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I don't know why not! I was at my vets office one day when he opened a cabinet, pulled out a big bottle of pills from a cabinet full of pill bottles, opened it and took one out and popped it in his mouth... When he saw my stunned look he told me that a lot of the medications for animals are peoples medicine also..
I have a cat that is on Enalapril for a heart condition...
This is an important issue, for more reasons that you might initially know. The indiscriminate, improper and incomplete use of antibiotics, including non-medically-prescribed antibiotics, has created several "monsters" among us: antibiotic-resistant microorganisms.
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"Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, known as MRSA, is a type of Staphylococcus aureus that is resistant to the antibiotic methicillin and other drugs in the same class, including penicillin, amoxicillin, and oxacillin. MRSA is one example of a so-called "superbug," an informal term used to describe a strain of bacteria that has become resistant to the antibiotics usually used to treat it."
Folks, this is a major problem in hospitals and long-term care facilities. It can kill ya.
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"The development of antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a growing public health concern, in particular because only one remaining class of antibiotics is recommended for its treatment. Currently, the CDC STD treatment guidelines recommend that cephalosporin antibiotics be used to treat all gonococcal infections in the United States. Historically, gonorrhea has progressively developed resistance to all antibiotic drugs prescribed to treat it: drugs such as penicillin, tetracycline, spectinomycin, and ciprofloxacin."
The stories that came out of the Vietnam war were based in fact: the indiscriminate use of antibiotics in Southeast Asia did create an antibiotic-resistant strain of gonorrhea. And this stuff can kill ya too.
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There ae several more just like these. Know that misusing antibiotics, or using them just until the symptoms clear up, can create a natural selection process in your own body, resulting in the evolution of an antibiotic-resistant microorganism. As adults, you all have freedom of action, of course. But make it thoughtful, fact-based action.
Public health issues when applied to individuals are simply absurd. The "misuse of antibiotics" causing mutation of antibiotic resistant strains of organisms is quite true at the public health level. However, that misuse has absolutely nothing to do with what we are talking about here on this forum.
If Mrs. Smith takes an antibiotic every time she has a sore throat without any confirmation of the bacterial cause (as opposed to a virus for which the antibiotic will be ineffective), she will not develop some monster strain of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Nothing bad will happen. She will not cure the virus, but she will have prophylactic protection against a secondary bacterial infection. Its all good for her.
If 20,000,000 children are given antibiotics every time they have a sore throat with or without confirmation of a bacterial source, then bit by bit, inch by inch, there may be some mutation of the organisms that populate these children. And, antibiotics have evolved to accommodate these changes. In Vietnam, millions of soldiers were administered antibiotics in courses of treatment inadequate to kill the bacteria. (Some one handed out a handful of pills and when it stopped hurting to urinate, they threw the rest of the pills away). So, after tens of millions of doses there were strains that did not yield to the existing antibiotics. The antibiotics were modified and soldiers today get antibiotics for gonorrhea and recover just fine.
And, it is virtually impossible to do any harm to a single person with unnecessary administration of antibiotics other than avoiding correct diagnosis of the illnesses from which they already suffer. Read the adverse effects on the package of amoxicillin. There are worse side effects from drinking homogenized milk.
People who are afraid of doctors and in awe of their prescription pads spread this tripe. Its just fear mongering and doctor worship. 95% of all Rx medications in the US could be safely self prescribed by any intelligent adult, but for two problems: (i) abuse potential, and (ii) failure to properly diagnose the actual illness.
Last edited by Wilson513; 08-10-2010 at 11:54 AM..
"And, it is virtually impossible to do any harm to a single person with unnecessary administration of antibiotics other than avoiding correct diagnosis of the illnesses from which they already suffer"
Not sure where that information came from. I have a Penicillin allergy. I can tell you that I am very lucky I was in a Doctor's office when I first had a reaction (from an injection).
Taking the wrong drugs can kill you.
I have a Penicillin allergy. I can tell you that I am very lucky I was in a Doctor's office when I first had a reaction (from an injection). Taking the wrong drugs can kill you.
I have similar problems with pain meds, so I do agree with this statement. I also have some conditions that preclude the use of some medications (NSAIDS are bad for stomach ulcers, for example).
However, once any sensitivities or allergies are known, a reasonable adult could make an educated decision WRT self-medicating in an emergency situation and it's good to know your options.
My only issue with self-medicating is that you may not be properly treating the ailment... thereby wasting meds with no benefit and possibly reducing your body's natural defensives against what is affecting you. Antibiotics can get tricky since they indiscriminately work on all the bacteria in your body whether they are harmful or beneficial, so improper use could upset the balance and allow opportunistic infection to occur (commonly, yeast infections which are fungal). Steroidal meds are another in the "concerning" category since they can mask symptoms and the real cause of the problem... even if prescribed by a doctor, use with care.
BUT in an emergency situation where professional medical diagnosis and assistance is unlikely, all bets are off. In those cases, it's often better to treat for the wrong thing that to not treat at all... especially if doing nothing has an even higher risk of death or permanent injury.
"And, it is virtually impossible to do any harm to a single person with unnecessary administration of antibiotics other than avoiding correct diagnosis of the illnesses from which they already suffer"
Not sure where that information came from. I have a Penicillin allergy. I can tell you that I am very lucky I was in a Doctor's office when I first had a reaction (from an injection).
Taking the wrong drugs can kill you.
You're kidding right? You go to the doctor. You test positive for strep. He prescribes Penicillin. You go to a pharmacy to get the drug. How does a prescribing doctor or the Rx know that you are allergic to penicillin? They ask you. And you are disputing my point above about self-prescribing? I said that drugs could be self prescribed by an INTELLIGENT adult. Someone who would tell a doctor or pharmacist that he is allergic to penicillin but self prescribe that same drug does not fit the word intelligent.
I guess this is the reason that we need a label affixed to a hairdryer that it should not be used when sitting in the bathtub. . . .
Last edited by Wilson513; 08-11-2010 at 03:18 AM..
I have similar problems with pain meds, so I do agree with this statement. I also have some conditions that preclude the use of some medications (NSAIDS are bad for stomach ulcers, for example).
However, once any sensitivities or allergies are known, a reasonable adult could make an educated decision WRT self-medicating in an emergency situation and it's good to know your options.
My only issue with self-medicating is that you may not be properly treating the ailment... thereby wasting meds with no benefit and possibly reducing your body's natural defensives against what is affecting you. Antibiotics can get tricky since they indiscriminately work on all the bacteria in your body whether they are harmful or beneficial, so improper use could upset the balance and allow opportunistic infection to occur (commonly, yeast infections which are fungal). Steroidal meds are another in the "concerning" category since they can mask symptoms and the real cause of the problem... even if prescribed by a doctor, use with care.
BUT in an emergency situation where professional medical diagnosis and assistance is unlikely, all bets are off. In those cases, it's often better to treat for the wrong thing that to not treat at all... especially if doing nothing has an even higher risk of death or permanent injury.
Now, Missing. you're an intelligent person, right? And not a doctor or a pharmacist, I assume. and you know that antibiotics can decimate the natural creatures that benefit our bodies, right? So if you had some dyspepsia after a course of antibiotics you would know to add some live yeast cultures to your diet, right? Yogurt and the like. Do you need a doctor to tell you that? And, we'd actually all be a lot more careful about these things if we had to think them through, don't you think?
Now, Missing. you're an intelligent person, right?
Well, some people would think so
Quote:
Originally Posted by wilson1010
And not a doctor or a pharmacist, I assume.
No, nor have I ever played one on TV... but I worked at a hospital for a couple of years, does that count?
Quote:
Originally Posted by wilson1010
and you know that antibiotics can decimate the natural creatures that benefit our bodies, right? So if you had some dyspepsia after a course of antibiotics you would know to add some live yeast cultures to your diet, right? Yogurt and the like. Do you need a doctor to tell you that? And, we'd actually all be a lot more careful about these things if we had to think them through, don't you think?
Well, yes, but I'm one of those kooky people who believe in holistic solutions and sometimes *GASP* unconventional medicine. I also read a lot... it just sort of spontaneously happens when I'm bored. I also am personally involved in my own health, which I know is totally insane
I was excited to see this info, and will probably invest in some broad spectrum ones.....um....for my fish. Yeah. If the SHTF, and no one is around to diagnose things, I'd rather fight with what I can as opposed to dying from an infection.
However, one small point. I have had infections that were resistant to normal, 1st string antibiotics. I had strep throat once that didn't clear up after 2 courses of augmentin (I didn't have the brightest doctor at the time). It can happen on an individual level. I don't believe it was me taking the medication that caused the resistance- I just caught a strain that was resistant.
Indiscriminate use of abts DO lead to resistance. However, in a SHTF situation, I don't care. We're not talking about a soccer mom treating a runny nose with Cipro. We're talking about a true survival situation, where having a broad spectrum abt can save your life.
I was excited to see this info, and will probably invest in some broad spectrum ones.....um....for my fish. Yeah. If the SHTF, and no one is around to diagnose things, I'd rather fight with what I can as opposed to dying from an infection.
However, one small point. I have had infections that were resistant to normal, 1st string antibiotics. I had strep throat once that didn't clear up after 2 courses of augmentin (I didn't have the brightest doctor at the time). It can happen on an individual level. I don't believe it was me taking the medication that caused the resistance- I just caught a strain that was resistant.
Indiscriminate use of abts DO lead to resistance. However, in a SHTF situation, I don't care. We're not talking about a soccer mom treating a runny nose with Cipro. We're talking about a true survival situation, where having a broad spectrum abt can save your life.
I'm still looking for a good source for azithromycin (for my fish) and will post it up when I get it. That should solve some of these issues.
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