How perceptions of drugs often lead to their misuse

This critical piece of information and understanding can help cut back a lot of negative perceptions when people are seen taking certain medications that have a reputation for treating other ailments.

However, sometimes you may have been given a certain prescription, and wonder why the doctor made that decision because of the reputation that medication has.

According to Dr Rachel Mwinuka from Anglican Buguruni Hospital, people need to stop having common practices and beliefs when it comes to medication because different medications can be used to treat different diseases.
“The problem is that people have developed a habit of copying treatments because their surroundings encourage it. When they see their relatives, friends, or family members being given a certain type of medicine, they decide to use those drugs without following the proper procedures,” she says.

“This is not the right approach. It is crucial for people to know that medicines are grouped based on their purposes.”
“People should not just copy others; instead, they should understand what illness they have and which medicine is appropriate for their condition at that time,” she adds.

“What we focus on as doctors, is not just the name of the medicine but rather what function the medicine performs in the body. For instance, there is a medication like fluconazole, which is used by patients with HIV infections, but the same fluconazole can be used by someone with oral fungus.”

“Therefore, if someone has a partner who uses the same medication, they might be surprised and mistakenly think that the doctor has classified them as having an HIV infection,” she explains.
Dr Rachel insists that it’s important to understand the type of microorganisms the medicine is targeting, whether they are bacteria, viruses, or parasites.

Some common medications that are often preceded by some negative or wild perceptions include:
Misoprostol

When it comes to the medication Misoprostol, Dr Rachel shares that this is one of the medications that most people think is only used for induced miscarriages, which is wrong.

“A good example is the drug Misoprostol, which people mistakenly use for abortion, has many other uses, such as relaxing the muscles. You find that someone with stomach ulcers uses it to help food enter the body. But people tend to use these drugs in ways that are not correct. We, in the hospital, use them in ways that are safe because they're prescribed in a way that can make it easy and safe for you to use,” she explains.

She further added that this rampant misuse of drugs is due to the growth of easy access to science and technology information.

“Lots of people look at information on the internet and make their own decisions that aren’t correct. For example, someone may find themselves unexpectedly pregnant, and instead of seeking proper medical advice, they opt for shortcuts,” she explains.

“That is why you find someone overdosing on certain medication, leading to their death. It is not that the medicine itself killed them; it is the misuse of the drug,” says Dr Rachel.

Ozempic

This diabetes medication has also been making headlines online when people choose it to lose weight.
Its attention comes through social media, where TikTok influencers usually describe it as a miracle drug to lose weight in short time frames.

However, according to Dr Rachel, this particular use of the medicine because it hasn’t been approved for weight loss.

“Ozempic is often used by patients who suffer from diabetes, and this is because many individuals with this condition tend to be overweight. Therefore, people choose to misuse these medications,” she shares.
 

Metronidazole medications

According to WebMD, Metronidazole is the medication that is used to treat a wide variety of infections, which involves stopping the growth of certain bacteria and parasites.

These medicines go by different brand names, such as Acea, Anabact, Flagyl, Metrogel, Metrosa, Vaginyl, Zidoval, Zyomet, and a lot of others.
In this case, we discuss Flagyl, a medicine that has been circulated on the streets for early pregnancy termination purposes.

“Imagine someone has been taking a lot of Flagyl to make a miscarriage possible, which on top of being unsafe, is illegal. People must stop doing these things and make sure that they seek proper help from doctors,” she shares.

“I have a boyfriend who used to tell me that we should meet even during the risky period when there is a possibility of getting pregnant. He would assure me that I would not get pregnant if I used flagyl to prevent the possibility of conception. This is something I have been doing for a long time, and it has led to challenges with my menstrual cycle,” says Amina* as she explains how reliant she has been in using these drugs based on what is believed in her community.
 

Sildenafil

On the other hand, a cardiologist and head of the adult cardiology unit at Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute (JKCI), Dr George Longopa shared that there are heart-related medications that can be used to treat erectile dysfunction issues.
“There are medications that many people have been using that are commonly used to treat heart conditions.
“These medications fall under a category known as sildenafil, and they go by various names such as Viagra and Kamagra, among others. They were originally used for heart-related issues, but individuals discovered that using these medications also led to treating erectile dysfunction, which is why they are widely sold on the streets,” shares George.

George further added that it is important for individuals to have a doctor prescribe it before deciding to use it.
“For example, a person may have hypertension and be taking blood pressure medication, and at the same time, they are using these medications,” he says.

“The mechanism of these sildenafil’s is usually widening blood vessels, which is known as vasodilation, and that’s the mechanism that helps men stay strong during sex because it’s going to allow the blood vessels to widen and last long on bed. But without proper prescription, it’s going to become very dangerous,” he explains.
 

Tenofivir

One of the drugs that brings a lot of controversy online about its treatment is the antiretroviral medicine, Tenofivir.
Most people are aware that this drug is usually prescribed for patients who have HIV, but it turns out that even people with hepatitis B are also prescribed this medication.

Medical gastroenterologist and hepatologist from Muhimbili National Hospital, Dr Swaleh Pazi shares that it’s true that people with hepatitis are prescribed to use ARVs.

“What I want people to know is that not all drugs used to treat HIV are applicable to a patient with hepatitis B, as HIV utilises approximately three drugs, and among these three, one is used to help someone suffering from hepatitis," he says.

“So, it is true and not a sin for a liver patient to use these drugs. The main purpose is removing them from the risk of further harm. Because when they use these drugs, they help suppress the viruses when they become numerous,” he shares.
Dr Pazi further added that people shouldn’t be alarmed when they see someone taking ARV drugs and they have liver disease, because the crucial thing to understand is that the medication has the ability to perform more than one function.

“However, sometimes these patients don’t provide much information to their relatives or spouses. It is possible for someone to have HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis B at the same time, so it’s possible for this person to use both of these medicines to improve their health,” says Dr Pazi.

On the same note, Dr Pazi urged the community to come forward in large numbers to ensure they address the challenges of liver disease because many people have held the belief that hepatitis B is the worst, but there is also hepatitis C that many people don’t talk about.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, Tenofivir is used with other medicines to treat the hepatitis B virus and HIV.
These medicines are not the cure, and although they usually lower the viral load, they do not fully prevent the risk of spreading hepatitis B or HIV to others.

Despite the fact that all these medications have been used for different things, it’s very important to make sure that they are prescribed by your doctor for that specific purpose you are taking them for.
That is why it is recommended to have a regular check-up to make sure that everything goes according to plan before opting to do what the masses are doing.