Dangers Of Self Medication!

A large number of people, when they fall sick, do not consult the physician. They either consult a chemist and obtain a medicine from his shelf, or may consult a neighbor who may be having some tablets left over from his previous illness, and readily spares them. May be most of the times nothing untoward happens on following such advice, but it can be dangerous.

Proprietary drugs which are sold over-the-counter include pain relievers, cough remedies, antiallergics, laxatives, vitamins, tonics, antacids and many others. Even dangerous drugs like  the antibiotics and the hormones can be procured, somehow or the other, without a valid prescription.

Self-medication usually involves common drugs which are freely available. A study carried out in the United States showed that nearly 2 billion dollars per year were spent on such remedies. It is questionable whether the benefits outweigh the potential hazards. They account for poisonings, allergy, habituation, addiction, and other adverse reactions. Above all [b]their use often delays proper treatment of the disease.
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The most misused drugs are the analgesics or pain relievers. In fact, age old, ordinary aspirin is as effective, and even safer than any of the modern analgesics like fenamates, oxicams, or Cox-2 inhibitors like rofecoxib and celecoxib.

Similarly cough remedies, antiallergics, laxatives, vitamins, tonics, and  antacids can lead to serious side effects. Even lavish use of vitamins, specially the fat-soluble (A,D,E, &K) can cause problems.

finally is the availability of many irrational drug combinations in the market, which expose the individual to several drugs needlessly, each of which can cause adverse effects. Very few combinations have a legitimate place in modern medicine. Yet irrational combination abound and are being used by some professionals.

Always consult your Physician

and who says they dont know the dangers of self medication? they do,
infact madam rebranding is a qualified pharmacist herself but the chief main cause of self medication is poverty & ignorance,
i'm only trying to contribute my own 20 kobo to nairalanders

My dear times are just hard. If i know iv got free medical care even if my ear itches, il go straight to ask what causes the itching. When i have to pay for transport to and fro, pay to see the doctor, pay to buy the drugs,haba?! if my ears itch i would just itch it back or if i try,just walk 2 ask for ear-drop for itching ears. Not like the doctors these days do any good these days. Most dont even know wot exactly they are doing.

This topic struck a chord with me. I've been 'preaching' this same message to my immediate family and friends for some time now but they won't listen. I hope one of them would just happen on this forum or someone else mentions it to them soon.


Nice one there Oxone!!!

Thanks for the information

pple used Self Medication's b'cos of poverty in the country, many pple found it difficult to feed themselves, talk less of buying drug. those pple will prefer to used herb medicine which will cost dem less.