Consumer Reports offers some advice on when to say no to medication.
Americans often rush—or get rushed—into taking drugs too quickly.
Sometimes doctors prescribe them for problems—back pain, heartburn, and insomnia, for example—without first giving lifestyle changes a chance.
Or they diagnose people when they’re in the “predisease” stage of a condition—think mild bone loss or slightly elevated blood pressure or blood sugar levels—and immediately start treating them with drugs when simple steps are often enough.
Here, 12 such situations, and what to do instead.
See the list at www.consumerreports.org
