I was chatting to an American friend yesterday and she was telling me about her aches and pains and she mentioned that we in the West are "Over medicated."

I asked her what she meant and she told me that we have pills and potions for practically everything, and when we go to the doctors we go EXPECTING to be given medicine in some form for any ailment we complain about. If we leave the doctors without anything, we feel cheated.

I must say that I had to agree, when I go to the docs I expect to be given at least something other than advice and when she boots me out with nothing... I call her a bad doctor, yet if she gave me a ton of stuff for an illness that can be cured with bed rest, lots of fluids and chicken soup, I`d think shes excellent!

There was a time when docs used to give you tons of stuff for the slightest problem and thats a reason, Im led to understand, why anti biotics arent as effective any more, its because were used to them or at least our bacteria are.

What do you think of your doc? Does he/she try to give you meds for things that dont really need them? Do they refuse meds for you, even though you think youre dying?

ARE we over medicated? Do you rush to the Chemist for over the counter meds for the slightest thing? Or do you need to be at deaths door before you`ll even take an Anadin?

My doctor likes to drug me to the eye balls.... even when I have a slight issue. I am sure she has shares in our local chemist.....:suspect:

I don't really take much of anything. Oh, except painkillers half an hour before I go to get my tattoo lasered.

I know a few people who take paracetamol like it's going out of fashion, and I know someone who I think is addicted to Beecham's powder (if that's possible).

Many respiratory complaints, for example, seen by a GP are self-limiting and viral. The best you can do for them is to treat the symptoms with over the counter paracetamol.

Some aren't aware that in such instances antibiotics have no effect at all (except, perhaps, to prompt a bout of thrush). As such, they might feel cheated if they return from a trip to the GP's surgery without a prescription, despite the fact that the medic has saved them £7+ (or whatever the prescription fee is these days) by recommending instead that they spend 50p on a pack of paracetamol from Tesco.

This is where placebos - the 'tonics' prescribed by GPs of old - were great. The patient has the security of the prescription for said placebo, plus the GP gets some positive feedback by telling the patient that s/he would prescribe paracetamol/ibuprofen etc too, but s/he's endeavouring to save the patient some money by suggesting an over the counter version instead.

Having said that, I'm sure over-prescribing does occur in some instances, particularly when the patient presents with symptoms of mild depression. The restriction of limited GP consultation times, the scarcity of readily-available counselling services and the requirement that the patient has some degree of resolution must, in some circumstances, lead to over-prescription of SSRIs.

Jabbers, we are nothing compared to the French. They are totally over-medicated. Or maybe it's cos they just love taking suppositories.:suspect:

Think it depends what's wrong with you. It took my Doctor and the hospital two years to find out what was wrong, so now l am gratefully for the medication of receive.

Dont take any form of medication unless I really need to do so. It would have to be pretty extreme for me to resort to using such things. I know in the US, having seen the ads that the large pharmacutical companies shove down the people's throats, they are almost told to request medication from their doctor. It is mad :loopy:

I have had this issue with my other half, she is popping pills for the slightest ailment, I have always said give your body chance to sort its self out before popping pills.

If you haven't read 'The Rise and Fall of Modern Medicine' by James le Fanu then I seriously recommend it. It's all about this issue- we now expect to be ache and pain free in all circumstances whereas that wasn't the case in previous generations.

Small warning- the introduction to the book is over 100 pages.

Dont take any form of medication unless I really need to do so. It would have to be pretty extreme for me to resort to using such things. I know in the US, having seen the ads that the large pharmacutical companies shove down the people's throats, they are almost told to request medication from their doctor. It is mad :loopy:

I take a lot of painkillers- and I mean a lot. I know a lot of people who say that they wouldn't take them, but my answer to these people is that they have obviously never been in serious pain.

Believe me, if your pain is severe enough you'll take painkillers and be grateful for them.

with some of the topics on this forum i think there,s some people not getting enough medication:o

I take a lot of painkillers- and I mean a lot. I know a lot of people who say that they wouldn't take them, but my answer to these people is that they have obviously never been in serious pain.

Believe me, if your pain is severe enough you'll take painkillers and be grateful for them.

I wouldnt class being in serious pain over a prolong period as something minor. If I was in that position then I would obviously take something, but it would have to be serious for me to do so.

I take a lot of medication to stay alive and sane, I really hate to add to the amount I already have to have... so I avoid any more til I really HAVE to take something.

See my thread on cholesterol recently, the number of people that advised taking statins as its the easiest way of reducing levels was amazing, yet all it needs (for me) is a slight change in diet. If i can find a way of dealing with something without more meds then I do!

I also, as Medusa, have suffered severe pain long term, I'm fortunate that at the moment I'm largely free of that. Consequently I take strong painkillers when I need them, there's no point being given super-strong painkillers for severe pain if you are going to sit there and suffer. Saying that though, having lived with severe pain, I do find that mild pain just gets ignored. I'm currently in pain to 'cocodamol level' (I have 5 levels, paracetamol, cocodamol, strong cocodamol, tramadol and 'hell give me morphine!!!') But as I'm functioning at the mo with that level of pain I'm not taking anything. I will only take something if it interferes with life/looking after Ed/sleep.

i've been to the dr once in the last 5 years - for a medical for a job.

about 2 years prior to that i went for depression, i then had the assessment session when i was told, yes you are depressed, have some zombie-making pills, or you can talk to someone in about 6 months. very helpful, i didnt think at the time or now.

about 2 years prior to that i went for some jabs and anti-malarials.

doctors, schmoctors - i'd rather see a vet!

Sofar this is what Im on for my various health problems.

BuTrans patch = 10mg per hour
Reliflex = 500MH
Prednisolone = 2.5Mg & 7.5Mg alternate days
Adcal = 2tables a day
and some iron tablets which I forget the name

I do think that as a nation we are more likely to expect some form of medicine from a visit to the doctors. I personally have always resisted taking medicine, especially anti-biotics, until very recently. My children have both been raised almost anti-biotic free too. I read that the difference in healing an ear infection was that on average with anti-biotics it would heal half a day quicker, that just doesn't seem worth risking creating an anti-biotic resistant strain of bacteria, so we have never bothered.

Having said all that I am on anti-biotics at the moment for a kidney infection, but it is the first time I have had any for many years.

I thought this article was very sad, a placebo tablet is being launched to give to children when they say they are ill, but surely this only leads them into a culture of popping pills for every slight illness. It maybe better than calpol though which a lot of parents use routinely - I have known parents who give their child calpol every day as a matter of course :(

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jun/17/health.health