Thread: The Medicate Yourself Thread

I don't like going to doctors much, so I tend to try and medicate myself. I have a friend that is a doctor that I can email with symptoms, and he does give me free advice.

If you want to add to the below Rx list, feel free to do so!

Have you ever gotten the trots after drinking bad water or water with maybe some dirt ice in it? Or maybe gotten the Bangkok Belly from some dirty Thai street food?

You might have an amoeba or a bacterial infection of the stomach.

A few times, I have spent a few days at some Thai hospitals. I wasted time and money taking their concoction of crappy meds and left the hospital still sick.

After I left, I took Flagyl and was back on my feet in no time!

Important information about Flagyl

Take this medication for the entire length of time prescribed by your doctor. Your symptoms may get better before the infection is completely treated. Flagyl will not treat a viral infection such as the common cold or flu. Do not drink alcohol while you are taking this medication and for at least 3 days after you stop taking it. You may have unpleasant side effects such as fast heartbeats, warmth or redness under your skin, tingly feeling, nausea, and vomiting.

How should I take Flagyl?

Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label.
Take the extended-release form of metronidazole (Flagyl ER) on an empty stomach, at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after eating a meal. Do not crush, chew, or break the extended-release tablet. Swallow the pill whole. It is specially made to release medicine slowly in the body. Breaking the pill would cause too much of the drug to be released at one time. Take this medication for the entire length of time prescribed by your doctor. Your symptoms may get better before the infection is completely treated. Flagyl will not treat a viral infection such as the common cold or flu. To be sure this medication is not causing harmful effects, your blood will need to be tested on a regular basis. Your liver function may also need to be tested. Do not miss any scheduled visits to your doctor.
This medication can cause you to have unusual results with certain medical tests. Tell any doctor who treats you that you are using Flagyl.
Store this medication at room temperature away from moisture and heat.
Before taking Flagyl

Do not use this medication if you are allergic to metronidazole, or if you are in the first trimester of pregnancy. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. Before taking Flagyl, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have:

• liver disease;
• a stomach or intestinal disease such as Crohn's disease;
• a blood cell disorder such as anemia (lack of red blood cells) or leukopenia (lack of white blood cells);
• epilepsy or other seizure disorder; or
• nerve disorders.

If you have any of these conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take this medication.
Flagyl can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

• Citrus fruits
• Chocolate
• Caffeinated drinks or alcohol
• Spicy, fatty, or fried foods
• Garlic and onions
• Peppermint
• Tomatoes
• That is my complete diet.

be careful with flagyl

anaphylactic reactions are not uncommon

Any recommendation for itchy crotch and in between the cheeks. I wake in the night scratching.

Originally Posted by superman

Any recommendation for itchy crotch and in between the cheeks. I wake in the night scratching.

Either get a new gf or persuade her to do her own scratching.

Originally Posted by chitown

Does Thailand's heat cause you to break out with a bit of acne or other bumps and rashes?

Go to any pharmacy and get some Differin gel 0.1%.

Dab a little on the problem area and within 24 to 48 hours the blemish is gone.

500 baht per tube in Thailand, nearly 3000 baht for the same tube in the US.

Ouch...500 baht not cheap. I am currently at war with a rash in one armpit, rash in my crutch, and a rash on my left hand so I would like to try this if there is a locally made version.

I am currently using a cocktail of 3 anti fungal creams : Canesten, Nizoral and Tonaf ( green ) plus prickly heat powder. All this medication is forcing these rashes into retreat but its up hill work. All brought on by one sweaty days work clearing out a blocked drain at the back of the house.

If you get the trots after some dodgy food I recommend NOXZY, very cheap and available over the counter. For some reason it has a real photo of a man on the moon on the front of the box of 4 tablets. It is basically just immodium so tried and tested. Hell, if it stopped Armstrong crapping for a week it can't be bad.

For acid reflux I take antacil tablets. 10 baht for a sheet of 10. Cheap and pretty effective for mild cases.

^If you have a rash on you hand then you should be able to look it up and go in the right direction because very few things cause a rash on the palms of your hand or the sole of your foot.

It is also worth having a look at the 'symptom checker' facility on sites such as 'Wrong Diagnosis" etc, can help you get a general idea of what might be wrong, not a substitute for a decent doc but can enlighten you generally and point you in the right direction.

^^ Itchy crotch can be anything from 'Jock itch' to scabies/crabs and an itchy arse can be ought from irritations to something scary like pinworms. Sure, try the over-the-counter stuff but if it persists then you have to see a doc.

Originally Posted by Bangyai

Originally Posted by chitown

Does Thailand's heat cause you to break out with a bit of acne or other bumps and rashes?

Go to any pharmacy and get some Differin gel 0.1%.

Dab a little on the problem area and within 24 to 48 hours the blemish is gone.

500 baht per tube in Thailand, nearly 3000 baht for the same tube in the US.

Ouch...500 baht not cheap. I am currently at war with a rash in one armpit, rash in my crutch, and a rash on my left hand so I would like to try this if there is a locally made version.

This stuff is more for razor bumps, acne, boils and things such as that.

Is there anything to help make my hair grow back and help me shed a few pounds ?

Originally Posted by daveboy

help me shed a few pounds ?

Try Serc 3 times a day. It is for inner ear problems, but they curb your appetite.

^^ Not sure about hair but with weight loss then the natural answer is to stay away from eating any carbohydrates after 5pm, eat something other than bread, pasta, rice etc. The other option is a carbohydrate blocker pill that stops you from absorbing calories from these foods but there are conflicting reports about how effective they are, some say great and some say not.

For me personally, I find the best option is the first one, don't eat carbohydrates after 5pm, that tends to work.

Originally Posted by Spitfire

^If you have a rash on you hand then you should be able to look it up and go in the right direction because very few things cause a rash on the palms of your hand or the sole of your foot.

It is also worth having a look at the 'symptom checker' facility on sites such as 'Wrong Diagnosis" etc, can help you get a general idea of what might be wrong, not a substitute for a decent doc but can enlighten you generally and point you in the right direction.

^^ Itchy crotch can be anything from 'Jock itch' to scabies/crabs and an itchy arse can be ought from irritations to something scary like pinworms. Sure, try the over-the-counter stuff but if it persists then you have to see a doc.

Thanks for the advice. The hand rash is not on the palm but on the back of the hand at the thumb base.

The crutch thing is not scabies or crabs as I've smothered meself in anti scabies cream for 48 hours just incase.

Whatever these things are , I'm winning and every day sees a little improvement but at this rate it could take 3 weeks. My fault for putting off treatment at the onset.

As for seeing the docter. Of course, good advice and I have been tempted a couple of times but the thought of coughing up 1000 baht to probably be given what I'm already taking would end up with me having to be treated for depression as well.

Thankyou doctors.

^
Well said

Originally Posted by Bangyai

Originally Posted by Spitfire

^If you have a rash on you hand then you should be able to look it up and go in the right direction because very few things cause a rash on the palms of your hand or the sole of your foot.

It is also worth having a look at the 'symptom checker' facility on sites such as 'Wrong Diagnosis" etc, can help you get a general idea of what might be wrong, not a substitute for a decent doc but can enlighten you generally and point you in the right direction.

^^ Itchy crotch can be anything from 'Jock itch' to scabies/crabs and an itchy arse can be ought from irritations to something scary like pinworms. Sure, try the over-the-counter stuff but if it persists then you have to see a doc.

Thanks for the advice. The hand rash is not on the palm but on the back of the hand at the thumb base.

The crutch thing is not scabies or crabs as I've smothered meself in anti scabies cream for 48 hours just incase.

Whatever these things are , I'm winning and every day sees a little improvement but at this rate it could take 3 weeks. My fault for putting off treatment at the onset.

As for seeing the docter. Of course, good advice and I have been tempted a couple of times but the thought of coughing up 1000 baht to probably be given what I'm already taking would end up with me having to be treated for depression as well.

Could be Thrush, aka Candida.

Originally Posted by slackula

Does anybody else find it odd that a doctor is giving out advice based on a description of symptoms over the intertubes without actually seeing the patient

Originally Posted by daveboy

^
Well said

I guess I could go to a Thai doctor for professional advice.

Originally Posted by Spitfire

but with weight loss then the natural answer is to stay away from eating any carbohydrates after 5pm,

That is a myth. It's the amount of food one intakes that causes weigt gain. Not the time it's eaten at.

Another medical myth is 'don't drink alcohol when on antibiotics as it reduces their ability to work'. The myth was started when antibiotics were first used to treat STD's. Alcohol can be consumed when taking this medication.

Originally Posted by superman

Alcohol can be consumed when taking this medication.

The NHS would disagree with such a blanket statement:

It is necessary to completely avoid drinking alcohol when taking the antibiotics described below.
Metronidazole

Metronidazole is sometimes used to clear dental, or vaginal, infections, or to clear infected leg ulcers, or pressure sores.
Tinidazole

Tinidazole is sometimes used to treat many of the same infections as metronidazole, as well as to help clear bacteria called Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) from the gut.
Drinking alcohol when you are taking either metronidazole, or tinidazole, can cause a serious reaction. The symptoms of this reaction include:

• breathlessness,
• headaches,
• chest pain,
• skin flushing,
• increased, or irregular, heartbeat,
• low blood pressure (hypotension), and
• nausea and vomiting.

Other antibiotics that may interact with alcohol

Co-trimoxazole

Occasionally, co-trimoxazole can cause a similar reaction to that of metronidazole, or tinidazole, if you drink alcohol while you are taking it. However, with co-trimoxazole, the side effects above are very rare, and drinking alcohol in moderation does not normally cause a problem.
Linezolid

If you are taking linezolid, you should avoid drinking alcoholic drinks that contain a substance called tyramine, such as wine, beer, sherry, and lager.
Erythromycin

Drinking alcohol while you are taking erythromycin may make you drowsy. Alcohol can also make erythromycin less effective.

Source:

Can I drink alcohol while taking antibiotics?

Originally Posted by chitown

I guess I could go to a Thai doctor for professional advice.

It's your choice of course but over the years I have lived here I have had excellent care everywhere from small clinics and govt. hospitals up to the most expensive private hospitals. I think that Thai docs do have a tendency to over prescribe though, but I expect that is due to pressure from hospital admins to increase revenue, not from some fundamental defect in their medical training.