fit, though, in my late forties. I just have some chronic hereditary stuff to deal with but that means I take no risk with my health and have always made a big effort to eat well and exercise. I am the anomaly amongst my friends, though, none of them are on anything. I guess that might start to change over the next decade but there is a fair amount of luck involved. We’ve already lost some friends very young to cancer and so know the roll of the dice plays a part.

I’m early 60’s. Mum died young and Dad was nearly rattling with pills, but almost made 100!

I recommend a cold shower to get the immunity system going. Normal hot shower then turn the heat right up so you’re (almost) looking forward to the cold final blast.

The science checks out and I haven’t had anything more than a mild sniffle for the past three years.

My mum is 75 and is on absolutely nothing and brags about it!

I'm 47 and practically get a carrier bag with my meds at the GP. It bloody sucks.

I read this in an American/Canadian accent. Am I correct?

I'm 62 and on HRT and also take supplements, i.e. vitamin D3 + K2, magnesium, creatine, collagen, circumin, lutein and a probiotic. So the HRT is the only prescribed med.

My DH, who is incredibly fit (running, cycling, lifting) is on both a statin and blood pressure medication. As the doctor said, there's not a single lifestyle modification she could suggest. It's genetic.

And, by the way, both were discovered in a routine exam. He had no symptoms and no lifestyle factors. I don't quite understand the PPs who are priding themselves on not having been to the GP in tens of years. No bloodwork, no colorectal exam, no smears? Seems foolish.

You go in and ask! Since I became peri menopausal my GP has sent me for countless blood tests.

I was never on any regular medication until I had pneumonia in my early 70s. Since my heart rate was in the stratosphere when I was blue-lighted to hospital, I was put on heart meds. Once I was a lot better a consultant told me I didn’t need them any more - heart was back to normal - but my GP said I might as well go on with mild doses - ‘they might stop you having a stroke’.
So I wasn’t going to argue,