I’m Tired of Taking Medication!

I have lived with IBS for over 7 years now, and the first half of my journey consisted of nothing but the trials and errors of prescribed medication. I was taking separate medications for nausea, stomach cramps, acid reflux, backaches, anxiety, and the list goes on. I remember having a shopping bag and a half full of medication that was prescribed to me over the course of a few years, none of which worked effectively for me. During that time, I was starting to question my faith in doctors because I felt like no one in the medical field had my best interest at heart. They just kept throwing prescriptions at me to make me feel like something was being done for whatever I was going through with my condition. Nonetheless, I took their advice because, at the time, I trusted their knowledge over my lack of knowledge.

I went through years of taking prescribed medication before finding out which one worked best for my IBS. There was a point when I would get excited to be given a new prescription, almost desperate because I was so anxious about relieving my symptoms. In my mind, and because of my ignorance, I always thought prescribed medication was just another term for “cure.” I truly thought that one of the medications would eventually relieve me of pain permanently. However, this only played with my emotions because, as I mentioned before, nothing seemed to work, and my desperation and faith was starting to wear thin.

Medications caused more problems

I’ve tried so many different medications that, if anything, they only caused more problems than solutions. I’ll either experience more of the symptom I was trying to relieve or the opposite. I want to be relieved of these symptoms, not worsen them or create others that weren’t there before, and that’s exactly what was happening to me. This aspect was the last straw for me and when I decided to quit taking unnecessary medication prescribed by any doctor.

I don’t feel comfortable with adding synthetic chemicals to my body, and to my understanding, that’s what many prescribed and some over-the-counter drugs are made of – synthetic chemicals. I’ve heard of too many stories of cases where people have died due to an accidental overdose. I can understand why these cases happen because 1) we’re not given proper education on the side effects of these chemicals, and 2) as a sufferer of chronic pain, I know what it’s like to yearn for relief and be willing to do whatever it takes get rid of the pain. Some chemicals can cause addictive behaviors, so imagine suffering pain 24/7 and all you want is just a little break from it, so you’ll do whatever it takes, not realizing that it could cost you your life. This is one of my fears.

The only medication I choose to take is medical marijuana and even that sometimes gets tiring because sometimes I just want to feel normal AND sober. However, it’s the only natural substance that relieves more than one symptom at a time, and I find it to be the most effective medicine for my chronic condition. I’m tired of taking prescribed meds because I don’t want to rely on an unnatural substance to help me manage one symptom, only to cause more. I’d much rather get rid of them forever rather than numb them, which is another reason why I have a [very small] issue with marijuana. IBS is a tough condition so with or without medication life will still be a struggle, which is why I much rather take the natural and holistic route through food, herbs, and different exercises to help me manage my health.

How do any of you feel about medication, whether prescribed or over-the-counter? Could you see yourself living without it? Please comment and share below. Thanks.