Why is it necessary to consult a doctor before taking a medicine?

Question

One more question please!
1)What could be the implications of indiscriminate use of drugs?

Hey I want the answer of these questions because they were given as H.W.

Answer 1

Mixing drugs can kill you.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

Your initial question is usually a disclaimer from the people who advertise "over the counter" drugs. You could have an adverse reaction from taking a medication which is contraindicated, from medication you are currently taking. Supposedly your doctor would know all this. Most doctors don't know, as they don't have the time to keep up on all the new stuff coming out. A pharmacist might have a better idea of what doesn't go well with something. To answer your second question, indiscriminate usage of drugs, can lead to kidney shut down, or liver damage. Some illegal drugs lead to brain damage as well. Obviously the wrong mix could lead to death.

Answer 4

Your questions have both personal and societal answers. Drugs have benefits, but they also have risks and costs, and the costs are not just financial. Though occasional use of over-the-counter medication is generally fine, one should be pretty sure he's treating himself appropriately.
First you should be reasonably sure you're treating what you think you're treating. Then you should be sure the drug does what you want, and then you need to balance the possible benefit against the risk of adverse effects, This is especially true for those at the extremes of age and those who have other medical conditions.
There's no doubt that people take too many medications. As an example, phenylpropanolamine is a reasonably safe and effective nasal decongestant. Only a very small percentage of people who take it have problems, but so many people were taking so much that it caused a fairly large number of heart attacks and strokes and was removed from the US market.
Societal costs include money, and the obvious problems caused by narcotics, for instance, but also include other factors. Overuse of antibiotics leads to complications for the individual but also leads to the development of drug-resistant bacterial strains, as an example.
While you're doing your homework, think about this common clinical scenario: the 3-year-old child with an ear infection (otitis media). Most ear infections heal without complication even when not treated. A few do not heal even if treated in the best possible way. A small number (perhaps one in seven, but you don't know which one in advance) will get better with antibiotics when they otherwise wouldn't. And a very small number get complications if not treated. Balance this against the adverse effects such as diarrhea, rashes, and serious allergic reactions, which also happen in perhaps one child in ten. And if you treat them all with antibiotics, then the germs become resistant to treatment, and some of those who would have gotten better because of antibiotics now will not. Is it worth it to use antibiotics in every case? There's quite a bit of disagreement on this subject.

Answer 5

Doctors have years of medical training to understand what drugs do and how they react to each other. It's not just about what pill you are putting in your mouth right now - but also about what else you put in your body - food, alcohol, vitamins, other medications.

If you have a good primary care physician, this doctor would be aware of what kind of vitamins you take, what other medications you are on and if you have any allergies. Ideally, this doctor could help you prevent certain complications by selecting medications that are best for you. For example - certain antibiotics affect birth control pills and you can get pregnant while taking the antibiotic, even if you take your birth control religiously.

Indiscriminate use of drugs can result in allergic reactions, unintended side effects and decreasing the potency of your medication.

I find that www.webmd.com is a great resource when I am taking a new medication or I want to learn more about a side effect.

Answer 6

Some countries have it were you can just ask the pharmacist, called a chemist, for the drug you need without having to go through a doctor.

In the US, pharmaceutical companies keep ongoing studies of their drugs and the short and long term affects they have on people. They do this by paying doctors to prescribe their drugs.

Think not?

Americans take more prescription drugs per person than any other country in the world. We are conditioned by advertising to take a pill for everything thinking we need it. Pharmaceutical companies make a fortune in the US because the government is paid off not regulate the pricing like it is done in other countries.

So that's why you have to see a doctor for a prescription. It's a huge money making machine and US citizens are guinea pigs for the rest of the world.

Answer 7

My guess is to try to keep you from killing yourself. And how do you know if the medicine is right for you? If you already know it is then you self diagnosed and wouldn't need a Dr.