A new prescription drug danger could be on the way. (Medical marijuana use has already escaped its safety zone among people who really do benefit from it and so its availability has been threatened by abuse and misuse.)
It is indeed a positive approach to terminal illness and the trauma it can cause to try new medications. However, drugs that were considered "street drugs" are being tried and proven to help ease the trauma of terminally ill patients. Such administration of the drugs are done in a medical facility such as a doctors or therapists office. Patients will not be sent home with these medications. And they may possibly save lives if the stress and fear of "terminal illness" is relieved.
Terminal DOES NOT necessarily mean a patient will die, it only refers to as no longer being able to find treatment for a health problem or illness. When my late husband was put on hospice care, I did not believe it was the end, just a rest or break from his exhausting struggle with cancer and to be able to keep at home like we all wanted. I had met people turned over to hospice care only to survive after all and so I had full faith in his recovery. Anyway...
These drugs, three known drugs, actually occur organically from plants or grow naturally to some extent and need little moderation to be developed into a medication. Their use as "street drugs" usually involves poor grade products that are cranked out with other chemicals to make them more potent or to stretch limited supplies. Fortunately they are hardly popular as street drugs.
If these drugs escape into the home, then use common sense as with any medication such as keeping out of reach of children, not sharing prescriptions, making sure correct dose is given. Of course these prescriptions will not have the same street drug name on their labels but the proper pharmaceutical name.
MOST IMPORTANT - if you are a caregiver to someone terminally ill, disabled or in poor health PLEASE BE SURE YOU HAVE PLENTY OF HELP because stress can affect the quality of care or quality of life so important to a patient and their family. I still really believe that me being overwhelmed as a caregiver and not knowing how to manage all the help I had given contributed to a lesser quality of life for my husband and his quick death within six months of being diagnosed with cancer. My own disability had put such a strain on those who were helping him and possibly took away the proper care needed for his recovery.
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