He Said She Said: Can A Husband Use Some Of His Wife’s Surplus Medicine?
Pill Popped
He said
Is sharing medicine really that crazy of an idea? Hasn’t everyone used some of their spouse’s medicine before? You won’t catch me using any of her hormone pills or birth control, but you would catch me using her Penicillin, Ibuprofen, and other common medicines. In fact, she has suggested several times for me to take one of her 800mg Ibuprofen pills when I have had a headache or a sore muscle. If sharing medicine is really that big a deal, then why did she suggest this? Furthermore, why would she save the pills months after she no longer needed them? Clearly The Wife was taking things too far when all I needed was a little break from some terrible chest and head pain. Need I say more?
UPDATE: Good news. Like manna from heaven, I found a bottle of Codeine that was prescribed to me last year when I crashed into a tree on a rope swing. There was a single pill left. Looks like I will be sleeping tonight.
She Said (The Donkey responds for the wife since she is too busy):
Can someone please call poison control and an abuse hot line? My husband must have stability issues right now to think of committing a 3rd degree felony. (I think that is what the crime is, but I’m not sure. I read about it on my friend’s blog and she is pretty smart so it must be accurate.) Clearly he is headed down a road of abuse and criminal activity. In fact, I was watching Oprah and she said there are people who live in vans parked on the sides of streets and they sell this stuff to guys who have headaches and the flu.
My husband makes a great point about the Ibuprofen. I did suggest that he use it, but I think there is a big difference between over-the-counter medicine and prescribed medicine. Oh wait, they were both prescribed. Never mind that. The point is I saw this show called House and the main character got addicted to something because he had some leg pain. My husband said he had his thigh muscle removed, but that doesn’t matter.
At the end of the day you shouldn’t share medicine. The person with the illness most likely opened the bottle and got germs on the lid. Why in the world would we want another person opening this same lid only to have now contracted the illness and really need the very same prescription? It doesn’t make sense.
18 Responses to “He Said She Said: Can A Husband Use Some Of His Wife’s Surplus Medicine?”
First of all, business trips are not vacations. I have been up late both nights completing homework for the training and catching up on work. I don’t get to lounge on the couch in front of the tv or sit and read blogs and send cute messages on Facebook.
Secondly, as far as I am concerned, once medicine is in the house it’s free game. Additionally, my wife recently gave me one of her prescribed 800 mg Ibuprofen when I had a headache. There’s always a user and always a pusher. I guess we know which role she plays.
By The Donkey on Jan 27, 2009
I with the hubby on this one…if I have left over pain medicine for anything…I definitely would share with my husband if he needs or wants it. I don’t understand the point of being uptight about something like that. Who cares what people do in a van on Oprah lol? If my husband showed no tendencies toward drug addiction, why would it be relevant?
By Shannon on Jan 27, 2009
You know how I hate to side with the donkey…but I have no problem with sharing meds if there’s a genuine need. BUT if The Wife flushed the pills just because she wanted to get back at the Donkey…well, that I can understand. He’s a big cry baby. Teach him a lesson Wifey!
…maybe this comment should be annonymous…
By Nancy Sabina on Jan 27, 2009
Since I didn’t write my actual argument, I should at least summarize my point of view here… There is a reason certain medicines require prescriptions. I do not share them because I am not a doctor, and I don’t know enough about the drug, or how existing conditions that might come into play… for example, The Donkey is close to developing an ulcer; I don’t know how different medicines would affect that. (It is true that I have shared my super-charged ibuprofen with him, but he has now convinced me to discontinue that practice
)
By The Wife on Jan 27, 2009
As long as it’s not a common occurance, I say go ahead and share the love with the pain meds. When I broke my hand a year ago, my wife could tell when I had taken meds, because I was so much nicer and more positive. I think everyone’s first aid kit should have some emergency narcotics. By the way, that was incredibly spiteful of the wife to flush the pills.
By Vatermann on Jan 27, 2009
Oh… and one more thing… I never mentioned anything about Oprah. My quote was actually more extreme and had something to do with violent crimes. I was referring to the fact that certain drugs are stolen from pharmacies, to make the point that these drugs have serious effects, and should not be taken casually.
By The Wife on Jan 27, 2009
My husband and I share drugs on a regular basis. We are both some of the same medical conditions and are on some of the same drugs so if one runs out the other loans a few pills. We have also shared pain meds on occassion but only after we read the contraindications for the drug. If anything is iffy we don’t share.
By Jacqui on Jan 27, 2009
The wife is right on this one! I am currently in nursing school right now and am learning about all the different medications and the effects. The donkey should take some cold medicine to relief a cold NOT percocet or whatever left over pills his wife has laying around. Drug addiction could happen to anybody. It is the drug that gets you addicted. If you take a pain medication just to get you to sleep you can get addicted!!! BAD NEWS!
By Christie on Jan 27, 2009
People in this country take too much medication, and taking something just so you can sleep better is not a good idea. However, we are also no longer supposed to flush drugs down the toilet because our water supplies are becoming tainted by drugs.
By Jane on Jan 28, 2009
if you could buy the drug over the counter (4×200mg ibuprofen = 1×800 mg ibuprofen… do the math) then it really isn’t prescription worthy (just drug company profit worthy) so those are okay to share. but like it has been said – if it would irritate him by not giving him those any more either? go for it. and yeah: pretty sure it’s a felony! I know if you made him pay you for them it would be! also – just exactly why is the wife not finishing her entire course of antibiotics? naughty! the wife is right here no sharing allowed….
By Connie on Feb 1, 2009
I have to side with The Wife on this one. For me it’s not about sharing or legality, but about safety. You have NO idea about side-effects or contraindications. And I doubt you, Donkey, took the time to look up that information. If you can provide legitimate research supporting the safety and efficacy of said drug for you and your condition, then fine. If not, then SUCK IT UP AND CALL YOUR DOCTOR! (Oh, but Jane’s right – flushing is bad for the enviro.)
By Brittany's Co-worker on Feb 3, 2009
Percocet is for pain. If you’re really having “terrible chest and head pain” and not just aches… you should see a doctor! Head and chest pain can be signs that something is really wrong.
Otherwise, if you just have head & chest congestion… you might need a decongestant.
Either way you don’t need the pain killer.
By Debra on Feb 3, 2009
P.S – Flushing the pills isn’t a good idea either b/c the drug can end up in water supplies… so I guess you’re both wrong!
By Debra on Feb 3, 2009
This is a HUGE debate around our house. Birddog has taken my medicine while I AM STILL TAKING IT!!!! This is totally unforgivable and I did not talk to him for days.
This has happend TWICE. Once when I was coughing like crazy he took my prescription cough medicine because it had codine and he wanted to sleep….because I was keeping him awake by coughing. The second time was when I had just had a c-section and he took my pain killers because his back hurt. If I believed in divorce, we would have gotten one the night.
Bottom line, if I am FINISHED with the medicine, he can have it……but he needs to keep his grubby little hands off of it until then!
By Ladybird on Feb 9, 2009
I must side with The Wife yet again.
Perscription drugs require a perscription *because* they may have side effects that are not good for some people or are dangerous when used with other drugs.
However, if your doctor has perscribed the same drug in the past, and therefore you know it won’t cause any problems, then it’s probably OK.
As for penicillin, you shouldn’t have any “leftover” because the patient is supposed to take the full regiment!
By Dameon on Feb 13, 2009
If you can’t sleep, Donkey, then how about you try looking after a houseful of children all day, every day for years? That’ll wear you out enough to sleep, even with terrible head and chest pain.
Or you could just try a glass of warm milk with some honey.
Or a nice warm bath before drinking the glass of milk.
Or try my husband’s favourite trick to fall alseep – ask for your wife’s honest opinion about a controversial topic and after she’s been talking for about 2 minutes you’ll be in la-la land before you know it!
See – you can do it without drugs!
By Melinda on Feb 15, 2009
I agree with Dameon – if you’ve taken the drug before, it’s probably safe to take it again, even if your name isn’t on the label. My experience with doctors and prescriptions is that they rarely ask for a medical history or dig deep enough to even determine what reactions I’ll have; since neither my husband or I have medical allergies, most doctors we’ve seen would just as easily write him a prescription for the same drug, but we save ourselves two co-pays (doctor + prescription) and time by having him take leftovers.
That being said, I usually toss prescription medicines once I’m done anyway; I don’t really see the point in holding on to them, since my understanding is that they don’t have a long shelf life and I’d hate for my two-year-old to get into them. But, I voted with The Donkey on the basic principle: ignoring the 800 million outside factors, sharing your wife’s prescription is okay.
By Sandy on Feb 23, 2009