I am worried that my Dad's medicines are making him ill...

[Gameboy]

My Mum died 3 years ago leaving Dad on his own.
He's been taking medicines for high blood pressure for about 5 years, but last year his GP changed them and also added a statin for high cholesterol, and an additional medicine for high blood pressure.

Thing is, in the last year I think Dad's health has got worse:

• he's become really thin and gaunt
• seems tired/ lacking in energy
• says his memory is failing

He just talks about 'feeling that he's getting old now' and 'needs to slow down', but he's only 75 and is in 'good health' otherwise (IYSWIM).
But I also don't know how much e.g. the weight loss might be due to his change of lifestyle since Mum died?

I'm worried that all these medicines are making him ill with side effects, but that he just doesn't realise it. He's a real sort of 'does what his GP says' sort of bloke...

He has a GP appt tomorrow and I've offered to go with him, but I don't know quite what to say? I have a suspicion that she won't take me seriously - I know they all have their blood pressure/ high cholesterol targets to meet.....

And I don't want to just say to Dad "stop taking them" because if anything happened to him I would never forgive myself.

Any GPs/ doctors out there tonight?

Could you call your dad's GP ahead of his visit ,just to voice your concerns?

He sounds depressed TBH. I think it'd be worth going to the GP with him, though, and discussing your concerns or maybe write to the GP?

Do you know what his diet is like? All of those could be down to him living on eg crisps and toast, if he's not good at cooking.

If it's OK for you to go with him I would try to find out first what he's been eating - if you're happy with his answers to that, then quiz the GP on his condition.

Good luck - hope he will get through this

Agree. He sounds depressed. It would be a good idea to go along to the appt. and mention your concerns.

Your Gp won't be prescribing the drugs just to meet a target. It's possible the drugs may have side effects that make him like this- you need to ask, but I think that going in with the attitude that "you're poisoning my father" won't help...

It's equally possible that he's depressed, or has another illness.

My mum is also on statins and HBP meds along with some other stuff. She has gone downhilll over last fews years.

Complains of being lightheaded and shaky and having a horrible shaky feeling in her stomach all the time. Also the forgetfullness. . She doesn't eat much and prob wouldn't bother to cook but my Dad does the cookking (and shopping and cleaning).

A few weeks ago my sis spoke to her and she sounded a lot better and also was feeling better - turns out that for some reason she hadn't taken any meds that day. Felt well enough to go out and get her hair done, her legs waxed and make an appointment for a pedicure. All very unusual.

She is supposed to be going back to doc to ask more about the tabs but not sure she has done it yet. Not sure if it is one in particular or a combination. She is taking them again as is afraid not to.

I don't think his diet is the problem necessarily - he now lives closer to us and comes for meals with us several times a week, and also I often look in his fridge and ask him what he's had for lunch etc.

It's just the timing that makes me suspicious that it's his medicines. I've seen photos of him from a year a go, and he just looks so much fuller in the face.
And then he started taking the statins....

I will definitely discuss it (in a non-confrontational way!) with his GP, but it's quite hard with Dad in the room, especially if he doesn't recognise it himself.

I hate hearing him say that it's 'just old age' and he's 'slowing down' - it feels like he's giving up! His grandfather lived to be 99 !

Good luck, hope you get somewhere as it must be hard seeing you Dad like this. Do consider depression, though - very common in elderly widowers and often doesn't give the "classic" symptoms. Maybe the GP could check his vitamin levels (folate & B12 specifically) as low levels can cause memory problems in the elderly too. HTH

Thanks for posting folks. We had a good chat with his GP and I think both he and I are happy with the outcome.

We discussed the side effects of his most recent medicine and the GP has suggested he stop taking it for a while (he had anyway, and his BP was fine today).

He HAS lost a lot of weight - 6 kgs since Oct, so we need to keep and eye on that, and the GP has asked 'us' (me!) to look over his diet and also check he's getting enough B vitamins (thank you Liath!)

Re memory - she did suggest referral to a Memory Clinic, but Dad wasn't keen as he doesn't see it as too much of a problem (I guessed she probably wanted to screen for early onset dementia...) Anyway we've agreed he will keep a diary of memory laspses over the next couple of months and then she'll assess the relative severity.

I'm not sure if he's depressed - he certainly hiding it well if he is. However he has had a lot of change in the last year (he moved house to be closer to us) so it may be the impact of that rather than just depression over Mum's death.

My MIL has had major issues with Statins. She was prescribed one type and immidiately was ill. Collapsed several times. Vertigo attacks. She lost stones over a period of months (GP refused to acknowlege Statins were to blame and insisted she took them) and looked bloody awful.

Eventually she couldn't cope any more and took herself off them. Lo and behold she looked great, gained weight, no more falls or dizzy spell.

GP recently insisted she must go back on them, but a different one this time. Same side effects straight away.

Anyway, she took herself off them again (after falling and breaking her arm due to having no sense of balance) and is refusing to go back on them. She said her quality of life on them is so poor that she'd much rather run the risk of having health problems/shorter life expectancy with them.

Glad you had a good appointment Gameboy but it is worth keeping his meds under review. Elderly people often end up taking lots of different meds that interact and cause unwanted effects.

One type of statin was taken off the market due to ill-effects, btw. GPs are encouraged to prescribe statins to keep everyone's blood cholesterol under a certain level although it isn't entirely clear that there is much benefit in doing this for every middle-aged to elderly patient. Certainly a benefit for some people with a history of heart disease, or specific risk factors, but not necessarily for everyone.