AboutDr. Ravindra Bhaskar Ghooi Expertise I can provide information on drugs and medicines, their actions, uses, interactions and adverse effects. To avoid confusion, generic names of
medicines may please be provided. I am a pharmacologist, having worked
on animal and human pharmacology, and presently I am the Dean of Bilcare Research Academy, where we teach courses on clinical research. We dont work on saturdays and sundays, hence questions reachng me on these days will be replied on Monday, please bear with me.
Question QUESTION: I smoked crystal meth regularly from October '06 to October '07. I have been very healthy and drug free since I stopped smoking. I never smoked anything before and don't smoke anything at all now. Halfway through December '07 I started to cough. I went to the doctor in January and he gave me antibiotics for bronchitis. The cough cleared a little but never went away completely so the doctor gave me an inhaler. One month later I still cough a bit. Will this go away on it's own? Have I done some damage to my lungs? How can I heal myself from this stupid drug use?
ANSWER: Hi Karen,
There is no one in the world who has not made mistakes, probably Nature realises this and rarely punishes someone who has corrected himself or herself. Your cough is probably not related to your use of the drug. What has happened s that you have developed COPD quite independently, and you are being treated. This takes a long time to treat and do not expect quck cure for this, it takes years. I suggest you go ahead with the treatment with patience.
Ravi Ghooi
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thank you so much for your reply! My doctor asked me if I'm a smoker and I said no because I am ashamed to admit what I had done. Should I tell him or is it not necessary?
Answer Hi Karen,
Let us see what will happen if you tell the doctor that you have been smoking for about an year. How will that change the doctor's recommendations for you? Will the anitbiotic or the line of treatment be changed? I doubt it. If so then what advantage is there in telling the doctor about it.
Other than making you feel bad, see that nothing is going to be achieved. Somethng that no one knows and does not harm someone else need not be revealed. A white lie is acceptable, when it does not harm anyone. I understand about your being reluctant to speak about it. Frankly it is nothing to be ashamed of, we all have made mistakes in the past . As is popularly said "who should cast the first stone?" I suggest you forget what has ahppened and concentrate on getting well, that will give you and me too a lot of satisfaction.
Ravi Ghooi
