Vegan Medication

by Jason
(Nottingham, England)

How Do I Find Vegan Medication?

Question:
I'm vegan and have been since last December. Thankfully, touch wood, I haven't been ill within this time but what happens when I do fall ill, visit the doctor and he says I need a prescription? I'll obviously tell him that I'm vegan but is he really going to be able to prescribe me with an animal friendly prescription for my illness? Are there vegan tablets and vegan medicines out there for us?

Similar Question from Manon:
I'm a vegan, or at least I try really hard to be one. I have all of the food, make-up, household items, etc., taken care of. However, I have major depressive disorder, in which I NEED to take a certain medication for. I have been suicidal in the past, but since I've been taking this medication (prozac, fluoxetine) I've been able to be myself again. From what I have researched the medicine has gelatin and is tested on animals. I'm in a really sticky situation now because I want to be 100% vegan, if that is at all possible, but I need my medication in order to keep my life. I don't know what to do. I don't want to be a vegetarian, but I feel like there's no other way. Would you consider me a vegetarian because I take this medication? I still consider myself a vegan, because I have devoted myself to helping animals and changing my life to veganism. Please help.

Thank you so much!

Answer:
Great question! To start, congratulations on changing your lifestyle this year, and I'm so glad you're reaping one of the huge benefits of veganism-- rarely getting common illnesses. I'm glad you're planning ahead for a time when you might need a vegan medication.

A lot is going to depend on your doctor and his/her awareness of veganism, as well as openness to helping you follow your lifestyle. Not all doctors are going to be completely aware of what exact ingredients are in the medications they prescribe. But, you should definitely ask him/her. You could also bring a list of non-vegan ingredients that you are looking to avoid and ask the doctor for his/her help in finding a vegan medication that is suitable for you. The other issue you are going to deal with is medicines that are tested on animals.

At some point, you might have to choose to draw a line beyond which you are unwilling to go. For instance, you might decide that if you are on your deathbed, you're not going to ask someone to specify the type of medicine they use to save your life.

As a vegan, it's important to do the best you can do and not beat yourself up for the things in your life that do not exactly follow your principles. You must control the things you can control, and if you have no other choice, you might end up with a non-vegan medication. However, this is all personal choice and you have to draw that line yourself, according to your own beliefs. But, you should never make yourself sick just to prove a point-- what good can you do as an animal rights activist if you're dead?

In more normal situations, you might decide not to take medicines that are commonly prescribed for common illnesses, and rather choose more holistic methods of improving your overall health. For most of those common illnesses, you can find suitable vegan medication at health food stores that are not tested on animals.

Here are some common animal ingredients in medications that you can find a way to avoid:

• Adrenaline
  
• Blood
  
• Cortisone or Corticosteroids
  
• Duodendum
  
• Gelatin is in most gel capsules, but there are vegetarian capsules. If your medicine is not available in a vegetarian capsule, you could try prying open the capsule and simply taking the medicine that is inside it (don't do this for time-released pills as they are meant to be distributed throughout the body slowly)
  
• Glycerin or Glycerol (in capsules)
  
• Lactose
  
• Lanolin or Lanolin Acids
  
• Lecithin or Choline Bitartrate
  
• Magnesium Stearate
  
• Stearic Acid or Stearyl Alcohol or Stearols
  

Hope that helps with finding vegan medication!

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