I was readig an article about a US college which collected all the various perscriptions every student takes during enrollment. The amounts they seemed to take were shockingly high. Almost everyone was taking some form of legalised drug.

This stuck me as interesting. Especially compared to the UK, where many people dislike being dependent on any sort of medication. Apparently, we see going down the pub and relieving our stress by by drinking and chatting to our mates as far better than taking drugs. Whereas the US seems to view taking perscribed medication that your doctor or psychiatrist has recommended as far healthier and safer than just getting pissed.

Now, just out of curiosity, how many of you out there are taking any sort of medication on a daily or weekly basis? Even if it's for the most trivial thing. And a description of the drug would help too (since in the UK we barely get beyond the complicated name of "painkillers").

For me, it's caffeine, an FDA-posted Schedule II drug, 2 liters (or thereabouts) a day. Used t'be on 20 MG of Paxil daily until about September, when my doctor notice that I was near 200 pounds. Funny...didn't LOOK it...or FEEL it.

As for medicine, I occasionally take a Tavist D when I wake up sneezing, which happens a lot this time of year. Personally, I don't think it does much to help.

Also, I am addicted to love.

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It doesn't matter if you don't know what you're doing as long as you look good doing it.

As Liam said, there's rarely a better way to solve a problem than go to your friends with it. Chances are, someone will know what to do.

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"Remeber, if there is a nuclear explosion, be sure to close your windows as the massive heat could cause objects within your home to catch fire".

Wise, wise words.

Adn this might sound stupid, but what exactly is Paxil? Is it just an anti-depressent?

And Shik, you do mean 2 litres of coffee don't you? Cause I'm sure 2 litres of pure caffine would be a bit dangerous. (At the moment, I do have roughly 9 cups of tea every day while I am at work).

So, is Tavist D an antihistamine for hay fever and stuff? I take what's called over here Zirtex, (although it's probably called prohistaretic B in the US), and also squirt some stuff up my nose. The only thing I can tell ya is that the stuff in the green bottle seems better than the stuff in the blue bottle.

My gf is on any number of medications because she's chronically ill. These include various pain meds and antinausea meds and an anti-panic attack drug.

Sometimes, you really DO need the stuff... though I agree many US residents often overmedicate themselves. Liberal (not left-wing, the OTHER meaning) use of antibiotics, valium, prozac, and ritalin as panaceas doesn't help.

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"Nobody knows this, but I'm scared all the time... of what I might do, if I ever let go." -- Michael Garibaldi

Heh...actually, my freebasing is done with Diet Pepsi. Got hooked when I was 13--mom was a Type II food-related diabetic & there's a damn good chance I will be, too...so....

Liam: Paxil is a serotonin inducer, so yes, it's an anti-depressant. I was on it for about 5 years until my body fixed itself with help from the drug--amazing ability, that. I always HAVE loved it. Of course, now my housemate says that I need to go back on the drug anytime I get super-pissed (without even thinking she might be the cause of the anger). She herself is a pharmacological whore, ingesting literally like 12 pills a day; "OH, I have fibromyalgia, I have high blood pressure, I have this, I have that." I keep telling her to clear out her system, not take ANYTHING, & maybe the drugs will have more of an effect. either that, or cast a spell to make her better (HAHAHA!!)

I was 16 when I kicked all drugs: OTC pain pills, allergy medications, etc. I'm now a firm believer in "fixing it myself" mentally & in acclimation. When I first moved into this house, I was clogged for a week--couldn't breathe nasally at all. But I acclimated to the different airborne particles & their levels & I'm fine now. My way of killing a headache? Drink MORE caffeine. If I have a REALLY bad sinus headache, I take ONE aspirin & within 30 minutes, it's gone; when I was 16, it took me SIX Advils to get rid of a tiny ache in my leg. It wasn't that I was addicted, it was that I'd built up a tolerance.

People really are too dependent on medications. I'm not saying no one should ever take them--far FROM it. But there's a certain body when bodies develop a tolerance or when you become addicted. When I get a really annoying dull pain in, say, my leg or my arm, I start beating it with something. People look at me like I'm an escaped mental patient (shhhhh...."don't ask, don't tell!")when I do it, but by whacking it a few times, it (A) masks the duller pain with a sharper one that dissipates quicker, taking some of the duller with it & B) creates an increased blood flow, which brings more "fixers" (white blood cells, antibodies, what-have-you) into the area.

Another problem with all this medication is that all the illnesses that we were trying to kill are starting to resist it. We killed off all the non-resistant buggers and now all the resistant ones are thriving. They are now encouraging doctors to not give out antibiotics as much around here because the problem is starting to get bad. They need to hurry up and make little those nanomachines to go inside us and kill the stuff. That would be much better than poping pills all the time.

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It doesn't matter if you don't know what you're doing as long as you look good doing it.

Okay, the impression I've got is although not all of you take drugs, you at least know people who do. Often several. And you seem to know more about the details (Type-II food related diabetic? Say that to most Brits and you'll get a confused expression, probably followed by a "what the fuck is that?")

Oh, and Shik? You shouldn't drink Diet Pepsi (you know, if aliens DID visit this planet, and looked at the Diet vs non-Diet drinks, they'd come to the conclusion that Diet Coke/Pepsi actually makes you fat).

Diet Pepsi is only drunk by people in the mistaken belief that switching to a diet drink will somehow make them loose 30 pounds, thus allowing them to eat more chocolate.

AS for the diabetes....it's cool thing to know. Type I is insulin injection; Type II is watching your diet. Both require BSL checks daily & both can be ameliorated a bit with glucophage. But I've saved myself megabucks at concerts by bringing my own Diet Pepsi because I balls my way in with it. I tell them I'm Type II food-related diabetic, that none of their drinks are sugar-free, & that I'm not spending all day at the water booth, so why not let me bring my own drink?

They usually relent when you hit 'em with all the facts, & in most places, you can call ahead for exemption. WAY cool. Although at Lilith Fair '97, the bitch at the front gate tried to trip me up by saying I told her I was a Type II diabetic. I said, "There IS no 'Type III' diabetes." She refused to believe me & I had to have everyone around me tell her differently. BITCH! LOL...

I might just try that idea.

BTW Skri, where are you from? And what age are you, oh and, er 300 pounds is...eep, 21 stone 4 pounds. How tall was she? Weight like that is just unhealthy.

ItActually, it always annoys me when fat people diet in the hopes of loosing weight. Sure, cut down, but EXCERCISE. It's no good loosing 6 stone if your heart still beats at over 120 a minute while resting. But that's another topic...

(you'd never guess I did Biology A-level would you? Or maybe we were taught useful stuff, rather than spending 2 years in a hypocondriac's ideal lesson.)

--No SHIT, it's unhealthy. She's 1.58 meters tall. My housemate is 1.7 & I'm 1.6 or so. The housemate is "of large size" as well, but she's at least proportional because she has huge breasts. Always looks good, too, no matter WHAT the hell she says.

--Fibromyalgia is some sort of muscle pain thing. To quote Cartman, "It's all just a bunch of tree-huggin' hippie CRAP."

--Where do I live? 90 minutes NNE of The City. Yes, THE City, meaning New York City. No, I DIDN'T grab any women in Central Park last weekend. For once.