Crippling drug side-effects forced us to abandon our treatment: From statins to breast cancer medication, thousands are giving up on their prescriptions. Here's what to do if you're one of them
Share:
After surgery and radiotherapy for breast cancer, Marie Jones was prescribed a daily pill to reduce the chances of the disease returning. But just three weeks into the planned five-year course of treatment, she ditched the tablets. 'I know some people might think I'm mad for not doing everything possible to reduce my risk,' says Marie, 54, a PR consultant who lives in Belfast with husband Paddy, 56, a decorator, and has three grown-up children.
![[It is estimated that between a third and half of medication prescribed for long-term conditions - such as high blood pressure - are not taken as recommended]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/20/17/85110663-13439107-image-a-22_1716221284055.jpg)
'But my menopause side-effects came back with a vengeance after I started taking the drug [letrozole]. 'I had terrible night sweats that soaked my pyjamas and bedsheets. My head was fuzzy with brain fog — I was exhausted at work and a bit of a mess. 'Worst of all I had very painful aching joints all over my body. I couldn't even type on my keyboard without being in agony. After nearly a month I'd had enough of the pain and hormonal symptoms and stopped taking it.'.
![[The decision to stop treatment and take her chances with breast cancer wasn't one that Marie took lightly, or without fully assessing the risks]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/20/21/85110659-13439107-The_decision_to_stop_treatment_and_take_her_chances_with_breast_-m-2_1716236608999.jpg)
The decision to stop treatment and take her chances with breast cancer instead wasn't one that Marie took lightly, or without fully assessing the risks. 'I was diagnosed with stage 1 tubular breast cancer, a rare non-aggressive type, picked up on a routine scan two years ago.
'I was lucky in that it was caught early and I only needed a lumpectomy and radiotherapy. Marie Jones, 54, was prescribed a daily pill to reduce the chances of her breast cancer returning but she ditched the tablets just three weeks into the five-year course of treatment.
