Medication

[CardShark]

So as some of you may know I have back trouble, currently I take paracetamol normally at least once a day.
Heres the views on what my family thinks.

My Mum, hates me taking medication shes into all this cristal healing stuff, you can see it in here eyes she thinks I'm taking way too much already.

My Dad on the other hand he wants me to be popping pills all day, and complains that I should be going doctors every time I go and see him, but he has trouble with his back as well where as my mum doesn't.

I can see why they split up .

My view is I don't like taking medication, it does constantly hurt yet its bearable and you get used to it, I will take paracetamol where it hits that point that its causing me to feel a lot more pain.

What is everyones views on medication, is it good to cover up a problem instead of fixing it, should it be covered up when their is no way to fix a pain problem?

[Dan1089]

Okay basically what I think of medicine is simple,take medication whenever you really have to.The problem with always covering pain is that it's possible to develop dependcy so I recommend to tackle the problem head on.

[marshlander]

Back pain has a number of causes. If you know what is causing yours you may be in a better position to do something constructive about it. Often, back strengthening exercises help. However, as long as there is no underlying problem which is actually being made worse by covering it up when you take paracetamol you should be okay. Incidentally, if paracetamol works sufficiently well to enable you to function, thank your lucky stars. A lot of back pain requires something far more heavyweight.

I hope you can work it out and find a way of living without the medication ... then you can appease your mum and ask for some pretty stone treatment

All the best

[Phil]

Only medication i use is pot and even it aint for medication more recreation (tho it beats the hell outta arthritis durin the winter) lol i do pop an ibrufen for toothache but tend too ride pain out!

[XRIMO]

It depends what the problem is. If the problem can be fixed by changing your routine, then its better to do change.
If its something that can't be easily fixed, medication is useful to take away the symptoms until a better alternative presents itself.

I'm on a pill that helps clear up acne because I have extremely sensitive skin that breaks out easily. I have to be on this until the entire thing is gone, which could take one month or several (I'm on month 3, going on to 4).

[Phil]

I had acne when younger and anything with zinc in was a miracle cure that and unperfumed toiletries

[Shadow]

My view on medication is that it's an amazing thing, but you ought to have a clear perspective on why you're taking it, what it's doing, and what it's longer-term effects upon you (if any) may be.

... taking back pain as an example, I think that if you're taking the pain to lessen the effects of your back pain, then you need to decide whether you've exhausted any potential curative options that you have before plumping for a "keeping the worst at bay but not solving the underlying problem" solution, and this means you need to appreciate why you're having the pain ... slipped disk ? Arthritis ? Compressed nerve ? There are LOADS and loads of potential causes, and some can be manipulated to be made better, some can be operated on to be made better, and some are just long-term complaints that are perhaps better dealt with by taking medication on an ad hoc (or even regular if need's be) basis to dull the pain.

... my biggest concern with taking medication over a long period of time is that there is the risk of dependency upon it ... even low-grade medication can effectively become a placebo if taken for too long, as your body eventually starts to benefit less from it, whereas your mental dependency upon it strengthens - the effects of coming off it resulting in your mind telling your body that it's in worse condition than it perhaps is ...

I'm not saying that any of these extreme suggestions apply to you - I'm just giving you my honest critique of the possible dangers of taking medication longer-term, particularly if there is another way of going about tackling the problem.

... so my abridged answer to your question is, I don't have any problem whatsoever with taking medication - I think it's wonderful stuff, and can SERIOUSLY improve your quality of life ... but equally I think if there's a way of resolving a problem that means you DON'T have to take medication, then that's potentially the better option ...

... so if I'm at the house with nowt to do and I get a headache, I'll go have a lie-down before I take a pill ... that kinda thing mile:.

xx

!?!?! Shadow !?!?!

[CardShark]

A lot of back pain requires something far more heavyweight.

Should see my sisters husband, hes practically stoned all the time, he has the same problem as me though.

Only medication i use is pot and even it aint for medication more recreation (tho it beats the hell outta arthritis durin the winter) lol i do pop an ibrufen for toothache but tend too ride pain out!

Pot causes a lot of mental conditions from long term use, it varies from different strains though.

I'm on a pill that helps clear up acne because I have extremely sensitive skin that breaks out easily. I have to be on this until the entire thing is gone, which could take one month or several (I'm on month 3, going on to 4).

Once you get acne its a bitch to get rid off!

My view on medication is that it's an amazing thing, but you ought to have a clear perspective on why you're taking it, what it's doing, and what it's longer-term effects upon you (if any) may be.

... so my abridged answer to your question is, I don't have any problem whatsoever with taking medication - I think it's wonderful stuff, and can SERIOUSLY improve your quality of life ... but equally I think if there's a way of resolving a problem that means you DON'T have to take medication, then that's potentially the better option ...

... so if I'm at the house with nowt to do and I get a headache, I'll go have a lie-down before I take a pill ... that kinda thing mile:.

xx

!?!?! Shadow !?!?!

I totally agree, apparently PA told me paracetamol can cause liver damage never knew that!

[fjp999]

PA told me paracetamol can cause liver damage never knew that!

I will give my opinion on medications when I have a bit more energy.. but as to the effect of liver damage....one must understand that EVERYTHING goes thru the liver EVERYTHING!

While on Hep C treatment we were told NOT to use paracetamol as our livers are already compromised.

Doing a quick search brought what I assumed... if your liver is compromised... say you had a hepatitis, or are an alcoholic and you pop a ton of paracetamol your liver may become damaged over time.

[fjp999]

In another life I rarely took anything. Felt the body was telling me something if I had an ache or pain.

I use to get horrid migraines for years and years... started taking a very different type of vitamin/supplement based on cellular ingredients. In a couple weeks the migraines disappeared and have not come back even after I couldnt afford the vit/sups...

Flash forward to the next life where I was diagnosed with Hep C. Seems I was living with it for around 20 years without any signs.... yeah, needed to nap daily but living a full life with my own business...

Mom pushes me to treat... so I started seeing the docs... WORSE mistake of my life... once they get you in they dont like letting you go.

Wont tell you all the months of tests I went thru and the dozen of docs or the hundred of miles traveled... results showed that my liver was nearly normal, my viral count was amazingly low, and my viral type doesnt do so well on the current treatment (less than 30%).

Went to meet the big Liver Doc with sis. We were both expecting him to say that I should come back in a year and run the tests and see where I was at that point... WRONG! He started going on about seeing patients in the 23rd year getting very ill and even dying *I still have yet to find these figures???

So being scared into treatment I started. Weekly injections and 5 pills a day. Feeling like Hell on Earth but push myself to keep exercising even with full body cramps. Three months into treatment learn that the injections are chemotherapy... The side effects were so sever.. depression and suicide listed... was sure that woudnt him me. Well, it did. So now add anti-depressants, then blood went anemic so add another injection..UGH... 72 weeks of treatment and I cured. A month after ended all meds.

Step to the current life with over two years off all meds from treatment to discover that treatment meds probably caused cellular and maybe genetic manipulation creating a chaotic state in my body. Four years of fighting and finally labelled 100% disabled.

Full life of crazy side effects, finding many many others in the same condition... since cellular or genetic manipulation is a rather new science dont expect the docs to be able to remake me whole again so current thought is just to take a pill to improve my life. Currently on a strong amphetamine to help keep me awake (but falling in LOVE has already improved my energy level - thanks matey), a strong pain (killer after waking up with oddly torn shoulder tissue), anti-anxiety med to control the emotions a bit, and then a sleeping pill to counteract the amphetamines.

So pick your life and it will tell you my thoughts on medication. Right now I am ready to experiment with anything but my advice is to stay away from medicine if at all possible...