Turn Your Medicine Chest into a First-Aid Cabinet

Many people have medicine chests in their bathroom, small shelving units filled with bottles of pills, capsules, and tablets. Others, instead, have first-aid and personal grooming cabinets in their bathrooms, containing rows of bandages, tubes of antiseptic, rubbing alcohol, and adhesive tape, as well as dental care supplies, shaving supplies, and sample-size bottles of shampoo. Of course, we can't always draw accurate conclusions about a person's lifestyle and level of health from the contents of his or her bathroom cabinet. But most of us, if we could choose, would likely want to focus on personal grooming and first aid rather than prescription medications. The key question is how we can actually make such a choice.

From the medicine chest perspective, many people have various disorders that require them to take prescription medications on a short-term or long-term basis. Persons with type 2 diabetes need to take regular doses of drugs such as metformin or glyburide. Persons who have rheumatoid arthritis may be taking Imuran, Remicade, or glucocorticoids. If you have persistent high blood pressure, you may be taking a beta-blocker or an ACE inhibitor. If you've just undergone a root canal procedure, your dentist may have prescribed a two-day supply of Vicodin.

But others have medicine chests filled with sleeping pills such as Ambien and Lunesta, cold and flu medications such as decongestants and antihistamines, and mood elevators such as Wellbutrin and Prozac.1 Again, many people have medical conditions that require prescription medications, but many others have come to rely on such drugs even though a sound medical reason for taking medication may no longer exist. In such circumstances, changes in lifestyle may provide more and longer-lasting benefit than that being obtained via use of no-longer-needed medication.

For example, numerous studies have shown that regular vigorous exercise results in profound adaptations of one's personal physiology and biochemistry. Such changes consistently improve a person's mood and allow for a full night of restful sleep.2 Healthful alterations in diet also result in mood stabilization and facilitate deeper, more beneficial sleep.3 Lifestyle changes incorporating both regular vigorous exercise and healthful diets provide enhanced benefit.

Of course, one should never discontinue prescription medications without consulting the doctor who has prescribed them. Implementing your long-term lifestyle enhancements is one of two necessary steps. The second step is letting your doctor know what you're doing and discussing with him or her the possibility of reducing the dose or even going off one or more of the "lifestyle" drugs you've been taking. By taking these steps you've begun the journey of converting your "medicine chest" into something else entirely.

1Tragni E, et al: Prevalence of the prescription of potentially interacting drugs. PLoS One 2013 Oct 11;8(10):e78827. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0078827

2Matta Mello PE, et al: Neuroscience of exercise: from neurobiology mechanisms to mental health.Neuropsychobiology 68(1):1-14, 2013

3Hryhorczuk C, et al: Metabolic disturbances connecting obesity and depression. Front Neurosci 7:177, 2013

Rhode Island Chiropractic Pain Control Clinic
371 Broadway Providence RI 02909
Phone: 401-274-9355 Fax: 401-455-0446

1524 Atwood Avenue Johnston RI 02919
Phone: 401-274-9355 Fax: 401-455-0290

197 Taunton Avenue East Providence RI 02914
Phone: 401-435-4999 Fax: 401-434-7772

586 Dexter Street Central Falls RI 02863
Phone: 401-729-4500 Fax: 401-723-0008

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Johnston Office

Monday:

9:00 am-6:00 pm

Tuesday:

9:00 am-6:00 pm

Wednesday:

Closed

Thursday:

9:00 am-6:00 pm

Friday:

9:00 am-12:00 pm

Saturday:

Closed

Sunday:

Closed

Providence Office

Monday:

9:00 am-12:00 pm

Tuesday:

9:00 am-6:00 pm

Wednesday:

9:00 am-6:00 pm

Thursday:

9:00 am-6:00 pm

Friday:

9:00 am-12:00 pm

Saturday:

Closed

Sunday:

Closed

East Providence

Monday:

10:00 am-5:00 pm

Tuesday:

Closed

Wednesday:

10:00 am-5:00 pm

Thursday:

10:00 am-5:00 pm

Friday:

Closed

Saturday:

Closed

Sunday:

Closed

Central Falls

Monday:

12:00 pm-6:00 pm

Tuesday:

Closed

Wednesday:

12:00 pm-6:00 pm

Thursday:

Closed

Friday:

Closed

Saturday:

Closed

Sunday:

Closed

Testimonial

  • "A few months ago I suffered injuries as a result of a car accident. The Doctors and staff at Rhode Island Chiropractic were able to alleviate my lower back pain which allowed me to return to my normal daily activities. The Doctors and staff were very helpful and pleasant during this difficult time which made my path to recovery much less painful!"
    Scott, 48, Providence RI