SELF-MEDICATION; GOOD OR BAD?

1. 54

   TonyManixposted 14 years ago

   Hi hubbers....a lot has been said, and written on pros and cons of self-medication. but, each time the topic comes up,one still gets   
   thrown off by the avalanche of diverse opinions from folks,some of whom may be vast in the field of western, oriental and other fields of medicine...as well as those with little or no background in medicine. in all,majority of experts believe that it is risky and unhealthy for anyone who is not trained and licensed in the practice of medicine to administer drugs to either himself or another person.... still,other guys from the do-it-your self school of thought hold a different view....to them, given the growing interest in alternative medicine,one can easily go through cure-it-all manuals....hit the 
   health shops,procure some herbs,natural leaves, etc, and pronto get the preparations and administer..generally, this practice has been growing steadily in most parts of Asia,Africa, Middle Estate,South America..perhaps, it may be due to poor funding of the health sector by their governments. but, it may not not be out of point to note that the practice is now gaining ground in the US,UK and other developed economies....TO BAD! for the health sector globally, you would say...but a WELL DEVELOPMENT! others may think..... But, as the
   arguments keeps increasing,.....WHERE DO YOU REALLY BELONG? THEREFORE, PLEASE DO CONTRIBUTE YOUR COMMENTS, IN ORDER TO MAKE
   THE HEALTH DELIVERY SECTOR ACROSS THE WORLD, BETTER  FOR THE ENTIRE WORLD CITIZENS......thanks.

   replyreport
   1. 0

      cosetteposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      hi Tony.
      
      i'm all for natural remedies and treatments for mild problems. even herbal remedies can be very powerful, so people should research them thoroughly before using them. severe problems though should have the supervision of a doctor. i'm glad we live in an age where we can take care of ourselves instead of seeing a doctor. less expensive and invasive.

      replyreport
2. 61

   Hokeyposted 14 years ago

   Before you self-medicate you need to self-educate.

   replyreport
   1. 69

      Cagsilposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      It might also helpful to be self-aware? Even before you self-educate.

      replyreport
3. 73

   WriteAngledposted 14 years ago

   When the health service fails to deliver what an individual needs, I am all for self-medication provided it is accompanied by self-education.

   replyreport
4. 73

   WriteAngledposted 14 years ago

   Hokey, great minds think alike

   replyreport
   1. 61

      Hokeyposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Yes mam 

      replyreport
5. 62

   Lady_Eposted 14 years ago

   50/50
   
   Sometimes good, but sometimes you might not know medicine is bad for you until you have a terrible reaction to it.

   replyreport
6. 73

   WriteAngledposted 14 years ago

   I consider myself self-aware. Some may disagree
   
   Example of self-medication: when my partner snores, I cannot sleep. My doctor would not prescribe sleeping pills in this situation. I buy sleeping pills online. I do not take them every night. However, after a few nights of no sleep, when I feel desperate and cannot work, I take one to sleep despite the disturbance. Then I am able to function again.

   replyreport
   1. 84

      Aya Katzposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Have you considered separate bedrooms? Anath has a really good hub about that.

      replyreport
      1. 73

         WriteAngledposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         No, I like being able to reach out and touch him at night. If we had separate bedrooms, we might just as well have separate houses and other relationships on the side.

         replyreport
         1. 63

            Anathposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            Maybe you could have a separate bed ONLY for those days when is unbearable to sleep toguether because of the snoring, but YOU need your sleep.  The rest of the time you could still share a bedroom and bed... just a thought

            replyreport
7. 60

   Going2Oahuposted 14 years ago

   I prefer digital drugs hehe

   replyreport
8. 74

   figmentposted 14 years ago

   Mary Jane works for me at times

   replyreport
9. 61

   love my yorkiesposted 14 years ago

   depends on the medication, doesn't it?

   replyreport
10. 0

    Pani Midnyte Odinposted 14 years ago

    As someone who is often asked about herbal/home remedies, there is one thing I can NOT stress enough about self-medicating. If you choose to self-medicate, you need to be 100% sure that the diagnosis of yourself is correct!
    
    For instance, I once knew a man who came to me with what he said was a boil directly on his tail bone. I told him he needed to go see a doctor because, to me, it looked like a philanthropic cyst. (No, I'm not a doctor. I just study a lot of herbal and home remedies, as well as the symptoms/illnesses they can prevent/cure.)
    
    Instead of listening to me, the man decided to lance his "boil." Well, he ended up with a horrible infection and couldn't even sit down. Finally, he went to a doctor and the doctor surgically removed the cyst.
    
    The point of my story is this: No matter how "self-aware" and "self-educated" you may be, there is still a chance that you've diagnosed yourself wrong. Even doctors, who have gone to medical school for years, get diagnoses wrong.
    
    So, I urge you, to at LEAST phone an Ask A Nurse from the Yellow Pages and ask THEIR opinion before you go around self-medicating yourself. Even your family doctor will most likely give you advice over the phone without you having to pay. There are many options out there that will help you make a proper diagnosis of yourself and lower the risks of you just making it worse. USE THESE RESOURCES!

    replyreport