At some point we may be naive about which drug should be best used for which illness, but any visit to a doctor gives us the privilege and so-called medical experience to tag certain illnesses/pain to certain drugs; hence, whenever we feel certain pain in that line, we are quick to purchase those drugs for a cure instead of revisiting the doctor.
This, of course, is a very cheap solution, especially when the drugs work accordingly and cure the current discomfort. We now know different kinds of pain and can tag a drug to the cure, forgetting that certain conditions can carry similar symptoms.
Our chemist and pharmacist aren't even helping matters since they sometimes just sell drugs to us for their own benefits without proper examination. Just give certain complaints to a chemist, and they will rule out drugs for you. A lot of us now became acquainted with this mediocre medical knowledge and even recommended it to other people.
On several occasions I have received advice on what drugs to use when I feel certain ways. Nobody is exempted from these acts, as we all engage in them. Prescribe drugs to our neighbors and friends based on how we feel or how well it worked for us the first time. I can recommend my malaria drugs to another individual, forgetting that our bodies are different and react to drugs differently.
I have had several encounters of drug misuse and self-medication that went ugly. Among them is one important anemia drug wisely used by sickle cell warriors; that drug has several drastic side effects and must be used under strict medical observation. Since it has been proven to help reduce the anemic condition and other symptoms of sickle cell, a lot of warriors started recommending it to each other until the worst happened.
A warrior took this same drug and reacted badly to it. What was meant to be a cheap cure had her admitted to the hospital; her cell got swollen and began to burst until it led to her death. Ever since then, fear gripped the entire sickle cell community, and everyone became mindful of whatever they took as a drug without a doctor's prescription.
In another encounter, I have taken tramadol because, on one occasion, I have gotten it as a pain relief from the hospital. I kept the prescription sheet I was issued and used it to purchase this restricted drug from a different pharmacy. Since I had a good amount of it at home, I went ahead to take 30 mg of tramadol, which almost ran me mad. The drug is now within my reach, and on any occasion of slight pain, I will administer the drugs. After that one encounter with an overdose that didn't go well with my system, I understood why that drug was hence restricted.
No wonder a lot of drugs are under restrictions; this is all because they pose more health threats to us when misused. Ever since I realized different illnesses can attract similar symptoms, I make it a point of duty to at least make inquiries before taking certain drugs, and knowing the right dosage according to our body masses is really important.
About two weeks ago my younger brother was constantly self treating himself of typhoid fever since he has felt such symptom and was treated of it earlier.
The several complain of severe headache, wasn't responding to treatment until a doctor diagnosed him of migraine headaches. Please be careful out there, not all headaches are a symptom of fever, some could be migraine, high blood pressure or a pointer to some more deadlier conditions best diagnosed by a doctor.
Let's keep in mind that the best solution aren't always cheap, self medication may appear cheap but their after effects and complications will never come cheap.
Image is Canva designed and there goes my submission to the #Hive learner's prompt. Thanks for reading through.