I Stopped My Medications Without Asking My Doctor

At 66, I started wondering whether I was taking too many prescription medications. So I did something I probably shouldn't have done: I started taking myself off some of them. I was taking 10 medications for conditions including high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and cholesterol. After researching treatment targets for older adults, I began questioning whether all those prescriptions were still necessary. I monitored my blood pressure and blood sugar closely, and initially, the results seemed encouraging. But then my blood pressure spiked, I developed a severe headache, and I started wondering whether I'd made a serious mistake. Eventually, I scheduled an appointment with a geriatrician for a complete medication review and a second opinion. She didn't agree with everything I believed about blood pressure and diabetes treatment targets. But she did confirm that I could discontinue three medications, switched one cholesterol medication, and made other changes to my treatment plan. In this video, I share what happened, what I learned, and why I'm glad I got a second opinion—even though I didn't get all the answers I expected. IMPORTANT: This video shares my personal experience, not medical advice. Changing or stopping prescription medications without medical supervision can be dangerous. Always discuss medication changes with your healthcare professional. 👉 Read more about this here: https://retiredandtrying.com/stopping... ☕ Join The Trying Times Every Saturday, I share thoughts about retirement, living on Social Security, and what I'm learning along the way. Sign up for free: https://retiredandtrying.com/newsletter More from Retired and Trying ☕ Join my Coffee Club for early access to videos and occasional members-only content. Click the Join button on my YouTube channel or join here:    / @retiredandtrying   🤖 Ask the FREE Retired and Trying AI Companion: https://retiredandtrying.com/companion 🛍️ My Amazon Storefront: https://amzn.to/4vXN2FG ❤️ Buy Me a Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/retiredandtr... 📧 Business inquiries: don@retiredandtrying.com Chapters: 00:00 I Stopped My Medications Without Asking 00:57 Why I Questioned My Medications 02:11 Blood Pressure and A1C Targets 03:26 The Medications I Stopped Taking 04:30 Tracking My Blood Pressure and Blood Sugar 05:04 When My Blood Pressure Spiked 06:23 Why I Saw a Geriatrician 07:12 My Appointment With the Geriatrician 07:56 What She Said About My Blood Pressure 08:54 My A1C Results and Metformin 09:42 Which Medications Could I Stop? 10:30 Keeping My Regular Doctor 11:26 Was I Taking Too Many Medications? 12:12 My Medication List: Before and After 12:32 What I Learned #Retirement #PrescriptionMedications #Over60