Self Medication In Cancer !!

Self medication is quite a common behavior. It is something that people resort to often. As long as self medication is being resorted to managing small ailments like common cold and a headache it is quite OK but any attempt to manage and cure a disease like cancer can have far fetched consequences which may not necessarily be positive.

Self medication is not a preferred behavior with the doctors. Self medication can take place in two ways, first is the use of drugs for treating self diagnosed symptoms and second is continued use of a drug that has been prescribed for managing a chronic disease or recurrent symptoms. People suffering from cancer may resort to self medication due to different reasons – lack of finances, expert not meeting their needs, unwillingness to travel to a doctor or a medical facility.

self-medication

self-medication

Cancer can be fatal!

It is true that cancer is a very common disease as soon as you type the word in Google you will get a list of medicines and treatments. However, we must tell that cancer is a deadly disease every year a lot of people across the world die due to cancer. You cannot expect that you can cure cancer yourself. Decision to try to cure cancer on your own can be fatal.

Self Medication in Cancer

Self medication in cancer is that when a person gets to know that he or she has cancer and instead of going to the doctor tries to find treatments by themselves. The drugs that this person may attempt using on himself may be well tested or still under trial.

No one knows my body better than me!

Some feel that when the cancer is in the first stage self medication in cancer can help. Well this is not true. If you have cancer then no matter what stage you are in you must consult the doctor and follow the protocol that is identified for a case like yours. If your doctor has prescribed you medicines for a certain period of time then ensure that you don’t exceed the prescribed limit. If you do so then you may land up in more trouble than anything else. It is important to follow the instruction of your doctor completely.

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Another form of self medication in cancer that people often do is they have medicines without informing their doctors. For example a person is under treatment for cancer and apart from the prescribed medicines he or she also has some other medicines for headache or any other health problem. They feel what does a headache have to do with cancer? Well there may be a very deep connection. You may not be aware of the connection but your doctor might be able to tell you better. So please follow the instructions of the doctor and inform him or her about any self medication that you are doing.

self medication

self medication

Knowledge Is Power- A Contradiction

The oncology doctors across the globe will tell you that one of the most common challenge in curing cancer is that people often do their own research and they come up with their own medication. This can be fatal for the patient. All the cancer patients and their family members must ensure that they discuss all their medication with the doctors. When it comes to cancer it is the doctor who knows the best.

The internet is a major source of information in today’s times but the irony is applicability of information may vary from case to case and as non medico people we may not be able to discern between these cases. It is important that information be picked from an authentic source and be verified.

Complementary Treatments

Some cancer patients may opt for complementary treatments for faster and better treatment. Yoga, meditation, acupuncture and acupressure are examples of such complementary therapies. These therapies have their own value and benefits for a patient but it is important that one may resort to them in consultation with the treating doctor. It is best to let the doctor decide if you are a fit case for these complementary therapies.

Self medication may mean different things to different people. For some self medication is synonymous with self empowerment. A patient may not feel confident about disturbing his doctor with an occasional complaint of a headache during treatment. We are not denying you the right to self medicate but the idea behind the article is to help make well reasoned decisions that you may arrive at after thorough understanding.

It pays to know your body well but when complemented with expert advice from the medical experts good health cannot be far away!

Author
  • meetunayyar-photo
  • meetunayyar
  • A lawyer by profession, social worker and a fighter against cancer