BE VERY CAREFUL WITH THE INCORRECT USE OF MEDICINES
In this lesson we will present to you a list of the most common and most dangerous mistakes that people make when using medicines. The wrong use of the following medicines causes many deaths every year. BE VERY CAREFUL!
1. injections of any medication
The frequent belief that
injections are better than medicines taken orally is not true. Often, medicines
taken orally have the same or even better effect than injections. Also, most
medications are more dangerous when injected than when given orally. Keep in
mind that the use of injections should be very limited.
2. Penicillin
Penicillin only has an
effect on certain types of infections. Using penicillin for colds or any pain,
or fever, is a big mistake. Penicillin is dangerous for some people, and can
cause severe allergic reactions, such as anaphylactic shock, soon after its
application. Before using it, you need to know the risks and precautions you
should take. Be especially careful with injectable penicillin! Only use it when
really necessary!
3. Sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (fansidar) and
sulfamethoxazole-trimethroprim (cotrimoxazole)
Sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine is
used in the treatment of malaria, and cotrimoxazole in the treatment of acute
respiratory infections. These drugs are a combination of a sulfamide with
another component: sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine in the case of fansidar and
sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim in the case of cotrimoxazole.
Sulfamides can trigger very
severe allergic skin reactions. The combination of two sulfamides increases the
risk and severity of reactions. Therefore, these drugs should not be
administered at the same time.
4. Corticosteroids (prednisolone)
These drugs are very strong
and are sometimes necessary to treat, for example, severe asthma attacks, or
allergic shock. But, some health workers, including doctors, prescribe these
drugs in mild pain because they get faster effects. This is a big mistake,
because they can cause serious or dangerous adverse effects especially if they
are used in high doses or for a prolonged time. They lower the body's defenses
against infection. They can also worsen tuberculosis, make stomach ulcers
bleed, and weaken bones so that they can break easily.
5. Vitamins
Unfortunately, many people
spend money on syrups and fortifiers that contain vitamins. In many of them the
most important vitamins are missing or are in low doses. But even if they do
contain them, it is much better to invest in a good diet. Giving a weak, thin person
good quality food more times a day helps much more than giving him supplemental
vitamins and minerals.
Vitamin B12 does not help
treat anemia or "weakness" except in very specific cases. When
injected it carries certain risks. For most cases of anemia ferrous salt
tablets and folic acid, are safer and more effective. There is a widely held
belief that vitamins are very safe. Therefore, they are often prescribed
unnecessarily. Some vitamins can cause adverse effects, especially when used in
injectable form. As a general rule, VITAMINS SHOULD NOT BE INJECTED. Injections
are always more dangerous, more expensive, and generally no more effective than
pills.
6. Feeding through the veins (serums, intravenous solutions)
Some people believe that a
liter of solution in the veins ("serum") will make them stronger or
will enrich the blood. They are wrong! Serum is nothing more than pure water
with a little salt or sugar. It gives little energy and makes the blood
thinner, not richer. It does not improve anemia or make a person stronger. When
the person who applies the solution in the vein is not very practiced, there is
a danger of infecting the sick person's blood. And that can kill the person.
Serum can save lives, but it
should be used only when the patient cannot take anything by mouth (persistent
vomiting, prostration, convulsions or seizures, coma) or when the patient is
very dehydrated or in shock. Whenever the patient can swallow, more fluids
should be given to drink. This will do him better than injecting a liter of
saline. Patients who can eat, get stronger with nutritious food than with any
kind of IV.
7. Laxatives and purgatives
It is always dangerous to give a laxative or purgative to a baby, a person who is very weak, dehydrated, or has severe pain in the abdomen. Unfortunately, people often think that a purgative brings them health or "cleanses" what is bad in the body.