In honor of the holidays, I thought we'd talk about...self medicating. Historically, I am not a fan of drugs and definitely do not pop pills on a regular basis. I realize this statement may sound ludicrous coming from someone who swallows a giant orange horse pill daily just to stay alive, but, you know I mean.... For example, yesterday afternoon I had the worst headache. Splitting. Pounding. I complained to Nick a little. OK, a lot. He told me to take Advil. I didn't. Then, after three hours of suffering—including 25 minutes on the treadmill, some time shoveling the driveway in the fresh snowy air and a steamy hot shower (all of which I thought would help, none of which did)—I finally took two Motrin. Within a half hour, I was fine.
Do you get bad headaches? New advice from health experts.
Later, Nick said,"You know, I have no sympathy for people who have pain and don't take something for it." I hear him—I do—but I also hate to take meds. I feel like it masks the issue and you never figure out why you had the problem in the first place. Why did I have that headache? I want to know so I can avoid whatever caused it in the first place. When I was sick recently I held off on going to the doctor because the particular person I see there always, always gives me a Z-Pack. For everything. And I hate pumping my body full of meds if I don't have to (lifesaving cancer pill aside). I know people who pop three and four Advil or Tylenol if they even sense a twinge coming on. I can't do that. Do I think I'm some kind of saint because of it? No. I'm just saying.
Got pain? Fantasize about this.
Thinking about all of this reminds me of this study I read about recently (in my favorite mag, The Week) about how half of all doctors in the U.S. admitted they prescribe a placebo at least once a month. That means if you go in for an antibiotic you could walk out with a sugar pill. Crazy, right? But perhaps they feel it's necessary because patients think like they couldn't possibly get over whatever it is they're dealing with without a pill. And I bet fake meds could help some people. Apparently, placebos do work. Who knows, maybe my Gleevec is really made of candy... judging by how nauseated I got immediately after taking it this morning (my fault...I didn't eat enough) I'd say it's unlikely.
But maybe if I do go off Gleevec to have another baby, I should fill my empty Gleevec bottle with M&Ms and take one every morning to trick myself. One thing I did love about being pregnant was taking no pills. Well, the giant prenatal vitamin, but other than that, nada. How about you guys? How often to you toss back a few Advil or similar medication? Do you think it matters? Think you've ever been given a placebo?
Related: "My Doctor Doesn't Know That I'm Addicted to Vicodin"
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