Very rarely do I comment on politics or controversial issues. The reason is simple. I usually wait until I hear all sides then I determine how I feel about an issue. I discuss it with my close friends and family and I leave it there. But,President Trump’s comments regarding Hydroxychloroquine, a drug that I and many other people with autoimmune diseases and chronic illnesses take really struck me.

I’m not a Republican or a Democrat. I vote for people whose values align with my own and sometimes that drifts from party to party based on the individual. So, this is not a political statement. This is a humanitarian issues.

The drug the president is talking about is very dangerous, even when it’s not combine with the other medications that are being used in clinical trials to find something to combat Covid-19. So, when the president asked, “what do you have to lose?” The answer is simple: your life. If the drug doesn’t cause an unusual heart rhythm. It can cause organ failure. It can cause sudden retinal detachment , which leads to blindness. It can cause a host of other issues. More importantly, If people start taking drugs against the advice of the leading medical experts it could cause another crisis. They may take other drugs that are harmful.

I caution doctors against prescribing hydroxychloroquine to people who don’t need it. A doctor’s first calling is to do no harm and by giving drugs that are not necessary you are doing harm. You are creating a drug shortage that affects patients with autoimmune diseases a chronic illnesses who need this drug daily. We rely on this medication. Without this drug some of us will die. Some of us will be in pain. Some of us will lose our ability to function, which will prevent us from working or contributing to our society in a meaningful way. Some of us will suffer irreparable damage to our bodies.

I understand the need for a cure and I get the level of panic. But, people depend on doctors not to be swayed by pressure, profits, politics or the lack of scientific evidence. At times like these, doctors need to think about patients; to really weigh the pros versus cons of medications, including the death or damage to others.

https://news.yahoo.com/video/president-trump-says-taking-hydroxychloroquine-211054333.html

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