Licensed Pharmacist and Healthcare Advocate Patrick Alonso joins Stacy to talk about getting off the “medication hamster wheel” that that often happens as we get older. He has a passion for working with patients to make long-term lifestyle changes, using medication as a tool, and empowering us all to understand why we are taking the pharmaceuticals and supplements in our current regimen.
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Key Takeaways
Introductions
- Patrick Alonso earned his Doctorate of Pharmacy from the University of South Florida’s Taneja College of Pharmacy.
- He is a concierge independent healthcare advisor. This is different than hospital or insurance advisors who are working for their respective companies and also often constrained by time limits. In his current role as Your Tampa Healthcare Advocate, he helps patients navigate the complex healthcare system to achieve concrete health improvements through a holistic approach
- By educating and empowering his clients regarding their health, Patrick was able to provide support, and assistance and alleviate the burdens that many experience in the healthcare system.
- He has an extensive track record of reducing medications and improving A1c levels in diabetic patients. In addition, Patrick has carved a niche in Alzheimer’s and dementia care. He works with patients to improve cognition and slowing the progression of degenerative diseases through medication, supplementation and lifestyle modification.
Choosing Lifestyle Changes vs. Medication
There has to be a point where somebody can say, this is really hurting my quality of life, I don’t feel good every day, I don’t feel like I used to five years ago, then it might be a good idea to go inquire about some type of therapy. – Patrick Alonso PharmD, CPh
- Patrick works with a lot of older adults and advocates to get people off the medication “hamster wheel”, where often medications are added to help relieve symptoms that other medications are causing. Another way this can happen if a person is seeing multiple providers that are not coordinating care.
- Patrick believes people who get education and training and want to do something good in healthcare often have good intentions but the system they exist in makes it very difficult.
- There is no shame in taking medication. It can often be the tool to get them into a safe place to experiment with lifestyle intervention. This is especially true for conditions related to blood sugar and blood pressure.
- A lifestyle factor that people don’t often consider is the inherent stress of the workplace, family, etc. Our body works on a negative feedback loop. So a hormone like cortisol can trigger the overproduction or underproduction of other hormones. Talking to people about managing stress is a huge topic that gets just a fraction of the attention that it should.
- Regarding supplements, Patrick generally advises to not take too many at once since you may not know what is working, they can interact with each other or other medications, and you may just be wasting your money. And if you are going to take a supplement, Patrick recommends finding ones with third-party testing, a USP or NSF label, and a Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP).
Next Steps
- If you’re looking for your own independent advocate, Patrick recommends searching online for ones in your area. Unfortunately, he notes, there are not enough advocates out there. He is also available consults.
- Patrick notes that if you’re looking to de-prescribe medications or find an optimal regimen, it’s important to create list of all your over-the-counter medications, supplements, and pharmaceuticals. Go through and ask yourself why you are taking it. If you can’t remember why, that’s a good place to start.
- Then consider who prescribed it and if you’re still even seeing that physician. Look for medications may treat the same thing (not always a bad thing). Don’t be afraid to talk to your healthcare providers if your doses are optimized for your current condition.
- In general, a great place to start for general lifestyle improvements area to minimize stress and find manage stress, like with breathing techniques.
- Additionally, if you’re struggling with sleep or stress for sleep, Patrick highly recommends supplementing with magnesium bisglycinate. It and other minerals are not as available in our current food sources.
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