Why all Drugs are considered poisons!
Drugs are poisons!
Before we delve into this, we need to have an understanding of the term "drug" and "poison".
What is a drug??
A drug is any substance (other than food that provides nutritional support) that, when inhaled, injected, smoked, consumed, absorbed via a patch on the skin, or dissolved under the tongue causes a temporary physiological (and often psychological) change in the body.
What is a poison?
poisons are substances that cause disturbances in organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when an organism absorbs a sufficient quantity. (Wikipedia)
"All drugs are poisons, the benefits depends on the dosage" - Paracelsus
The saying above sums it up, the right dosage is what distinguishes a remedy from a poison, that is why, prescriptions are done distinctively. What would work for Mr.A might not work for Mr.B, it is necessary that you consult your doctor/pharmacist before taking any medication.
Another interesting point to note is the definition of a drug, from the above definition we see that it says any chemical that can cause physiological change to the body. This means, that as little as coffee, healthy drinks/beverages, vitamin drinks, etc are regarded as drugs. There is usually a recommended daily intake for these things written on the body, sometimes it is concealed for the health professionals alone. For some drugs, there is a thin line between remedy and poison, as little as 0.01mg extra can cause serious health complications. Chewable VitaminC is not a candy but a drug, could also be poisonous. Thread with caution for all drugs! Thanks
Have a good week
Weldone for the enlightenment Pharm
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