#SelfMedication

[ultimate-healing-blog]

CLICK PITCHURE TO READ FULL STORY:

[ghostshipglamour]

Francis Crozier Letter to James Clark Ross (1845 july 9) Here

Jansson, Å. (2021). The Classification of Melancholia in Mid-Nineteenth-Century British Medicine. In: From Melancholia to Depression. Mental Health in Historical Perspective. Here

[thefandomlesbian]

House casually removes his own ECG leads in the ICU like that wouldn't immediately alarm and have staff pouring into his room—

House keeps a bottle of Vicodin at his bedside in the ICU, again, like the staff would allow that—

The people who wrote this show learned about healthcare from, like, a med school graduate who never went to residency and a second semester nursing school dropout.

[estella-ella]

Another night of not being able to sleep

[kerkhofbloemen]

Yeah but if you (self)medicate often enough, regularly enough, with an addictive substance, you will get addicted at some point. The show's never clear on where Dean's at with respect to that, but based on what we see, he was certainly heading into potential addiction territory at several times in the show. And so was Bobby.

I don't mean to talk out of my ass, and am saying nothing about how alcoholism works in the real world, but when it comes to the fictional world of the show I really don't think they ever meant to imply Dean has a dependency issue when it comes to alcohol. I think what the show is actually doing is using short hand for either "Dean is in a bad mental state and self medicating" or, separately and not related to that, is using alcohol as a glamorized "cowboy who can put away his liquor" shorthand. For contrast, I'm watching House right now and (regardless of if it does a good job depicting addiction, which I feel absolutely unqualified to comment on) it does want the audience to understand that House is an addict.

I think the issue is there is a lot of room to bring your own personal experiences with alcohol to interpreting the show, and obviously if those have been bad it's easy to apply that to Dean, who does drink frequently in show. As do Sam, Cas, Bobby, Rufus, Ellen, etc. I don't know why people focus in on Dean specifically, though.

I think the funniest thing about this disk horse (which I consider to be over btw—using this as a springboard for closing thoughts) is that I never said at any point that Dean has never abused alcohol. I didn't even say there's no point in the show at which he can be described as an alcoholic (Dean describes himself as one in 10.12 "About A Boy"). I didn't even say I would never believe that Dean has ever driven drunk ever in his entire life, or that headcanoning that Dean has driven drunk before at some point is somehow some horrible evil thing.

All I did was respond to mail asking me if I remembered times in the actual show where Dean was shown drunk driving, because my anon heard a claim that it is shown to us "All of the time" in the actual show, and didn't remember that, and they were looking for someone with a more recent memory who could corroborate. So I said I don't remember that happening explicitly in the show either, and invited people to provide examples if they remembered an example.

I think if the show wanted to say Dean is a frequent drunk driver— specifically—the show would show me Dean being a drunk driver. It wasn't a problem for the show to quite overtly show me Sam driving drunk in 4.09—it wasn't something they shied away from showing. If (to your point—which you are absolutely right about) alcohol is used as a signal of our characters current mental states (Bobby in 4.01, Sam in 4.09, Cas in 5.17, Dean in 10.22, etc) then there's no reason the show would refuse to simply show me Dean being a frequent drunk driver. I'd be happy to explore it if I thought frequent drunk driving was a genuine facet of Dean's character. I just don't think it is, because the show doesn't show me that. And people can say all day long that "Dean drinks a lot" + "Dean has a car and is often in the drivers seat" = "Dean is a frequent drunk driver" until they're blue in the face. I am still holding out my hand, palm up, waiting for an actual example instead of whiney voices crying and whining insisting it simply HAS to be true because they think it should be.

I think you're right at the end of the day that the show isn't worried about Dean being an alcoholic as much as the show uses upticks in each character's drinking to indicate they're going through something—you're 100% right there. I also understand and respect that some people legitimately—with well-meaning intent—want to explore Dean's relationship to alcohol, because it's absolutely in theme imo and I think there's more attention ultimately put on it with Dean than any other character (though this is not true up to season 4 in my current rewatch). I just can't say I'm sitting here wringing my hands over Dean's relationship with alcohol in the actual canon of the actual show. I'm just not. The fact is, our characters have extremely limited options in terms of coping tools, and have trauma more extensive in breadth and length and diversity than anyone in real life has experienced ever, and are almost perpetually existing in a war zone. The fact that they self-medicate in various ways in order to cope isn't remotely surprising and I don't think there's anything shameful and evil about it either especially given their circumstances and utter lack of options. I just also... don't think Dean is a frequent drunk driver.

[wangxianficrecs]

Rewind 2023 Part III

WangxianFicRecs - Rewind 2023

The year is soon coming to a close, but I've still got more recs of stories published in 2023 to share with you all! Reminder that you can also still submit asks for Follower Recs and Proud Author Spotlights for the Rewind (just make sure to mention that it's for the Rewind!).

Part I

Part II

~*~

💙 Heaven, Wait

by sunflowersfield

T, 2k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: “So, if you could have a tea bag that made 100,000 cups of tea,” he asks, grinning widely, “what kind of tea would you choose?” Silently, Lan Zhan considers this. He thinks he knows what his response would be if Wei Ying asked him the same question. If he was the one on this date with Wei Ying. “I have no idea,” Wei Ying’s actual date is answering now, shaking his head. “Do you really spend your time thinking about that sort of thing?” Lan Zhan clenches his fists as he watches the light behind Wei Ying’s eyes disappear. Or: What happens when you finally find someone who wants you to be yourself.

~*~

Every Mother's Son

by Chrononautical

T, 11k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: When the former Madam Lan hears that the new Sect Leader Lan married a criminal who is kept in the same house where she once lived, she has only one choice. She has to return to Cloud Recesses to rescue Wei Wuxian!

~*~

Duo With You

by Nyatci (@nyatci)

T, WIP, 48k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: Wei Ying, a college freshman doing his best to keep his life in order after being kicked out of his house, finds solace playing a new video game. He's a total 'noob' who one night gets paired up with a much more skilled (read: arrogant) player named 'HanguangJun'. After the match, HanguangJun is less than impressed with Wei Ying's skills and lets him know so, leaving Wei Ying with two choices: Follow HanguangJun's suggestion to 'uninstall the game' or...'git gud' ;)

~*~

The View Down Here

by Ferrous (@poorly-drawn-mdzs)

G, 1k, Wei Wuxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: You took a rest on the ground when the sun was high. Someone called your name, and you did not move. The sun dipped below the mountains and you remained. Your breath moves the hazy air above you in spirals as you continue to live despite your persistent stillness. - - - The Yiling Laozu takes a rest. Something observes.

~*~

catatonia: on the subject of mothers

by AvoOwO

M, 20k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: Nóngwù is a dense, foggy town that drifts close to the east. It is a large, bustling merchant-town that consistently sees an added number of newcomers every new census. People are disappearing. Lan Wangji does not oftentimes believe in the worst outcome; often, the demon everyone is so fearful of is a simple imp, a simple ghost that may be dispelled. Memories and small things; the idea of mothers and something prodding at the very topic of it.

~*~

Hidden in the Clouds

by Karmiya (@fannish-karmiya)

E, WIP, 17k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: While on a night hunt in Moling, a seventeen year old Lan Wangji meets a promising cultivator in a place he never could have expected. Wei Ying, for his part, only ever expected to have a pleasant few nights and pick up a few new talismans from this handsome young cultivator; but somehow, after a whirlwind affair, Lan Wangji proposes that he join his sect as an outer disciple and finally receive the formal training that was denied to him all his life. As foolish and reckless as it is, Wei Ying can't resist. The clouds hide many secrets, but how long can this secret be hidden?

~*~

💙 Reconnaissance

by TomatenMark (@tomatenmark5)

M, 2k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: The Sunshot Campaign is over, but only just. Determined to finally get through to him, Lan Wangji seeks out Wei Wuxian who is selfmedicating in a winehouse. Turns out, once Lan Wangji has him in his grip, Wei Wuxian has peculiar trouble freeing himself. Or alternatively, the fic that was born from my fascination with how effortlessly Lan Wangji could hold coreless Wei Wuxian down during the stolen Poenix Mountain kiss and what that might mean in a different setting.

~*~

My Pet Rabbit Found His Husband at the Library, Or: How One Mischievous Rabbit Got Lan Zhan a Boyfriend

by katje

G, 1k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: Lan Zhan had thought today would be like any other day working at the library. He had been working at this branch for nearly three years as the Youth Services Librarian, and he had his routine down to an art. From planning programs to culling books and replacing them with books more children would enjoy to holding animal therapy sessions with his Flemish Giant rabbit Tofu, he was as set in his routine as one could be working with the general public. Little did he know, however, his peace would soon be disrupted by none other than Tofu himself, who was usually a model employee. OR Lan Zhan is just trying to do his job, but his pet rabbit has other ideas - namely, finding himself and his baba a husband.

~*~

The Second Hand Unwinds

by trulywicked (@trulywicked)

E, WIP, 25k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: Sent back in time without his husband after a night hunt gone wrong, Lan Wangji is determined to ensure that Wei Wuxian’s safety and in the process hopefully mitigate, if not prevent, the war. Through marriage among other things.

~*~

The Housewife's Guide to Causing Chaos

by dvasva (@dvasva)

M, WIP, 127k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: “Of all the rotten luck I could have!” Outside, in between the gentle embrace of an imposing misty mountain and the caress of soft wind, stood the Cloud Recesses. It wasn’t a section that Wei Wuxian had recognized from his time in the sect, but the motifs of clouds and cranes in the buildings, the impeccable feng shui and carefully manicured paths, and the utter silence as the sect members slept peacefully, all burned themselves into Wei Wuxian’s eyes. No wonder the curtains were so firmly nailed to the walls! Any bit of demonic energy escaping the room could call down a veritable army of righteous cultivators! What sort of person in their right mind would dare to summon a spirit into their own body using resentful energy in the Cloud Recesses of all places? What kind of person would scoff so rudely at the Lan Clans most important rule, ‘Do not fraternize with evil?’ After being dead for four years, Wei Wuxian wakes up in a body he doesn't really feel comfortable with, in a place that he's sure wants him dead, and married to a man who surely hates him.

~*~

heated

by ilip13 (@ilip13)

E, 5k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: "I’m so fucking horny," Wei Ying moans. She really is — she starts running a hand down her body, sweaty throat, unpleasantly sticky dip between her breasts, and then she is too tired to continue. "Wei Ying." Poor Lan Zhan, the heat has affected her even worse. Wei Ying’s beautiful, articulate Lan Zhan, spending the last three days with a blush high in her cheeks, blinking these slow, miserable blinks. "I know," Lan Zhan says. "Me too." * The AC is broken.

~*~

bitter cold, sweet mouth

by hauntedotamatone (@hauntotamatone)

E, 7k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: “I’ll be out for a long while,” he says, running his fingers through the ends of his damp hair. “I’m not to make a habit of it, but Lan-daifu is concerned enough to think it’s necessary this time.” There is a wry little twist to his mouth, a hint of worry tucked into the corner of a smile. “You’ve got to protect me, alright Lan Zhan?” Wei Ying rises to his feet and walks past him without so much as a single glance over his shoulder. “What a shame it would be if some scoundrel found their way in while I was like this? All vulnerable and ripe for the taking.” The idea of any such scoundrel making it into Cloud Recesses, let alone getting close enough to even lay eyes on the jingshi is laughable, ridiculous. It has been far too long since Wei Ying has said anything ridiculous. He has missed it even more than he thought possible. _ Wei Wuxian struggles to acclimate to the change of seasons, Lan Wangji does his best to handle him with the care he deserves.

~*~

Seasons of Love

by Witch_Nova221 (@witchnova221)

G, 23k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Part of the MDZS Reverse Big Bang: 2023

Summary: Wei Wuxian returns to the Cloud Recesses, world weary and still looking for his place in the world. Lan Wangji is determined to show him just where his place is and that it will never be taken from him again. Inspired by the wonderful art of Esper-aroon for the MDZS Reverse Big Bang - 'Lan Wangji protective of Wei Wuxian'

~*~

Haunted house

by Indrel (@lovewanxian)

G, 2k, Pre-Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: Two haunted homes and three promises made to protect A-Yuan from the ghosts and monsters that want to harm him.

~*~

lovely thorns and singing crows

by isabilightwood

E, 37k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Part of the MDZS Reverse Big Bang: 2023

Summary: “Lovely weather for a funeral.” “Atmospheric,” Lan Zhan agreed. Expecting, as had happened so often in his life, for the handsome stranger to stiffen at the sound of his voice, for that smile to turn false and brittle as they made their excuses. “You have a lovely voice,” they said instead, as if they weren’t calling eroded gravel beautiful when their voice was the finest jade. It was far from a typical compliment, but Lan Zhan was so starved for praise his heart clenched in his chest. On the day of his father's funeral, Lan Zhan receives a box of letters from his long-missing mother. His quest to find her leads him to a spooky, kooky, and loving family who just might want him to stay forever. (And of course, to the man of his dreams).

~*~

💙 Down comes the night

by danegen (@danegen)

E, 67k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: Lan Wangji walks forward, extending his senses for some sign of the magic confining them. But there is nothing. One moment, he is walking away from the village. The next, Wei Wuxian stands in the road ahead of him, the dizi tracing lazy arcs in the air. He stops and looks behind him. The view has not changed. He stands there, helpless. Baffled. Like a koi circling a pond, eternally struggling to go nowhere. “Messes with your head, doesn’t it?” He turns to Wei Wuxian, who regards him calmly, almost pityingly. Wei Wuxian has endured this for months. Months. Lan Wangji wants to scream. He wants to batter down this cage and fly away without looking back. Or while returning from a night hunt, Lan Wangji is trapped in a strange village that is terrorized by monsters. However, an intriguing cultivator named Wei Wuxian is also trapped there, so it isn't all bad. And guess what? They have to be roommates.

~*~

(Please REBLOG as a signal boost for these hard-working authors if you like – or think others might like – these stories.)

[mummelthecryptid]

Merry Pippin Eowyn Faramir in the houses of healing is the ideal fucking blunt rotation btw. Theyre selfmedicating!

[reverse-hermit]

rewatching hannibal in an attempt to keep my sanity #selfmedicating

[consistentsquash]

Asoiaf Sapphic September Mini Rec List

Sapphic September - mini rec list!

Rec list!

I wanted to do a quick rec round because it's Sapphic September! I have a lot of love for the femslash fics in Ossuarium. So going to focus on those!

General background - Ossuarium by eldritcher is a set of stories focusing on Targs in HoTD and Robert's Rebellion eras. They focus on character studies but also have plot. They are incredibly beautiful, soulful prose and storytelling. This series has my absolute favorite fics in this fandom but also not that well known so wanted to do my share in spreading the love.

Rating - M.

So 10 femslash fics for different moods!

Angst

Rhaenyra/Alicent

Angst, bitterness, friends to enemies, tragic ending. The Rhaenyra/Alicent cycle of Ossuarium is essentially an Alicent character study. Sharp, uncompromising, complex look at how sometimes buying into a social system imprisons you for life.

Soon the maiden's thirds - Young Alicent has a lot of hope but she's starting to find out more about their society. She is more observant than Rhaenyra and starts noticing their different attitudes.

Soon the vestal bride - Alicent is married to Viserys and really wanting to protect Rhaenyra from a loveless marriage like hers.

Soon the fallow embrace - Alicent really wants to help Rhaenyra but she's super angry about what she feels is Rhaenyra's lack of duty. At the same time she's also getting more worried about her kids and their future.

Soon the hippocras - Alicent has chosen her side and she's selfmedicating with faith/religion to repress her worries/feelings about how this is going to end.

Tantalus - Rhaenyra is dead but Alicent is still seeing her in the faces of the survivors.

  Sweet

Rhaenyra/Laena

This one is for the book fans! Sweet, happy feelings of two people who support each other a lot and want the best for each other.

Two Hearts That Beat as One - This is the beginning of their relationship. Laena is really in love with Rhaenyra her. Super sweet.

  Melancholy

Visenya/Rhaenys

Rhaenys is a force of nature here. Absolutely lovable. Definitely see why Aegon and Visenya loved her. But Visenya's characterization is the more gripping one here honestly. The vibes of body dysphoria and gender dysphoria she experiences are haunting, especially because she is extra determined to get over these to give their family a second heir.

Soon the pollard - really intense and really melancholic.

  Bittersweet

Rhaenys/Visenya (past), Rhaena/Visenya vibes.

This fic is narrated by the dragon Dreamfyre and touches the bittersweet moments in her life. Emotional and heartbreaking but also has sweet moments because Dreamfyre is the best dragon and has a lot of love for her riders, Rhaena and Helaena.

The Maids that Bloom in Spring

  Dragonqueer

Rhaena/Nettles

Special category :D

Lust - Netty gets into a relationship with Rhaena (daughter of Daemon) and starts learning more about the connection between dragons and their riders. Sweet and hot. Also really Targaryen like the tapestries in Alicent's bedroom in the HoTD show.

 

Fluff

Rhaenys/Tyene

Because some of these fics are on the sadder side also wanted to include a really fluffy Happily Ever After AU fic. What if Rhaenys (daughter of Elia and Rhaegar) survived?

Anodyne - Rhaenys wants a wife and she starts her selection process early. Writes poetry, gives flowers, the whole deal. Fluffy fic with Rhaenys/Tyene Sand endgame.

[picture-of-a-fish]

I selfmedicate 1,000 phone taps a day

[ifartconfetti]

Yes im selfmedicating (eating a lot of fatty fish with lemon in winter to combat seasonal depression)

[rosethornewrites]

NR, E, & M reading since 2/2

Finished

Not Rated:

Meng Yao becomes Baoshan Sanren's disciple, by nirejseki

Prompt: Meng Yao somehow ends up training under Baoshan Sanren

Something About Curses and Rabbits, by chutesandleaves (locked)

Literally that's it.

Kind of. There's only one rabbit. There are other rabbits but they're not featured here.

Explicit:

The Second Jade of Lan's late but incendiary sexual awakening, by KizuKatana (2nd in a series, 6 chapters, locked)

Lan Zhan was not interested in sex or romantic relationships. He had watched with a dismissive glance as his classmates made fools of themselves and wasted a considerable amount of time and energy on various hook-ups and romantic entanglements.

Aside from the fact that his lack of sexual interest kept him laser focused on his school and research, Lan Zhan’s reason for it was based on something more fundamental. He did not enjoy the company of most people fully clothed, and he couldn’t really imagine that improving if they were naked.

Which was why he found himself shocked at the visceral image that slammed through his system of grabbing Wei Ying by his messy ponytail, forcing him to his knees, and fucking his mouth until he cried.

Dream of Me, by KingdomFlameVIII

On a chance encounter in a remote village, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji investigate a series of kidnappings.

Wei Wuxian learns something about him in the process.

Mature:

Silence Like a Cancer Grows, by julomaiboulomai

Wei Wuxian is cursed to tell the truth on a nighthunt between the end of the Sunshot Campaign and Phoenix Mountain.

Reconnaissance, by TomatenMark

The Sunshot Campaign is over, but only just.

Determined to finally get through to him, Lan Wangji seeks out Wei Wuxian who is selfmedicating in a winehouse.

Turns out, once Lan Wangji has him in his grip, Wei Wuxian has peculiar trouble freeing himself.

Or alternatively, the fic that was born from my fascination with how effortlessly Lan Wangji could hold coreless Wei Wuxian down during the stolen Poenix Mountain kiss and what that might mean in a different setting.

Overwhelming Enthusiasm, by Shadaras

When the library’s alarms went off, Lan Qiren wearily expected to arrive to find an apologetic Wei Wuxian—possibly with one of the young disciples who looked up to him—explaining that No really I didn’t mean to touch that, I’m so sorry, let me reset that for you.

Unfinished

Not Rated:

A Matter Of Time, by Thyone14 (locked)

Wen Qing remembers dying by the same flames that decorate her robes. Then she wakes in Cloud Recesses. By some miracle, she's been given a second chance.

And she's not the only one.

A House Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand, by FrostyAngst

“Jiang Cheng,” Wei Wuxian started, “Don’t worry about it. I am sure Uncle Jiang and Madame Yu will be able to make up somehow. Or maybe we can do something to help them –”

“Don’t stick your nose to somewhere you do not belong! This is my family matter, it is none of your business,” said Jiang Cheng.

Wei Wuxian widened his eyes.

When Jiang Cheng felt there was a deafening silence, he suddenly realized what he had just blurted out. He looked up, but he could not see what expression Wei Wuxian was wearing. His senior martial brother – his brother, already had his back facing him, walking away from him.

Jiang Cheng stretched his hand out, trying to reach out to his brother, but he was left frozen when he heard the words that came out of his brother's lips.

“I am sorry, I will make sure something like that will never happen again.”

- In which Jiang Cheng said something he shouldn't, and he needs to find a way to get his brother's forgiveness while the so-called brother is spending his time in Cloud Recesses, and rumors of an upcoming wedding that will be held in Cloud Recesses soon are spreading all around.

Explicit:

hold out your hands, by Aminias

Oh no, this is bad. How could he have forgotten Wei Ying's considerate nature? Lan Zhan wants to marry him; technically this isn't their first meeting so Xichen will have to allow it. The characters for Wei Ying's name are written across his cup and Lan Zhan files that information away. It will be important to get the proper spelling of Wei Ying's name right later, he wants no mistakes when they go to the courthouse.

or

Lan Zhan hasn't seen Wei Ying since he gave him his first gay awakening. Now five years later with Wei Ying in front of him he handles it with as much chill as you might assume.

Time Unwinds in a Kaleidoscope of Red, by vamprav

Wei Wuxian falls through time and hits the ground in the Burial Mounds. After taking stock of his situation he decides that things will be different this time, even if it kills him, starting with that disastrous reunion with his brother and future husband.

Mature:

Cutting Out a Different Path, by Sunflower1778 (locked)

Wei Wuxian woke up with an old back pain and the lack of a familiar warmth by his side. He groaned, moving his arm around the bed to feel for Lan Wangji.

Except what he felt was not a bed.

Startled, he got up only to find himself on a familiar slab of rock in a very familiar cave.

where the shadow ends, by colorfullysarah

It happens too fast.

A-Xian cries out, a garbled sound of pain, and Jiang Yanli stares at her brother in shock as he crumples. She can feel A-Cheng tense behind her as they both watch in muted horror as the sword that stabbed their brother is yanked free. And before she can even form the thought, she’s throwing herself forward over A-Xian; a protective barrier.

Her back screams in protest, but she cannot let A-Xian die.

Or, Jiang Yanli lives and attempts the impossible by bringing her son and both of her little brothers back home, the rest of the cultivation world be damned.

I whatever you, I will stand by your side, by Lizziewriter07

Wei WuXian almost died during Jin ZiXun's trap. He would have retaliated with all his might if it weren't for A-Yuan being terrified and right behind him and Wen Ning. Instead of killing Jin ZiXuan, he was hit by a fatal arrow in the heart while trying to protect the little boy. After disappearing from the cultivation world for five years he was... "invited" in a rather peculiar way to help two great clan leaders in a problem with their sworn brother.

Or,

Lan XiChen knew his younger brother like no one else. He knew him well enough to know that seeing Wei WuXian again after all those years of not knowing anything about the young master would make WangJi do something extreme. In order to be aware of what would happen and to help, ZeWu-jun proposes a sort of alliance with Wen Qing. Together, they come up with a well-crafted excuse to leave them alone for a while.

Paint it Black, by Forever_Marie

Wei Wuxian is saved by the Gusu clan after being abused by the Jiangs. Sort of. They kinda just take him and hide him for years. He is recognized at the lectures and his peaceful life is slowly unraveled.

(My take on a Wei Ying, raised in Gusu. Still a clown but with different baggage)

[binch-i-might-be]

ALRIGHT BITCHES I'M HOME TIME TO SELFMEDICATE (GET DRUNK)

[biomedres]

Oxidative Stress Indices and Inflammatory Responses in Female Wistar Rats Administered Acetaminophen, Ampicillin/Cloxacillin and Co-Trimoxazole

Oxidative Stress Indices and Inflammatory Responses in Female Wistar Rats Administered Acetaminophen, Ampicillin/Cloxacillin and Co-Trimoxazole in Biomedical Journal of Scientific & Technical Research

Prescription drugs are frequently purchased from Pharmacy outlets based on selfmedication and often, combined to achieve therapeutic objectives that may trigger drug interactions that have not been fully elucidated. Therefore, this study evaluated the effects of concomitant administration of acetaminophen, ampicillin/cloxacillin and cotrimoxazoleon oxidative and inflammatory responses. Seventy female Wistar rats were assigned into seven groups of ten animals each. Therapeutic doses at 100 mg/kg body weight of co-trimoxazole, and 105 mg/kg body weight each of ampicillin/cloxacillin and acetaminophen orally once daily for four weeks. Group A served as the control, group B was administered ampicillin/cloxacillin only, group C was administered co-trimoxazole only, group D was administered acetaminophen only, group E was administered acetaminophen and ampicillin/cloxaxillin, group F was administered co-trimoxazole and acetaminophen, and group G was administered acetaminophen, ampicillin/ cloxacillin, and co-trimoxazole. Oxidative status was determined in the serum and homogenates of liver and brain by the levels of total thiol, reduced Glutathione (GSH), Oxidized-Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (Ox-LDL-C). Inflammatory response was assessed by measuring the serum levels of Interleukin-1β (IL-1β), Nitric Oxide (NO), Monocyte Chemoatracttant Protein (MCP-1), Vascular Adhesion Molecule (VCAM-1) and Total Immunoglobulin G (IgG). Body weights and organ to body weight ratios across the groups were insignificantly different (p>0.05). Serum total thiol level increased (p<0.05) in B and D compared to A,C, E, F and G. Liver and brain total thiol levels were insignificant changed (p>0.05) across the groups compared to control but increased (p<0.05) in liver of G compared to D and brain of B and D compared to C. Serum GSH levels were insignificantly different (p>0.05) across the groups, while liver GSH in G decreased (p<0.05)compared to A, B, C and D and brain GSH level in F was elevated (p<0.05) compared to A,B,C,D and E. Serum Ox-LDL-C concentrations were elevated significantly (p<0.05) in F and G compared to A and D. Serum levels of IL-1β, NO, MCP-1,VCAM-1 and IgG were insignificant changed (p>0.05) across the groups, but there was decrease (p<0.05) in VCAM-1 in G compared to B. Histological examination indicated varying degrees of vacuolation, fenestration and occlusion in liver, and neurodegeneration in brain of groups administered the drugs. This study showed that the concomitant use of acetaminophen, ampicillin/cloxacillin and co-trimoxazole caused oxidative stress that has a weak link to vascular related disorders. Therefore, awareness of the health implications associated with misuse of these drugs should be emphasized.

For more articles in Journals on Biomedical Sciences click here bjstr

[doppelnatur]

Some of us selfmedicate using Anki....