Dh is hopeless - starting tablets without reading instructions properly

[nearlyfourbob]

Dh has been prescribed Neotigason for his psoriasis and it has massive warnings about birth defects on it (which as a bloke doesn't matter - although it makes me wonder what other damage it can do to his bits).

It also has a strong, but hidden inside instruction warning about drinking alcohol, even for 2 months after stopping the tablets.

As I just got back from Melbourne and there are beer bottles in the recycling and he's been on the tablets for 4 days - I have to entertain the possibility that my dh is hopeless.

Presumably he won't have damaged himself in 4 days?

oh dear - well I doubt he's done any daamage, but yes, a bit hopeless.

did you have a good trip?

Crikey! They're all the same aren't they? Could you ring the pharmacist and check?
I find that my Dh disregards all instruction booklets be it gadget, medicine, toys, DIY etc. I think it maybe an affront to masculinity to have to resort to a little book, in fact, we call them 'destruction books' in our house 'cos only when everything is at the point of destruction will he consider reading the bloomin' things!

Lovely trip thanks - but am in denial about starting work next week.

Dh is ringing the pharmacist under the guise of asking if he has damaged himself - but really to have a moan about them putting the instructions in the bottom of the box (surely they would have been at the top until they counted the tablets out) and not sticking a do not drink label on the box.

He said "oh well I'll stop taking them", so I pointed out that he would still be on the wagon for 2 months anyway, so he may as well give them a chance to work.

But I'm sure if I'd got a box with "Will cause birth defects" on it - I would have read it to see if it would cause my sperm to shrivel up.

I always read the instructions but then I am like that. DH wouldn't read instructions for anything in a million years.
I imagine that the alcohol will either inhibit the effects of the drug and/or the drug will 'enhance' the effects of the alcohol and so be really bad for your system. That's what it usually is isn't it. Must say though, I would be most unwilling to take anything that caused birth defects, pregnant or not!

term starts next week - had forgotten that. At least I will have something to do on a Friday!

Just checked patient info leaflet.

this drug can affect liver function - you obviously don't want to be drinking alcohol with impaired liver as it will acelerate the alcohol induced liver damage. IMO I doubt that having a couple of drinks will have done any more damage than have a few heavy binge sessions.

He's only drunk 4 beers so I doubt he's knackered his liver. He was starting to get depressed about the state of his hands and so alcohol wasn't helping (though it was only a couple a night). It will do him good, and his hands are looking better.

Oh and I found some research that apparently male rats on the tablets don't pass on any birth defects via sperm. So if we want to have a rat it will be fine.

I should say that it says the effects on liver function are because the drug builds up there. If he has only been taking the drug for 4 days I doubt there will ave been any effect on the liver function as I doubt there will have been any buildup in that time. I wouldn't be worried about the alcohol that he has already had - not that I would recommend more.

The drug is a teratogen - which is where the birth defects come from. IIRC Teratogens are normally active in the womb - after fertilisation (MB please correct me if I am wrong). As sperm turnover is high and defective sperm don't make it into the egg anyway - I really wouldn't worry about that either.

HTH