The Risks of Self-Medicating (a cautionary tale from my friend).
Education on the risks of self-medication is essential for public health.
This is a publication based on the suggested topic proposed in the Hive Learners community through their discord, which on this occasion is "Self-Medication Is Important".
Venezuela is a country where people have the habit of having many recipes or advice on what things to take to relieve pain. This is something that has always been very common among all the people here, because always, especially in older adults, it is the case that the pills or medicines that have served them to, for example, cure a pain in the leg are recommended. So it is always helpful. It is very common to hear a neighbor talking about,"" I took this ibuprofen brand and it removed the pain in my legs and I was able to do all my things daily". And I hear the conversations of people saying, "how many pills did you take?. Look, I take a 400 milligram pill every four hours". And then?. and then the neighbor who hears this, obviously goes to the pharmacy and buys the medicine to administer it in the way that is inappropriate and generally this is a big mistake. Because even though they are medicines that are for free sale in any pharmaceutical establishment. Obviously, if you take it in a quantity that is not adequate, you will suffer the consequences. I saw how a friend of mine who liked to experiment with different medicines to overcome the pain he had in his legs. He has not found the medicine. The medicine that worked and cost him a lot for walking. And he was always trying from one medicine to another. And one day he happened to try taking 10 ibuprofen pills of 400 milligrams. And it turns out that he had to be taken by emergency. It was up to me to take him by emergency to a hospital because he had a very serious stomach pain. And it turned out that this was piercing his stomach. The excess of this medication was causing him a stomach bleeding. And they had to immediately be attended in emergency. To do a stomach wash to save his life. And this is due to the fact that he simply self-medicated. The doctor who saw him told me that if he was crazy, that was what happened to him. That normally the maximum dose of ibuprofen for a human being is one gram. One gram a day. And he took four grams. That is, he took ten pills. So probably if he had not arrived in time to do the stomach wash, he would have died. So it is very important to keep in mind that we should not self-medicate. And that this is a risk that we should always make these decisions. Of the ailments that we have in the hands of doctors and specialists. The same happens with other types of drugs that are to calm anxiety. That here people in Venezuela usually take them on their own initiative. And this is something that should only be prescribed by a specialist. The person has to do a number of medical exams. To see if there is a missing chemical in his brain or something in his body. A chemical that is not producing his body. And in that case it is recommended or prescribed the use of this medicine. But this should only be indicated by a specialist. I personally tell you that I am someone who prefers to be cured through natural medicine. Plants and everything that is natural food. I really prefer to heal in this way because I am not a friend of going to the doctor. And please try as much as possible not to self-medicate. Because it is something that does a lot of damage. I hope that this anecdote of my friend. that he got intoxicated with this medicine serves you as a teaching. To keep in mind that self-medication is not healthy. Thumbnail image maded using Bing AI and edited with Canva.com Posted Using InLeo Alpha
"Prevention is better than cure."
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It is interesting to note that, in a market where the pharmaceutical industry plays a dominant role, we are often bombarded with messages about the efficacy and safety of medicines without always taking into account the possibility that there are interests behind these messages. This is not to say that all medicines are dangerous, but we should be aware that not all information provided can be completely objective. Your friend's experience is a clear example of how a seemingly harmless decision can have devastating effects.
I also think it is important to stress that the medication itself is not the solution, but a drug that makes it easier to cope with the pain while the body recovers from it.
Sharing these experiences and educating others about the risks of self-medication is essential to prevent future health problems. Thank you again for highlighting this important issue.
Pharmaceutical companies are more concerned with increasing their capital than with people's health. You have the most recent example with everything that happened with covid19 and the large amount of medications, masks, and other things that they made us buy for that. They are only interested in money, not humanity.
Education is extremely important, that people learn, and above all, have a critical sense, be curious.
Delighted to receive your visit here, because these comments are what add up!
!LUV
Did you know you can overdose on pure, clean water? Everything in the universe is dangerous, even deadly, in inappropriate dosage. It is important to actually research each and every chemical - including water, that can and has killed people that drank too much - before we use them. When we do understand them they are all safe to use in the right way.
Knowledge is necessary to human felicity, without exception, in every aspect of our lives.
I also often here this kind of conversation specially with old people, thinking that just because a medicine works for them, that medicine would also work for other people, not realizing that medicines could react differently on each people.
People seem to be guided by what works for others, and it's like you say, every body is different. It is always best to go to the doctor so he can tell you what to do.
Always be careful with medication and be responsible so that things like what happened to your friend don't happen.
Good advice @manclar
My friend was a drug addict...he spent his time experimenting with pills, but the day his leg really hurt, his hand got worse, and I had to run with him to the hospital...I leave you the video of him here. here, so that you can analyze it, and see his madness...he is a homeless man from the street, he is already dead, a trafficker killed him...I helped him for many years, with money, food, support, home, etc. ...
@enraizar
!PIZZA
$PIZZA slices delivered:
@nupulse(10/15) tipped @manclar
This is not actually the problem. The problem is that people that have no understanding of the mechanisms are experimenting with things that interfere in ways they have neither any idea how they work.
I have a broken tooth, cracked from front to back all the way through the center of the tooth - right through the nerve in the center of the tooth. When I called the dental provider, I was told I could get an emergency dental visit - in January. I do not have any option but self-medication for the problem. I can pull the tooth with pliers, which will HURT, bleed a lot, and probably get infected. I can stop eating and starve myself to death in agonizing pain from the exposed nerve in my tooth awaiting the January appointment. Or I can reattach the broken part of the tooth to the rest and protect the nerve from exposure, keep food out of the break, and prevent a horrible infection from setting in that will probably kill me before I can get any antibiotics (in January) - unless I manage to get to the emergency room of a nearby hospital when the infection becomes life threatening and ordinary doctors can treat the infection at that time.
So, I looked up the scientific research on oral application of ethyl cyanoacrylate (superglue).
Oral Applications of Cyanoacrylate Adhesives: A Literature Review
This is not simply trying something in the hope it might work. There is a right way and a wrong way to do things. Your friend that overdosed on Ibuprofen did the wrong thing because he did not learn about the medicine he hoped would help him. It isn't a secret known only to doctors that prevent their patients from ever knowing how they work their magic spells. Every doctor, pharmacist, or literary source of information on Ibuprofen will openly state that the maximum dose is ~1 gram per day. Your friend just is an idiot that made no attempt to learn anything except by experimenting on himself.
I keep my tooth glued to keep the nerve protected from exposure and prevent rotten food in the break from giving me a horrible infection using a medicine that is safe to use for the purpose, that I have understood is safe for the purpose because I gained the knowledge to know that so I wouldn't poison myself.
Please apply this principle to the best of your abilities, and not just regarding medicine and medical care, but in every field of action available to you, so that your actions are informed and reasonable in all the matters that affect you.
Thanks!
I understand you perfectly, but there is one detail: my friend was a drug addict, who spent his time experimenting with benzadiazepines, prozac, risperidonam, alprazolam and all other types of drugs, so there's really nothing to do there.
The post was more focused on those common people who get carried away by the comments of neighbors or another person, because that pill helped that neighbor to cure him.
Each body and pathology is different, and that is more or less what my dear unicorn tried to briefly summarize.
I feel that today you have courage as a fighter or warrior, am I wrong? 😀
La adicción a drogas legales (medicinas, alcohol, tabaco...) es igual de mala que la adicción a drogas ilegales. Y lo peor es que es fácil de conseguir con lo que quien tienen poca voluntad pueden caer muy rápido en adicción.
Hay que tener autocontrol y voluntad de ayudar al prójimo si reconocemos alguna de estas adicciones. Es difícil pero seguro es más difícil para el adicto. 😕
Self-medication is definitely a danger. We must be aware of it
Totally, better to take the time to rationalize, read and then take legitimate action.