Self-medication: possibilities and limitations

Self-medication has increased drastically in Germany and will continue to do so. Studies confirm this trend: Germans are increasingly forgoing doctor visits and at the same time increasingly treating themselves with over-the-counter medicines. According to their own statements, more than every third German citizen (35%) now goes to the doctor less frequently due to the fact that non-prescription medicines are no longer reimbursed. Long waiting times at the doctors and co-payments for medicines mean that many of those affected first go to the pharmacy. But self-medication has its limits. These are reached when health disorders are more than just slight, temporary disorders or the cause of the affected person can no longer be clearly assessed. In such a case, the cause can be more serious – then it is essential to always see a doctor.

Possibilities of self-medication

• A prerequisite for any self-medication is that one recognizes the present disorder and can deal with it. Conversely, this means: All disorders from which you do not know where they come from or about which you are unsure must be examined by a doctor.
• Before buying an over-the-counter drug that you are not familiar with, it is advisable to seek advice from a doctor or pharmacist. Before taking a medication, it is advisable to read the package leaflet carefully and to follow the instructions for use.
• If medicines are not dosed correctly or taken at the wrong time, this can impair their effectiveness.
• Does the drug you take help? Are the symptoms going away or are there other symptoms? Observing the body and the symptoms is an essential prerequisite for self-medication.

Limits of self-medication

• If you are not sure that your own diagnosis is correct, you should always consult your doctor. If the symptoms persist for more than three to four days, you should also see a doctor.
• Do not take any leftovers from the medicine cabinet! You can use eye drops or your sister’s  antibiotics  yourself, can’t you? Basically no: Antibiotics don’t belong in the medicine chest at all, because firstly they should always be used up and secondly every infection has to be treated with the right antibiotic at the doctor’s. Eye drops can only be kept for 6 weeks and should no longer be used after that because they are bacterially contaminated.
• Restraint in pregnant women, breastfeeding women and children. Special precautions apply to pregnant and breastfeeding women, infants and small children. Therefore, these groups of people should go to the doctor right away.
• Children need different medication than adults. Children – especially toddlers and infants – have a different  metabolism , their immune systems are not yet mature and many enzymes and hormones are not as effective as in adults. The absorption of the medicinal substances, the effect in the organism and the excretion also work differently. That is why medicines for children are not the same as for parents. Be sure to talk to a doctor or pharmacist first.
• Natural medicine is always considered harmless. In many cases, however, this is not the case. One example is the herbal cardiac glycoside digitoxin, which can lead to cardiac arrest in higher doses. Another example is herbal  laxatives , which are now less recommended than their chemical counterparts.

Examples of limits in self-medication

• Stomach problems  such as  heartburn  can be treated well with gastric therapeutics. However, if a more serious illness is present – for example inflammation of the stomach and esophagus,  stomach ulcers  or stomach cancer – this can be masked by self-medication. Therefore, do not wait too long to clarify the symptoms!
• Long-term use of painkillers  increases the risk of drug-related headaches.
• You can also get sleeping pills  without a doctor’s prescription. However, long-lasting  sleep disturbances  over several weeks should be treated by a doctor and their cause should be clarified.
• Antiallergics that are no longer prescribed by health insurance companies should definitely be taken, otherwise the  allergy  could worsen. In the worst case, there is a risk of a change of floor – namely allergic  asthma .