I now take food with my medicine!

If you want to strike up a friendly conversion with a Brit, ask him or her about the weather – we’re really famous for our weather conversations and they normally focus on rain or clouds!  However, despite the famous British ‘reserve’ and ‘stiff upper lip’, they also frequently talk about being ‘under the weather’, a phrase meaning slightly unwell or in low spirits.

I find myself smiling at some of the conversations I hear in medical establishment waiting rooms, particularly the potentially long wait for blood tests.  Here, conversations bypass the weather and focus on being under the weather! I thought I was a regular when I started to recognise people in the queue (line!) and their pill conversations.  Statements such as “Yes, I just started a ‘blue chap’ ” (medical names are sometimes hard to pronounce).  Normally followed by “I’m on that one too and I take it along with my yellow and white chaps“.  Some people seem to be taking a veritable rainbow of ‘chaps’.  Strangely, some people appear to be quite proud of how many ‘chaps’ they take. I tend to maintain the traditional British reserve and a stiff upper lip in waiting rooms, so I keep quiet (actually I’m just happy to be inside away from the weather!).

I might join in one day and I wonder if they would be impressed with my tally of chaps? I have a funny feeling my tally of drugs is nothing compared to some of you guys and hope you will comment to prove me right! I don’t think I’m proud to give you my list but here’s my ‘chaps’, some prescription, some over the counter:

• Lanreotide (Somatuline Autogel).  An injection rather than a pill/capsule.  Quite a big chap!  You can read all about my relationship with Lanreotide by clicking here.
• Apixaban (Eliquis).  To prevent a recurrence of pulmonary emboli (PE). Unfortunately, I had PE after my big surgery in 2010. 2 per day.
• Levothyroxine. One 50mcg tablet each morning.  My blood tests are indicating hypothyroidism – check out my whole thyroid story by clicking here.  All NET patients need to keep an eye on thyroid levels.  Read why here.
• Seretide and Ventolin.  These are asthma drugs, a preventer and a reliever respectively.  I hardly ever take the latter nowadays.  I had mild asthma as a child, it went at 16 and came back at 35.  I take 2 puffs of Seretide night and day.  Seems to help.  Ventolin seems to be only required if I have a cold or flu thing going on.
• Montelukast. This is an oral tablet used to prevent and treat symptoms of asthma and seasonal or year-round allergies. I was prescribed this to help recover from a really bad chest infection in June 2018. It’s well tolerated with no obvious side effects and I haven’t had a recurrence since.
• Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy (Creon).  Recently added, anything between 6 and 12 per day depending on what I eat.  Check out this article on PERT.  Check out this article on Malabsorption with references to NET dietitians.
• Multi-Vitamin (50+ age).  I’ve actually been taking these since a few years before diagnosis in 2010.  NET patients can be at risk of vitamin and mineral deficiencies.  Check out this article on the issues and with references to NET dietitians.
• Vitamin B Complex. This was added in 2013 to mainly tackle low B12 (despite my multi-vit containing 400% RDA) and it seemed to help with fatigue.  Read more here.
• Vitamin D3. This was also added in 2013 to tackle low Vit D levels (again, despite my multi-vit containing 200% RDA). 10µg (400iu).  D3 is normally the recommended form of Vitamin D to take, easiest to absorb and more natural.  Vitamin D3 is also known as cholecalciferol.  Many people who do not live in sunny countries are probably deficient or borderline already.
• Probiotic.  This was also added in 2013 to try to offset some of the abdominal issues that many NET patients seem to have.  I take a 3 strain 5 billion dose and it seems to help.  EDIT:  I’m currently trialling 1 14 strain 2 billion version – not noticing any different so far.  Check out this article with references to NET dietitians.
• Omega 3.  This is also something I had been taking since before my diagnosis.  I think I took it for a couple of reasons, my diet did not really include foodstuffs containing Omega 3 and I was experiencing some joint pain in my hands.  I just never stopped taking it.  Dose size 1000mg.

Of course, most people have lots of other stuff in the ‘medicine box’ ready for ad hoc issues as they arise (pain killers, imodium, cough mixture, anti-histamines, indigestion, etc etc).   I could go on forever.

Please always consult your specialists or dietitian about the requirements for drugs and supplements.  You may not actually need them.  I only take my supplements after very careful consideration, in reaction to low blood vitamin/mineral tests and listening to what ‘NET aware’ dietitians say (you’ll find references in some of the articles above).

Warning:  You should always think carefully about over the counter stuff (including online) as there’s a lot of ‘scammers’ out there selling counterfeit supplements.  Always buy from a reputable source.  With supplements, remember in most countries they are not regulated in the same way as medicines so it’s worthwhile checking they are compliant with regional food supplements directives.  The supplements provider I use is actually approved by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) covering UK.  I’m sure there will be similar approval organisations where you live.  Also be careful of some claims about the miracle cure of certain food supplements.  There are plenty sites with fake health news online (check out my article on this – click here).

You should be clear why you take supplements and try to consult with a specialist or dietitian for advice.

Finally, don’t forget to take your chaps, they should help you keep well!  Personally speaking, I need them more than you know!