Medicines.....

Koreano

Bronze
Jan 18, 2012
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The way Doctor/pharmacy give medicine, someday they will kill us all.
I am taking a medicine for little over a week now and all they said at pharmacy was just drink a lot of water. But I felt strange and did a little search on internet....

And....

The lists of side-effect is very long. I know I am stupid for not doing more research beforehand. But I've already took 10 days worth and I only have few more days to go so I am not going to list the medicine (Too late). Somebody at least must tell dos and don'ts and things not to eat and to watch for. At least in US they will give you sheet of paper to read, here I got mine on blue plastic bag and drink a lot of water and nothing. And I have two "consult doctor" side effect and I guess I have no choice and I don't think its too serious.

Those without knowledge and internet, just taking medicine could be dangerous.
 

Castle

Silver
Sep 1, 2012
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I think a responsible doctor will give you all the information you need regarding the medicine they are prescribing. But it's true, not all doctors in DR follow that practice.

As a son of a doctor, I was raised under the no-medication policy. As a child, I never took an aspirine for a headache, or cold medicine, or anything for the the fever unless it was from some serious infection (not flu related). Even today, I have to be dying in pain to take even the mildest analgesic. My father always said medicines are good in the short run, but they all have side effects in the long run (known or not), so we're better off them unless life is at stake. I'm 42, and I as get older I know the day is coming when I'll need medicines regularly, and it really bothers me just to think about it.
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
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listen... yes, sometimes medicine is really nasty and has so many side effects it is discouraging the patient from continuing the regime. see, for instance, a treatment for TB or leprosy that lasts several months, sometimes as long as two years. but in those cases there is no choice: you either take the medicine and get better or stop taking it and die. but with simple, normal meds like cold, parasites and so on you have a choice. there are many treatments available and if one medicine gives you too many side effects you can try something else.

and i detest the attitude of not taking pain medicine. maybe because when a migraine hits me i crawl on the bathroom floor in my own vomit and shake like in an epilepsy attack. i have to be carried to the car to take me to the emergency unit. so as soon as i feel ever so gentle pain i take minimum 4 pills. f**k the long term consequences, i do not want that pain.
 

Chip

Platinum
Jul 25, 2007
16,772
429
0
Santiago
listen... yes, sometimes medicine is really nasty and has so many side effects it is discouraging the patient from continuing the regime. see, for instance, a treatment for TB or leprosy that lasts several months, sometimes as long as two years. but in those cases there is no choice: you either take the medicine and get better or stop taking it and die. but with simple, normal meds like cold, parasites and so on you have a choice. there are many treatments available and if one medicine gives you too many side effects you can try something else.

and i detest the attitude of not taking pain medicine. maybe because when a migraine hits me i crawl on the bathroom floor in my own vomit and shake like in an epilepsy attack. i have to be carried to the car to take me to the emergency unit. so as soon as i feel ever so gentle pain i take minimum 4 pills. f**k the long term consequences, i do not want that pain.

My sister has suffered for over 20 years with and I am prone to them as well when i have too much of a certain salt in my diet. She has found out taking - 600-800 mg of ibuprofen when the "visual effects" of the migraine will completely eliminate the pain part of the migraine from taking effect.
 

dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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chip, i take minimum of 8 ibuprofen of 800 mg and that's just for starters.
 

Koreano

Bronze
Jan 18, 2012
1,546
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36
chip, i take minimum of 8 ibuprofen of 800 mg and that's just for starters.

There are days when my wife takes Advil like breakfast cereal in the morning. I don't like it because I too was raised like castle. My bros used to say "put some spit on it and now go out and play".

I never took so much medicine until I arrived in DR.
 

Chip

Platinum
Jul 25, 2007
16,772
429
0
Santiago
Ibuprofen needs to be taken at the onset of the migraine before the pain starts. Ibuprofen taken regularly over time will damage the stomach lining. My sister in law has stomach ulcers because of taking so many and now has to take something else.
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
0
chip, don't start giving me lessons on how to manage my migraines. sometimes the time before the first pang of pain and full blown migraine is less than it takes me to get from the bedroom to the kitchen, find meds and get a glass of water. your smartypants remarks are not cutting it with me today.
 

suarezn

Gold
Feb 3, 2002
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I understand in The US pharmacies have a database to cross reference meds that shouldn't be taken together and so forth. In The DR it's all on your own and if you happen to die then "So sorry for you..."

We just had a very unnerving case happen in my barrio. A 19 year old girl broke her leg and they took her to the hospital or local clinic I'm not sure which. She was treated for the pain, etc...and according to the family the doctor gave her this injection when she was about to be released. Of course the family (uneducated) doesn't know what she was given. She started feeling bad right after the doctor had left so they kept her in. Long story short by the time the family reacted the girl was turning blue. They tried to take her to Santiago, but she died on the way there. An obvious allergic reaction to whatever she was given. Of course the doctor takes no responsibility and nothing will happen.

Moral of the story is if you're taking any meds in The DR (specially if you're getting injected) that you haven't taken before be extremely careful and make sure they have whatever the antidote is at hand.

Koreano: You were lucky you got a blue bag...normally they just wrap it in that thick paper they have a big roll off and hand it to you.
 

Castle

Silver
Sep 1, 2012
2,982
1
0
Something like that happened to the father of a good friend of mine, but in Spain. He was diabetic and broke a leg while walking on the street. The took him to the ER and told the doctors everything about his diabetic condition. They still gave him some medicine and killed the poor man.
 

AlterEgo

Administrator
Staff member
Jan 9, 2009
23,097
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South Coast
This happened to my husband when he was a teen in SD, from a shot of penicillin I think. Thank God the reaction [he collapsed on the floor] was so fast that he was still at the clinic and they gave him a shot of epinephrine.
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
0
most people have no clue regarding their allergies to medicine, how could they if they have never been exposed to certain compounds? one will never know if they have an allergy to penicillin unless they try it. when i am asked in a hospital about allergies i answer truthfully: not that i know of. that's the best i can do. not to mention that allergic reaction can also happen after numerous times the medicine has been taken before without any problems.

so i would not blame the doctors on this one. sometimes s**t happens. there was a case in the UK some time ago when some kid took ibuprofen and his skin peeled off. he was hospitalized and his life was saved but that was a close call. the family was b**ching about it but really no one was at fault there. severe adverse affects are very, very rare but they can happen whether you read the label or not. who the hell takes mental note of some extreme allergic reaction that happens to one in a million users? no one. yet they can be one in a million.
 

bronzeallspice

Live everyday like it's your last
Mar 26, 2012
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All drugs(medicines) have side effects. Side effects can be dizziness, headaches, constipation, etc. and usually goes away after a few days. But if it's bothersome, you are advised to call your doctor and he can prescribe another one. An allergic reaction is different.
 
Last edited:

AlterEgo

Administrator
Staff member
Jan 9, 2009
23,097
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most people have no clue regarding their allergies to medicine, how could they if they have never been exposed to certain compounds? one will never know if they have an allergy to penicillin unless they try it. when i am asked in a hospital about allergies i answer truthfully: not that i know of. that's the best i can do. not to mention that allergic reaction can also happen after numerous times the medicine has been taken before without any problems.

so i would not blame the doctors on this one. sometimes s**t happens. there was a case in the UK some time ago when some kid took ibuprofen and his skin peeled off. he was hospitalized and his life was saved but that was a close call. the family was b**ching about it but really no one was at fault there. severe adverse affects are very, very rare but they can happen whether you read the label or not. who the hell takes mental note of some extreme allergic reaction that happens to one in a million users? no one. yet they can be one in a million.

You're right again dv8. I've taken Cipro many, many times in my life. When I went to the ER with a severe gall bladder attack last year, they gave me a shot of Cipro in my IV. Before the nurse left the room my IV arm blew up with huge golf ball sized red raised spots.

You just never know
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
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spicy girl, allergic reactions to medicine are also among adverse effects. some of this stuff is extremely rare. someone must be a part of this statistics... allergies in general (bee sting, peanuts) are a different thing, thou.

how many times have you dyed your hair? i betcha many. have you ever done an allergy test, putting a bit of colourant on your arm? i betcha never. yet there are people who get several allergic reaction to the chemicals in hair dye, every day. after all, there is a reason why all cosmetic companies suggest you do the test. but everyone thinks: nah, nothing will happen to me.

and what sucks the most that you may eat a snickers bar every day for 20 years and then all of a sudden BAM, allergic reaction.
 

bronzeallspice

Live everyday like it's your last
Mar 26, 2012
11,009
2
38
spicy girl, allergic reactions to medicine are also among adverse effects. some of this stuff is extremely rare. someone must be a part of this statistics... allergies in general (bee sting, peanuts) are a different thing, thou.

how many times have you dyed your hair? i betcha many. have you ever done an allergy test, putting a bit of colourant on your arm? i betcha never. yet there are people who get several allergic reaction to the chemicals in hair dye, every day. after all, there is a reason why all cosmetic companies suggest you do the test. but everyone thinks: nah, nothing will happen to me.

and what sucks the most that you may eat a snickers bar every day for 20 years and then all of a sudden BAM, allergic reaction.

True. But some people confuse side effects with an allergic reaction. I was just stating the difference between the two.
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
0
i see what you mean there. side effects are not necessary repeated every time you take the medicine but the allergy is.
 

Koreano

Bronze
Jan 18, 2012
1,546
0
36
i see what you mean there. side effects are not necessary repeated every time you take the medicine but the allergy is.

I have allergy to chocolate coating on Advil, I can take the gel cap but if I take the regular one. I get rashes all over for couple of hours.

The thing about side effect is sometimes you just don't realize or show up until you take it for long term. I was fine, actually I felt great until I was about five days in on Saturday afternoon... I felt sleep and woke up and felt like crap. Monday I did a search on internet and few of the minor things that caught my eyes but like I said I only have few more days to go so I will rough it out...
 

Koreano

Bronze
Jan 18, 2012
1,546
0
36
I understand in The US pharmacies have a database to cross reference meds that shouldn't be taken together and so forth. In The DR it's all on your own and if you happen to die then "So sorry for you..."

We just had a very unnerving case happen in my barrio. A 19 year old girl broke her leg and they took her to the hospital or local clinic I'm not sure which. She was treated for the pain, etc...and according to the family the doctor gave her this injection when she was about to be released. Of course the family (uneducated) doesn't know what she was given. She started feeling bad right after the doctor had left so they kept her in. Long story short by the time the family reacted the girl was turning blue. They tried to take her to Santiago, but she died on the way there. An obvious allergic reaction to whatever she was given. Of course the doctor takes no responsibility and nothing will happen.

Moral of the story is if you're taking any meds in The DR (specially if you're getting injected) that you haven't taken before be extremely careful and make sure they have whatever the antidote is at hand.

Koreano: You were lucky you got a blue bag...normally they just wrap it in that thick paper they have a big roll off and hand it to you.

Come to think of it. I don't know if they asked us about if our son had any known allergy when he was going though Dengue or I wasn't there to answer the questions. One night nurse just came and gave shot and that was it.

I usually get that medicine in grayish paper with small piece of tape but I got 31 pills (Dominican 2 weeks?) this time. I guess I got lucky or she gave it to me as appreciation for being such a good customers. :)