The basics of taking medicine that not everyone knows

The common psychology when sick, no matter what treatment is used, is that everyone wants to get well soon. Because of this mentality, many patients without in-depth knowledge of medicine believe that, every time they take medicine, if the symptoms are reduced quickly, creating a normal, comfortable, pleasant state (even temporarily), it means the disease is cured or cured. Any doctor who quickly eliminates symptoms, helping to achieve a normal state early, is always considered a "good" doctor. Any medicine that helps symptoms disappear quickly is a good medicine...

Therefore, a large number of patients (without medical expertise) only focus on reducing symptoms, always asking doctors to use "high dose" drugs, "synthetic" drugs, "strongest" drugs, to quickly reduce uncomfortable and adverse clinical signs.

That way of thinking about simply wanting to eliminate the disease is reasonable, but it is wrong in that it is contrary to the mechanism of treating the disease, which must primarily treat the cause, along with reducing symptoms to an appropriate level.

Here is a summary of the basic general principles of drug use to clarify this issue:

1. The role and basic mechanism of using drugs to treat diseases

To treat any disease, the mechanism needs to be resolved using the following combination of drugs:Medicines treat the cause of the disease mainly.Symptomatic treatment does not aim to treat the cause, but is essential to help reduce adverse clinical signs.Adjunctive medications are needed to help promote and enhance the effectiveness of medications that treat the cause and symptoms.The drug corrects the adverse side effects of other medications being used, it is not the medication being addressed.

1.1 The role of drugs in treating the cause

- Destroys pathogenic microorganisms: Bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi...

- Correct and re-establish balance of metabolic and physiological disorders of the body.

- Compensate for energy, nutrient and mineral deficiencies...

- Eliminate antigens and allergens that affect the body (in poisoning, allergies...).

- Creates antagonistic effects (pharmacological, chemical, physical...) with agents, factors that are toxic, harmful or destructive to the body.

- Some drugs, under special conditions, create mutations in genes, cells... to control and eliminate other abnormal factors of the body.

- Strengthen and supplement antibodies directly or indirectly to help the body fight and eliminate pathogens...

Note,Do not be afraid when the doctor prescribes drugs with contraindications to treat the subject and the contraindications are warned because there are cases where the contraindications are used to treat the disease or another auxiliary drug has been used to overcome or eliminate the adverse effects (those without sufficient expertise should not use it this way).

Along with medication, other treatments can be used:SurgeryPhysical therapyOther procedures and interventionsCell therapyGene therapy...

1.2 The role of symptomatic treatment drugs

- Medications that treat the symptoms of a disease only affect the symptoms of the disease, not the cause of the disease (i.e. its real cause).

- The drug aims to quickly relieve and reduce the patient's uncomfortable and adverse symptoms.

- The medicine helps eliminate serious consequences caused by severe symptoms (reduce high fever to avoid dangerous convulsions, stop severe diarrhea quickly to avoid cardiovascular collapse...).

Note:To control the disease, many cases cannot be treated immediately to reduce symptoms but need to be maintained appropriately, to monitor the progression and determine the disease (for example, appendicitis has not been diagnosed...).

In a few cases, symptomatic drugs can also be useful in reducing the immediate consequences and sequelae of some diseases. In many diseases, when the role of drugs to treat the cause cannot ensure effective treatment, symptomatic treatment is the only reasonable way to date. However, in such cases, along with symptom relief, the doctor will combine other non-drug treatments at the medical facility.

1.3Supportive treatment drugs

Adjunctive therapy is not the main treatment, but is necessary to help treat the disease effectively.

These drugs include:

- Vitamins, proteins, trace elements... help supplement vitamins and nutrients to help restore health. However, in diseases caused by deficiencies of vitamins, minerals and trace elements... these play the role of drugs to treat the cause (in diseases caused by deficiencies of vitamin C, Calcium, Magnesium, K+...)

- Food and nutritional substitutes for people who have to abstain (aspartame, sarcarin... for diabetics...).

- Drugs that help stabilize and enhance affected physiological functions.

- Drugs that help enhance the absorption, metabolism or intervene to increase the bioavailability (ie the ability to exert effects) of key drugs...

1.4 Drugs that overcome adverse effects of the main drug

- Stomach protection drugs when using drugs that increase gastric secretion.

- Medications that limit irritation caused by major medications or non-drug treatments.

- Medicines to supplement deficiencies or disorders caused by disease or drugs:Probiotic deficiency... due to long-term use of broad-spectrum antibiotics.Vitamin B6 deficiency due to INH use in the treatment of tuberculosis.Some H1 antihistamines relieve extrapyramidal symptoms such as muscle stiffness, tremors, restlessness, facial stiffness, drooling... when using neuroleptics.

2. Notes when using medication

2.1 Need to focus on treating the cause

- All treatments: using drugs, surgery, physical therapy, other procedures and interventions... to be safe and effective must primarily treat the cause. The pathogens must be eliminated or biological balance must be established to help the body recover (or stabilize).

- In special cases where it is necessary to monitor and determine the disease, symptom-relieving drugs should not be used immediately.

- When symptoms are mild, painless, and have little impact on daily activities, symptomatic medications can be skipped.

- Some diseases only require the body's resistance to heal itself or the disease is confirmed to have no specific medicine to eliminate the cause, then focus on using drugs to increase resistance and reduce symptoms (for example, seasonal flu and most common viral diseases...).

Please note:Medication to treat the cause should not be stopped immediately after symptoms disappear, but should be continued for 1, 2 days or more depending on the type of medication and the specific disease.

2.2. Symptomatic treatment must be combined with causative treatment and other treatments.

- Do not only focus on using drugs to treat symptoms but ignore treating the cause.

- Many patients have stopped taking their medication when their symptoms have completely disappeared but the cause and the causative agent have not been eliminated. If they stop taking their medication, the disease may relapse in a more adverse way. At that time, only at qualified medical facilities can paraclinical testing be performed to determine whether the causative agent has been eliminated.

- Symptomatic medication can be stopped as soon as symptoms are gone.

3. Mistakes of non-professionals: self-medicating, using old prescriptions, or following advice

Some patients without expertise often do not see a doctor, do not ask for advice, self-prescribe or follow old prescriptions or other people's prescriptions, which can easily lead to:

+ Wrong dosage and treatment regimen, thinking that if you use it this time, it will still be effective in the future, even if you use it continuously for months or years.

+ Don't know which is the main medicineSometimes people only look to buy symptomatic drugs, supportive drugs, or drugs to overcome the side effects of a drug.

In fact, there are many cases of drug use that are both sad and blameworthy, for example:

- A patient with chronic gout requests omeprazole (a gastric acid inhibitor). The reason for the previous prescriptions: Colchicine, celecoxib (NSAID) and omeprazole. In this case, omeprazole will help overcome the side effects of celecoxib.

- Want to cure stomach ulcer but only need to use antacid (kremin S, yumagel...), because a friend with the same condition told me to use that type and it worked.

- I heard that back pain should be relieved quickly with eperixon (muscle relaxant), so I only bought that medicine to relieve back pain.

- A 70 year old man with chronic joint pain (specific disease unknown), praised taking pills (traditional medicine, packaged without labels, bought online) for helping a lot, but after taking the medicine, his face became round, his neck and shoulders became fat, his limbs were very thin (clear Cushing's syndrome), was advised to stop taking the medicine and change the medicine but the patient still did not listen.

That's why you should always remember:Drug use must be safe, rational, effective and economical.Medicine is used to save lives but can be fatal if not handled properly.