OTC/Prescripton & Treating Drug Dependence-Chapters 15 & 18

This module hit close to home for me. After reading about Anti heartburn medications and doing some research into them, it made me more aware of what I have been going through for over 15 years. At first, it was just heartburn. That has now turned into GERD. I have switched primary physicians and my first question when I saw him this past week was about my GERD and the medications I have been on. To my surprise, he had told me that if my medication keeps the heartburn away, there would be no reason for me to have a scope done or that I should be worried about esophageal cancer. Whew! I will be staying on top of it though and keeping an eye on my symptoms.

I also learned a bit more about the misuse of antibiotics and the harm it can do. Researching it for a response to another student, I became aware of "superbugs". You are always told by a doctor that antibiotics won't work for such and such sickness. Now I have a better understanding as to why they say this. Those little "buggers" are pretty scary! This webpage is a great reference for learning a bit more about superbugs. http://floridamedicalmalpracticelaws.com/statistics-on-superbug-antibiotic-resistant-infections/

One thing I will be referring to in the future is the Herbal Options chart listed on page 446 in our text. Medications can be great for some things, but I think I may be willing to give good old natural ingredients a try in the future. My children are still on the younger side. If I can keep some medications out of their systems for a while, that would be a good thing to me.

This class has been very informational for me. I enjoyed the subject matter and the way the class was broken down. I feel that we were given ample amount of time to complete the modules. What really impressed me was the feedback from the instructor. With being an online class, you could easily feel like you are just a number and never hear anything about your performance. I appreciated getting an email or a reply to one of my posts from the instructor. I knew she was really reading what I had posted and gave me very helpful hints. I would recommend this class to anyone who may be interested in taking it.

The most difficult thing about this class, for me, was remembering to get my butt online and take a look around and read up on posts. I kept my book out on top of my laptop so every time I walked by it was a reminder that I needed to find some time to get my work done.

It is amazing at how fast the semester flew by. I look forward to graduation on May 10th and I will be able to look back on my experience here with very fond memories! Thank you for everything!!

Stimulants, Marijuana & Athletes and Drugs - Chapter 10-13

    This module was very informative for me. When researching my response to one of the other students, I was surprised to find out about caffeine addiction and the possibility of overdose. Finding the chart that I had posted will be a great reference tool for me to use in the future for myself and my children to watch our caffeine intake. Here it is again: http://www.caffeineinformer.com/the-caffeine-database

    I also learned about a program called The Adolescent Training and Learning to Avoid Steroids Program (ATLAS). I have a young son that may be interested in sports when he gets older. I would not personally make my son aware of steroid use, unless he asked me. I would then explain what they are and what the dangers could be. I am on both sides of the fence with this. If my son has never been introduced to steroids, I would not want a program like this to put the idea in his head. Yet, if he does learn about them and is not willing to discuss it with myself or his father, I would want a program like this available to teach him how to avoid them and alternatives to using steroids. Here is a little background on what the program entails: http://www.ohsu.edu/xd/education/schools/school-of-medicine/departments/clinical-departments/medicine/divisions/hpsm/research/atlas.cfm

    I think I have done fairly well during this module. I always look at our seminar discussions as a way to educate the other students and myself. I think I may go a bit overboard though. The past two modules, I have not had any students respond to my question. I think I may be putting too much into my post that they may not want to read. Considering all of my posts and responses have received a 5, I must be doing something right! I don't think for the last module I will change anything. I am proud of my work and the depth to which I explain myself. 

    I know in my last blog post I had mentioned that I am an older student and I feel that has played a part in my success in this class. Even though I have a husband and three children I need to look after as well as my other classes and clinical, I make sure to carve out time for this class. I am investing in myself and my future and I will not do it halfheartedly. I think of it as this...if I am going to take time away from my family to do something for myself, it better darn well be worth it. I would also hope that I am setting an example for my children to show them it's never too late to go after what you want and whatever you choose to do, give it everything you have. I am really looking forward to graduation and having my family there to cheer me on. It has been a long two years but it has been well worth it. I am proud of what I have done and I think all students should pride themselves on wanting to better themselves.

 

Module 4: Depressants & Alcohol - Chapters 6-7-8

Wow! Alcohol was the hot topic for this module.It looks as if I was the only one to report on depression and CNS depressants. Both have had a tremendous impact on our society. I have learned that in the US, 15 million people are currently affected by alcohol use (http://alcoholismstatistics.net/) or abuse and 1 in 10 people have had reported an incidence of depression. (http://www.healthline.com/health/depression/statistics-infographic)

I was also very shocked to learn that video gaming can lead to depression, as stated in my student seminar discussion. After reading what the signs and symptoms may be, I have now been keeping a watchful eye on my daughter.

It was also very interesting to read what the other students thoughts were on the drinking age. Some had very strong opinions on keeping it at 21 and I am one of those that doesn't really think it matters what the drinking age is. It is a matter of teaching kids how to be responsible. The table on page 217 of our text was a great tool in showing what other countries have their drinking age set at.

I really can not believe that we are almost half way through the semester already. I feel that with each module, I am learning more about myself and what type of information I want to share with the group. I feel as if I am doing a pretty good job on my entries and I try my best at putting my all into each and every one of them. I think that has been reflected in my grades. I think that part of the reason my grades have been good so far is that I am an older student. I take my studies very seriously and I strive to get the best grades possible. This is a journey that I have taken for myself. I want to prove to myself that I can be more than just a wife and mother. I do feel a bit selfish sometimes taking as much time as I do for homework and studying, but I want to set a good example for my children on how to always give it your all and how to manage your time to get everything done that needs to be done. I would like to improve my quiz grades. I need to take my time in reading over the chapters and be extra cautious when answering the quiz questions. I am aiming for 100's for the remainder of the semester.

One word that I had never heard of before was teetotaler. That would have been me for the majority of my life! I never knew there was a name for someone who didn't drink alcohol. I love this website. It is a guide on how a man can be a teetotaler at a bar with or without people knowing you are one. Pretty funny! http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/11/12/guide-to-drinking-for-the-teetotaler/

I have never heard of Wernicke-Korsakoff's syndrome. I know that having sufficient vitamin levels in the body is necessary, I never knew that lacking in vitamin B1 could lead to this. This website is a great resource on learning more about this syndrome: http://www.alz.org/dementia/wernicke-korsakoff-syndrome-symptoms.asp Since this syndrome can mimic the signs of dementia, it has been greatly under reported so it is very hard to estimate how many people in the US have this disorder.

Module 3: The Law and Why Drugs Work - Chapters 3 & 5

These two chapters were very informative. I did not know that the reason for the FDA getting control over drug safety was because a drug company produced a toxic product that had killed 107 people. Unfortunately that had to happen for our drugs to become safer.
 I also did not know that a few countries have used strangulation as a penalty for smoking tobacco or opium. This link give us some insight as to why this may have been used as punishment.
http://jds.cass.cn/Item/5703.aspx
I knew about placebos and why they are needed for studies, but I did not know that they could actually cause people to think that they work for pain. It is amazing to me how perception can play a role in your health. This link explains how the Placebo Effect works and is pretty interesting to read.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/brain-sense/201201/the-placebo-effect-how-it-works
One thing I did learn from the discussion group is that there are some strong opinions on drug testing in the workplace. You always think that you know what is right, but when you read someones personal experience with the cons of drug testing, it makes you think.

I feel like I did spend the required amount of time on this module. I enjoy doing research and learning new information that I would not have had the opportunity to be exposed to otherwise.
The only suggestion I might be able to give to the others in this class is to proof read what they are writing. It is very hard to follow and understand a post when it it run on sentences or improper use of punctuation. I find those posts to be difficult to respond to.

I did not know about the word cross tolerance. I never knew that you could become tolerant to depressants if you are a heavy drinker. It is scary to think that people may not know this and if they try experimenting with drugs while drinking that they may need an excessive dose to get any kind of result from that drug. To me, it seems like that is a recipe for overdose.
I also did not know about interdiction. You always hear about the war on drugs, but I did not know that in 2009, the budget for interdiction was $3.83 Billion. All of this money being spent on trying to decrease the amount of drug trafficking that takes place and there was still no indication that the availability of drugs had diminished significantly. I am always amazed at how much money is spent from our government that we really are not aware of.

Module 2: Overview Chapters 1&2

The first two chapters of our text has taught me quite a few things. First, I did not know about all of the slang terms that are used for drugs. I was telling my 9 year old daughter about some of them and she had actually heard of some that I hadn't. Pretty scary! Second, I did not know that alcohol and tobacco killed so many more people a year than illicit drugs do. Third, I found it interesting that there have been studies showing that there can be a genetic link to addictions. It was interesting that even children that were adopted and not raised by alcoholics had the chance of becoming one because of the biological parents.

Here is a link to some of the slang terms that are used for drugs:
http://www.erowid.org/psychoactives/slang/slang.shtml

And this one will show you what some of the commonly used drugs LOOK like:
http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/ss/slideshow-commonly-abused-drugs

I feel that I have put in the required amount of time that is needed for this class. I was able to get my assignments in on time. I felt that the feedback that was give was extremely helpful. I was not aware that I had not been making reference to the websites that the other students have been posting, only adding to their questions.

The three vocabulary words that I did not know prior to these chapters were structural analogs, floaters or chippers and sensation - seeking individuals. For the most part, I had heard of structural analogs and sensation-seeking individuals, but I had always referred to them by different names or did not know they had a name. I would just assume that when drugs were modified - that is what it was called, a modified drug not a structural analog. Same for sensation-seeking individuals. I would have always referred to them as thrill seekers. As for a floater or chipper, I did not know that there was such a thing. I would have thought that someone would be either a casual user or an addict, not fluctuate between the two.

First Blog Entry

Hello!!