Drug info - Prescription Supplements Vs. Nutrition/Vitamin Store Fare

[pankreeas]

Just a little heads up for anyone not aware....This goes for Canada for sure, and possibly still the Czech Republic, but i'm not too sure about elsewhere.


If you are a user of amino acid supplements such as tryptophan, piracetam, phenylalanine, and the lot; then if you don't already know, I'll fill you in on something not many people realize. That being most of these can be obtained through a doctors perscription. Big deal.. what are some advantages you ask?

- Most of the supplements can be obtained in larger doses (ie./ Tryptophan in 500 or 1000 and even oddly even 1500mg)

-When perscribed, they are significantly cheaper than getting them from a Health food store.

-Extended medical will pick up the tab for these puppies in Canada, but only if it's doctor prescribed.

[Hover]

Originally Posted by pankreeas

Just a little heads up for anyone not aware....This goes for Canada for sure, and possibly still the Czech Republic, but i'm not too sure about elsewhere.


If you are a user of amino acid supplements such as tryptophan, piracetam, phenylalanine, and the lot; then if you don't already know, I'll fill you in on something not many people realize. That being most of these can be obtained through a doctors perscription. Big deal.. what are some advantages you ask?

- Most of the supplements can be obtained in larger doses (ie./ Tryptophan in 500 or 1000 and even oddly even 1500mg)

-When perscribed, they are significantly cheaper than getting them from a Health food store.

-Extended medical will pick up the tab for these puppies in Canada, but only if it's doctor prescribed.

Swim is not sure even doctors are aware of this in Canada. Swim once mentioned Piracetam to his doctor, who thought it was a Rohypnol-type European benzo not available in Canada

[EscapeDummy]

I have a serious question: why is the experience of "I mentioned ____ to my doctor, but he looked at me funny/thought it was something else/disregarded it/etc" so common? I've heard this or a variation of this quite often. Why are some random assorted users of DF and some other forum users more well informed, even if only about drugs, than many (or so it seems) of their doctors are?

[Hover]

Originally Posted by EscapeDummy

I have a serious question: why is the experience of "I mentioned ____ to my doctor, but he looked at me funny/thought it was something else/disregarded it/etc" so common? I've heard this or a variation of this quite often. Why are some random assorted users of DF and some other forum users more well informed, even if only about drugs, than many (or so it seems) of their doctors are?

The main reason is likely that most doctors Swims deal with are GP's aka family doctors. Unless they specialize in pharmacology, toxicology and related fields, physicians cannot be expected to have extensive knowledge of drugs that aren't part of their day-to-day work either because they are not available in the country where the prescribing physician practices or are outside the scope of mainstream pharmacopoeia, which is the case of many supplements, herbal medicines and illegal drugs.

GP doctors in particular spend most of their busy schedule dealing with relatively common ailments and conditions that are treated with chemicals they are familiar with. Moreover, many if not most of the drugs that are esoteric to GP's have to do with the mental/neurological aspect of things with which they are ill-trained to deal with.

Some specialists on the other hand can be extremely knowledgeable regarding even the most exotic substances, in part because specialists have to spend considerable time doing research work to keep their credentials up to date. Since they often work with experimental chemicals pharmacologists would be at the top of the bunch but these physicians rarely deal directly with the public so exchanges of information are limited. Neurologists and traumatologists are usually familiar with a plethora of narcotics that would sound unfamiliar even to the most learned addict. Toxicologists and psychiatrists (many toxicologists are also psychiatrists) are likely to be familiar with a lot of substances unfamiliar to most of us. As for neuro-psychiatrists (as the name implies these physicians are both neurologists and psychaitrists) Swim sometimes wonder if there's any weird drug they never heard of.

[EscapeDummy]

Originally Posted by Hover

The main reason is likely that most doctors Swims deal with are GP's aka family doctors. Unless they specialize in pharmacology, toxicology and related fields, physicians cannot be expected to have extensive knowledge of drugs that aren't part of their day-to-day work either because they are not available in the country where the prescribing physician practices or are outside the scope of mainstream pharmacopoeia, which is the case of many supplements, herbal medicines and illegal drugs.

GP doctors in particular spend most of their busy schedule dealing with relatively common ailments and conditions that are treated with chemicals they are familiar with. Moreover, many if not most of the drugs that are esoteric to GP's have to do with the mental/neurological aspect of things with which they are ill-trained to deal with.

Some specialists on the other hand can be extremely knowledgeable regarding even the most exotic substances, in part because specialists have to spend considerable time doing research work to keep their credentials up to date. Since they often work with experimental chemicals pharmacologists would be at the top of the bunch but these physicians rarely deal directly with the public so exchanges of information are limited. Neurologists and traumatologists are usually familiar with a plethora of narcotics that would sound unfamiliar even to the most learned addict. Toxicologists and psychiatrists (many toxicologists are also psychiatrists) are likely to be familiar with a lot of substances unfamiliar to most of us. As for neuro-psychiatrists (as the name implies these physicians are both neurologists and psychaitrists) Swim sometimes wonder if there's any weird drug they never heard of.

Hey thanks, great response. I was wondering though, why is it so many toxicologists are also psychologists? Just curious.

[Hover]

Originally Posted by EscapeDummy

I was wondering though, why is it so many toxicologists are also psychologists? Just curious.

They are psychiatrists not psychologists. Psychologists are not physicians and cannot prescribe drugs, but psychiatrists are medical doctors. When a psychologist thinks a client of theirs could benefit from a drug or has a psychiatric condition (mental illness as opposed to psychological disorder) they can refer the client to a psychiatrist.

Now to Swiy's question. Toxicologists are physicians that specialize in the effects of foreign chemicals introduced in the human body, voluntarily or otherwise. The latter is mostly related to industrial medecine catering to people whose work exposes them to dangerous chemicals and substances (lead vapors, coal dust, asbestos, etc.) and covers specialties like pneumology and neurology. Toxicologists who do this kind of work will often also be pneumologists or neurologists.

Toxicologists who deal with drug addiction and/or poisoning (as in OD) need to have an extensive knowledge of the human brain's chemistry (incidentally that's why many psychiatrists are also neurologists) but they must also probe motivation and drive in individuals whose chemical intake is voluntary. The medical field that deals with the latter is psychiatry. Some GP's who work exclusively with drug addicts in a clinical setting are sometimes called toxicologists due to their having some sub-specialty level training in the field but these usually work under the supervision of psychiatrists.

Reputation Comments on this post:

thanks for the informative response