In our pharmacies, it has recently become impossible to buy antibiotics without a prescription and cough medicines with codeine. But there are still a lot of other drugs that we can purchase without going to the doctor. “AiF” learned about some of the most dangerous consequences of self-administration of popular tablets from a professor at the Department of Hospital Therapy of the First Moscow State Medical University. Sechenov Sergei Yakovlev .
Nasal drops, cough medicines
Many cold medicines contain herbal ingredients. You need to be careful when prescribing such drugs to people with bronchial asthma and other allergic diseases. Quite often, the course of bronchial asthma worsens when taking various herbal antitussives and expectorants. It should also be remembered that antitussive drugs can slow down recovery from acute bronchopulmonary infections - bronchitis, pneumonia: cough suppression inhibits the cleansing of the bronchi from pathogenic microbes. Nasal drops with long-term uncontrolled use can cause atrophy of the nasal mucosa, which can lead to chronic ENT diseases. In addition, in hypertensive patients, uncontrolled use of nasal drops may reduce the effect of antihypertensive drugs, and the pressure may ultimately increase.
Precautionary measures
- They start taking the prescribed drug with a small dose - for the first couple of days they take a quarter of a tablet. Gradually the dose is increased to normal. This way the body adapts better. The course is completed by reducing the dose.
- The first effect appears only 2 weeks after the start of treatment. Sustained action - after six months. All this time you need to take the drug without skipping or breaks.
- The products cannot be combined with melatonin, St. John's wort, products and dietary supplements based on sibutramine, 5-NTR. The combination of the two can increase serotonin to dangerous levels. They also cannot be combined with monoamine oxidase inhibitors. When writing a prescription , the doctor takes these points into account.
- to take antidepressants in parallel with visits to a psychotherapist. If the drugs normalize the biochemical processes in the body, then this doctor will help normalize the psychological state after depression.
Painkillers
We almost always assign them to ourselves. The most popular antipyretic and pain reliever is paracetamol. Often their temperature is reduced, but they do not look at the maximum allowed daily dose and take it for more than 3 days. As a result, acute toxic liver damage can develop - drug-induced hepatitis, sometimes with severe liver failure.
Painkillers from the group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) - diclofenac, ibuprofen, ketorolac, indomethacin, etc., which are often used to treat headaches, pain in the joints, and spine, should not be taken independently for more than 2-3 days. If the pain does not go away, you should consult a doctor. One of the most common complications is erosive and ulcerative lesions of the gastrointestinal tract. A person took a pill - it didn’t help, took 2-3 without reading the instructions, and developed an ulcer or even worse - bleeding from this ulcer.
In patients with bronchial asthma, taking NSAIDs can provoke asthmatic attacks. NSAIDs, in particular painkillers, reduce the effect of antihypertensive drugs - this should be taken into account by hypertensive patients. All NSAIDs can cause acute drug-induced liver or kidney damage, sometimes severe, although the risk of these complications varies between drugs in this group. In recent years, evidence has emerged that regular use of certain NSAIDs increases the risk of acute myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke.
I am depressed!
This can often be heard from friends or read on the forum. But, as a rule, the person who makes such statements is mistaken. After all, what is meant by “depression” in a colloquial environment? Usually this simply means a short-term deterioration in mood, irritability, fatigue under the influence of circumstances. Sometimes a person is just having a “bad day” or “got off on the wrong foot” and they call it depression.
Nowadays, people are constantly faced with stress: overload at work, a frantic pace of life, inflated demands on themselves, a huge amount of information that flows from all sources. It is not surprising that many people cannot cope with so many stressors, and this can manifest itself in various symptoms:
- anxiety;
- irritability;
- fatigue;
- sleep disorders;
- obsessive thoughts;
- panic attacks.
If these symptoms are short-lived and go away on their own, do not be too upset. In most cases, just a good rest will help defeat them. But sometimes a vacation is not enough, and the body needs a little help. It is very important to choose the right medications for this.
Blood pressure tablets
Many people treat hypertension on their own. I took my blood pressure and went to the pharmacy and bought pills from my neighbor. Usually these are drugs from the group of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (enalapril, captopril, etc.). Doctors themselves prescribe them most often. Before taking it, you need to make sure that there are no kidney diseases that may not manifest themselves in any way. Otherwise, the medicine will become a catalyst for the disease. If there is bilateral stenosis of the renal arteries, then taking the drug can lead to a sharp decrease in pressure, up to loss of consciousness and threat to life. Such drugs can increase creatinine levels. This is fraught with serious complications in case of undiagnosed kidney diseases. The patient may develop kidney failure with retention of urine and all toxins in the body, which is also deadly.
According to modern recommendations, doctors avoid prescribing short-acting drugs (captopril, nifedipine, etc.). They quickly reduce blood pressure, but after an hour or two the pressure rises sharply again, which can lead to strokes and heart attacks. It is preferable to take drugs that reduce blood pressure gradually, over a long period of time, and are taken 1-2 times a day.
Statins, cholesterol-lowering medications, can also be purchased freely at pharmacies. It has been proven that lowering cholesterol and normalizing lipids helps reduce the risk of developing acute myocardial infarction, stroke, and certain arterial diseases. However, with self-prescription and uncontrolled use of statins, liver damage and severe muscle damage can develop. A connection has been established between long-term use of statins and serious brain damage - memory loss, impaired thinking, even dementia. Not all patients should be treated with statins, and sometimes the risks of complications outweigh the potential benefits. It is safer to reduce high cholesterol with diet and physical activity.
What to do?
There are a number of drugs that are sold without a prescription. They are not effective for clinical depression, but they will help cope with stress, short-term sleep disorders and irritability. With their help, you can try to ease your psycho-emotional state a little:
- Glycine is one of the most popular remedies. Prescribed starting from childhood, for stress, fatigue, emotional overstrain. Sometimes effective for minor sleep disorders.
- Afobazol . It has an anti-anxiety effect, eliminates feelings of fear, tearfulness, and irritability. It is used in the treatment of vegetative-vascular dystonia and even in alcoholism, to alleviate the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. Not addictive. Please note that it is contraindicated for children under 18 years of age.
- Novo-passit . Quite a strong sedative for nervousness and irritability. Effective in reducing concentration, memory, and fatigue. Helps restore the nervous system during periods of increased stress.
Over-the-counter medications will not cope with clinical depression, but they can alleviate the psycho-emotional state.
- Stressitis . Well calms, relieves irritability, anxiety, improves sleep. During the treatment period, driving and other activities that require increased concentration are not recommended.
- Persen is a herbal medicine. Contains extracts of valerian, lemon balm and peppermint. Has a calming and anti-anxiety effect. It helps well with increased excitability, emotional lability, and tearfulness. Can be used in the complex treatment of mild anxiety and depressive disorders, facilitating the withdrawal of potent drugs.
- Magne B6 . Increases the body's resistance to stress. Magnesium deficiency can lead to an imbalance in the nervous system, irritability, and sleep disturbances, so Magne B6 has a positive effect in these cases.
- Tenoten . It has an anti-anxiety, calming, anti-asthenic effect, helps cope with stress and psycho-emotional stress. Relieves irritability and tension. Can be used for neurotic conditions.
Antibiotics
Some macrolide antibiotics (azithromycin, clarithromycin) and fluoroquinolones (levofloxacin, moxifloxacin) are contraindicated for people with heart disease, as they can cause dangerous arrhythmias, especially when taken simultaneously with certain allergy and antifungal medications. Amoxicillin/clavulanate or azithromycin, often prescribed in outpatient practice, can cause liver damage. Fluoroquinolones and macrolides can inhibit the function of the central nervous system, reducing attention and reaction. Taking them is incompatible with driving a car. But we will not find warnings about this in the instructions for the antibiotic. In recent years, severe diarrhea and colitis caused by clostridia have become relevant. And all antibiotics, if taken incorrectly, can cause resistance in microorganisms - next time they may simply not help.
Why can't you take antidepressants without a prescription?
- Only a doctor can assess the risk of side effects for a particular patient.
- Different antidepressants have different nuances of therapeutic action. If the medicine is chosen incorrectly, at best it will not help, at worst it will harm.
- Dose selection is carried out individually. If you increase the dose too quickly on your own, you can experience a lot of unpleasant consequences.
- Cancellation should also be carried out gradually and under the supervision of a doctor. Otherwise, you risk withdrawal symptoms.
Tablets "from the stomach"
The most popular among them are antispasmodics such as no-shpa, drotaverine and analogues. They can mask serious surgical situations called “acute abdomen”: acute appendicitis, acute cholecystitis, which need to be treated under the supervision of a surgeon, perhaps even operated on. If you relieve pain with pills, you can progress surgical pathology to an extremely dangerous state - inflammation of the peritoneum, or peritonitis, which poses a direct threat to life. And don’t forget that the much-loved activated carbon can absorb not only toxins, but also other substances, including tablets. So their effect may be reduced when taken simultaneously with an absorbent.
Link to publication: aif.ru
When should you see a doctor?
- If a decrease in mood has been observed for more than two weeks, and attempts at self-treatment have been ineffective.
- If you have thoughts about not wanting to live or suicidal thoughts.
- If a depressive state significantly disrupts the usual course of life: you cannot work, fully communicate with your family, or enjoy what previously brought joy.
You can contact a psychiatrist confidentially. Information about the fact of treatment, not to mention the diagnosis and treatment, is a medical secret: it is not reported to work, it is not disclosed. It is better to diagnose depression on time and begin treatment than to bring it to advanced stages.
Literature
- BAUER M., PFENNIG A., SEVERUS E., WYBROW P.S., ANGST J., MÜLLER H.-YU CLINICAL RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE WORLD FEDERATION OF SOCIETIES OF BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY FOR BIOLOGICAL THERAPY OF UNIPOLAR DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS PART 1: ACUTE AND CONTINUED TREATMENT OF UNIPOLAR DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS AS OF 2013//MODERN THERAPY OF MENTAL DISORDERS Number: 4 Year: 2015 Pages: 33-40
- Antidepressant therapy and other treatments for depressive disorders. Report of the CINP Working Group based on a review of the evidence. M., 2008; 215 p.
- Baklanov V.V., Anikeeva A.G., Karataeva Zh.E. METHODOLOGICAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF DEPRESSION IN HEALTH INSTITUTIONS PROVIDING PRIMARY HEALTH CARE TO THE POPULATION Syktyvkar, 2011
