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meds and composting

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 6/5/2008 3:45 PM (GMT 0)
 

Didn't know if I should post this here or on my garden forum, gonna do both yeah

For those that don't know, urine is very rich in nitrogen, which is really good for a compost pile, which is really, really good for the garden.  It's just me and hubby, and he just doesn't pee on the pile enough.

I'm taking Humira.  I just wonder if the meds we take, especially the biologics, can somehow end up affecting anyone who consumes the produce.  Now, before I hear the 'ewe', I do not use any manure, which is where others get ecoli from.

Thanks,  Jan

Posted 6/5/2008 6:22 PM (GMT 0)
Ewww!

Umm.... You know ... you might want to check with your doc about that... my guess is that it won't survive the composting... but *IF* it is excreted it could affect the bacterial composition... which could affect the quality of the composting...
Posted 6/5/2008 7:35 PM (GMT 0)
that is a bit yucky! I would think the meds would have been broken down by your body but the Dr would know better. Also, coffee grounds have nitrogen and they are great for composting, I get mine from Starbucks. That is better than pee on the compost pile. The used coffee attracts worms and helps the compost pile decompose faster etc. I would not pee on it, it might attract animals too. Plus it is yucky. Karen a link on coffee for the garden http://www.sustainableenterprises.com/Business/coffeefert.htm
Posted 6/5/2008 8:04 PM (GMT 0)
I dont know about peeing in it but I do know that anyone can become seriously ill if you have a lid type compose and dont wear a mask.  You are breathing in all those fumes.  We have a compost but have it open in the farthest away from the property with chicken coop wire, works great, takes a little long to fully decompose, but safer. We have use sheep manure for years and I wash everything and knock on wood no ecoli.  I am on Humira just had my shot today, on it since March 28th of this year. Doing ok on and off.
Posted 6/5/2008 10:23 PM (GMT 0)
Actually, the pee does not attract critters, it lets them know they are in someone else's territory.  The urea and nitrogen content in urine is very good for a compost.  I was just thinking that we all take meds here, some of which are quite powerful, as my humira is, and maybe someone here knew if it would break down in compost.  I guess until I know that it would be safe, I will just not add my own.  The pee is not as offensive as manure, IMHO.  I can't get past all the recalls on spinach for E Coli.  Recalls are the very reason I got back into gardening and stopped eating beef. 

Since I asked the question, I've been researching and I found that it is a very heated topic to many.  Sorry if I offended anyone.  I was asking the question as it pertains to our (cd) medications so I figured this was a good place to ask, as I'm sure there are other crohnies out there that do gardening.

Karendee:  Do you ask Starbucks to save the coffee grounds for you?  Or do you just stop in and ask if they have any.  Great idea!  

Crohn's 4 ever:  Hope you do well on Humira.  My compost is covered with a tarp to keep temperature up, but gets aerated often.  It's not fumes, but mold spores you need to worry about.  I don't use any 'poop'.

Posted 6/5/2008 10:41 PM (GMT 0)
They just did studies and found low leves of many perscription medications in drinking water. The meds aren't adequatelly filtered out at sewage plants wether they are absorbed by the growing plants I don't know.
Sj
Posted 6/6/2008 2:14 AM (GMT 0)
just stop in and ask for the grounds. they might even have it in bags already for you. Once I asked and got a trash bag fulll of grounds. it attracts worms and the worms make my dirt healthy when they eat the grounds.
Posted 6/6/2008 2:56 AM (GMT 0)

The meds in drinking water are usually a result of people improperly disposing of unused meds via flushing them down the toilet.  Any meds not filtered by the sewage plants would end up in our rivers & streams.  Hence, plants also derive their water by this method I would think it safe to assume that they would absorb the meds.

So many other ways to add nitrogen to your soil, I would opt for the coffee grounds too.  Unless of course you just wanted to park your husband in the dog house next to the compost pile for convience!:)

Please, Please ask your pharmacist about the proper way to dispose of drugs!  Just think of the future generations and how it is gonna effect them the next time you flush your meds!

Posted 6/6/2008 1:16 PM (GMT 0)
I live in rural and no one would know if I flushed the pills, however I am one who does care about the enviornment and I do take my old meds, and vitamins to the drug store to dispose of them. I have a R/O tap and have ultraviolet water exchange and water softner. One reason is bacteria the other is to avoid kidney stones as I am very prone to them. We grow our own veggies and I am not a big meat eater, so I try to eat healthy. Just had blood work results and everything is normal. I am on Humira, 1 cipro a day and crossing my fingers, on week 9.
Posted 6/6/2008 1:38 PM (GMT 0)
I have some antibiotics I need to dispose of at the pharmacy and I keep forgetting to take them there... I know it is bad to flush and I wish more people knew that. I grow my own veggies too. I just mix them in my flower beds. In fact i have many tomato plants sprouting from the tomatoes I left on the ground last year. I have so many this year I am going to have to give them away again. Karen
Posted 6/6/2008 5:40 PM (GMT 0)
I used to give away tons of veggies until I learned to can.  Now I can and freeze and have veggies all winter.  I do it all from seeds that I save and plant.  I used to think that tomatoes bothered my crohn's, but since I got off the commercially grown and canned veggies, I've found that the 'red' foods really don't bother me.  cool
Posted 6/6/2008 6:05 PM (GMT 0)
I froze some totatoes last year too, I was so tired I did not freeze them all and left outside and the decomposed on the ground. Now I get tomato plants this year without planting them :) Karen
Posted 6/6/2008 6:10 PM (GMT 0)
I know there is speculation that birth control hormones remain in our pee and thus are contaminating things. If you are on BC Id ask your pharmacist before adding yours to the pile.

PS: My hubby loves to pee outside. Maybe you can hire him.
Posted 6/6/2008 6:19 PM (GMT 0)
Actually meds in drinking water are from multiple sources. It's well documented that MANY meds don't fully metabolize. These will be excreted in some form or another: Pee, Poop or Sweat. The question of which contributes MORE to the drinking water concern is likely those disposed of improperly through flushing.

That doesn't address the question of "will my pee put chemicals into a compost heap that mess up the composting".

Honestly I have no clue about pee and Crohn's meds. SSRIs on the other hand are documented to survive in small quantites into the urine. So I guess if you want happy worms; start on some SSRIs. :-) Or pay me enough... I'm on two SSRIs, but not really inclined to pee in abnormal places. And I don't collect my urine... Court order I'm afraid... :-P (Just kidding ... there was no court order to stop...)
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