My motivations for drug use in general has always been recreational or for somewhat therapeutic purposes. Of all drugs I have experimented w/, the ones I use the most are the following:
Marijuana — 4/5x per week
I began smoking regularly when I was 17. My motivations for smoking are recreational, and I usually smoke for pain relief (PMS, headaches). I tend to smoke alone or w/ boyfriends/close friends.
Ecstasy - 2/3x per month
My ecstasy use is recreational, only used as a ‘party drug.’ I find that I enjoy it as a social experience, but don’t find myself dependent on it as I do w/ smoking weed.
Melatonin - 5mg per night (most nights)
My father has insomnia and so do I, so I take melatonin as a natural sleep aid.
Naproxen — 1/2 x per month, one tablet
used solely for pain relief.
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Duloxetine (half blue/half white capsule) 30 mg per capsule
I take two of these every night. I attempted a suicide a few months ago and was prescribed this anti-depressant by my doctor to help with my depression.
Norgestimate & Ethinyl Estradiol (small white tablet) 250 mg per capsule
I asked my doctor for a low dose birth control pill because I have a sensitive and someach and this is what he prescribed me. (one per night)
Mesalamine (giant blue capsule) 500 per capsule
I take 2 of these 3 times a day. I went to the emergency room because I was vomiting blood, had stomach pains, my body hurt, and I had a fever, for 10 days straight. After days of being hospitalized the doctor figured out I had have Crohn’s disease. I have to take these medications to help control symptoms a little bit, but there’s no cure and I can’t eat most foods now. This pill is an antibiotic to stop my infections that could irritate my stomach further.
Budesonide (half orange/ half grey capsule) 3 mg per capsule
I take 3 of these in the morning. This is a steroid prescribed my doctor to also help with my Crohn’s disease.
Norco (white tablet) 5mg hydrocodone/325mg Acetaminophen per tablet
This is a heavy painkiller similar to morphine prescribed by my doctor for the pain I get from Crohn’s. Sometimes my stomach hurts so much I can’t get out of bed. This medication is highly addictive and very strong. I can’t take it if I need to drive. I can take 1 tablet every six hours as needed for pain. I usually take 3 in a day, but the most I’ve taken in one day was 7 when the pain was especially bad.
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1 white transparent orange pill–Ultimate flora “Women’s complete” 90 Billion –> I started taking this daily on and off for the past two years. I was diagnosed by my chinese doctor/Accupuncturist with candida (pretty common fungal overgrowth in the stomach). This probiotic is recommended to help restore balance in the digestive system, and put live bacteria in the system that candida has destroyed. Probiotics are always recommended when treating candida symptoms– yeast infection, skin rashes, digestive problems.
1 green large transparent pill– Immune system support from Erewhon– just started taking this (daily) a month ago. I have read articles and was told by a couple pharmacists who sell homeopathic remedies that it is important to supplement probiotics with different strands of immune system support. I usually go for some months without taking either of the two, and then if I have problems with candida I will buy different brands and strands of probiotics– I no longer take antibiotics for candida as it has been found (read research + several chinese doctors have told me) to destroy the “good bacteria” in the gut, and cause fungal overgrowth in the gut.
2 teaspoon of yellow/brown powder– I take this amount every 4 hours every day– have done this for the past 2 years. Every 2 months, my chinese doctor (herbalist/Accupuncturist) creates a formula for me, made up of different kinds of Chinese herbs that are designed to treat whatever current issues I have. Those herbs are common in Chinese medicine and help remedy ailments over the long-term. This particular doctor was recommended to me by old friends who have gone to him for decades. I have had other Chinese doctors in the cities I lived in before. Sometimes these formulas are more bitter, or more sweet depending on the blend. The dose the amount and kind of herbs following a series of tests he conduct on me (checking multiple pulses, looking at pigment on different parts of the tongue) and after a long conversation where I describe all of my symptoms– and he diagnose what has changed or improved from the previous visit. This is followed by a diet I am to follow– for candida I avoid sugar, wheat, dairy and fermented things or products with yeast.
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Wellbutrin- antidepressent, ADHD, energy, self-motivated visit to a psychiatrist who diagnosed me with depression, anxiety and ADHD. It motivates me to do things with my life, it helps me to not be lethargic and pensive all day. It gives me confidence in social situations and curbs my over-indulgence in sweet foods. I go off of it occasionally because it gives me bad acne but the acne is worth happiness.
Trazadone- Antidepressent used as a sleeping pill at night. I get anxiety and at night which leaves me awake for hours.
Macafem- Balance female hormones. Self diagnosed hormonal imbalance due to clear consistent symptoms and extensive online medical research- i.e. mayo clinic, webmd, university research/reports. Symptoms- low libido, acne, irregular periods, had PMS, cramps, weight gain, fatigue, depression and mood swings.
Flaxseed Oil- Hormone regulation- estrogen boost. Hormone imbalance due to high levels of testosterone- extensive medical research. Wellbutrin increases dopamine and subsequently testosterone- further complicating my hormonal imbalance and thus making my acne worse.
Vitamin A- Cod liver oil, helps improve acne, read online medical research about acne.
Evening Primrose Oil- Recommended by herbalist at a health center for regulating cramps and PMS symptoms.
Probiotic- Regulates digestion and my IBS, eases stomach pains. Common knowledge.
Women's One-A-Day- Common knowledge to regulate healthy levels of vitamins + nutrients in women.
B-12- Energy. Recommended by my mother (also common knowledge)
Biotin- My mother has always taken it for healthier nails + hair and I take it when I notice stress or anxiety is weakening my hair and nails.
Black Cohosh- I have done extensive research on symptoms of different types of hormonal imbalances- both through credited medical research as well as through online forums and have concluded that I have & low levels of estrogen which can be improved by this herbal medicine that has high natural levels of estrogen.
Dong Quai- Also a natural estrogen enhancement recommended on several “natural hormone” website that provide ways to balance different hormone imbalances naturally.
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PINK-Pepto Bismol. I probably take this because of all its advertising. Sometimes I take it before eating out (airplane food, street food, at a restaurant while traveling) as preventive medicine for food poisoning or indigestion.
RED- Cranberry powder (store brand). This is preventive too, for UTIs and general health. I keep reading that cranberry juice isn’t strong enough but then another article in a women’s magazine will say to drink it… so, better safe than sorry.
BLUE-Aleeve. For cramps, also preventive (taking two right before my period starts) or for headaches. In the US, these are OTC but in Canada they’re behind the counter. Once I had 6 or 8 in one day and felt ill and thought I was ODing. They are supposedly not great for your stomach or maybe kidneys, but one of the few OTC painkillers that’s (seems) effective for cramps.
BROWN-Fibre. Also preventive, while traveling or, sporadically, through the week, when I’m eating badly. Fibre seems to be the diagnosis for all humans in North America, and one of the supplements doctors seem to actually agree on. Also I eat lots of junk food, little fruit and veg.
BEIGE-Probiotic. Preventive, while traveling, to support digestion.
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Quetiapine 25mg
small pale pink tablet; LU stamped on one side, Y15 on the other taken for nighttime anxiety, also a sleep aid prescribed by my doctor after suicidal thoughts during the night and chronic insomnia. Now I find I can’t sleep without it. If I don’t take it I get sweaty and extremely nervous (jittery) during the night. I also have very negative thoughts such as suicide and general self deprecation; also intense fear of monsters/demons which are completely imaginary.
Vestura 3 mg (birth contro)
small pink (salmon) and yellow pills; stamped with 982 on one side, and “watson” on the other. I asked for these as a way to lighten my period. Previous periods had such bad cramps I would sometimes black out, and would last an entire week. Also to help with my acne, though it does very little for that. I heard about the acne benefits from online, and friends.
I continue to take it to make my periods lighter, and so I have some protection while having sex. I also use a condom, however, because I have heard from the internet and TV that birth control is not 100% effective when used by itself.
I am a slight hypocondriac; so having my period every month (which the pill allows, but with other types of birth control your period can stop completely) gives me some peace of mind that I’m probably not pregnant.
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1.round peach 93 mark Fexofenadien allergy medicine. I’m allergic to southern California, dust, driness.
2.Oblong white calcium magnesium zinc. for bones reccomendation of my mother. Helps with mood stability
3.Oval white lysine amino acid. I get fever blisters easily. Lysine is an amino acid that when properly balanced helps to prevent mouth sores caused by the herpes virus.
4.B complex vitamin-B6, B12
orange oval pill
200-600 mg Ibuprofen (description varies) OTC painkiller. Always taken with 9-12 oz water (for kidney health) reduces inflammation,including the minor brain swelling that accompanies depressive tendencies. Stopping what I’m doing to take a pill, drink water, and sit still is a balm for my anxiety and its aches.
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I do not currently take any pills– no prescriptions, vitamins or supplements. Occasionally in the winter I will pop a vitamin D or two, because I’ve heard that’s an important thing to do, but I don’t remember to do it very often. I know I probably should take vitamins, whatever the basic, most important ones are, (D?C?B12?) but frankly. I am too broke right now. And I eat quite healthily so I think I get most of what I need from food.
I stopped taking oral birth control in fall 2012 because I got a hormone-free IUD. Even though I was on the lowest dosage of hormones pills. I felt like it really affected my temperament. And I just wanted to know my emotions were genuine.
I was prescribed anti-depressants in 2012 but I never took them. I guess I thought cognitive behavioral therapy would work better for me, and I think it did.
I don’t know why I am so adverse to pills. My friends joke that it’s because I spent my formative years in Vancouver, so Maybe on some level I buy into the belief that most things can be cured w hot yoga and some green juice. UGH.
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At the time of the photograph I wasn’t taking any pills, or perhaps a digestive aid called Digest. More, a natural supplement to help with an occasionally faulty digestion. I’ve been prescribed Ativan, but I’ve refused to take it. I don’t want to become addicted to a pharmaceutical drug that messes with my emotions, especially because I don’t have a crippling case of anxiety, quite the contrary. The occasional panic attack only. But I always prefer natural supplements even if they might be placebo (the power of the mind! how cool, no?) Of course I can’t avoid the occasional antibiotic for an infection, but I am generally healthy which is why I don’t rely on a pill regularly. The winter will call for some extra vitamin D supplements to avoid the blues, but that’s another story.
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-Neosaldina
-Migraine
-Doctor prescription
For long time ago, I have had strong headaches. After try different kind of pills without solution, I had to take this one. This pill is very strong, it has hight levels of caffeine, wich produce a long insomnia and a long term, it affects the kidneys.
This pill is the only one wich can stop my migraine.
Benadryl
I take this pill because I have an allergy in my eyes and my skin since I arrived here, two months ago. I have to take this pill every night for minimum three months. I don’t think if this pill is working , since my allergy looks as in the beginning.
This pill was a prescription of Dr. Arnold R. Gross.
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Levothyroxine 25 mcg.
I have been taking thyroid medication for about 4 years, I stopped for ~6 months b/c I didn’t want to be taking/dependent on anything but actually need to take it because it balances my TSH levels, I have Hashimoto’s disease, where the thyroid hormones and the message being sent to the system (from brain?) are out of balance, so does my Aunt + grandmother. Wish I took nothing everyday but it regulates the thyroid hormone for mood, sleep, melatonin, etc. If I didn’t need to take it I wouldn’t also tried some ayurvedic remedies when I was in India which seemed to help but I am worried, also had an enlarged goiter on meds which has slowly gotten better over time and possibly/mostly b/c of tsh medication. now my TSH level in blood is good/in avg. range.
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Blue pill-Advil PM
Weed –> likely has a brand but unknown to me
5 HTP –> smaller pill filled with powder
Probiotic– purchased at Whole Foods– not sure brand
Probiotics– I feel like everyone including my mother has been telling me to take probiotics forever, but I’ve never listened. Then this year, I left my husband and moved to this mall in Santa Monica and there was a Whole foods at the corner. I spent the year trying to get healthy and randomly purchasing things at Whole Foods. This was one of those random purchases. You are supposed to take it every day with food, but I take it rather randomly and almost never with food.
5 HTP –> I’m always tired. Everyone knows this about me because I am a person that takes naps in public. My friend who is a nutritionist and also the biggest drug addict I know said this would give me energy. She kept telling me to buy it, but I never did and so she gave it to me on my birthday. I take it daily, but I’m not really sure what it does.
Weed– I just started smoking weed three weeks ago. I get it from friends with weed cards. The whole thing feels very LA.
Advil PM: One of the oddest things is that I’m tired all the time, but once it hits night I can never sleep. I really only like sleeping in rooms crowded with people talking. I think this is a leftover from when I was very young. Anyways, I can’t sleep most nights and about 2-3 nights a week I take advil PM so I can get at least four hours.
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1. Birth Control — little White Pill
2. Vitamin C — Orange pill
3. Cranbery pill — pink pill
4. Maca — Beige Pill
1. Cyst in my ovary, surgery, doctor, suggested I stay on birth control if I don’t want this to happen again. It’s been 7 years.
2. It’s good for immune system. I can’t afford to get sick — need to keep strength. My mother takes them every day — and highly suggests I do it too.
3. I have a paranoia that my kidneys and bladder would not work properly if I don’t drink water for a day. And some days I don’t drink that much water, so I take it to be safe.
4. Virginia says it’s the best — It can cure anything, and make you really strong, and I believe Virginia.
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Vitamin D
I’m always low in Vitamin D based on my last lab results, vitamin D is very important especially for women, because women need calcium in their body, by taking vitamin D this can absorb calcium easily and also vitamin D is helping our bone structure. I always take 2400 IO daily and the brain that I use is Deva “Vegan Brand,” and doesn’t contain any animal product especially Gelatin that nowadays can be found in any pills.
Vitamin B12
I’m vegetarian and body needs vitamin B12; vitamin B12 can’t be found in any vegetable or fruits and vegetarian/vegan people must take it because b12 is helping as nerve and blood cells to be healthy and also it’s help in making DNA in our body.
EQ Cetirizine Zyrtec 20 Mg
I’m taking zyrtec because I have a very bad allergy to plants and trees, and I must take a pill every day in the morning before I leave the house, this pill was prescribe by my allergy/asthma Dr.
Omeprazole 40mg
This pills is help my body to reduce the amount of acid in my body I get a stomach ache a lot and my ENT Dr prescribe this pill for me and I must stake it 30 min before the meal to control my acid.
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So I have to take quite a lot of stuff because I have a condition where certain cycles in my body don’t work like they should (specifically my methalation cycle). It basically is the cycle that help you detoxify and rebuild on a calendar level, so effects a lot of stuff from digestion, immunity, menstruation, inflammation to your DNA. I have always been a bit of a sickly weakling but I was properly diagnosed late 2013 when I became quite ill and in testing discovered a lot of precancerous cells in my body. I was doing a lot of naughty stuff at the time and not really taking care of myself but I had two operations to have them out and stopped smoking etc and started on a medical regime! I have been getting a little back into cheeky things this year but am trying to have a balance. A big driving reason for me to take all this stuff is because I want to have babies in the future and at this point I still don’t have a regular cycle so I’m trying to fix it, but also just so I don’t feel exhausted and fluey all the time, and so I can poo regularly haha! Okay! So I take
-Instestamine (for digestion) (powder)
-Immune defense
-Primer Pyrrole Undermethalation caps
-Moly Zinc
-Premular (to regulate and encourage menstruation)
-Vitamin D&C (liquid)
-melatonin (for sleep)
-Silica
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The main reason I don’t take any daily pills, is I feel the human being its naturally made to survive and be a healthy normal person, who with the right life style can totally live life strong, happy & healthy.
(besides illnes, etc)
In my opinion all the daily medicines, supports, vitamins, etc are made for business.
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Growing up, my mother was a nurse and thus, worked in clinics and hospitals. She’s always dreamed of being a doctor, but life circumstances didn’t allow it until later in her life. While I was in high school, she returned to university and about the same time as I graduated, she became a nurse practitioner. She’s always taken great pride and passion for the field of medicine and looked up to science for answers. She thrives on treating/helping others and feeling in charge or in control. Ironically, her own physical and mental health is quite fragile.
With all of this, the world of medicine (doctors, hospitals, medicines, pharmaceutical companies & agents, my mother’s health and eagerness to diagnose) have been very present in my life until I left the family nest. Even more so when she became legally able to prescribe herself, and had harnessed the official accreditation and self-affirmation to do so.
Growing up, pills were generally used and recommended as quick fixes/remedies for much deeper/larger mental/physical health issues in my opinion now. In other words, what I now look back on as band-aid solutions: non-sustainable, quick and easy. These solutions I think often equalled to perhaps little to no further investigation, self-realization and/or the development of better/more beneficial tools/habits for the long-term.
From this experience, I’ve become very wary of diagnoses in general. And living in a capitalistic society, I’ve become particularly wary of medicines and view them somewhat as powerful objects.
As an adult, I think twice before taking/buying anything really, and that includes pills, powders and liquids which claim to heal, treat, make it better. I guess I feel too uncertain or confused by the information I have about them. In a way, I fear them. My fear emerges from, in part, a lack of knowledge about the substances they contain, the lack of certainty about the accuracy of their claims, and lack of understanding about the affects they have or may have in short and/or long-term.
Believe it or not, I am not a total skeptic and still do take them occasionally and moderately. I just generally try to avoid all medicines, chemical and “natural”. That goes for the recreational drugs too.
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