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Thread: Does taking non-vegan medicine make me a hypocrite?

  1. #51
    Tiggerwoo
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    Default Re: Medication

    Yes it would be nice if they prescribed alternatives, but they won't as alot (although the amount is increasing) of doctors refuse to accept alternative medicine. I myself have had disagreements with my GP who I refuse to go to now over this as I myself am doing a course to be a naturopath and my principles on treating a patient are the complete opposite of his. Having said that reiki and accupuncture are becoming more accepted on the NHS, but slowly.

    Drs don't have the training to prescribe alternatives, just as naturopaths don't have the training to prescribe alternative medicines.

    There are plenty of effective natural antibiotics, but a lot of people just want to pop a pill and get a quick fix so to say.

    Slightly off the record though but does anyone else get annoyed when society refers to alternative medicine as "complementary therapies?" It makes it sound to me as if it's only doing half a job. Alternative medicine sounds much more professional.

  2. #52
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    Default Re: Medication

    Tigerwoo i completely agree with you on your last statement! I have very poor health, generally because i do not follow a balanced diet ( im one of those 'ill eat when and what i feel like' peoples, which generally results in a plate of brocolli and some cashew nuts!) I visit a herbalist regularly and i have been more healthy than i ever was when taking medicine prescribed from my gp! You do a very important job!

    Dr's might not, at the moment, have the ability to prescribe alternative medicines but they do have the training to talk about the pro's and con's and know what generally would benefit their patients. Thus, they are completely qualified to offer the services of the Homeopathic clinics/hospitals.

    I think it would be useful for dr's to have a more extensive training on alternative drugs. There are some dr's out there who have furthered their studies in this area and prefer to offer alternative therapies/medicines first.

    Many people may not want to ask about any alternatives as they do not know what is avaliable on the NHS and if they are on a low income they may worry about large costs. Also, uneducated people may not know the disadvantages of the drugs they are taking etc.

    Should it really be up to the patient to enquire about the alternative therapies/medicines when they visit their gp or should the options be made open to them?
    "Human Freedom, Animal Rights, One Struggle, One Fight!!"

  3. #53
    Tiggerwoo
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    Default Re: Medication

    Am sorry to hear about your poor health Red Star.

    I think that the options should be made open to patients regarding alternative therapies/medicines when the person goes to their GP. Unfortunately so many doctors are pretty blinkered when it comes to this. My GP even had the cheek to say that my improving health since I had been having naturopathic treatment was merely a placebo effect which I was not impressed with as you can imagine which is why I won't go back there!

    Also as you say the cost involved is a big factor for many as at the moment the majority is done privately at the moment.

    There is actually an NHS homeopathic hospital in London, but my doctor says he won't refer patients there as it is out of his catchment area... GRRRRrrrr!

    I do feel it should be readily available on the NHS, as prevention is better than cure and I feel that if patients were given nutritional, herbal or any other alternative medicine or lifestyle as a treatment before an illness occured, then in the long run, not so much money would have to be spent on major operations, cancer treatments, heart surgery etc as the patient would have prevented it in the first place, so one way or the other the health authorities would end up spending the money..... why not spend it on alternative treatment before they spend the money on a seriously ill patient?

  4. #54
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    Default Re: Medication

    I really think that drugs should be a last resort when a person is ill. My aunt had a very agressive form of lung cancer which quickly spread to her heart and brain. She had to have a lung removed, as well as a part of her heart, and she needed brain surgery once or twice. As anti-pharmaceutical as I am, I wholeheartedly agreed with her treatment regime, because it extended her life for another few years.

    To answer your last question Red Star, I think that the alternative medicine options should be available to patients when they visit a GP. As an example, I went to a GP in January because I had a very bad rosacea flare-up. I couldn't stand the itching and dryness and redness, so I went and asked what I could do about it. The doctor wasn't even in the room for a minute before he whipped out his prescription pad and started writing me a prescription. It was my first time at the doctors since before going vegan, and I was interested in alternative medicine so I asked him "Isn't there something more natural that I can try? I'm trying to avoid taking so much medication." To which he rudely replied, "Listen, do you want to get rid of this flare-up or not?". I was ticked off, but the symptoms were so bad that I just took the prescription. Unfortunately I'm supposed to use the cream twice a day every day, even when I don't have symptoms. I usually only use it once every 2 or 3 days. I don't WANT to take it, but there doesn't seem to be another alternative, and I don't think I can stand another flare-up like the one in January
    "Man can do as he wills, but not will as he wills" - Arthur Schopenhauer

  5. #55
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    Default Re: Medication

    I can completely empathise with you yoggy. I also have skin complaints like rosacea but as i have mentioned i take herbal medicine. Have you enquired about any homeopathic hospitals near you? Ask at your dr's, your GP sounded very ignorant to your needs but do let that deter you! I have a homeopathic clinic mear me on the NHS however, when i became vegan i was not made aware of it and so essentially i have went private. I am very much against privatisation as i believe everything should be made avaliable to the people rather than by class, however, as my herbalist provides free consultations for students and gives discounts i try not to think of it like that. Also, it is a publicly avaliable natural pharmacy.

    Anyway, i have totally drifted! i do apologise!

    Tigerwoo, you have some good ideas. I would love to see the sort of things that have been discussed by everyone so far implemented by the government (not that i see that happening anytime soon as they are crap) but how would these be implemented? How can we draw the attention of the government to the thoughts of the people in an effective way?
    "Human Freedom, Animal Rights, One Struggle, One Fight!!"

  6. #56
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    Default Re: Medication

    Medication is one of my biggest pet peeves... I think it is TERRIBLY overprescribed! I believe that medicine, pharmacy, and doctors/pharmacists/health professionals have become very corrupt in general. I have heard of many people who go into medicine/pharmacy just for the money; they don't care much (or at all) about the well-being of their patients. This is evident in the arrogant, condescending, and distant attitude exhibited by many/most conventional doctors.

    Medicine is very profit-driven...doctors don't spend only a few minutes with patients (for which they get enormous amounts of $), and why should they? That's all the time needed to write a prescription as a quick-fix to all of a person's problems and get paid through the roof for it, and then get to the next patient, from whom they'll also get a load of $!

    In addition, pharmacy is almost entirely profit-driven, as well. There is a drug for EVERY problem, and even for things for which no drug is needed (e.g., there is a drug that you can take to prevent a hangover...first of all, hangovers are your body's way of telling you that you shouldn't be drinking that much, and second of all, you can prevent them by drinking adequate amounts of water).

    On top of that, pharmacy is basically imitating natural remedies found in many medicinal plants...the only reason why the natural remedies are not used is that they can't be patented and sold at sky-rocket high prices!

    Then, there is the fact of the horrible torture, cruelty, and murder involved in medical testing that is not even effective!

    Of course, I do acknowledge the people in these fields that are genuinely concerned for humans and animals, and are focused on finding cures in a compassionate way (e.g., Physician Committee for Responsible Medicine) and the people who are the exceptions in the field of conventional medicine/pharmacy.

    I currently use only natural remedies, and if I were to ever get seriously ill (knock on wood that I don't!), I would try all available natural/alternative medicine, as well as meditation, before I even consider medical treatment from conventional doctors.
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  7. #57
    gmoney
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    Default Re: Medication

    i struggled with this issue just this weekend. my whole body ached and i had a terrible headache. normally, i would just pop a few excederine and let it do its magic. being staunchly vegan, i realized how stupid that was because of animal testing and animal ingredients. so, i looked online for hours (which is difficult to do when even blinking is painful) trying to find some sort of cure that would let me carry on with my day. i read a lot about the health benefits of apple cider vinegar and something about garlic. so, i went out and bought some acv and tried to drink it. all it did was hurt my throat.

    after a day and a half of constant pain, i gave in and took one excedrine. but i still feel stupid about it. i just didn't really want to be in pain anymore, which i'm sure everyone can commiserate with me on.

    so, i guess i'm also asking if anyone knows of any actual, scientific or historically proven natural cures for things like headaches, sinus infections, the flu, etc. or does anyone know of any websites featuring such information? i would GREATLY appreciate any information.

  8. #58
    Tiggerwoo
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    Default Re: Medication

    There is alot of info on a couple of sites that I use myself. One is www.curezone.com and the other is www.askshelley.com. Both deal with alternative medicines and therapies and I have used them in the past and found them very helpful.

  9. #59
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    Default Re: Medication

    One of the best ways to "cure" headaches is by trying to avoid what's causing them (allergies, loud noise, stress, low blood sugar/prolonged hunger...).
    Peace, love, and happiness.

  10. #60
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    Default Re: Medication

    Quote veganbuzzcock
    so, i guess i'm also asking if anyone knows of any actual, scientific or historically proven natural cures for things like headaches, sinus infections, the flu, etc. or does anyone know of any websites featuring such information? i would GREATLY appreciate any information.
    I used to suffer from very very bad migranes that made me sick for days. Some ways to help avoid them is to drink a hell of alot of water! Simple but headaches can be caused by dehydration. Secondly, things like orange juice can be a great contributer to headaches.

    I take herbal medicine for my headaches and to my surprise it actually worked! I say 'to my surprise' because before i stopped using prescribed medication nothing, not even the strongest painkillers!!, could take away my headaches, nevermind migranes!

    Also, if you don't want to go to a herbalist and get a mixture i would recommend taking feverfew tablets - they are herbal and vegan (as long as you do not get them in a gelatin capsule) you take them everyday so you system can build up the goodness and fight the pain!!

    i hope this helps you a little
    "Human Freedom, Animal Rights, One Struggle, One Fight!!"

  11. #61
    riotgurl
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    Unhappy Re: Feel guilty for using medicine

    Quote thecatspajamas1
    Do you not use medicines so that you don't support the drug companies because they test on animals?

    I am on antidepressants, and I tried to go off them for awhile, because I no longer wanted to be supporting the drug companies and I wanted to be truly vegan in that aspect. I tried to deal with things homeopathically, with yoga and eating healthier. But I was doing terrible, and I had to go back on the medicine because everyday I thought about suicide all day long and would cry a few times a day and it was terrible. So I'm back on the medicines now, but I feel like a failure for not being able to stay off them. But it kind of balances out, because when I'm mentally stable I have energy and I can be active in animal rights, but when I'm down I have no motivation for activism. So it seems like it's also important for the animals that I do stay on the meds.

    Does this make me not really vegan? Do you use medicines, or have any of you been in a situation like this?
    I am taking medication for acid reflux.. and like you I tried to go off of it. By mine is so bad that just water makes it bad. I went of it for 2 months and had heartburn and reflux so bad I was coughing up blood. I still feel horrible for having to go back to taking it. I just pray that oneday it will go away or something.

  12. #62

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    Default Re: Does taking medicine make me a hypocrite?

    When arguing with someone in favor of animal research I was called a hypocrite for taking medicine. This has bothered me since as there is no way I can not take medicine without my health suffering as a result.
    Aaack! My response wouldn't be a rationale, rebuttal, or any kind of good argument, and you couldn't say it to your boss or anyone like that, but when someone said something similar to me one time I said, "Do you eat meat?" And of course they said yes. And I said, "Then who are you to be saying anything to me?" It just shuts them up.

  13. #63
    princessemma
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    Default Re: Does taking medicine make me a hypocrite?

    I don't think your a hypocrite. But it might help you feel better if you did some campaining on behalf of the Dr Hawden Trust. The problem is that the Goverment (in the UK anyway) doesn't support any alternatives to animal testing and very few people even know there are alternatives.
    I am really lucky going vegan cut the symptoms of my rhematoid arthritis by about 90% and I no longer need medication but if I did I would look for alternatives first and if that didn't work I'd take what was available.
    You just have to do the very best you can.

  14. #64
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    Default Re: Does taking medicine make me a hypocrite?

    of course you're not a hypocrite for taking medications; just look after your health the best way you can.
    Eve

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    Default Re: Does taking medicine make me a hypocrite?

    thankyou SO much everyone for this thread. i came on here to try to get advise about exactly this and now i feel so much better. i have serious mental health problems for which i take medications and i have tried a number of times to come off them but i just go 'crazy' and can't cope so i HAVE to go back on them. i feel like such a failure as a vegan because i'm sure they are probably tested on animals etc. but, i NEED them. until i read this thread i felt like such an awful hypocrite and i was almost too ashamed to start a thread about it because i thought you'd all hate me. thankyou so much! i think i agree - some things are unavoidable and as long as you're doing your best otherwise then that's all you can do. and we can all still campaign for an end to animal testing. great! keep it up everyone, much love

  16. #66
    Demon
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    Default Re: Does taking medicine make me a hypocrite?

    Can one get extra iodine from artifical vegan methods?
    The Vegan Society launched a one-a-day vegan supplement last year which includes Iodine as well as vitamin B12, Selenium and others.

    Incientally, most countries fortify common foods with Iodine as a public health measure to combat deficiency.

    In the UK, it is in dairy milk. Other countries put it in salt!

    On the general subject of Vegan nutrition, I really recommend Stephen Walsh's Plant based Nutrition (again from the Vegan Society). It is quite bookish but very informative.

  17. #67

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    Default Re: Does taking medicine make me a hypocrite?

    I take a vegan kelp supplement for iodine. I also eat seaweed. Last week I has a look round the chinese supermarket. I bought a packet of crispy seaweed snacks, and a packet of instant seaweed soups. Just add water. It is also rich in vitamin K.
    See my local diary ... http://herbwormwood.blogspot.com/

  18. #68

    Default Medicine

    Excuse me if there is already a topic on this subject but, what do you guys do when it comes to medicine?

    I of course understand that if we have a serious condition and need surgery, it's unlikely that we're going to refuse treatment in case it were once tested on our fellow animals, but how do you feel about making that decision?

    And what about when it's less serious - do you avoid regular painkillers or recommended medicine for any conditions you might have?

    Personally, I don't take painkillers and, as it stands, the only physical condition I have are crippling stomach pains that the Doctors haven't been able to diagnose in 8 years and for which they currently don't give me any medicine anyways.

    As for serious situations...I've been lucky enough not to have to deal with them, though I'll admit that my fear of dentists means that I'm sedated everytime I do eventually go and I rarely think about how that may have been tested.
    Last edited by flutterby; Jul 26th, 2006 at 10:56 AM. Reason: this was the 1st post in a similar thread.
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  19. #69
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    Default Re: Does taking non-vegan medicine make me a hypocrite?

    Ouch. I'm sorry to hear about your stomach pains Antman. I guess you've tried eliminating potential allergens such as gluten and soya?

    I take medicines that have been tested on animals on a semi-regular basis. I'm not afraid to say so on here, as I don't feel it makes me any less vegan, and anyway I'm not going to pretend. I hate the fact that the medicines I use have had to be tested on animals, but I'm not always prepared to go without them.

    I take ibuprufen if I'm in serious pain (including bad headaches if I'm not able to sleep them off), I take antibiotics if infections just won't go away, I have inhalers for asthma, and most recently I have purchased a bottle of Benadryl oral solution hay fever relief. I was trying to do without, but it wasn't going well and my asthma was getting so much worse I figured that I'd be using less medication overall.

    I'm still optimistic that animal testing will become a thing of the past.

  20. #70

    Default Re: Does taking non-vegan medicine make me a hypocrite?

    Quote Cherry
    I guess you've tried eliminating potential allergens such as gluten and soya?
    Yeah, and the doctors have suggested everything from trapped air to a diseased appendix - and for all suggestions since turning vegan I took medicines without too much guilt - but it never works out to be the case.

    Oh well, at least it doesn't happen too often
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  21. #71
    VeganLiz
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    Default Re: Does taking non-vegan medicine make me a hypocrite?

    Its a really difficult issue. I try and use vegan medicines where I can e.g. antiseptic cream and sore throat lozenges from veganstore. I try to use vegan moisturising cream on my hands but if I have a bad outbreak of excema I use allergenics cream which has no glycerine etc but does have beeswax. One time my excema got so bad and I was trying to use vegan products to keep it down. In the end they got infected and when I went to the doctor I had to have antibiotics as well as use steroid cream.

    Then there was the other week when I had my wisdom tooth out and the pain was unbareable so I had to take painkillers like they were sweeties cos I got an infection.

    For contraception it is better as you can get vegan condoms and there is a vegan contraceptive pill called femulen (which you can easily change to as it is widely available).

    Liz x

  22. #72
    Gliondrach
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    Default Re: Does taking non-vegan medicine make me a hypocrite?

    If I had to, I would take medicines developed by Mr. Mengele, after he had tested them on his Jewish victims sixty-odd years ago. And then, with renewed health, increase my efforts to stamp out the evil and unscientific practice of vivisection

  23. #73
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    Default Re: Does taking non-vegan medicine make me a hypocrite?

    IMHO now it does not make you a hypocrite. I also have meds that i must take or my health conditions would become much worse. I do feel bad at times about it. (guilty) But like someone said. You cant help any animals if youre not here. Meaning take your meds. But dont take any thing you really dont need. (thats what i do anyway)
    ~Wendy~

  24. #74

    Default Re: Does taking non-vegan medicine make me a hypocrite?

    I've just been given a new medicine that contains gelatin. Now, I know what I said earlier and what others have said but...I felt better about it when the ingredients were things I'd never heard of and I didn't know the medicines history. Gelatin is...something different. I don't know if I can do it.
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  25. #75
    sugarmouse
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    Default Re: Does taking non-vegan medicine make me a hypocrite?

    Vernon colemans theory is that although it may have been tested on animals,use it anyway if you need to...obviously prevention is better thancure but if you need to,because animal tests have no relevance to drugsbeing put on the market,they are medically worthless but make money,this is why theyre done....so it makes no difference.

  26. #76
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    Default Re: Does taking non-vegan medicine make me a hypocrite?

    Quote antman
    I've just been given a new medicine that contains gelatin. Now, I know what I said earlier and what others have said but...I felt better about it when the ingredients were things I'd never heard of and I didn't know the medicines history. Gelatin is...something different. I don't know if I can do it.
    i used to take feminax (for period pains) but it contains gelatin so i stopped using it. i find ibuprofen to be as effective. although that too may have been tested on animals in the past. but i cant help that. but i CAN stop buying the getaline tabs

  27. #77
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    Default Re: Feel guilty for using medicine

    Quote thecatspajamas1
    Do you not use medicines so that you don't support the drug companies because they test on animals?

    I am on antidepressants, and I tried to go off them for awhile, because I no longer wanted to be supporting the drug companies and I wanted to be truly vegan in that aspect. I tried to deal with things homeopathically, with yoga and eating healthier. But I was doing terrible, and I had to go back on the medicine because everyday I thought about suicide all day long and would cry a few times a day and it was terrible. So I'm back on the medicines now, but I feel like a failure for not being able to stay off them. But it kind of balances out, because when I'm mentally stable I have energy and I can be active in animal rights, but when I'm down I have no motivation for activism. So it seems like it's also important for the animals that I do stay on the meds.

    Does this make me not really vegan? Do you use medicines, or have any of you been in a situation like this?
    Hi Sarah, I empathise with you. I have been on anti-depressants for years and years, as well as other medication. Like you I tried all the natural alternatives available but had to back on prescription meds. The point is if we had the choice between meds that aren't tested on animals and meds that are, then we would choose the meds that aren't tested on animals and don't contain animal products. As we don't have that choice we don't have to feel guilty about taking medication. I am a new vegan but even in a short time I have realised that all you can do is your best in terms of choosing vegan products etc. There will always be situations where no vegan alternative is available. Take care.

  28. #78
    IndigoSea
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    Default Re: Does taking non-vegan medicine make me a hypocrite?

    I can relate. I only take one medication, but it does have lactose. I tried managing the condition naturally but it was too painful, and just didn't work. I hate conciously consuming something with lactose in it, knowing how the cows that provided it suffered, but I have no other choice. If I stopped taking it my health and lifestyle would seriously suffer :/

  29. #79
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    Default Re: Does taking non-vegan medicine make me a hypocrite?

    i take an anti convulsant with lactose in. i suffer from epilepsy and i know any drug i take for it will be tested on animals. i only take this drug, non others, unless i have crippling headaches after a fit. i am intending on becoming as strict a vegan as i can, but i need this medication to function. can anyone else reconcile this? also the doctors are assessing which anti depressant i can go one, but im not happy about more medication, but they are insisting i will be able to function better as a result. do i take it, or manage the best i can as a result, bearing in mind im on a drug with dubious moral background anyway.

  30. #80
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    Default Re: Does taking non-vegan medicine make me a hypocrite?

    you must take it - all medications are tested on animals anyway, it is the law. The point also is that if you refuse to medicate, you'd be so sick that you are unable to function efficiently. Epilepsy is a serious matter after all. I wish you all the best.
    Eve

  31. #81

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    Default Re: Does taking non-vegan medicine make me a hypocrite?

    Hi Phil,
    I'm on Epilim for epilepsy. I don't like taking it but after ten years I've resigned myself to it. My epilepsy is under control and I can drive a car, basically function normally, be vegan and help the vegan cause And it seems that if you're fit free for a certain number of years you may be able to come off your medication, but it would need to be under medical supervision. All the best.

  32. #82
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    Default Re: Does taking non-vegan medicine make me a hypocrite?

    My philosophy about veganism is that there are some issues which involve a very clear and simple choice, such as eating or not eating meat, because I can do either, and still be healthy. There are other circumstances in which my choices are far more complex, as I have less control over some of the factors involved, such as whether or not the medicines I use have been tested on animals, as there are no medicines (conventional) in this country which haven't been tested on animals. In some circumstances the only choice I have is to take medicines that have been tested on animals, or forfeit my health. I would prefer to take medicines which haven't been tested on animals, but that choice isn't open to me. If I forfeit my health, I am less able to play an active part in life, and this will impact on my family and friends, and on the contribution I can give to life. I have to decide where to draw the line, and then resolve to feel comfortable with that decision, because it doesn't benefit myself or anyone else to feel guilty once I've made the decision. It's impossible to have no negative impact on other beings, every choice I make in life will have some impact on some other person or animal (for instance, how many animals will be killed when a field of wheat is harvested for the bread I eat, how many workers will be exploited to manufacture the coffee I drink, tee-shirt I wear etc etc, and all the other knock-on effects that I have no awareness of at all). I just have to do the best I can. Forfeiting my health for an ethical principle isn't a sensible choice, and in the end doesn't help any creature or person. However, staying healthy and campaigning for a better world (such as against animal testing), may do. I think you should take your anti-epileptic with a clear conscience, and resolve to try and do something positive about animal testing.

  33. #83

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    Default Re: Does taking non-vegan medicine make me a hypocrite?

    no, it doesnt. I just posted a fairly similar thread, although it was about the ethics behind animal testing rather than about whether vegans should take medicines. Put it this way - we dont need to eat animal products to live, and therefore we have a choice to be compassionate. But if you need medicine to live, I don't think refusing it is a genuine choice.

  34. #84

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    Default Re: Does taking non-vegan medicine make me a hypocrite?

    I have now stopped taking the tegretol. If my epilepsy gets worse then I will go back to taking it but I took this decision a while ago now.

    It all started after my dad developed a heart condition. He was given a lot of drugs to take and refused to take any of them. Instead he's gone on a pascotarian diet and also takes quite a lot of herbal tablets. (yes I know he'd be even healthier if he gave up the fish too but it's a step forward. We are talking about someone who's been eating animal corpses for the last 70 years of his life and He's struggling enough as it is).

    Anyway I did worry about him not taking his medicine at first. It's been a year now since that happened and he's still alive and well, although I'm afraid he's lost more weight then I'd like as he says he misses eating meat.

    Anyway I thought if he could manage without his medicine I could have a go at it too. I always planned to go straight back on it if I started having major problems. Fortunately there haven't been any. The only thing I've noticed is that I have more problem with short term memory which could be due to petit mal type seizures. I've no problem with temperal lobe at present and have never had the grand mal type anyway.

    I will still take my thyroxine though as I did try not taking it when I learnt that thyroxine tablets contained lactose but It made me ill so I had to go back on the lactose polluted tablets until I got hold of liquid thyroxine which I'm told is suitable for vegans.

  35. #85

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    Default Re: Does taking non-vegan medicine make me a hypocrite?

    im newly vegan and just realised that my pill contains lactose. i am on this pill for my skin which is a mess without it.if i find an alternative i shall use that but i am coming to the conclusion that i am doing my best and of course if they made one without lactose i would use that. its not our fault that most of the world does not care, we can only do our best. i also use an inhaler for asthma and take antidepressants:havent discovered whats in them yet .hope one day there is alternatives.

  36. #86

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    Default Re: Does taking non-vegan medicine make me a hypocrite?

    I have Ulcerative Colitis and Primary Schlerosing Cholangitis. I am not on any meds... infact veganism (dietary veganism) saved my life. I know find it very difficult to justify taking medication to myself even though I know i will need it to live any sort of life at some point in my life. I''ve come a long way since I simply 'ate' vegan. I now know I am vegan for life.

    Getting my doctors to understand this is impossible.

    The paradox is that there will never be an ethically viable alternative to prescribed medicine because all drugs must be animal tested. Gp's are quick to prescribe because it makes them money and gets you out the door. This industry is one of the most inherently evil in the world (IMO). They have everyone 'by the B**ls'. It gets me extremely worked up TBH.

  37. #87
    mjj48's Avatar
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    Default Re: Does taking non-vegan medicine make me a hypocrite?

    I have hip displaysia (sp) and have to take dicloflex 50mg and tramadol 50mg tablets, each 3 times a day. The tramadol the doctor first prescribed me had gelatine in it, so I asked the chemist if there was an alternative. There was, so I went back to the doctor and had my prescription changed to tramadol dissolvable instead, with no gelatine.

    They were okay about it, but I got the impression they thought I was being picky - yet if I had asked for the change due to, say, religious grounds, they would have been more understanding.

    However, now got the alternative. I hate having to take medicine every day but without the above I wouldn't be able to stand up let alone walk the pain would be too bad. Taking these medicines allows me to continue fairly normally until the day comes they say I can have a hip replacement (or a bionic hip as I call it lol ).

    My son says I take so many tablets I rattle when I walk lol (I think I just wobble, but that's another thread hehe) .

    Jay

  38. #88
    Becky9679's Avatar
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    Default Re: Does taking non-vegan medicine make me a hypocrite?

    Hi there, new to the board!

    The subject of this thread is the reason I signed up - I've currently got a bad ear infection and have been prescribed antibiotics which are in a gelatin capsule. I was really upset about this, but the infection is very painful and may get worse if I don't do something about it, so I'm taking the medication.

    Most of the posts on here are to do with essential, life-saving medications. How do people feel about medicines that aren't necessarily life-saving?

    Generally I avoid all non-essential medications anyway, I don't even take painkillers usually (my doctor recommended these for my infection but I'm not taking them) but my ear's killing me and I want to make it better!

  39. #89
    Maisiepaisie's Avatar
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    Default Re: Does taking non-vegan medicine make me a hypocrite?

    Hi Becky, the gelatin capsule isn't important. The contents still work if you open the capsule and tip them out, maybe onto some food and eat that way, but check it can be taken with food first.
    The only normal people are the ones you don't know very well

  40. #90
    CATWOMAN sandra's Avatar
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    Default Re: Does taking non-vegan medicine make me a hypocrite?

    Hi Becky, as well as MaisiePaisie's idea you can ask your doctor for the same medication in tablet form or medicine. I know if I am being prescribed tablets I always tell the doctor I'm vegan and could he give me a form of medicine I can take!

  41. #91
    Becky9679's Avatar
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    Default Re: Does taking non-vegan medicine make me a hypocrite?

    Thanks very much for your replies, have finished the course now (only a weeks worth) and my ear's now all sorted but in the future I'll do as you suggest. My doctor seems to be the understanding sort so it shouldn't be a problem.

  42. #92
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    Default Re: Does taking non-vegan medicine make me a hypocrite?

    I'm not happy about taking any kind of drugs as they are all tested on animals - it's a very difficult decision. Sometimes I have to take pain killers because of my (hereditary) arthritis (mother, grandmother and great grandmother had it - exactly the same symptoms) or I can't actually move or get to work. Given that I have a very strenuous NHS job I need to be able to move.
    I'm just about to start a special diet and exercise regime to see if it is possible to get off the analgesis for good. I feel sick every time I take an animal tested product
    Silent but deadly :p

  43. #93
    steven1222
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    Default Re: Does taking non-vegan medicine make me a hypocrite?

    I think it is acceptable to take non-vegan medicine only if it is absolutely necessary - not if it is merely helpful.

    Unfortunately, I have a stomach condition that requires me to take tablets that contain a small amount of lactose. Don't get me wrong; I consider galactose a poison, but I am unable to eat enough to survive without the drug. Furthermore, I end up with debilitating discomfort if I miss a dose. This started before I went vegan and I think dairy was the culprit, but there is nothing I can do about it now and there are no effective alternatives to using this drug.

    Please do not label me a lacto-vegetarian because I use this drug. Without it, I would not be here now.

  44. #94
    CATWOMAN sandra's Avatar
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    Default Re: Does taking non-vegan medicine make me a hypocrite?

    You are not a lacto-vegetarian Steven you are vegan, you need the drug to be able to survive.
    I think all of us as vegans will probably have to use something in our lifetime that isn't strictly vegan............what if we were taken into hospital in an emergency? I'm sure there would be drugs and other things used on us that weren't vegan.
    It's a case of, it's better we stay alive and be vegan, we can do far more that way. As has been said before, this is a world made up of mostly non-vegans so we have to do the best we can under those circumstances.
    I like Sandra, she keeps making me giggle. Daft little lady - Frosty

  45. #95
    lena's Avatar
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    Default Re: Does taking non-vegan medicine make me a hypocrite?

    I take medications for bipolar disorder, nerve and joint pain, and low (possibly no, in my case) thyroid function. Yes it's not a nice feeling taking them, but it's not practical not to - the lack of painkillers is completely immobilising, the mood stabilisers are essential, I remember the dark days before I took them, and the thyroxine I really want to warn people to be careful about. My thyroid function was artificially stopped by accident, and when your metabolism slows down so far it is not just excruciatingly painful, but may be fatal. Definitely one to lower with help from a doc. I'm not a trained medic, but again, be ever so careful with epilepsy, I know a number of people with temporal lobe epilepsy who have had road traffic accidents as a result of not taking medication.

    Baldwins, a uk herbal supplier sell potato starch capsules that gelatine meds could be decanted into, and they sell these as vegetarian, but also alongside sell gelatine capsules so it's probably worth emailing them first to see what their policy is on cleaning machines/separate machines.

    I try to try my best with the things I can and not sweat the things I can't, and I'd rather be a living advocate than a dead martyr.

  46. #96
    leedsveg
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    Default Re: Does taking non-vegan medicine make me a hypocrite?

    Quote lena View Post
    I try to try my best with the things I can and not sweat the things I can't, and I'd rather be a living advocate than a dead martyr.
    Very true lena. You're allowed to have compassion for yourself.

    Leedsveg

  47. #97

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    Default Re: Does taking non-vegan medicine make me a hypocrite?

    Quote lena View Post
    I'd rather be a living advocate than a dead martyr.
    I love that - its a brilliant way of putting it. I hope I can remember this to use in the future if, at any point, I get criticised

  48. #98

    Thumbs up Re: Does taking non-vegan medicine make me a hypocrite?

    I doubt my input is necessary but I thought I would 'put my hand up' in support.

    You are not a hypocrite and from the sounds of it you had your opponent 'backed into a corner with their tail between their legs' with the only way they could see out of it being for them to revert to the equivalent of an ad hominem so congratulations for constructing such a brilliant argument.

    The best thing that you can do is to continue taking your medicine whilst advocating research into alternative means of testing.

  49. #99
    leedsveg
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    Default Re: Does taking non-vegan medicine make me a hypocrite?

    ^^

    Hi DM and welcome to the forum.

    Leedsveg

  50. #100

    Default Re: Does taking non-vegan medicine make me a hypocrite?

    Thank you,
    It is good to be here.

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