What do you think about Metamizole or Pyralgine as we call it in Poland

[Pawelk198604]

I have common cold so i took it.

What do you think about Metamizole is is available over the counter in Poland, reportedly it is banned in some countries because of side effects, but I never had a problem with this medicine :-)

[LordFerret]

My opinion? This is not something you should be taking for a 'common cold'. Metamizole is for use in perioperative pain management (mainly postoperative). Except for its fever reducing ability, the rest of its function serves no purpose for a 'cold'. There are other alternatives available to you over-the-counter, which I would advise you to use instead.

[Pawelk198604]

My opinion? This is not something you should be taking for a 'common cold'. Metamizole is for use in perioperative pain management (mainly postoperative). Except for its fever reducing ability, the rest of its function serves no purpose for a 'cold'. There are other alternatives available to you over-the-counter, which I would advise you to use instead.

Here in Poland we use it for a headache.

[Streetwind]

I live by the personal rule that medication intake of any form should be minimized. For example, if I get a cold, the only "medication" I take are tissues and maybe a bit of vitamin C dissolved in water (which does not cure colds, but a shortage can cause colds, so I like to ensure that I don't have a shortage). My colds usually last 2-3 days, and I get maybe 3 or so per year (at least half of which I pick up from inconsiderate jerks at work who won't freaking stay home when sick). In case of a sore throat accompanying the cold, we have some really low-impact, homepathic pills that you can pop hourly, and which work (I suspect) mostly by ensuring a lot of saliva flow or something. But it definitely does help.

A quality cough syrup is also in stock, because believe me, a deep-sitting cough is absolutely not something you should ever leave unmedicated! I made the mistake once, ended up with pneumonia and four weeks bedrest on hard antibiotics. Not fun. Not making that mistake again. Still, treating a cough with painkillers is not somethin I'd do.

For fever-reduction, we have paracetamol at home (which is also a basic painkiller), but I can't recall when I last took one. Maybe during that pneumonia episode. But it's been at least 15 years since, maybe more.

[softweir]

I wouldn't take it for a headache. It can cause serious damage to the immune system leading to a vulnerability to all sorts of infections, and can cause a form of anaemia in which all blood-cell types AND platelets are lost, leading to bleeding, infection, and severe exhaustion caused by loss of red blood cells. It can also cause a form of skin disease where the upper layers of skin detach from the lower layers, with the very real risk of severe skin damage, infection and death.

I have, once or twice, been prescribed antibiotics which can cause similar side-effects: but this was to infections that were more dangerous than the antibiotic, and the docs made sure to check repeatedly that they weren't causing me harm.

I would suggest that if you can possibly find a safer medicine to treat your headaches then do so, and if you can't, then it's better to suffer the headache: there's no sense killing yourself for a bit of comfort!

[Camacha]

In case of a sore throat accompanying the cold, we have some really low-impact, homepathic pills that you can pop hourly, and which work (I suspect) mostly by ensuring a lot of saliva flow or something. But it definitely does help.

Doing homoeopathic pills certainly is a minimum of medical intake, since there is nothing medical about them. Though the basic advice is good, I would not suggest anyone looking at homoeopathic scams placebos. Buy a bag of M&M's or other sweets, take one a day and be just as happy.

[Streetwind]

Sigh. Can't mention that word anywhere without someone with a personal agenda coming in and proselitizing, can we? Should have known I shouldn't have typed it.

Always remember: "If it sounds stupid, but works, it isn't stupid." The precise way that it works is pretty irrelevant at that point.

(And this is where this thread is going completely and permanently off topic.)

[peadar1987]

"People say you can't overdose on homeopathic medicine. Oh yeah? You can ^&%*ing drown!"

[Camacha]

Sigh. Can't mention that word anywhere without someone with a personal agenda coming in and proselitizing, can we?

Mentioning homoeopathy is a personal agenda on your behalf, since it has nothing to do with medicine. It is a proven scam, a hoax, and suggesting anything else will and should yield the same response every time. You brought it up, so do not be surprised you get a response.

If it is truly your personal belief then keep it personal, if you do not want any deserved remarks or criticism.

Always remember: "If it sounds stupid, but works, it isn't stupid." The precise way that it works is pretty irrelevant at that point.

Luckily, that does not apply to homoeopathy. No amount of kicking and screaming and claiming the right to a personal vision or results is going to change the fact that it is unscientific quack 'medicine'. Unless you mean placebo effects, of course, in which case there are very good reasons not to support this harmful industry and to educate people how things really work. We left the dark ages behind us centuries ago, it is time this remnant finally dies the way it should have a long time ago.

[Shpaget]

I've heard of a man overdosing on homeopathic medicine.

...

He forgot to take his pill.

- James Randy

[Camacha]

"People say you can't overdose on homeopathic medicine. Oh yeah? You can ^&%*ing drown!"

[YNM]

Why are we talking about what homeopathic pills means instead of what does consuming metamizole means ?

I'm not sure about the (bad) side effects of metamizole myself, although I thought I've heard / read it on prescripted drugs before... I guess it's only for (really ?) bad cases. Or express cases. Wikipedia says it's similar to paracetamol though. Common cold mostly would like you to put a whole lot of heat on your body, while putting less work on it, until it sweats, so it can go away. And don't take cold water (those that goes near freezing) too much.

Edited June 24, 2015 by YNM

[Camacha]

Why are we talking about what homeopathic pills means instead of what does consuming metamizole means ?

Probably because someone seriously suggested it as an alternative. You cannot let those things slide without thoroughly emphasizing why that is bad advice I think we made out point, though

[YNM]

Probably because someone seriously suggested it as an alternative. You cannot let those things slide without thoroughly emphasizing why that is bad advice I think we made out point, though

It's still an off-topic thing though... You know you're not supposed to do it in a well civilized forums, unless you are agree to say you don't. Or you appologize a bit for it.

(well, this one too in general. Could be backseat moderating as well, so I should say sorry to mods...)

For homeopathic itself : why, that's their own choice...

[Shpaget]

And because it is a very bad thing to discuss real medical treatment over Internet.

One should not be taking medical advice from random strangers over the Internet and should instead talk to a doctor who has spend years learning about the subject and a career working with actual patients and drugs.

[Dkmdlb]

Sigh. Can't mention that word anywhere without someone with a personal agenda coming in and proselitizing, can we?

This is a science forum. People in this forum are advocates of and interested in science. Homeopathy is woo, not science.

[Camacha]

And because it is a very bad thing to discuss real medical treatment over Internet.

One should not be taking medical advice from random strangers over the Internet and should instead talk to a doctor who has spend years learning about the subject and a career working with actual patients and drugs.

Discussing it is not bad, basing your decisions on it is though Go see a doctor is the best medical advice that can be found on-line.

[Shpaget]

I would disagree, especially when it comes to ongoing treatment.

Similar symptoms can have very different causes and some day somebody may stumble upon a discussion about a simple, harmless illness with similar symptoms as being experienced at that time by the person reading an old discussion and proceed to self-diagnose and and self-prescribe the same treatment as the person talking in the old discussion. That can lead to a delayed visit to a doctor a bad outcome.

[Camacha]

I would disagree, especially when it comes to ongoing treatment.

Similar symptoms can have very different causes and some day somebody may stumble upon a discussion about a simple, harmless illness with similar symptoms as being experienced at that time by the person reading an old discussion and proceed to self-diagnose and and self-prescribe the same treatment as the person talking in the old discussion. That can lead to a delayed visit to a doctor a bad outcome.

I agree, and it is exactly what I said before. Discussing is not bad, making decisions on those discussion is.

[Shpaget]

But it's because of the discussion that someone might make a bad decision, therefore, it is my preferred course of action, just to point out that the Internet forums are not a place to ask for, or to get the guidance from when it come to medical issues and stop the discussion there.

In any case, we can not even have a proper discussion about specific medical cases because we can never have a proper insight into it. Even a professional can not and should not engage in an over-the-Internet diagnosis and treatment, let alone laymen and 12 year-olds.

[Kryten]

Probably because someone seriously suggested it as an alternative. You cannot let those things slide without thoroughly emphasizing why that is bad advice I think we made out point, though

Homeopathic medicine probably is a better alternative to something this strong for a common cold, to be fair. Taking nothing is an even better one.

[Camacha]

But it's because of the discussion that someone might make a bad decision, therefore, it is my preferred course of action, just to point out that the Internet forums are not a place to ask for, or to get the guidance from when it come to medical issues and stop the discussion there.

The main difference is that no one was asking about treatment. A general inquiry was made about the drug, which is another matter.

Homeopathic medicine probably is a better alternative to something this strong for a common cold, to be fair. Taking nothing is an even better one.

I am not commenting on taking the drug discussed for a common cold, see the remarks Shpaget and I have been making. For that you will need to ask a doctor and only a doctor.

[Pawelk198604]

I live by the personal rule that medication intake of any form should be minimized. For example, if I get a cold, the only "medication" I take are tissues and maybe a bit of vitamin C dissolved in water (which does not cure colds, but a shortage can cause colds, so I like to ensure that I don't have a shortage). My colds usually last 2-3 days, and I get maybe 3 or so per year (at least half of which I pick up from inconsiderate jerks at work who won't freaking stay home when sick). In case of a sore throat accompanying the cold, we have some really low-impact, homepathic pills that you can pop hourly, and which work (I suspect) mostly by ensuring a lot of saliva flow or something. But it definitely does help.

A quality cough syrup is also in stock, because believe me, a deep-sitting cough is absolutely not something you should ever leave unmedicated! I made the mistake once, ended up with pneumonia and four weeks bedrest on hard antibiotics. Not fun. Not making that mistake again. Still, treating a cough with painkillers is not somethin I'd do.

For fever-reduction, we have paracetamol at home (which is also a basic painkiller), but I can't recall when I last took one. Maybe during that pneumonia episode. But it's been at least 15 years since, maybe more.

My boss says I should be at work tomorrow, today took a slow he was not happy about this, tomorrow i probably will not go to work, our work requires frequent to meet with strangers, and I'm not going to spread infectious diseases in someone's house!

[LordFerret]

But it's because of the discussion that someone might make a bad decision, therefore, it is my preferred course of action, just to point out that the Internet forums are not a place to ask for, or to get the guidance from when it come to medical issues and stop the discussion there.

In any case, we can not even have a proper discussion about specific medical cases because we can never have a proper insight into it. Even a professional can not and should not engage in an over-the-Internet diagnosis and treatment, let alone laymen and 12 year-olds.

*

This is where you are wrong. In fact, the complete opposite is coming to life. Doctors and hospitals are more-so using the web for data sharing and remote diagnosis - even surgeries. I suggest you do a little research on this, as you're going to be seeing more and more of it in the future... I spent 12 years working in the industry related to just such a thing.

I'll also add that, despite all the humbug and downfalls of many homeopathic treatments, there are also a large number which the door has been re-opened to and further research is underway about. To totally discount all of it is foolish... just don't walk into it blindly, do the homework.

Edited June 24, 2015 by LordFerret

[Camacha]

I'll also add that, despite all the humbug and downfalls of many homeopathic treatments, there are also a large number which the door has been re-opened to and further research is underway about. To totally discount all of it is foolish... just don't walk into it blindly, do the homework.

The big problem with that is that if it works, it is called actual medicine and not homoeopathy.