Self-medication takes toll on 54 yr old asthma patient

Self-medication takes toll on 54 yr old asthma patient

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, Nov 29, 2014:  Here is a classic case that proves how self-medication at times can be dangerous to one’s life. Leena Anitha, a 54 year old  school teacher is  now battling for life  after  taking steroids and anti-asthmatic drugs on her known  to cure asthma which has been bothering her since she was a child.

 

 

Though Leena used to initially consult physicians for her ailment,  later at one stage she found one of the drugs, a  steroid highly beneficial and had begun to use to continuously without seeking doctor’s advice.

According to reports, Leena used to get treatment for Asthma since she was a child.  It is learnt she was once prescribed steroids for asthma when she was 18. Later, she had consulted several doctors both in India as well as in Abu Dhabi, and all had reportedly prescribed the steroidal therapy without warning the patient about its side-effects.

Later, Leena began to use the same medicine without medical consultation and the long- term consumption of steroids has today taken a toll on her  and has made her suffer from diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis and allergy to various food, dust etc.  She is now bed-ridden since the past four and a half years with nearly  half of her bones fractured. Her medical reports say  that she has  steroid dependent asthma and has developed Cushing’s Syndrome

Leena’s husband Patrick too says that his wife’s health condition has gone out of control and admits the mistake done by her.

Ravindranath Shanbagh, President of the Human Rights Foundation of  Udupi while referring to the case of Leena emphasises that  the public must be sensitized about the dangers which self-medication can pose.