Sexual health issues like erectile dysfunction can be embarrassing to deal with. It’s one thing to take a trip to the doctor’s office to talk about your symptoms and to undergo testing and diagnosis. On the other hand, it’s a totally different ball game to walk into a pharmacy and pick up a prescription using a Viagra copay card. There’s nothing worse than feeling insecure when it comes to improving your health.
The embarrassment of picking up certain medications can be enough to persuade you to take medication without getting a prescription. While this eases concerns about making your sexual health issue public knowledge, taking medication without first getting a prescription can be quite dangerous. Here are 5 reasons why.
You May Not Need It
Without getting diagnosed for a specific health condition, you’re taking medicine without truly knowing whether or not you need it. Antibiotics are some of the most misused prescriptions. Maybe you’re suffering from the flu and your friend has offered to give you their left over antibiotics.
In this instance, antibiotics won’t have any impact in treating the cold because they only work for bacterial infections. At the same time, you could be negatively impacting your body as antibiotics tend to kill both good and bad bacteria.
The same stands for health conditions that you think you have. Finding it hard to get or maintain an erection? While this is a common sign of erectile dysfunction, you may not suffer from the condition. Erection issues can be caused by stress, a poor diet, and plenty of other factors.
You Don’t Understand Intended Use
Thanks to ever-growing technological advances in the medical world, most prescription medications aren’t used to treat just one health condition.
Take Viagra for instance. Most people assume that the pill is just prescribed to treat erectile dysfunction, but did you know that the drug has also been prescribed to treat pulmonary hypertension, premature ejaculation, and altitude sickness? Without understanding the intended use of the medication, you risk dealing with short-term and long-term side effects.
Unknown Drug Interactions
By taking medication without a prescription, not only do you risk adverse side effects from mixing this drug with others, there are also other factors to consider including certain drinks, food, and dietary supplements that could also negatively interact with the medication.
There are all sorts of prescription medications that have to be taken with strict requirements. For example, beta-blockers and antibiotics can negatively react when mixed with grapefruit, apple, and orange juice. Milk can also be problematic when mixed with certain antibiotics.
Without a prescription, you won’t know the true drug interactions that you need to be aware of. To be safe and to minimize side effects that you may face, always talk to a doctor and get a prescription to ensure that you fully understand the requirements when taking a certain drug.
Potential Adverse Side Effects
Unless you’re well versed in how medication interacts with others and herbal supplements, you risk all sorts of side effects. You could be allergic to one of the ingredients or the medication could make symptoms even worse.
A serious side effect of taking medication without a prescription is the risk of Stevens-Johnson syndrome. This syndrome causes the body to burn from the inside out. The condition is caused by a serious allergic reaction to a specific medication. Internally the mucous membranes and the skin start to burn, blister, and fall off the body. Other side effects can include:
- Hives
- Difficulty breathing
- Increased heart rate
- Nausea
- Extreme sleepiness
By taking medication without a prescription, you not only risk your well-being but also your life. In this instance, it pays to go the extra mile and ensure that the medication you’re taking is safe for you.
It’s Illegal
Though it’s unlikely that you’d be caught taking someone else’s prescription drugs or taking medication without a prescription, it’s worth nothing that this is illegal at both the state and federal levels.
Per the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, prescription medications, also known as controlled substances, can only be legally accessed through the issuance of a doctor’s prescription. Doctors have very strict rules and regulations they must follow when prescribing drugs including the amount of pills and the dosage level.
While it may be tempting to take a friend’s pills because it’s convenient and saves you a trip to the doctor, taking someone else’s prescription pills is illegal and should be avoided.
Conclusion
Taking medication without a prescription can be dangerous. No matter how embarrassing your health condition may be to talk about, getting a proper diagnosis is the safest way to ensure that your condition is properly treated with the right medication.
