Avoid Medications if Possible- chapter 3

I do not advocate that you should never take medicines. Sometimes you have to, but the average American is way overmedicated-if not from their MD, then from their own medicine cabinet.

Drugs should be taken only when absolutely necessary. Do you think that a drug is safe just because it’s sold over the counter? Take a look at the statistics on deaths from non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs such as Tylenol and ibuprofen. Remember, every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Every drug you take has side effects. These side effects may be small (some are large), but over time, they add up.

To give you an example of how much American culture depends on drugs, look at the fact that our homes are built with a place to store our drug supply. Who doesn’t have a drug cabinet in their bathroom? What does that say to our kids, who are supposed to “just say no” to drugs? We’ve taught them from childhood that drugs make them feel better. Remember orange-flavored “baby aspirin” and Children’s Tylenol?

Most of us take drugs to make our symptoms go away, to make it easier for us to ignore the warning signals our bodies are giving us-in other words, so we can ignore our own ill health. A symptom is a signal that something is wrong, like a warning light on your car’s dashboard. When one of those lights comes on-maybe it’s the oil light, or the brake light-it’s telling you there’s a problem somewhere that needs to be fixed. You wouldn’t continue to drive your car with one of those little red lights glaring at you. You’d take your car to the mechanic to see why the light is on, and fix the underlying problem.

Think of your body as being exactly what it is-a vehicle that can’t be replaced-and think of your symptoms as your dashboard warning lights. Hiding the discomfort with drugs doesn’t make the problem go away; it merely lets you ignore it until it gets much worse and medical intervention is needed. This is not the way to take care of your body.

To reduce your drug use, you must fix the underlying conditions that are causing the symptoms. An example: If you constantly have indigestion and find you have to take digestive aids or antacids, that means your digestive system is not functioning correctly. But why? Maybe you need to change your diet, stop eating foods you’re allergic to, quit eating on the run, and add friendly bacteria to your diet.

If you have headaches all the time, rather than popping aspirin after aspirin, you need to ask, why do I have headaches? Clearly, it’s not because of a lack of aspirin in your system. Remember, you’re not supposed to be in pain. Patients often say they just have “normal” headaches. Headaches are not normal, but they are common. Lots of people have them, but that doesn’t mean they are normal; it just means lots of people have them!

If the headache warning light on your particular dashboard is the one that keeps flashing, maybe you need to have your neck bones adjusted by a chiropractor. Maybe those tense muscles need to be worked on by a massage therapist. Maybe the MSG in that take-out Chinese lunch you have every day should be eliminated. Maybe you need a new eyeglasses prescription. Maybe your computer screen should be moved to eliminate glare. Maybe your teenager needs to turn the stereo down. Maybe you have a brain tumor.

A brain tumor? Am I kidding? No. Many people consume drugs to cover up symptoms that turn out to be signs of a very serious problem-a problem that could have been caught much earlier and treated much more effectively had the patient only listened to their symptoms rather than covering them up.

Before you reach for a drug, ask yourself: What could be causing this symptom? Look for drug-free solutions for your health problems. Ask a nutritionist, chiropractor, massage therapist, acupuncturist, homeopath, or some other provider of drug-free healthcare for advice. Ask your MD what you can do besides take drugs.

Remember, each time you take a pill to cover up a symptom, you’re allowing the underlying problem to get worse. And the longer that problem is there, the harder it will be (and the more it will cost) to fix.

One more thing: Be a good example to your kids and empty your medicine cabinet. Keep only what you’d need for an emergency: bandages, ipecac syrup, and antibacterial salve. You can keep your toothbrush.

Further Reading

 

How to Raise Healthy Child in Spite of Your Doctor, by Robert Mendelson,  M.D.
Confessions of a Medical Heretic, by Robert Mendelson,  M.D.
Under the Influence of Modern Medicine, by Terry A. Rondberg, D.