Health Issues Medication

[CrazyCatLady]

How does everyone feel about taking medication? Even just the occasional pain killer? Am I being naive and assuming they were all tested on animals at some point? Are there certain brands of the regular meds...pain killers, antihistamine, cold and flu relief...that weren't tested on animals? What about the more rare drugs? Do you just take herbal alternatives? Were they animal tested?
I know it is possible to check the ingredients of medications and to find alternatives. But as far as them being tested on animals, is it just a case of alternatives not being practical?
Sorry for all the questions - it's the the RIGHT answer that I'm looking for, opinions more than anything. Thanks xxx

 

[Alice-Bee]

It is currently the law that all Medical items are tested on animals.
As far as I am aware, its unavoidable to find medicine (apart from Herbal possibly) that wasnt tested on or contains animal ingredients

I personally do not take medication unless I cannot stand the pain or am required to by a Doctor.

 

[CrazyCatLady]

It is currently the law that all Medical items are tested on animals.
As far as I am aware, its unavoidable to find medicine (apart from Herbal possibly) that wasnt tested on or contains animal ingredients

Thanks for clearing this up for me xxx

 

[Lord Snot]

An important distinction for me is products that were tested on animals in the distant past but no longer are. Those are medicines which are well proven to be safe like your bog standard aspirin or paracetamol. It's the same with cosmetics, if the ingredients have been proven in the past not to be dangerous then they can be put on the market again without further testing.

For example my insulin went through rigorous testing when it was developed 20-30 years ago but it's been in use for so long that now they only test it if they bring out a new variety. So I just resist any changes unless I'm convinced they're necessary for my health and not just a convenience.

 

[Alice-Bee]

If painkillers dont need to be tested anymore...why arent they labelled as such. Especially from places like Superdrug which have independent approvals?

 

[Lord Snot]

I don't know - my insulin isn't labelled either.

 

[RabbitLuvr]

I have terrible headaches related to sinus issues, and awful allergies, all of which I need to take medications in order to live somewhat normally. I also need something to help me fall asleep, usually. I do try to stick with stuff that's been on the market for ages. I assume that companies are not testing aspirin or acetaminophen or diphenhydramine on animals now, seems to me it would be a waste of money for them.

I felt some guilt when I started chemo, and the loads of other meds I had to take along with it. I guess some of it was probably tested on animals, but when it's a case of maybe dying if I don't take it, I'm going to take it.

Taking the maybe-animal-tested drugs then, but refusing to use lotion with lanolin now makes me feel a little hypocritical, but I'm using alternate lotions that are (I think) free of animal products, and hopefully the radiation technicians don't keep trying to force the lanolin infested lotion on me.

Anyway! I wouldn't personally look down on someone who needed a painkiller for a headache or whatever, even though the law says drugs must be tested on animals first.

 

[Lord Snot]

That's not hypocritical in the slightest RabbitLuvr. One you need to survive, one improves your quality of life a bit (horribly dry skin can be painful) or at worst is a cosmetic convenience. No comparison. All vegans do as much as they can, practically - that's what you're doing.

Every vegan I've met has taken the same stance, although some draw the line at different places... some would forgo medications for anything that wouldn't kill them, but those kinds are rare. I would hazard a guess that nobody bothers putting 'not tested on animals' on medicines, because hardly anyone would pay attention to it.

Actually I was just reading that aspirin is toxic to lab animals, so if it had needed to pass animal testing laws we wouldn't be able to use it today. One of the many reasons animal testing is ridiculously outdated and should be replaced ASAP.

 

[beancounter]

In terms of herbal medicines - most of them don't work and are a waste of money. I was into medicinal herbology back in the 90's - and almost evry formula required that you consume large quantities over an extended period of time to gain any benefit.

 

[CrazyCatLady]

It's interesting to see that some charities such as 'action against allergy' 'Caring cancer trust' 'dementia uk' 'McMillan' 'the pain relief foundation' to name a few, don't fund animal testing. Instead other techniques are being used.
Doesn't stop the funding coming from elsewhere though :-/ xxx

 

[AeryFairy]

I take medications. If there is a 'more-veg*n' option, for example gelatin caps vs. veg caps or something, then I go with the veg version. But almost all medicines are/have been tested on animals. It's just one of those fairly unavoidable things.

 

[Pirate]

I take medications. If there is a 'more-veg*n' option, for example gelatin caps vs. veg caps or something, then I go with the veg version. But almost all medicines are/have been tested on animals. It's just one of those fairly unavoidable things.

Agree.

The way I see it is avoid what you can. Theres a massive difference between taking vitamins with gelatin cause you cant be bothered to find others, and taking medication with gelatin cause you need it. Obviously, where people draw the line will be different but its not my place to judge.

 

[AeryFairy]

A good analogy for this (and for veganism in general) is recycling - you recycle what you're able to. Sometimes it's incredibly difficult/impossible to recycle something, and different people draw the lines at different levels of convenience depending on their lifestyles/preferences. But every little bit helps, and it's better to chuck the occasional carton in the bin than it is to just throw the lot away without making any effort at all

 

[thefadedone]

I take medications. If there is a 'more-veg*n' option, for example gelatin caps vs. veg caps or something, then I go with the veg version. But almost all medicines are/have been tested on animals. It's just one of those fairly unavoidable things.

^This.

Agree.

The way I see it is avoid what you can. Theres a massive difference between taking vitamins with gelatin cause you cant be bothered to find others, and taking medication with gelatin cause you need it. Obviously, where people draw the line will be different but its not my place to judge.

^And This.

 

[Muggle]

I will take painkillers like ibuprofen and paracetamol because sometimes I need them just to get out of bed. I'm actually supposed to be taking far stronger anti-inflammatories than ibuprofen and I'm supposed to take them twice daily. I never do. Not because of animal testing but because I hate taking medication everyday.

For things that I've got to take, like antibiotics, I will always ask before they write the prescription if they're in gelatine capsules and if so, is there an alternative. It means that I often have to have the oral suspensions which taste disgusting and are an inconvenience if I have to go out because they're supposed to be kept in the fridge but I'd rather deal with that than have gelatine capsules.
Other people might not be able to have the suspensions because they do taste horrible (they make me want to vomit... I'm sure they would actually make some people vomit because they are rank) and the whole must be refrigerated thing is a pain in the arse if you don't have access to a fridge at work etc. So they might have to have the gelatine capsules. I don't think I'm any better than those people for them having to take the gelatine ones. Heck, I would prefer to take the gelatine ones because of the above issues with the suspensions but I really, really, really struggle with forcing myself to swallow them. I can't bear the thought of gelatine being inside me at all. (I actually started avoided gelatine about 2 years before I went vegetarian because I really hate the stuff. )

So yeah, different people have different boundaries. For some medication you can't avoid the fact that it's animal tested. It's the law and compromising your health because of something you can't change personally is just completely stupid IMO.

 

[Lord Snot]

I was just reminded of this thread. I got a letter from a London hospital asking me to help them with diabetes research, for... quite a lot of money. But when I spoke to them it wasn't just a study, it was testing new drugs which of course have been through animal testing. I told them I'd volunteer in place of the animals but I wouldn't help them with a drug that has caused so much suffering

 

[Moll Flanders]

I take medications. If there is a 'more-veg*n' option, for example gelatin caps vs. veg caps or something, then I go with the veg version. But almost all medicines are/have been tested on animals. It's just one of those fairly unavoidable things.

+1.

 

[AeryFairy]

I was just reminded of this thread. I got a letter from a London hospital asking me to help them with diabetes research, for... quite a lot of money. But when I spoke to them it wasn't just a study, it was testing new drugs which of course have been through animal testing. I told them I'd volunteer in place of the animals but I wouldn't help them with a drug that has caused so much suffering

Good for you, LS I really, really hope those laws get overturned.

 

[SummerRain]

I happily take whatever medication I need. If I am buying them myself I buy the more vegan option (i.e. I avoid gelatin capsuals) but if I go to my doctor I just take what I am given.

I think that if animal testing is required by law there is no other alternative, I don't think denying myself medication that will benefit will help anybody - not me, not the "image" of veganism, and not the animals. I just don't see there's any way that will affect that law on animal testing. I'd rather just take the medication, and donate money to charities that fund research into alternatives and promote those alternatives/etc. I think the law will change on animal testing when other options are preferable and cheap, not for any other reason.

 

[kibbleforlola]

I tend to avoid medications, not necessarily because of animal testing, but because I'm extra sensitive to medication. By that I mean, even half a dose of otc allergy meds will have me seeing purple dragons. And with pain killers, I get rebound headaches, so I will suffer through it if I can. But if I can't, I will take whatever is available to me.

Like others have said, if I'm buying it for myself, I will find the "most ethical" version possible. I.e., I will avoid gelatin, look for things that have been on the market for a long time, and so on. If it's proscribed for me by a doctor, then I'll just take it. I think that when it comes to medication, the best way to advocate change is by systematically doing it, like advocating for laws against, or convincing companies to do it from a top-down approach - not necessarily via purchasing power. And you can't advocate for change, or do anything for the animals, if your dead, so take your medicine.