Only curiosity!

[windwalker]

I disagree with you Christian on two of the above. Using antibiotics for a cheap and easy cure for something simple such as diarrhea may be quick but counter productive as, over time, bacteria become resistant to casual use and antibiotics are no longer effective.

Are you also saying that people with cancer and HIV should just give up and die since treatment would be a waste of resources?

Furthermore there are medications for preventive health such as for cholesterol and hypertension which are not found in natural remedies. Of course when one is young there may be no need for such meds but with age they become a life saver.

[christianpfc]

You are correct that over-use of antibiotics causes resistancy in bacteria (that's why Ciprofloxacin - the antibiotic I used after a doctor prescribed it to me in Thailand - has to be prescribed by a doctor in Germany, whereas it is available over the counter in Thailand), but that was just an example from personal experience. You can take any other example (chirurgical procedicures like pulling a rotten tooth or removing the appendix, or treatment with drugs) where modern medicine provides fast, easy and cheap solutions for medical problems.

Cancer and HIV: some medicine is of more use for the pharmaceutical industry than the patient. Treatment is expensive and does not really cure you. But hopefully that is just a stage mankind has to go through before a cure is found (that will be fast, easy and cheap).

I am a medical layman and due to good health my interaction with doctors and the health system is very limited, so my views are of little value.

[lvdkeyes]

Cancer drugs have cured some cancers. HIV drugs, while they haven't been proven to cure HIV, they certainly have improved the longevity and quality of life for countless numbers of HIV infected people. Yes, these drugs are expensive, more so than should be IMHO, but they are extremely valuable for those who need them.

[windwalker]

Christian I do agree with you about natural foods as the best source of nutrients,etc.
Tobacco, wine, beer, marijuana, opium, cocaine, sugar, salt,etc are a few that come to mind.

To be more serious I am a very firm believer in the use of Vitamin V for the older swordsmen among us. It has been proven to increase endurance, enhance thrust and gives greater penetration when engaged in a bout with a young partner.

[bao-bao]

I am a medical layman and due to good health my interaction with doctors and the health system is very limited, so my views are of little value.

I wouldn't make the blanket statement that your views are of little value, but I will add I believe you're mistaken about Ciprofloxacin - it's not readily available in Thailand as an over-the-counter drug (to the best of my knowledge). Not that some wouldn't sell it to a person walking in off the street, but...

[Gaybutton]

Ciprofloxacin - it's not readily available in Thailand as an over-the-counter drug

Yes it is. A couple months ago I bought some at Fascino - a well known legitimate pharmacy - right over the counter and no questions asked.

[lvdkeyes]

Basically the only drugs that are not available OTC are narcotics, hypnotics and other mind altering drugs such as Valium.

[Smiles]

The main ~ and not unimportant ~ downsides to taking aspirin on a regular daily basis are: the heightened possibility of gastric ulcers, and problems associated with the degradation of your bloods clotting ability.
I would think it reasonable to try the aspirin route if you have a family history of heart disease, or if you've had any heart abnormalities in the past. But if neither of those criteria are present I would not start taking aspirin except for a hangover.
Chances are, if you are in need of emergency operation of any kind, the doctors will definitely ask you if you're taking aspirin and will likely not operate until tests show you are cleared of the anti-coagulant effects of aspirin. In the worst medical scenario, that wait time might well mean it's tits up for you.

[lvdkeyes]

Aspirin for a hangover? The low dose of 81 mg wouldn't do anything for it. Low dose aspirin is recommended for circulatory problems, however, as I have said in the past, you should talk to your doctor first.

[bao-bao]

Ciprofloxacin - it's not readily available in Thailand as an over-the-counter drug

Yes it is. A couple months ago I bought some at Fascino - a well known legitimate pharmacy - right over the counter and no questions asked.

Glad to hear that, GB, thank you! I based my comment on what I'd been told by an internist there. In fairness, though, I said "I believe you're mistaken" and "to the best of my knowledge" - and did not make the blanket statement that it was NOT available OTC.

As for the OP's question I've been taking the 81mg EC aspirin for several years, per my general physician. The EC coating helps avoid the possibility of stomach problems.