Poll: would you be alive without pharmaceuticals?

Discussion in 'General Survival and Preparedness' started by Quigley_Sharps, May 29, 2013.


?
  1. No, I'd be dead

    17.4%
  2. I'd probably be dead

    26.1%
  3. I'd probably be alive

    26.1%
  4. I'm alive and kicking without any meds

    30.4%
  1. Quigley_Sharps

    Quigley_Sharps The Badministrator Administrator Founding Member

    Another thread brought up an interesting point: would you be alive today if you had not had access to pharmaceutical products? How many around you will be affected in a group without daily meds?
    I found it to run about 50%.

    I'm not sure how to treat hospitalizations and/or surgery, because most of the time hospitalized patients receive pharmaceutical products. So let's do this: if you were hospitalized for a procedure that was not life-threatening, mark no.

    I threw in some wiggle room. If you've had an antibiotic you might or might not have gotten better without it, so you can say probably no, probably yes. Keep in mind that George Washington probably died of acute epiglottis, which is now treated with antibiotics.

    Let's see what happens in a cross section of the Monkey.
     
  2. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Other than non life threatening surgeries, and about 4 series of prophylactic doses for viral bronchitis that I most likely didn't need, I'm still med free not counting a low dose aspirin and daily vitamin. Most probably still alive.
     
  3. Pax Mentis

    Pax Mentis Philosopher King |RIP 11-4-2017

    I have about a year of my more important meds stockpiled and so far about 5 mos for my wife (she hasn't been taking critical meds as long and doesn't "stretch" them as I do sometimes, so it takes longer to accumulate hers). The max I can manage for either of us is about 18 mos, due to expiration dates.

    With about 60% of my heart muscle still functioning, I don't really expect to last long after SHTF and her big issue will be the O2 she is on 24/7...though she can get by without it if she is not very active or stressed.

    Getting old ain't for sissies ;-)
     
    BTPost likes this.
  4. Motomom34

    Motomom34 Monkey+++

    In my whole, i would be dead. Last 5 years no meds. I like to be pharmaceutical free.
     
  5. DMGoddess

    DMGoddess Monkey+++

    I would have said 'I'd be dead', because I got a MRSA infection a few years ago. However, without pharmaceuticals, MRSA wouldn't exist, so I wouldn't have caught it, so I'd probably be alive. Was completely pharmaceutical free for years before that. Wouldn't be diabetic now if the infection hadn't f**ked up my system. Still, I've got my medication lowered, and I'm working on completely eliminating it.
     
    Tracy likes this.
  6. chelloveck

    chelloveck Diabolus Causidicus

    I would survive without pharmaceutical medication at the present state of my health, but doing so would probably diminish somewhat the quality of my life. The unavailability of pharmaceutical medication could be dealt with by resorting to herbal and traditional remedies.
     
    oldawg and tulianr like this.
  7. Tracy

    Tracy Insatiably Curious Moderator Founding Member

    Pffft... I don't even consistently take a daily vitamin. :)
     
    Brokor and Quigley_Sharps like this.
  8. Seacowboys

    Seacowboys Senior Member Founding Member

    i probably wouldn't see so mny interesting things if it weren't for some phamacuicals that I ingested many years ago...oh, you mean legal, like prescription stuff?
     
  9. KAS

    KAS Monkey+++

    dam pax by the way u flipped out the other day on that guy i would have bet the farm you were 20ish
     
  10. KAS

    KAS Monkey+++

    i would have probably been dead from a staff infection or5 in about a year
    but other than that im free
    accept for all the pain relievers for head aches...

    One thing i have noticed in the south is the ammount of people who can not function without them BC poweder things....
     
  11. kellory

    kellory An unemployed Jester, is nobody's fool. Banned

  12. techsar

    techsar Monkey+++

    Very likely would be alive, but not sure how my hearing would be without treatment (decades ago) for an infection. At this time, no meds are required (knock on wood!)

    @KAS - don't see how they can stand to take those nasty things (BC/Goody's). I tried...once.
     
  13. VisuTrac

    VisuTrac Ваша мать носит военные ботинки Site Supporter+++

    If you've ever had a abscessed tooth and didn't have it pulled, vote dead.
    I've seen peeps at work with an abscess, once the infection spreads, you are pretty much toast.
    2 of them were on daily IV antibiotics to treat the infection.

    post shtf .. if you don't have access to a dentist, lots of antibiotics or just get to it too late. Well, this old killer will be coming 'round to collect you.

    As for me, other than an occasional aspirin for aches and pains. Nada. Don't know about when I was a kid, no major illnesses and just general cuts that grandma poured whiskey on and clamped closed with a butterfly bandage .. probably still be alive.
     
    tulianr likes this.
  14. limpingbear

    limpingbear future cancer survivor....

    I have stage 3 cancer. I would be dead right now without meds. I a SHTF type of thing I might last 6 months without the chemo.
     
  15. DarkLight

    DarkLight Live Long and Prosper - On Hiatus

    I got hit with a nasty bug by the name of "Shigella" when I was in my early 20's. I had no insurance and got it from a border run (restaurant). Caused partial kidney failure after three days of vomiting and...other unpleasantness. If my girlfriend, now wife, hadn't demanded that we go to the ER I probably would have suffered complete renal failure that night and been too weak to get out of bed the following morning according to the doctor and if she hadn't come over the next day (this is all now in the realm of speculation, but still) I probably would have died alone in my apartment.

    I went through four (4) liter IVs before I had to use the bathroom in the ER and then it was just barely enough to prove something was working and I wasn't going to immediately need dialysis. I was on antibiotics for three weeks and some mighty powerful anti-diarrheal and then they called to tell me that what I had was one of the few things they had to report to the CDC.

    Yeah...only one incident but probably dead almost 20 years ago.
     
  16. Quigley_Sharps

    Quigley_Sharps The Badministrator Administrator Founding Member

    Prayers for you LB.
     
  17. KAS

    KAS Monkey+++

    i here tech i tryed them once and as soon as i got it down i puked but i know a guy who cant get out of bed with our 3 of them ... sad but true
     
  18. Tracy

    Tracy Insatiably Curious Moderator Founding Member

    What's that?
     
  19. Pyrrhus

    Pyrrhus Monkey+++

    I'm certain I would be dead, but without people improperly using antibiotics, I likely wouldn't have needed to have the drugs anyway. In '05, I was admitted via the ER for a strain of MRSA that kills about 50% of those infected. Doc put me on some IV antibiotic that he said would destroy my liver in around 72 hours, give or take. He said that if that didn't work, they would need to get permission from the CDC to use one of three antibiotics kept in reserve. Nurse Ratched would wake me up every 2 hours to draw blood for liver panels. Fortunately, what they gave me worked, but I now know what dying will feel like. I could tell my body was shutting down before I turned the corner.

    For 2 weeks afterwards, I was on Rifampin, which made my sweat, urine, and tears look like fierce melon Gatorade. I know it's wrong, but I never flushed public urinals during that time. And it was a blast to watch the looks I got from people when they saw that the whites of my eyes were bright reddish-orange. I can find fun almost anywhere.
     
  20. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

    BC powder and Goodies are awesome. :)

    bc.
     
    oldawg likes this.
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