I=Ibuprofen & other miracle pills

I want a new drug
One that does what it should
One that won't make me feel too bad
One that won't make me feel too good
                        -Huey Lewis & The News (back in the day)

Ahhh... we so want the "miracle pill!"  I want a pill to make my pain go away, without making me sleepy or irritable. I want a pill to make me lose weight, without having to work out or eat less. I want a pill to make me a happy person all the time. I want a pill to make me beautiful, and rich, and famous. I want a pill to clean my house (is that possible?). I want a pill to fix all my problems, and all the problems of the people I love.

But, it doesn't work that way. I find that I am incredibly grateful that there are SOME pills that can help with SOME of my problems. Without significant painkillers, I wouldn't have been able to get out of bed at all. Without an anti-depressant, I wouldn't have wanted to get out of bed at all! Without the supplements that I'm taking now to re-balance my body chemistry, I would never have had the initial energy to begin exercising and to hope for a better future.

Pills cannot solve all my problems. I need to listen to my body: rest when it's tired; push during exercise enough to increase my strength without causing too much more pain; I need to eat properly and drop another 20 pounds. All of these things are up to me - nothing (and no one) else can do them for me. Ugh... I want a pill!!! (insert knowing chuckle here)

Pills can create problems, though. As the daughter of an alcoholic, I've seen first hand the issues of addiction. I have made my doctors aware of this family history, and we are extra careful with the medication I take. I really don't want to go down the road of addiction for myself... I've seen where it ends. But, even taking pills can be a trap. Especially for painkillers, once started, it's hard to stop. And, pretty soon, the original dose is not enough... so the dose is increased. And increased. And increased again. Even when carefully monitored and non-addictive, the cycle of pain and painkillers can be hard to break. If you have a choice whether to start taking painkillers, don't. Keep trying complementary therapies (see C=, earlier in April) or find different things to stay away from the painkiller trap.

What I've learned: I'm grateful for pharmaceuticals, but wary of them at the same time.

P.S. Ibuprofen is not a "harmless" drug. I used to take it regularly, more than the dosage on the bottle. Besides eating a hole in your stomach, it can cause kidney disease. I have a good friend who is working to avoid dialysis, and her troubles are partly due to ibuprofen consumption. Be careful, even with over the counter medicines. Like AA, "take what you need and leave the rest!"